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 was wondering if it is okayto use white whole wheat flour for this recipe?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Diana! I’ve actually covered this already on my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ page, which is included in the Notes section underneath the Instructions. It can be easy to miss! 😉 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these oatmeal cookies!
I made these last night and they came out great! I doubled the recipe and they worked out just fine. They look a little pale when they’re done- you don’t get that darkened, caramelized coloring on top (although you do a bit on the bottoms) that you typically get when baking with wheat flour and butter- but it is worth it because they are so healthy and satisfying!
I used whole oats, gluten-free flour (Bob’s Mill All-Purpose), and honey instead of agave (a little less than 1/2 cup). My family and I almost finished them within 24 hours. I love their light, cake-y consistency. And most of all, I love that they are dairy-free, gluten-free and sugar-free.
I’m so glad everyone in your family enjoyed these cookies, Stephanie! That means so much to me that the double batch disappeared quickly. That’s the best kind of compliment! 😉
Hi Amy
Just wondering if you thought this dough could be prepared and left in the fridge overnight and then baked the next day?
It would help on a busy day!
Thanks
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Niamh! If you chill the cookie dough overnight, then you’ll want to flatten the cookie dough with a spatula before baking because the cookies will no longer spread in the oven. (The longer the oats sit in the cookie dough, the more moisture they soak up — and therefore the less the cookies spread!) It shouldn’t affect the cookies’ flavor though! ? I’d love to hear what you think if you try these cookies!
These cookies are amazing! This was my first time making them, I will definitely be saving the recipe and making again!
I’m so glad you loved these cookies Sherry! That means the world to me that you already plan on making them again — that’s the best kind of compliment! 😉 Thank you so much for sharing that with me!!
Hey Amy!
I already commented a few months ago about how I made them and what I could improve in case I made them again. Apparently my boyfriend loved them more than I thought and he keeps asking me to make more haha. So hopefully it goes well again! Thanks again for the recipe!
It’s so great to hear from you again Danielle! Your comment made my day! That’s AMAZING that your boyfriend loves them so much to ask you to make more. You must be quite a talented baker! 🙂 I’m sure your cookies will turn out beautifully the next time you bake them!
Hello.i tried this recipe. They came out great from the oven and delicious when hot. However once cooled they become rock hard! I want to try it again and it may be my oven. If I used it on fan over what temperature and time would I put it on? Thanks!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Mia! If you’re using a convection-style fan (that usually means one with a fan!), then bake my recipes at 25°F lower than what my recipe says but for the same amount of time. So for this particular recipe, that would be 300°F. Also, do not overbake the cookies! They should still look and feel slightly underdone when you pull them out of the oven. That’s a good thing! They’ll continue to finish cooking all the way through on the warm baking sheet as you let them cool. If you bake them until they’re firm instead, then that’s when they turn rock hard after cooling. So no more than 14 minutes, but I’d recommend that you actually go with 11 minutes instead. Does that make sense? 🙂 One last thing! How did you measure the oats and flour? Did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups?
Hi, Amy…I came across your recipe today and decided to try it. On a request from a family member who wanted brown sugar to sweeten, I added dark organic brown sugar, but forgot to add the milk. They taste very good, but did not spread. Could that be because I didn’t add the milk? They also don’t have that gooy-ness and I suppose it’s because I didn’t use honey. I also have another question about baking powder. I always thought baking powder was used to raise things and baking soda was used to spread things. Would you clear that up for me? Otherwise, the cookies are a very nice recipe and I’ll be trying them again. Thank you.
Blessings,
Marianne
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Marianne! Yes, if you didn’t add the milk, that’s why the cookies’ texture wasn’t so soft and chewy and why they didn’t spread. That ¼ cup of milk makes a big difference! 😉
Baking powder and baking soda are actually both used to make baked goods rise. Baking powder is actually made of baking soda (a base) + a solid-state acid (most commonly monocalcium phosphate or sodium aluminum sulfate) + a starch (usually cornstarch or potato starch). In order to make baked goods rise, you need a base (baking soda!) to react with an acid to create air bubbles (carbon dioxide), and those air bubbles force the batter or dough to rise. Baking soda typically requires an added acid (usually something like lemon juice or vinegar or buttermilk) in the recipe to active and make those air bubbles, but baking powder already has the acid in it and therefore does not.
How much cookies spread is usually more related to the consistency of the dough, especially with low-fat recipes like this one! For low fat recipes, wetter cookie dough spreads more than really stiff and hard cookie dough — and that’s why your cookies didn’t spread! You didn’t have enough liquid in the cookie dough because of the missing milk.
Does that make sense? I used to be a chemist before I was a baking blogger, so I love nerdy food science like that!
I can’t wait to hear how your next batch of these oatmeal cookies turns out! 🙂
Thank you, Amy. Your answer was quite informing and I appreciate your time. Yes, my dough was not as liquid as yours. Ah, yes, a chemist – that explains your foundational knowledge. Me, I’m an artist and writer, so baking, though something I’ve always loved to do, has always been simply following a recipe and learning very minimal basics. Next time I make these I’ll be sure I don’t accidentally skip anything. But, I will say that the cookies turned out very delicious and they’re not too dry. My family enjoyed them and so do I. I will definitely let you know how the next batch turns out. Thanks, again, and God bless you.
Marianne
It’s my pleasure, Marianne! I’m always happy to help! 🙂 I’m so glad that the cookies turned out well, even without the milk. I see you left me another update… Off to check that! 😉
I don’t see milk in the recipe?? I just put mine in the oven…!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Eva! If you used agave, as written in the recipe ingredients, then you don’t need any milk! I give an alternative on my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page (it’s linked to in the Notes section at the bottom of the recipe!) for the agave that uses brown sugar + milk. The only time you’d need to add milk is if you used brown sugar instead. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear how your cookies turned out!
HI Amy,
Just a quick update. I tried the recipe again, and they were much moister. I used honey this time, as well. Yum! Thank you, again for the recipe and the information.
Blessings,
Marianne
Wonderful!!! I’m so glad they turned out Marianne! Thanks for taking the time to let me know — I truly appreciate it! 🙂
Delicious ?. Perfect for my toddler ?. Used spelt flour, butter and honey as alternatives. I calculated calories, it is around 104 calories per cookie ?. Next time I will try buckwheat. Thanks Amy ❤️
I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies Danny! Thanks for including your recipe tweaks — I always love hearing what modifications work! 🙂
Amy,
I made the cookies exactly by the recipe (using honey). They have a good taste but the texture is more cake-like rather than chewy, as they should be. Is there a variation that would cause this. Thanks, Virgil.
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Virgil! I actually cover the causes of cakey cookies on my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page, and I’ve included a link to that in the Notes section of the recipe, directly underneath the Instructions. I know it can be easy to miss! 🙂