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 this recipe today. In the midst of prepping I noticed my raisins were super hard and very old. So I tossed out the raisin part and felt like something was missing. So after taking the mixture out of the fridge I flattened them and patted them with walnuts on the front and back. I had put the walnuts in the food processor and they stuck to the mixture!!! I baked a small sample couple of cookies and you are right about letting them cool for 10 minutes because I overdid the samples but they were still yummy but the 2and batch was superb!!! They look delicious and taste so good. I plan to make them again very soon with newly purchased raisins and plan to keep the walnut on the outside. Thank you for this recipe!
I’m so happy you enjoyed these cookies, Lydia! Your walnut idea sounds really fun, and I’m honored that you’re already considering making these again. That’s such a huge compliment! Thank you for taking the time to let me know! 🙂
Did you happen to see my tip in the Notes section of the recipe box about hydrating the raisins? (It’s beside the “Important Raisins Note + ‘Secret’ Step” header!) I know it can be really easy to miss… But it’s a game-changer, especially when it comes to old and hard raisins! It’s one of my favorite baking tricks. I wanted to mention it, just in case that came in handy in between now and whenever you get a chance to go to the grocery store! 😉
At the chilling stage is it possible to freeze balls of dough to bake later? Will those turn out ok? Thanks
We really appreciate your interest in our recipe, Emily! We’ve found it’s actually much better to freeze these cookies once they’ve been fully baked and cooled. To thaw them, we 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!
This recipe is perfect and the instructions are so helpful! I’ve never hydrated raisins – it really makes a difference! I’ve saved this to my favorites!
Wow, that makes our week, Marlowe! We’re honored that you made these cookies and it means so much to hear that you’re saving this recipe to your favorites. I agree…the hydrated raisins are a game changer for baking! I’m so happy to hear that you love these. Thanks so much for taking the time to share and rate this recipe! 🙂
they turned out delicious BUT I must have done something wrong because mine did not come out flat (they stayed a ball) and also, they got too crunchy/dry on the outside. Any idea what I did wrong?
We’re honored to hear that you tried these cookies, Neda! I’m happy that you enjoyed the flavor of them. Thanks for letting us know and rating the recipe, it really means a lot!
It does sound like they didn’t come out as they should, so I’m happy to help troubleshoot to figure out what happened. In order to do that I need a little more information from you!
Did you make any modifications or substitutions to the recipe, including those listed in the Notes section?
Did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups/spoons for all of the ingredients — especially the flour, oats, and sweetener?
Did you use regular whole wheat flour or the homemade gluten-free blend provided in the Notes section?
Did you use the full amounts of coconut oil/butter, sweetener, and one large egg?
Did you use honey or agave?
Did the consistency of your cookie dough before and after chilling match what you see in the video above the recipe box? If not, can you describe what you experienced instead?
How long did you chill your cookie dough?
Did you flatten them at all before baking?
How long did you bake your cookies?
I know I just asked a LOT of questions, but we’ll have a much better idea of the culprit once we know your answers to all of them! 🙂
Hi! I made these last week. My kids and husband ate them but they were rather dry like bread inside.
I used whole wheat flour and subbed honey/agave for coconut sugar using the measurements in your notes. I used a food scale for everything. I’m interested to try again before i give into making a more traditional recipe high in sugar and white flour. Any thoughts? I was thinking I could try again with maple syrup. Maybe the milk (almond from the Malk brand) + the coconut sugar made it come out more bread-like? Any thoughts?
We’re honored that you decided to try making a batch of these cookies, MarTee! That sounds disappointing and not how these are supposed to turn out. I’m happy to help troubleshoot so that we can figure out how to get a better batch next time!
As long as the full amounts of both are used, the coconut sugar and milk substitution yields the same cookie texture as honey, agave, and pure maple syrup. We’ve made this recipe many times with each option to confirm, so we have a feeling something else is the culprit! These questions should help us narrow down what that might be. 🙂
Did you make any other modifications or substitutions to the recipe, including those listed in the Notes section? (Besides the coconut sugar + milk substitution, of course!)
Did you use a kitchen scale for the milk as well?
If so, what units did you use, and what was the exact measurement?
Did you use the full amount of coconut oil/butter and one large egg?
Did you use the full amounts of both coconut sugar and milk? (It sounds like you did, but we wanted to double check!)
What brand of coconut sugar did you use?
Did the consistency of your cookie dough before and after chilling match what you see in the video above the recipe box? If not, can you describe what you experienced instead?
How long did you chill your cookie dough?
Did you flatten your mounds of cookie dough at all before baking?
How long did you bake your cookies?
Did they spread at all while baking?
I know I just asked a LOT of questions, but we’ll have a much better idea of the culprit once we know your answers to all of them! 🙂
I made these with the small instant oatmeal flavored packets and they turned out fabulous! Best, chewy oatmeal cookies ever! I had not read your instructions thoroughly before beginning so my only instant oatmeal on hand was the flavored packets. So my accident, was a happy accident!! I’ll make these again, but I’ll omit the honey I used due to the sugar in the packets.
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed these cookies, Renee! Thanks so much for taking the time to share and rating this recipe, it really means a lot! We appreciate hearing about your substitution with the packets, too! It’s always great to find something you have on hand to work when you don’t have an ingredient that the recipe calls for, and I’m glad it worked out! I love happy accidents like that! 🙂
Ingredient listing above makes no mention of honey, agave or other sweeteners. It would’ve been nice to know how much. Now I’m stuck in the middle of making these and I suppose I need to guess.
My mistake … I now see it. I’d delete my comment if I knew how
It means a lot that you wanted to try my recipe, Sandy! I’m glad you found the amount. I know it can be easy to miss little details like that, especially when in the middle of baking! 😉 I really hope you enjoyed these oatmeal cookies!
Hi, I am wanting to make these cookies. For plumping up the raisins, can I use anything else besides water like bourbon?
We really appreciate your interest in this recipe, Jeff! I love the idea of trying out bourbon when hydrating the raisins! We haven’t personally tried that in this specific recipe, but it should work. When we’ve had success with soaking dried fruit in alcohol, we don’t microwave it, but do let it rest a bit longer. I’d recommend reading the steps for that in our fruitcake cookies and classic fruitcake recipes.
If you’re interested in trying another non-alcoholic liquid, like fruit juices, that would be totally fine also!
We’d love to hear if you decide to give it a try and how it turns out!
My husband and I’s fav cookies ever – I make them almost every week. I swap the butter for avocado oil and the raisins for half-sweet chocolate chips… so good!
Awww, that’s so sweet of you to say, Flo! We’re honored to hear that these are your favorite cookies and that you make them so often! That’s truly the best kind of compliment we could ask for. We really appreciate you taking the time to share and rate this recipe, it means a lot! 🙂 Thanks for sharing your modifications too. We love hearing about recipe tweaks that work well and are ALWAYS big fans of substituting with chocolate! 😉