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!
Now let’s go over how to make these ultimate healthy oatmeal raisin cookies! I’m going to walk you through 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. 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. I cannot emphasize this enough. Use the spoon and level 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 or oil 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 | | Print |
- 1 cup (100g) instant oats (measured like this & gluten-free if necessary)
- ¾ cup (90g) whole wheat 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!)
- 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. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Instant oats are also called quick-cooking oats and one-minute oats. They come in large canisters, just like old-fashioned oats. (They're not the ones in the small flavored packets of oatmeal!) To make your own, add the same amount of old-fashioned oats to a food processor, and pulse 10-12 times or until they're ¼ to ⅛ of their original size.
If you prefer, pure maple syrup may be substituted in place of the honey or agave. You may also substitute ½ cup (106g) brown sugar plus ¼ cup (60mL) of milk. Any milk will work.
For the best soft and chewy texture, do NOT overbake these cookies! They're actually done baking when the centers still feel slightly soft and underdone. By letting your cookies sit on the warm baking sheet for 10 minutes at the end of Step 3, it allows the centers to fully bake through and continue to set without turning the outsides crisp and crunchy.
SECRET STEP: For the best ever oatmeal raisin cookies, hydrate your raisins first! It makes them SO plump and juicy, which makes your cookies taste incredible! To do so, add the raisins to a microwave-safe bowl, cover them completely with water, and top with a tight-fitting lid or plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH for 60 seconds. Let the raisins sit and absorb water until just before you’re ready to add them to the dough. Drain them thoroughly before folding in.
GLUTEN-FREE VERSION: use gluten-free instant oats the following gluten-free flour blend: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) brown rice flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will also work, if measured like this.
DAIRY-FREE VERSION: Use coconut oil or stick-style vegan butter (like this!) instead of unsalted butter.
For all other questions regarding this recipe (including other ingredient substitutions!), please see my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ + Video Page.
{gluten-free, dairy-free, clean eating, low fat}
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
♡ Almond Joy Oatmeal Cookies
♡ Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies
♡ Raspberry Oatmeal Cookies
♡ Apple Pie Oatmeal Cookies
♡ …and the rest of Amy’s healthy oatmeal cookie recipes!
Thank you for this recipe. My picky 2 year old has a cold and wouldn’t eat a thing until I made these. The oats will give him energy and the honey will soothe his throat.
I’m so glad your son enjoyed these cookies Regina! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know. I hope he feels better soon!! 🙂
Made these for my family and they LOVED them! I’m happy I found a yummy recipe that doesn’t include butter or sugar! I also used canola oil instead of coconut and they turned out great! Thank you 🙂
I’m so glad you and your family loved these cookies Nadia! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! 🙂
First time using a food scale to measure oats and flour. The cookies are perfect. I used your recommendation for brown sugar + milk instead of the honey and I added mini m&ms instead of raisins to make them more ‘fun’ for my young kids. They love them! I need to make a double batch next time. Thanks for a great recipe.
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed these cookies Jennifer! That means so much to me that you’d want to make them again — and a double batch too! That’s the best kind of compliment. Thank you for sharing that with me! 🙂
It would e nice to actually see the recipe first to see if we will use it. All I got was pictures and talk….never even found the receipe….
I promise the recipe is there Erin! If you made it down to the comments section to leave a comment, then you actually scrolled right past the recipe. 😉 The recipe is directly underneath the video where I walk you through how to make these cookies (and above the step-by-step photos). I’d love to hear what you think of these oatmeal cookies if you decide to try them!
Another great recipe! These are dangerous, they’re so good and don’t taste healthy at all! I had 2 and it’s so hard to keep myself from eating them all! Thanks Amy!
You’re so sweet Whitney!! That means the world to me that you’d say these don’t taste healthy at all — that’s the best sort of compliment! 🙂 Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know!
I made these for a friend who cannot have gluten or cane sugar. She loved them. She was so happy to have a baked cookie. Thank you for either finding and sharing this recipe or creating it yourself. You made her very happy.
You’re so sweet to make cookies for your friend Tania — she’s so lucky to have you! 🙂 I’m so glad she loved these cookies! (And yes, it’s my original recipe creation!) I have lots more flavor varieties here, if you’re ever interested in trying another one of my oatmeal cookie recipes!
Can you use regular oats? Does it have to be instant?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Abby! This recipe does require instant oats because they’re smaller and thinner than old-fashioned rolled oats, so they produce the best texture. I’ve actually covered what to do if you only have old-fashioned rolled oats in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions). I know it can be easy to miss! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try these cookies!
If I was to use only 1/4 cup of maple syrup (to have less sugar), what would I add to the recipe?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Nicole! I’ve actually done that in this version of these oatmeal raisin cookies! In a nutshell, add ¼ cup of milk (any kind!) to compensate for the missing volume. Just remember that the cookies will have the sweetness level of muffins, rather than dessert. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try them!