I lived in the dorms during my freshman year of college, and with only a small fridge the size of a microwave and no kitchen, I purchased a meal plan and ate most of my lunches and dinners in the dining hall. Although usually somewhat skeptical of the entrées, I could always count on the salad bar for healthier options before stopping by the dessert station for sweet treats. Even then, I needed my daily fix!
Sometimes I felt adventurous and sampled their latest raw vegan carrot cake or tofu chocolate cupcakes, but their cookies were always the best. Chocolate chip, peanut butter, snickerdoodle, tuxedo… Those were the softest and chewiest you’d ever imagine. It was like biting into little circles of heaven!
But with the extra chewy factor and ample amounts of cinnamon, the oatmeal raisin cookies were always the first I’d reach for. I often headed down to dinner with my next door neighbor, who enrolled in many of the same classes and quickly turned into my study buddy. Since oatmeal raisin were his favorite too, we’d grab a plate to nibble on while quizzing each other about mechanisms and equations for our next chemistry and physics midterms.
Thank goodness the rest of the freshmen seemed to avoid that flavor!
So now, quite a few years later, I decided that it was finally time to develop a recipe of my own that rivaled—if not surpassed—those oatmeal raisin cookies. Something incredibly soft, unbelievably chewy, and absolutely irresistible… Exactly the opposite of the boring, bland, or dry reputations oatmeal cookies sometimes attract. And of course, being me and my blog, I wanted to make them healthier.
So… These are it! They’re the Ultimate Healthy Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. They’re chock full of hearty oats, sweet raisins, and lots of warm cinnamon. They’re also just 100 calories with no refined flour or sugar. Trust me, you’ll never need another recipe ever again!
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST HEALTHY OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES
Now let’s go over how to make these ultimate healthy oatmeal raisin cookies! I’m going to walk you through some important ingredients you’ll need and a few keys steps to help you avoid some of the more common issues. I cover many of these things in the video beneath the recipe too. If you’d rather skip straight to the recipe and start baking, go right ahead!
To start, you’ll need whole wheat flour or gluten-free flour. No refined all-purpose flour in these cookies! You’ll also need instant oats (also called “quick cooking” or “one minute” oats). Instant oats are smaller and thinner than traditional old-fashioned rolled oats. This means they soften faster, which keeps your ultimate healthy oatmeal raisin cookies supremely soft and chewy! You can usually find instant oats in canisters right next to the old-fashioned oats at the grocery store. (And no, they’re NOT the same thing as in those flavored individual brown paper packets!)
It’s extremely important to measure both the oats and flour correctly. Use this method or a kitchen scale if you own one. (I highly recommend the latter! This is the one I own.)
If your cookies turned out dry or failed to spread on the baking sheet, it’s mostly likely because there was too much of either of those dry ingredients, especially the oats. They act like little sponges and soak up moisture, so adding too many will quickly turn the cookies crumbly.
I promise these ultimate healthy oatmeal raisin cookies are worth taking the extra 10 seconds to measure your flour and oats correctly!
Whereas traditional recipes usually call for a full stick (or more!) of butter, you just need 2 tablespoons of coconut oil or butter. That really helps keep your ultimate healthy oatmeal raisin cookies low calorie and low fat, and if you use coconut oil, they’re also dairy-free!
Also unlike traditional recipes that use refined granulated sugar, you’ll actually sweeten your ultimate healthy oatmeal raisin cookies with honey, agave, or pure maple syrup. These are unrefined sweeteners, and they all work equally well!
Then here’s one of my favorite tips for making the best ever healthy oatmeal raisin cookies…
Don’t add your raisins into the cookie dough straight from the package! Instead, hydrate your raisins first. This is super simple to do! Add them to a microwave-safe bowl, cover them with water, and place a lid or plastic wrap on top. Microwave them on high for 1 minute. Let them sit for at least 5 minutes (or while you measure and mix together the rest of the ingredients!). By the time you’re ready to drain them and stir them into the cookie dough, they’ll be exceptionally plump and juicy… Which definitely creates the best healthy oatmeal raisin cookies imaginable!
