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 made these today and they taste great! I subbed the sweeteners with 1/2 c of monkfruit sugar plus 7 tbsp of milk as you advised someone else, omitted the raisins and added 1/4 c coconut, 1/4 c chocolate and 1/4 c of roasted hazelnuts. They look like yours but they are not chewy, more cakey. Not sure what changed the texture but they taste good anyyway.
I’m so happy you enjoyed these cookies, Eryn! Thanks for taking the time to share and let us know about your modifications, too. We always love to hear about which recipe tweaks work well! 🙂
Hi, this looks great! Do you know how many carbs per cookie?
We really appreciate your interest in our recipe, Van! The full nutrition information (including carbs per serving!) is included directly underneath the recipe box. I know it can be really easy to miss though! 😉 We’d love to hear what you think of these cookies if you try making this recipe!
I made like 9 of these cookies and I did the math it came to like 30 carbs per cookie but these cookies are pretty big though Im sure you can make them smaller and make the servings per carbs less.
Would recommend though doesn’t taste like ultra sweet store bought cookies and is fluffy.
I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies, Robin! Thank you for taking the time to let me know and rate the recipe. It really means a lot! 🙂
Not a great success. Biscuits more cakey. Other recipes easier and more likely to succeed. Wont make again.
It means a lot that you tried my recipe, Angela! That sounds disappointing and not like how these cookies are supposed to turn out, so I’d love to work with you to figure out what happened. In order to do so, I have some questions for you! 🙂
As a quick note, I’ve actually covered the most common culprits of what makes these cookies turn out cakey, rather than soft and chewy, in the Notes section and on my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page. (There’s a link to that FAQ Page at the bottom of the Notes section.) I know it can be easy to miss though! 😉 Now on to those questions!
Did you make any substitutions or modifications to the recipe, including those listed in the Notes section and/or on my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page?
Did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups/spoons to measure all of the ingredients — especially the flour, instant oats, and honey?
If the latter, can you describe how you used them to measure? For example, did you dip your measuring cups directly into the containers of instant oats and/or flour?
Did you use the whole wheat flour option or one of the gluten-free options I provided? If the latter, which one?
Which sweetener did you use — honey, agave, or something else? And did you use the full amount?
How long did you chill your cookie dough?
Can you describe the texture of your cookie dough before and after chilling? (And did it match the consistency of mine in the video directly above the recipe?)
How much did you flatten your cookie dough prior to baking?
How long did you bake your cookies?
How was their sweetness level and flavor? Was it just the texture that was off, or was their taste not quite right too?
I know I just asked a LOT of questions, but I’ll have a much better idea of what happened with your batch (and how we can fix it!) once I know your answers to all of them! 🙂
Oatmeal raisin cookies are a favorite of my husband’s. In looking for a healthier version, I ran across your recipe today.
These are FABULOUS and husband approved. Here’s an extra bonus, no white and brown sugar or white flour.
I made these exactly as you wrote. I wouldn’t change a thing. They are perfect!!!
I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed these cookies, Lisa! You’re really thoughtful to bake homemade cookies for him. He’s lucky to have you! 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and rate the recipe too. It truly means a lot — especially that you’d call these cookies perfect! I’m honored!!
Okay, this recipe is GREAT! I mean AB..SO..LUTE..LY GREAT!
Making a decent GF cookie that tastes like a cookie, and good enough that you want to eat several of them, is rare.
Your recipe nails this! My husband, who’s not GF, and I, can’t keep away from these.
I used a homemade GF bkend, and processed GF whole oats as you suggested and it was fine. I also subbed with coconut sugar. BTW, thanks for the tip about adding milk when using this sugar. I’ve made other items with coconut since it doesn’t cause a sharp spike in blood sugar, and found them too dry. Brilliant Tip!
I did double this recipe, and I know that often this can be promblematic. So after adding double the amount of coconut sugar and milk, there was too much liquid in the mix. Darn! So I added 2 handfuls, literally, of whole oatmeal, ‘without’ processing, let it all sit in the fridge as you direct, and it was PERFECT! After the recommended time and heat, they were still a bit too wet for my liking, so lowered the temp & and cooked for an another 5 minutes. Crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside. You’re on my ‘to follow’ list. Thx again!
Wow, Debra! We truly appreciate your super sweet words and glowing praise! It means so much that both you and your husband loved these cookies. Thank you so much for taking the time to share and rate the recipe. I’m glad you shared your modifications and tips, as well! We always enjoy hearing what recipe tweaks work out. I can’t wait to see what you decide to bake next! 🙂
These unfortunately just taste of the honey that you put in, there’s so much of it that there’s not much else to taste!
It means a lot that you tried our recipe, Fiona! That sounds disappointing and not like how these cookies are supposed to turn out (you should be able to taste the oats, spices, and raisins!), so we’d love to help figure out what happened. In order to do so, we have some questions for you!
