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 newly released Healthier Chocolate Treats cookbook is full of sweet and healthy recipes like these oatmeal cookies! Buy your very own copy here!)
| The Ultimate Healthy Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies | | Print |
- 1 cup (100g) instant oats (measured correctly & gluten-free if necessary)
- ¾ cup (90g) whole wheat or gluten-free* flour (measured correctly)
- 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
- 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 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 known as quick-cooking or minute oats. They come in large canisters, just like old-fashioned oats. They are 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.
For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free instant oats and a gluten-free flour blend. I recommend the following blend: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, 2 tablespoons (17g) brown rice flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum.
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 results, use fresh raisins. Older raisins will be drier, so I recommend hydrating them first. 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 45-60 seconds. Let the raisins sit and absorb moisture until you’re ready to add them to the dough. Drain them thoroughly before folding in.
For all other questions regarding the recipe, including ingredient substitutions, please see my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ + Video page.
{gluten-free, dairy-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
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 only spread a little bit, 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!
Can I freeze the dough for future baking
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Jennifer! I haven’t had the best luck with freezing the unbaked dough, but the fully baked cookies freeze really well! To thaw them, I just pop them in the microwave on 30% power until they’re completely warmed through. They taste freshly baked when thawed like that! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try making these cookies!
Maybe you answered this before, but if you like cookies that are more crunchy rather then soft, will it be better to cook them longer? I love your recipes! Bo
I didn’t have raisins so I used dried black cherries soaked them in dark rum. Yummmm!
I’m so glad you loved these cookies MaryAnn! That sounds like such a fun and delicious twist! 🙂
I followed the directions exactly, measured correctly, used butter and agave nectar and soaked/drained the raisins. The cookies came out very cakey. I feel like two or three times as many oats should have been used? Or omit the baking powder?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Adrienne! That sounds disappointing and not like how these cookies should turn out, so I’d love to work with you to figure out what happened. 🙂 When you say you measured correctly, how did you measure? With a kitchen scale or measuring cups? If the latter, can you describe how you used them to measure the flour and oats? Also, did you decrease the amount of agave, by any chance? Finally, how long did you chill the cookie dough, and how long did you bake your cookies? I know I asked a lot of questions, but once I know your answers to all of them, I’ll have a much better idea of what happened and how to fix it!
Omg!!! I have just tried to make these cookies, they are amazing, the best cookies in a world and so healthy. Thank you Amy so much
I’m so glad you loved these cookies Vilma!! That truly means the world to me that you’d call them the best cookies in the world — I’m so honored!! 🙂
I am confused how cooking with a microwave. Always thought microwaves zapp all the nutrients
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Janine! Microwave ovens don’t actually destroy all of the nutrients when you use them to heat food. They just produce heat waves that are a different frequency/energy level compared to the heat waves created by traditional ovens. Because of this, they cook foods at a different rate compared to traditional ovens (or over the stove!). However, if you’re staunchly against using a microwave to hydrate your raisins, then you can boil 1-2 cups of water, pour that over your raisins, and cover the bowl holding the raisins with a lid for 20+ minutes instead. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try making these oatmeal cookies!
Hi Amy. Can I make these with flaxseed as a replacement for egg? Hope to hear from you soon. Thank you.
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Carol! I haven’t personally tried flax eggs, but I believe other readers have had success with that. However, my brother is actually allergic to eggs, and Ener-G is my favorite substitute. Ener-G is a shelf-stable powder that keeps for ages. It works perfectly as an egg replacer in nearly all of my recipes, including this one! For my recipes, use 1 ½ teaspoons Ener-G + 2 tablespoons warm water for each egg white, and you’ll need an additional ½ tablespoon of butter or coconut oil {or Earth Balance, if you’re vegan!} for each egg yolk. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these oatmeal cookies!
Hi Amy. Thank you so much for your reply. I’ll be making your recipe soon and let you know how it turns out.
It’s my pleasure, Carol! I’m really excited to hear what you think of these cookies!
Would this recipe work ok with old fashion oats?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Angela! I’ve actually covered this exact question in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions). I know it can be easy to miss! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cookies!
Your honey/agave measurements are not consistent. 1/2 cup agave is 168ml. Which is correct? Since I’m making them NOW, I went middle of the road with 150ml. Will let you know how they turned out.
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Nan! The volume measurement of 120mL for ½ cup is correct. If you used 150mL of agave, that was probably too much. However, if you used 150g of agave, that probably wasn’t quite enough. This is because volume is based off of the amount of space an ingredient takes up, whereas weight is unique and based off of each ingredient’s density.
Agave is typically 21g per tablespoon, or as you calculated 168g per ½ cup. Again, weight is based off of density, rather than volume. Volume will always be consistent, regardless of density, but weights will vary based on density. (Kitchen scales can’t actually measure volume — only weight!)
Here’s another way to think about it… 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 agave weighs 336g, whereas 1 cup of water weighs 240g. Does that make sense?
In general, for liquid ingredients, the best way to measure them is by volume, rather than by weight — just to be safe — which is why I provide volume measurements for liquid ingredients, rather than weight. 🙂