Now that your cookie dough is all mixed together, chilling is mandatory. Most of the time. If you added the correct amount of oats and flour, the dough should be wet and look more like thick muffin batter. Chilling will help stiffen the dough so it doesn’t spread as much while baking. If your cookie dough is already stiff, skip the chilling and bake it right away.
(The video just above the recipe shows what the textures before and after chilling should look like!)
However, your ultimate healthy oatmeal raisin cookies will only spread some after chilling (not excessively!), so if you want wider, somewhat thinner cookies, make sure you flatten them slightly before baking. Just give them a little pat with a spatula. If you prefer thicker cookies, skip that and bake them right after scooping them onto the baking tray.
Finally, do not overbake these cookies! I always pull mine out slightly early, then let them sit on the warm baking sheet longer. This allows the centers to continue to set without turning the outsides crisp and crunchy. Your ultimate healthy oatmeal raisin cookies will stay soft and chewy for an entire week that way!
These Ultimate Healthy Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies didn’t stand a chance at my house. Even with just me eating (and sneaking) them, they only lasted four days. I hope you enjoy them just as much!
And when you make your own oatmeal raisin cookies, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your ultimate healthy oatmeal raisin cookies!
(My Healthier Chocolate Treats cookbook is full of sweet and healthy recipes like these oatmeal cookies! You can see a sneak preview of all of the recipes inside here!)
The Ultimate Healthy Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (100g) instant oats (measured like this & gluten-free if necessary)
- ¾ cup (90g) whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120mL) honey or agave
- ¼ cup (40g) raisins (see Notes!)
Instructions
- Whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the honey or agave. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the raisins. Chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet, and flatten slightly. Bake at 325°F for 11-14 minutes (see Notes!). Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
Here is what the cookie dough should look like just before chilling. It resembles thick muffin batter more than cookie dough!
Here is what the cookies look like before and after baking. They some, but not too much, so be sure to flatten them slightly with a spatula just before popping the baking sheet in the oven.
You may also like Amy’s Other Recipes…
♡ Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
♡ Healthy Almond Joy Oatmeal Cookies
♡ Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies
♡ Healthy Raspberry Oatmeal Cookies
♡ Healthy Apple Pie Oatmeal Cookies
♡ …and the rest of Amy’s healthy oatmeal cookie recipes!
I definitely made a few modifications but these were DELICIOUS! I used regular old-fashioned oats – all-purpose flour – and 1/2c maple syrup instead of the agave or honey. I also did not chill my batter. They weren’t dry/crumbly or flat at all!
We’re so happy that you enjoyed these cookies, Grace! I’m glad the texture turned out great and you found modifications that work for you. Thanks so much for sharing and rating this recipe, it really means a lot! 🙂
In the The Ultimate Healthy Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies recipe will sprouted whole wheat flour work in the same amount?
Also what are your thoughts on using Truvia as the sweetener?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Dee! I haven’t tried using sprouted whole wheat flour to make these cookies, so I’m not personally sure and don’t want to lead you astray. If you end up experimenting and trying it, I’d love to hear how it goes!
What’s the exact Truvia sweetener that you’d like to substitute? They offer a few different products, and the modifications you’d need to make depends on the exact sweetener. Once I know that info, I’ll have a better answer for you about whether it’ll work and what you’d need to adjust!
I use a homemade brown sugar made with erythritol and stevia extract with a touch of molasses. It is a 1 to 1 with sugar substitute. I believe it is equivalent to the Truvia complete brown. I was hoping to use it plus 1/4 cup milk in place of the honey.
Thanks so much for sharing, Dee! If your homemade blend is the equivalent of Truvia’s Sweet Complete Brown Sweetener, then you’ll need ½ cup of your homemade blend plus an additional 6 ½ tablespoons of milk to replace the honey. Because erythritol has a different molecular structure compared to sugar, it both absorbs and dissolves differently in liquids, so that’s why you’ll need more than just ¼ cup of milk.
Your cookies might not spread as much with this substitution. If you’d like them to look like the ones in my video and photos, it might be necessary to flatten them more prior to baking. However, if you’re okay with thicker cookies, then no need to do anything differently. Just something to keep in mind!
