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Best oatmeal raisin cookies are bakery-thick with crisp edges, chewy centers, and warm, nostalgic spice. They bake from frozen in about 23 minutes, delivering effortless, consistently chewy results.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
This is a brief summary of the recipe. Jump to the recipe to get the full details.
Jump to RecipePrep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
23 minutes
Total Time
38 minutes
Servings
18 cookies
Difficulty
Easy, with professional technique baked in.
Calories *
348 kcal per serving
Technique
Cream butter and sugars thoroughly, fold in oats and raisins gently, and freeze the dough before baking.
Flavor Profile
Warm cinnamon, subtle nutmeg, buttery and nostalgic.
* Based on nutrition panel
I froze the dough exactly like you suggested and baked straight from frozen—huge difference. The cookies stayed thick and chewy with crisp edges, and the portion size guidance was spot on. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lauren
Why These Are the Best
- Thick, chewy centers. Freezing the dough limits spread and keeps the interior soft and substantial.
- Crisp, golden edges. The balance of granulated sugar and brown sugar creates that bakery-style contrast.
- Packed with oats and raisins. Just enough dough to bind everything together—by design.
- Warm, balanced spice. Cinnamon leads, nutmeg supports, and nothing overwhelms the oats.
Table of Contents
There’s both art and science behind a thick, chewy cookie like this. The same techniques that make my best snickerdoodle cookie recipe work—proper creaming, controlled spread, and dough temperature—apply here as well. Plus, for these cookies, the sweet raisins and oats work together to create a deeply satisfying chewy texture.
If you’re continuing your cookie tour, you might also love my reese’s peanut butter cookies, double chocolate chip cookies, or classic chewy sugar cookies.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- What kind of oats are best for oatmeal raisin cookies? Old fashioned rolled oats give the chewiest texture, while quick oats blend in more and soften the cookie. Instant oats can be used, but the cookies will be softer and less textured.
- All-purpose flour: Provides structure without making the cookies tough.
- Baking soda: Creates lift without ongoing rise in the oven.
- Kosher salt: Enhances flavor without harshness.
- Cinnamon & nutmeg: Warm spice that reinforces oatmeal-cookie nostalgia.
- Unsalted butter: Cold but pliable butter controls spread and flavor.
- Granulated sugar & light brown sugar: This ratio is essential for crisp edges and chewy centers. The blend of brown sugar and white sugar delivers just enough sweetness without overpowering the spices.
- Eggs: Add richness, structure, and light leavening.
- Raisins: Soft, sweet contrast—check labels for unnecessary added sugar.
See the recipe card below for full ingredient quantities.
Variations on Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Keep it old-fashioned. Inspired by my grandma’s baking—pair these with her Jewish apple cake for a classic dessert table.
- Bake one giant cookie. Press the dough into a skillet for a shareable dessert like my pizookie.
- Add mix-ins. Stir in ½ cup chocolate chips and use the extras in my thick chocolate chip cookies.For added crunch, fold in up to ¾ cup chopped walnuts.
- Try rum-soaked raisins. Use the same method I love in brown butter rum raisin banana bread.
Professional Tips
- Measure carefully. Texture depends on precise butter, sugar, and flour ratios.
- Cream properly. Butter and sugars should be light and fluffy before adding eggs.
- Freeze the dough. This step is what creates thick, bakery-style cookies every time. Be aware, because the dough is frozen, the bake time is slightly longer.
How to Make the Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Use these steps to make perfect cookies every time. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Temp the butter. Let the butter sit at room temperature for about 10–15 minutes until cold but pliable.
Step 2: Mix dry ingredients. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg; set aside.
Step 3: Cream butter and sugars. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
Step 4: Add eggs gradually. Add eggs one at a time, mixing just until incorporated.
Step 5: Incorporate dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture slowly on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
Step 6: Fold in oats and raisins. Mix gently until evenly distributed; avoid over-mixing.
Step 7: Portion the dough. Scoop large portions of oatmeal raisin cookie dough (about 70g, half a tennis ball) and roll into spheres.
Step 8: Freeze the dough. Freeze portions in a single layer for about 30 minutes or store frozen for later.
Each batch freezes well, so you can store portioned dough in the freezer for freshly baked cookies anytime.
Step 9: Preheat the oven. Preheat to 325°F convection or 350°F conventional.
