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!
The recipe is tasty! I have a question, is honey for the purpose of sweetness solely? Or does it help with the texture?
I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies, Des! Thank you for taking the time to let me know — that truly means a lot! 🙂 It’s both! However, it’s often possible to substitute other sweeteners and still achieve almost the same texture. Is there a particular one you’d like to use instead?
Hey, can these be frozen? Thanks!
Yes! Once fully baked and cooled, these oatmeal cookies freeze really well. (I almost always keep a batch in my freezer!) My favorite way to thaw them is to place individual cookies in the microwave on 30% power until they’re warmed all the way through. The taste as if they’ve been freshly baked when thawed like this! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of them if you decide to try making these cookies, Fleur!
I made these today and they taste so good! Used agave nectar and coconut oil out of the options and they worked well. This will now be my go-to oat & raisin cookie recipe! Thanks Amy!!
I’m SO thrilled that you loved these cookies, Fleur!! That’s the best compliment if you think this will be your go-to oatmeal raisin cookie recipe. I’m incredibly honored — and hearing that made my entire day! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know!! 🙂
These the best cookies!! THANKYOU!!
I’m so happy that you love them, Tiferet! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know — that truly means a lot! 🙂
Hey Amy,
Thanks a lot for the awesome recipe, these cookies were amazing! I just made them and my boyfriend couldn’t wait to try them. He loves them too. I will definitely make them again.
Thank you for putting in the metric measurements, i always have a hard time finding out how much all of these cup measurements are. I’m from Germany and we don’t use these litte baking cups here, so you helped me out a lot 🙂
Instead of whole wheat i used whole spelt flour and since i didn’t have enough honey or agave i used brown sugar and almond milk. Maybe next time i will put in some almonds or walnuts just to see how it works.
I will definetely try some of your other recipes as well.
Stay safe and healthy!
I’m really glad you and your boyfriend loved these cookies, Angelika! That means SO much to me that you already think you’ll make them again. That’s the best kind of compliment — thank you for taking the time to let me know!! 🙂 I think almonds or walnuts would be so fun to add! (And since I was a chemist before I became a baking blogger, I actually prefer using a kitchen scale to weigh ingredients — it’s so much easier and makes me feel like I’m back in the lab again! 😉 )
Hi Amy,
I can’t seem to find any quick oats in my kitchen. Will I be able to use old fashioned or do they ruin the cookie?
I want to try them out so I’ll give them a try anyways. I’ll be sure to buy quick oat in the future. Thanks for the quick and healthy recipe. I’ve been looking for a healthy cookie recipe for ages. I think this is the one!
I’m honored that you’d like to try making this recipe, Angie! I’ve actually covered this exact question in the Notes section (located directly underneath the Instructions!), as well as on my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page (there’s a link to that in the bottom of the Notes section). I know it can be easy to miss! 😉 I’m really excited to hear what you think of these cookies!
Hi! Amy thanks for all your recipes ❤️ I have a question. Can i substitute the whole weat flour with oatmeal flour? Or almond flour?
I’m honored that you’d like to try making these cookies, Amber! I’ve actually covered this exact question on my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page, and there’s a link to that FAQ Page in the bottom of 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 oatmeal cookies!
Our family suffers from fructose malabsorption so I swapped the honey for glucose syrup which worked a treat. I’ve also made these with loads of ginger (powdered and fresh crushed) with a Tbls of coconut flour to even up the extra moisture from crushed ginger -they were also a massive hit with the kids!! Thanks for this I think it’s going to be a great staple that I tinker and play with !!
I’m so glad you’re enjoying this recipe, Pip! That truly means a lot to me that you’ve made these cookies multiple times and you’d call it a staple — you just made my entire day! Thank you SO much for taking the time to let me know!! 🙂
I tried baking these cookies and I flattened them slightly just before putting it in the oven but the cookie did not seem to spread and get any thinner when they were cooked. They just maintained the same shape before I baked them. I’m not sure what happend. But the cookies are delicious. Any idea what went wrong?
I’m so honored that you tried another one of my recipes, Rhodieleen! I’m glad to hear you at least enjoyed their flavor. 🙂 Did you make any substitutions or modifications to the recipe, including those listed in the Notes section? Also, how did you measure the oats, flour, and honey? Did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups? If the latter, can you describe in detail how you used them to measure?
Once I know your answers to all of those questions, I should have a much better idea of the culprit!
I used 1/2c of honey instead of maple syrup. I used a glass measuring cup. I used cups to measure the oats and flour. I used a fork to sift the flour inside the cup and the end the back of a knife to remove the excess. I used the same technique for the oats.
Thanks for sharing, Rhodieleen! This is all really helpful to know. While you were filling the measuring cup with oats or flour, did you happen to shake it back and forth at all?
So you think I put too much oats or whole wheat flour? I ordered a kitchen scale online and I will try to make it again using the scale.
Yes, that’s what I’m thinking. If you used a measuring cup for the honey and you filled it all the way to the ½ cup mark (rather than slightly below), then too much flour and oats is the most likely reason for why your cookies didn’t spread. I always prefer using a kitchen scale for dry ingredients because it’s much more accurate and ensures baked goods turn out the same every time you make them, and it usually results in fewer dishes to wash (a nice perk!). 🙂 I’d love to hear how your cookies turn out if you try making them again once your scale arrives!
Hi I am excited to try these. I don’t use a microwave, haven’t in over 12 years. Is there another way to plump up the raisins besides using the microwave?
I’m honored that you’d like to try making my recipe, Simmie! I completely understand. If you don’t own a microwave, then 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. That should hydrate them so they’re nice, plump, and juicy! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these oatmeal cookies!
These were soooo good. I swapped out 10g of oats for desiccated coconut and it worked really well. Also used 1/2 brown rice syrup and 1/2 honey. Will definitely be making these again. Thanks so much
I’m so glad you loved these oatmeal cookies, Cate! That’s the best kind of compliment, if you already think that you’ll make them again. Thank you for taking the time to let me know — that truly means a lot! 🙂