I’m excited to hear how your oatmeal cookies turn out and what you think of them, whenever you get a chance to make them!
Unfortunately these turned out dry and flavourless when I made them. I used melted butter and brown sugar + milk. Seems there is not enough butter and sugar in the recipe to make them taste good. I won’t be making them again 😕
It means a lot that you decided to try our recipe, Lili! That sounds disappointing and not like how these cookies are supposed to turn out, so I’d love to work with you to figure out what happened. In order to do so, I have some questions for you!
Would you mind describing their texture a bit more? We understand they were dry — were they more bready and cakey, or were they so dry and crumbly that they didn’t hold together?
Did you make any substitutions or modifications to the recipe, including those listed in the Notes section? (Other than the brown sugar + milk!)
Did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups/spoons for all of the ingredients — especially the flour, oats, butter, and milk?
Did you use whole wheat flour or the homemade gluten-free blend we provided in the Notes section? If neither, what’s the exact flour that you used?
Did you measure the butter before or after melting it?
How much brown sugar and milk did you use? (Some people reduce the amount of these, which is why we like to double check!)
Did you use regular brown sugar or a brown sugar substitute? (Such as an erythritol-based one!)
Did the consistency of your cookie dough before and after chilling match what’s in our video directly above the recipe? (You can see the consistency of ours from 1:44 to 2:24!) If not, what was the consistency of yours like compared to ours?
How long did you chill your cookie dough?
How long did you bake your cookies?
We’d love to help, and we’ll have a much better idea of the potential culprit once we know your answers to all of these questions!
Excellent recipe. I was asked to bring a healthy granola-type cookie to an Easter breakfast buffet and made three versions of these: pecan-cranberry-choc chip; walnut-choc chunk; and, coconut-pecan dipped in chocolate. Used maple syrup for all three versions and only 1/2 tsp cinnamon + coconut extract for the coconut-pecan batch. I chopped the chocolate chips and cranberries into smaller bits. Very happy to have this recipe!
We’re honored that you made these cookies for your Easter breakfast buffet, Marsha! I love the different variations you came up with, they all sound delicious! Thanks so much for sharing and rating this recipe, it really means a lot! 🙂
Made these for hubby. I didn’t like them but he LOVED them. In fact I’m leaving town tomorrow and he begged me to make them for him to have this weekend so raisins are soaking and I’m making them.
I didn’t flatten them…missed that part but he didn’t care 😆
We’re so happy to hear that your husband enjoyed these cookies, Deidre-Ann! It’s so sweet of you to make him another batch before you leave town, he’s lucky to have you! Thanks so much for taking the time to share and rate this recipe, it really means a lot! 🙂
Good flavor but a bit too cake-like for me
It means a lot that you tried my recipe, Ruthe! I’m glad you enjoyed their flavor. These cookies are supposed to be really chewy, not cakey, so I’d love to work with you to figure out what happened with your batch! In order to do so, I have some questions for you. 🙂
Did you make any substitutions or modifications to the recipe, including those listed in the Notes section?
Did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups/spoons for all of the ingredients — especially the oats, flour, and honey/agave?
If the latter, for the oats and flour, did you use my “measured like this” method that’s linked in the Ingredients list — or did you happen to dip your measuring cups directly into either container?
Did you use whole wheat flour, the homemade gluten-free blend in the Notes section, or something else?
Did you use the full amount of honey/agave? (Some people prefer their cookies less sweet and reduce the amount, which is why I like to double check!)
How long did you chill your cookie dough?
Did its consistency match what’s in my video directly above the recipe? (You can see the consistency of mine from 1:44 to 2:24!) If not, what was the consistency of yours like compared to mine?
How much did you flatten the mounds of cookie dough prior to baking?
How long did you bake your cookies?
Did they spread while baking?
I know I just asked a LOT of questions, but I’ll have a much better idea of the culprit and how to fix it once I know your answers to all of them!
I can’t wait to try these! Would almond flour be an equivalent substitute?