Step 10: Bake from frozen. Bake cookies 2 inches apart for 20–23 minutes, until edges are golden brown and centers are just set.
Cooling the cookies on wire racks helps preserve crisp edges while the centers finish setting.
Chef Lindsey’s Recipe Tip
After portioning, gently compress the dough balls just until the surface smooths. This eliminates dry oat edges, promotes even baking, and produces cleaner, rounder cookies without extra spread.
Recipe FAQs
Raisins do not need to be soaked for oatmeal raisin cookies, as the dough hydrates them during baking. Soaking raisins is optional and best used when you want extra plump raisins or are using very dry fruit. If soaking, use warm water or rum for 10–15 minutes, then drain thoroughly before adding to the dough to avoid excess moisture.
To prevent oatmeal raisin cookies from spreading too much, freeze the dough before baking, measure flour accurately, and use butter that is cold but pliable. Baking directly from frozen limits early spread and helps the cookies set with thick centers and crisp edges. Over-creaming or adding too much butter can also increase spreading.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 10 days or freeze for several months.
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If you tried this recipe and loved it please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you; your comments make my day!
Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 ¼ cups unsalted butter cold but pliable
- 1 1/3 cup sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 ¾ cups oats
- 2 cups raisins
Instructions
- Bring butter to a cold-but-pliable temperature.
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing just until incorporated.
- Mix in dry ingredients on low speed until just combined.
- Fold in oats and raisins gently.
- Portion dough into large balls (about 70g) and freeze at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 325°F convection or 350°F conventional.
- Bake cookies from frozen for 20–23 minutes until edges are golden.
Video
Notes
- Technique: Add flour gradually to avoid gluten development.
- Storage: Store at room temperature up to 10 days or freeze for several months.
Nutrition
Before You Go
I hope you enjoyed baking these thick, nostalgic cookies. Be sure to explore more of my chef-tested cookie recipes next.
I tried making these twice now, about a year apart and the frozen dough balls never really flattened at all so I took a spatula to flatten them, but by then they were already browned. I’ve watched the video as well and no luck. What do you think the problem is. I see all the positive comments!
Hi Rosemarie! Thanks for sticking with them! These cookies are meant to stay thick (freezing the dough limits spread), but they should still relax a little. When they don’t, it’s almost always either too much flour or butter that’s still too cold. Both make the dough hold its shape until the outside browns. I’d lightly press the dough balls before baking (just smooth the tops), make sure the butter is cold-but-pliable, and double-check flour measurement (weigh it if you can). That usually fixes it immediately. Happy baking!
I froze the dough exactly like you suggested and baked straight from frozen—huge difference. The cookies stayed thick and chewy with crisp edges, and the portion size guidance was spot on.
This is my go to oatmeal raisin cookie. Then are perfect and you can pull the dough balls out of the freezer and have fresh cookies anytime. They are the best.
Hi Diane, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for coming back and commenting, that makes me so happy to read!
Sorry for the temp error… if course I meant 325 to 330 degrees respectively.
Heard! 🙂
Thanks so much Lindsey for this amazingly scrumptious recipe! Followed to the letter and they taste fantastic! I did add a touch of vanilla – ’cause, why not. I would say that the bake needed a little tweaking, and I would imagine this may be the case kitchen to kitchen – freezer temperature and oven characteristics being the key variables. I did 225 convection setting, but didn’t quite reach the browning that I wanted at the risk of over backing and loosing moisture. I’m looking to bump to 230 and raising the rake a touch for the next bake, but wow… super yummy, and just the right texture I was longing for.
Hi Steve! Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment, I’m so glad these cookies hit the spot!
I just made the cookie dough. What temperature would I cook the cookies at in a toaster oven. I’m going to scoop 1/4 cup cookie dough.
HI Vicky, I have never baked cookies in a toaster oven before, so I am not sure. If it has a temperature setting, I would would set it to 350F and bake a tester cookie. See what happens before you bake all the dough! Happy baking!
Was great! Didn’t have nutmeg so we made it two tablespoons of cinnamon. was awesome. Tennis ball sized would be huge though! 😮 Either way, they have a nice crust thin crust all over the top and sides, and a chewy inside 🙂 Thank you!
That sounds lovely, so glad you enjoyed! ?