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!
Amy, if I want plain no sugar added oatmeal cookies without the raisins, what substitutions would be needed?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Barb! You can easily omit the raisins from this recipe, if you prefer! I also have plenty of other oatmeal cookie recipes (here!), and many of them don’t include raisins. (Some people just hate raisins, like my best friend, so I understand that!) 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of them!
Thank you for the recipe! I just made these but I substituted very ripe smashed banana for the honey! They turned out delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies Emilia! Thanks for letting me know about your recipe modifications — I always love hearing what tweaks work! 🙂
Hi Amy,
I made these oatmeal cookies. They were really good but more cakey than chewy I thought. I used old fashioned oats and ground them some as you said to do but wasn’t sure if I should grind first and then measure? Also, I used coconut oil but again wasn’t sure if you should melt it first and then measure. I measured then melted. Gonna try them again and use whole wheat pastry flour rather than the whole wheat flour and see if it makes a difference in texture and also try using the butter this time. Thanks for all the great looking recipes and for any help you can offer.
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Elimay! I actually go over exactly what causes cakey cookies on my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page. There’s a link to it in the Notes section of the recipe, located directly underneath the Instructions. I know that can be easy to miss! 😉 You did the right thing with your old fashioned oats! Measure your old fashioned oats first (make sure you do it correctly — review my “measured correctly” link in the Ingredients list!), then grind them. You did the coconut oil measurement correctly too — measure then melt! Whole wheat pastry flour won’t make a big difference in the texture compared to regular whole wheat flour, nor will butter instead of coconut oil. (Again, I go over exactly what causes that cakey instead of chewy texture on my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page!) 🙂 I can’t wait to hear how your next batch turns out!
So do we absolutely need to grind the oats? And is all purpose flour an okay substitute for the wheat flour?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Mikaela! I’ve actually gone over the answer to your second question on my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page, and a link to it is included in the Notes section of the recipe for you, located directly underneath the Instructions. I know it can be easy to miss! 😉 Yes, if you only have old-fashioned rolled oats, you must grind them. Instant oats are smaller and thinner than old-fashioned oats, so they soften faster and give the cookies a more chewy texture. I can’t wait to hear what you think of them! 🙂
The oatmeal raisin cookies are absolutely amazing! Thank you for taking an old favorite and making it healthier. ? The batter was a little thick, so I threw in a single-serving size cup of unsweetened applesauce and then chilled it. I also substituted honey and pure maple syrup for the agave. Divine! I promised my 7-year-old son he could have these for breakfast before school….he about fainted! “Cookies for breakfast, Mom! Are you sure?” Yep, couldn’t be more sure!!! Shhhh…..? Lol!
I’m so glad you and your son enjoyed these cookies Shana! That means a lot to me!! 🙂 Just one quick question — did you happen to scoop the oats from your container with a measuring cup? (I’m trying to sort out the thick batter issue so it doesn’t happen again, if you’re interested!)
I measured the flour and oats to 100 grams using my kitchen scale per recipe instructions. I did use King Arthur’s white whole wheat flour (forgot to mention that modification) so possibly that could have an effect on the final product? I must say, the applesauce was an easy fix and super delish. Hope this helps!
Oops!
Correction — I measured the oats to 100 grams and the flour to 90 grams per recipe instructions.
Thanks for the info Shana!! I’m SO glad to hear you’re using a kitchen scale! 🙂 The white whole wheat flour should be fine. I have no idea why your cookie dough would’ve turned out so stiff if you used the scale and no other modifications, but I’m glad the applesauce worked and you didn’t mind its taste!
Are your calculations correct as you say 1 cup = 100g and 3/4 cup = 90g, shouldn’t 3/4cup = 75g, perhaps this is why they turned out stiff as she may have added 15g too much flour
Yes, the grams are correct Gary! Weight is based off of density, rather than volume. If you measured out 1 cup of cotton balls versus 1 cup of sand, they’d take up the same amount of space (volume)… But the cup cotton balls would definitely weigh less than the cup of sand! Or if you measured out 1 pound of cotton balls versus 1 pound of sand, you’d end up with a small handful of sand… And a pillowcase or two full of cotton balls! Same weight, different volume. Does that make sense? ?
The same thing applies to different ingredients. 1 cup of flour weighs 120g, whereas 1 cup of oats weighs 100g. (Check the nutrition label on the sides of your packages — they should show the grams per serving!) ?
If you don’t own a kitchen scale, then here’s what I recommend doing for measuring flour (and cocoa powder, oats, etc!): use a fork to “scoop” up flour from the container, and lightly shake the fork back and forth over the top of your measuring cup to transfer the flour into it. Once there’s a small mound of flour extending past the rim of the measuring cup, then place the flat back of a knife against the top of the measuring cup, and gently scrape it across the top to get rid of the excess flour. Never “pat” the flour down with the knife or fork. This fork method acts like a sifter (without dirtying another dish!) and guarantees you’ll add less flour and oats to the cookie dough, so you’ll end up with perfectly soft and chewy cookies. Does that make sense? ?