What’s the exact honey that you used?
Did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups to measure it?
If you used a kitchen scale to measure your honey, what was the gram, mL, or ounce amount that you used?
What about the rest of the ingredients — did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups/spoons?
Can you describe the texture of (a) the cookie dough before chilling, (b) the cookie dough after chilling, and (c) the fully baked and cooled cookies?
How long did you bake your cookies?
How much did they spread while baking?
Did you make any substitutions or modifications to the recipe, including those listed in the Notes section and/or our Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page?
Did you use the whole wheat flour option or one of the gluten-free options we provided? If the latter, which one?
I know I just asked a LOT of questions, but we’ll have a much better idea of what happened with your batch (and how we can fix it!) once we know your answers to all of them! 🙂
– Supermarket honey
– Kitchen Scales for everything other than the honey (120ml in a measuring cup)
– Unsure how to describe texture but they were looking good!
– Baked for 11 minutes, spread by a little less than double
– No substitutions
– Whole wheat flour
Thanks for sharing this info, Fiona! It’s really helpful to know.
We’re glad to hear you used a measuring cup for the honey! Using a kitchen scale often results in adding too much, which impacts both the flavor and texture of the cookies. Was it a glass liquid measuring cup or a regular one (ie that you’d use for measuring flour)?
Some brands of honey have a stronger honey flavor than others, so that’s why we ask about the exact honey that you used. 🙂 What’s the exact brand of supermarket honey or the exact product name of the one that you used?
As one more follow-up question… Have you baked with that specific honey before? If so, did you also notice a strong honey taste in those baked treats?
We’re happy to hear the textures looked good too! Before chilling, the cookie dough should be pretty wet, almost like stiff muffin batter. After chilling, it should be thicker but still pretty sticky. The fully baked cookies should be very soft and chewy, where they easily bend and tear if you try to break them in half. (Not brittle, hard, or crumbly!) Would those descriptions match your batch of cookies?
It was glass and Tesco honey. We’ve used it before, but this quantity of honey is really quite large! Yes that matches the description.
I think I’ll try them again but reduce the amount of honey a lot! (At the end of the day it’s just sugar!)
Thank you for answering these questions too, Fiona! If you reduce the amount of honey, that’ll change the texture of the cookies. If you enjoyed their sweetness level, just not the honey flavor, then we’d recommend using half honey and half pure maple syrup or agave (so ¼ cup of each!) to minimize that honey taste — or switch to using all maple syrup or all agave. Those other two sweeteners typically don’t have a strong flavor, so they won’t overpower the other ingredients!
Another option would be to use the brown sugar or coconut sugar alternative on our Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page. Just like the maple syrup and agave, those two sweeteners won’t have an overpowering flavor either.
If the cookies were too sweet for you with that amount of honey, then we’d recommend replacing the “missing” honey with milk instead. (Any type will work!) That will help preserve the cookies’ texture. They won’t spread as much though, if at all, so flatten them before baking! (For example, if you use this option, you could use 6 tablespoons of honey and 2 tablespoons of milk for about 75% of the original sweetness — or ¼ cup of each, for half the sweetness!)
Does all of that make sense? 🙂
Can these cookies be frozen? Do they freeze well?
We really appreciate your interest in this recipe, Katelyn! The fully baked cookies freeze really well. I love to thaw individual cookies in the microwave on 30% power until they’re warmed all the way through. I think they almost taste freshly baked when reheated like that! 😉 I’d love to hear what you think of these oatmeal raisin cookies if you do end up making them!
Ummm, if I’m supposed to pull them out early, then why not just make the baking time shorter? Is it just me? 🤷♂️
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe! I apologize for the confusion. If you follow the recipe as written and bake your cookies for 11-14 minutes, that’s actually a “shorter” baking time. Many people are tempted to bake the cookies for longer (more like 15-18 minutes) because the centers still feel soft when they check on them, and they want to bake the cookies until the centers feel firm. That’s why I warned to pull them out earlier than you might think — but if you follow the recipe and that guideline for slightly soft and underdone centers, you’ll bake the cookies for the correct amount of time! Does that make more sense? 🙂
Fan-freaking-tastic every single time. I follow the recipe as written and it’s bullet proof. I do substitute dried cherries for the raisins because they are what I have. I still soak them though which is a step you should not skip! Mine are usually done at 12 minutes if I preheated long enough. DO NOT TOUCH THE COOKIES UNTIL THEY’VE RESTED FOR 10 MINUTES AFTER BAKING. Follow the directions and you’ll be golden.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying these cookies, Mandi! That’s such high praise! It truly means a lot that you’d take the time to let me know and rate the recipe too. You just put the biggest smile on my face — I’m honored! ♡