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 just made these and they were/are excellent! I had some repair guy here and he liked them as well, lol. I made 2 little additions… I added a few choco chips and 1/2 tsp of baking powder (I like a little lift). Spot on!
I’m so glad you loved these oatmeal cookies Laura! As a huge chocoholic, I can never turn down chocolate chips… So I absolutely love that you added those! 😉 You’re so sweet to share some with the repair man as well — I bet that was such a delicious surprise during his day!
I made these with coconut palm syrup for the sweetener, and they are absolutely delicious! So good that I’m ashamed to say I just ate 4 of them! Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
I’m so glad you loved these cookies Mary! That’s the BEST compliment I ever could’ve received, if you’ve already eaten four of them! I’m truly honored — thank you SO much for taking the time to let me know!! 🙂
I loved these cookies & so did my kids! I didn’t have time to chill the dough for 30 minutes, so I put it in the freezer instead for 10 minutes & they came out perfect! Thank you for the recipe; I’ll use it again & again!
I’m so glad you and your kids enjoyed these cookies Ann! That truly means so much to me that you already think you’ll make them again and again. That’s the best kind of compliment — thank you for taking the time to let me know! 🙂 I loved hearing your quick freezer experience too; I always enjoy hearing what little recipe tweaks and tips work!
Mine tasted rubbery like I find any baking does with whole wheat flour .
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Jenn! That sounds really disappointing and not like how these cookies are supposed to taste at all, so I’d love to help figure out what happened with your batch! 🙂 What brand of whole wheat flour did you use? How did you measure it — with a kitchen scale or measuring cups? Did you use a stand or electric mixer to make the cookie dough, by any chance? Was your cookie dough the same texture as mine was in the video above the recipe?
I know I just asked a lot of questions, but I’ll have a much better idea of what the culprit might be once I know your answers to all of them!
Hi Amy! Thanks so much for your response.
I used a brand of whole wheat flour called 365. I’m in Canada so it might not be familiar to you.
I used a scale as you suggested and I used a hand mixer.
My batter was sticky and did look like yours but as I said the consistency is not chewy but somewhere between chewy and rubbery. I asked my family for their input as well 🙂
Any suggestions you have would be appreciated as the taste is great – just the texture is not what I was hoping for.
Thanks again!
Thanks so much for sharing Jenn! There’s a 365 brand here in the US that’s associated with Whole Foods; is that the same 365 brand in Canada? Have you tried using any other brands of whole wheat flour? I just found it interesting how you said that all of your baking done with whole wheat flour tastes rubbery, so I was slightly curious about whether the brand of flour played into that.
However, the hand mixer is the most likely culprit! Both hand and stand mixers tend to overmix low-fat batters and doughs (like this one!), and overmixing creates that rubbery texture. For my recipes, I always recommend using a whisk where explicitly instructed and a fork for everything else for the best taste and texture. (I’ll always explicitly state when to use an electric mixer too, so there shouldn’t be any doubt when one is necessary! 😉 )
Does that all make sense? 🙂
Do you happen to know the nutritional analysis of these cookies. My Aunt lives with us and is diabetic and is watching her carbs and sugars. She loves oatmeal cookies and I am forever looking for something she can eat. Since you use Agave or Maple syrup, this recipe may just be what I am looking for. Thank You so very much!
I’m so honored that you’d like to try making these cookies for your aunt, Tom! She’s so lucky to have you to bake her homemade treats! 🙂 The full nutrition information is actually included directly underneath the recipe. I know it can be easy to miss! And if these cookies don’t quite fit your aunt’s dietary needs following the recipe as written, then I’m happy to help figure out how to modify the recipe to better suit her diet. Just let me know!
The cookies came out really dry and I measured it correctly.
I truly appreciate your interest in my recipe Whitney! That sounds frustrating and not like how these cookies are supposed to turn out at all, so I’d love to help you figure out what happened. 🙂 Did you make any modifications or substitutions to this recipe, including those listed in the Notes section? Did you happen to use coconut flour, by any chance?
None at all!! I made it for my girls and they couldn’t even chew it
That’s so strange Whitney!! How much honey did you use? Did the texture of your cookie dough match mine in the video above the recipe both before and after chilling? What temperature did you bake your cookies and for how long?
Mine weren’t quite sweet enough. Could I add some brown sugar? Or maybe corn syrup? If so how much? Thanks!
I’m so honored that you tried making these oatmeal cookies Lindsay! I think it should be possible to add additional sweetener, but I just wanted to double check the texture and consistency of your cookies before I recommend how much. I don’t want to lead you astray and ruin your next batch of cookies! 🙂 Were your cookies thick and cakey? Or were they thin and chewy, like in my photos and video?
I’d say they were thin and cakey. They could have used a chewier texture.
Thanks for sharing Lindsay! Did you measure the flour and oats with measuring cups, rather than a kitchen scale? And did you happen to dip the measuring cup into either container to measure them? Or did you use the method of measuring that I described at the pink “measured correctly” link in the Ingredients list?
If your cookies were cakey and not sweet enough, then it actually sounds like there might have been too much flour or oats (or both!) in your cookie dough, which is why I’m asking! 🙂
Can you freeze the dough?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Moni! I’ve found it’s actually much better to freeze these cookies once they’ve been fully baked and cooled. To thaw them, I pop individual cookies in the microwave and cook them on 30% power for 30-ish seconds or until they’re warmed all the way through. They taste freshly baked when thawed like that! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try making them!