I just made these tonight! Mine also turned out more cake like rather than chewy. I used coconut oil and gluten free flour (Namaste brand). Not sure if I did something wrong … I even watched your video. My dough looked like yours but the finished cookie looked a bit different … not as flat and moist. ?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Vicki! I actually cover what causes cakey cookies on my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page. There’s a link to it at the bottom of the Notes section; did you happen to review that? 🙂 My guess is that it was due to the way the flour and oats were measured. Did you use measuring cups, by any chance?
Hi Amy, I used the spoon & level method to measure the oats and flour.
Thanks for the info Vicki! Did you shake the measuring cup back and forth in between spooning flour into it to disperse the flour inside of the measuring cup? 🙂
Oh dear! I must have misunderstood the directions!! ? I actually kind of shook the spoon and not the measuring cup!! ?
Oh goodness — sorry for the confusion!! If you shook the measuring cup, THEN you’d be wrong! That actually compacts the flour, so you’d end up with a whole lot more. If you shook the spoon, then you’re right! 🙂 Did you do the same thing to measure the oats, with the spoon and measuring cup?
Hi Amy,
Do you happen to have the nutrition facts by chance on these?
Yes! They’re already included directly underneath the recipe. I know it can be easy to miss! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cookies Ben!
Made these tonight, sorry to say they turned out awful – crumbly and tasteless. I measured the (gluten free) flour & (instant) oats exactly as you advised. I added some chopped walnuts (did not see your note about soaking raisins). I used a sugar free syrup as I’m trying to cut sugar from my diet. Agave syrup is very high in sugar (32 grams per 30 ml – half a cup of Agave is 118 ml – that’s a ton of sugar!) & very expensive to boot – you might as well use straight white sugar instead. I don’t know why this went so wrong, maybe I chilled them too long? I don’t know, but I’ll have to throw them all out, they’re not edible. What a waste of ingredients, very disappointed.
I truly appreciate your interest in my recipe Tina! That sounds really frustrating — and not like how the cookies are supposed to turn out at all! They’re supposed to be really soft and chewy with lots of delicious flavor. I’m happy to help you sort out what went wrong! What gluten-free flour did you use? Was it coconut flour, by any chance? When you say you measured exactly as I advised, did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups? (I go over both in the Notes section!) If you used measuring cups, can you describe in detail how you did that? Also, did you watch my recipe video, and was your cookie dough the same texture as mine before and after chilling? Once I know your answers to all of those questions, we’ll be able to troubleshoot so you end up with really soft and chewy cookies! 🙂
This a good recipe to substitute the agave syrup for date syrup. I’m more comfortable using whole dates made into syrup as a sweetener, and they tasted great. I haven’t had any issues with the thickness of the batter despite not following your instructions to the letter. If I need more moisture, I get it from the date syrup. But yeah, thanks for the recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies Dan!
I am not having any luck with any of your cookies !:/ I made these flavor is on point but they’re dry and cakey
And my finished dough before refrigeration is not as wet as yours. I used agave, and coconut oil. And I noticed in the video you used only 1tsp or cinnamon but the recipe says 1 tsp 1/2
Oh no!! How are you measuring the flour and oats when you make my cookie recipes? Are you using measuring cups or a kitchen scale? If the former, can you describe in detail how you measure? (And for time’s sake, I didn’t show adding the rest of the cinnamon in the video, but I did use the full amount! 😉 )
I used measuring cups ! I tried it again, my batter came out more wet like yours. They taste great! Now they’re just cakey and somewhat dry
Thanks for the info Kelly! How are you using your measuring cups? Are you dipping them directly into the containers of flour and oats to measure, by any chance?
I’ve been spooning into the measuring cups! I don’t know what’s wrong!!
Thanks for the additional info Kelly! It does sound like there’s too much flour and oats in your cookie doughs, and that can still happen even with the spoon and level method. But I have a special trick to avoid adding too much flour! If you don’t own a kitchen scale, here’s what I recommend doing for measuring flour (and cocoa powder, oats, etc!): use a fork to “scoop” up flour from the container, and lightly shake the fork back and forth over the top of your measuring cup to transfer the flour into it. Once there’s a small mound of flour extending past the rim of the measuring cup, then place the flat back of a knife against the top of the measuring cup, and gently scrape it across the top to get rid of the excess flour. Never “pat” the flour down with the knife or fork. This fork method acts like a sifter (without dirtying another dish!) and guarantees you’ll add less flour to the batter, so you’ll end up with soft and chewy. Does that make sense? 🙂
It makes sense! Third times a charm so let’s hope it works! :/
I have my fingers and toes crossed for you Kelly! 🙂