Healthy Banana Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

 
Some days, a girl just needs a cookie. A soft, sweet, freshly baked cookie… The comforting kind of cookie that fills you with a cozy warmth from the moment your teeth sink into it.  

Over the past two weeks, I’ve felt that cookie craving nearly every night. Long (but super fun!) days of filming new episodes for my YouTube TV show, getting a head start on countless taxes and forms with my accountant, editing hundreds of photos from yummy recipe photo shoots…
 

 
And an emergency flight home to say one final hello to my beloved second mommy, memories flooding through my mind as Mom and I recalled our favorite moments with that special lady, the return airplane trip where it hit me that life will never be the same…

Celebratory cookie days. Comforting cookie days. Grieving cookie days. Trying to find a sense of peace cookie days. From all of my years of baking and eating cookies, I’ve found there’s one type that’s universally satisfying for any I-just-need-a-cookie occasion…

Oatmeal cookies. Sweet, simple, chewy oatmeal cookies.
 

 
Like these Healthy Banana Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. Hearty oats, juicy raisins, cozy familiar flavors… With an added pop of sweetness and whimsy from the fruit. These cookies brighten moments, fill the empty spaces, and leave me feeling a little bit better than before.

And it really helps that they’re easy to make from entirely wholesome ingredients!
 

 
I’m a true oatmeal cookie monster… I just counted, and as of March 2025, I’ve shared 70+ oatmeal cookie recipes with you. Eek! Have you tried any of them yet? (← You can find all of my oatmeal cookie recipes right there!) They’re some of the most popular recipes on my blog because they taste really sweet and cozy — just like traditional, indulgent, and “normal” oatmeal cookie recipes — but they’re lightened up and contain no refined flour or refined sugar!

KEY INGREDIENTS TO MAKE HEALTHY BANANA OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

Let’s talk about the key ingredients you’ll need to make this particular recipe for healthy banana oatmeal raisin cookies! There’s a good chance you have most (if not all!) of these ingredients in your kitchen already.

Oats. One of the most important ingredients in oatmeal cookies, don’t you think? For these, you’ll use instant oats. They’re also called “quick cooking” and “one minute” oats — and they’re not the ones sold in individual packets with flavors like maple brown sugar and apple cinnamon!

Just like old-fashioned rolled oats, instant oats only contain one ingredient: oats. However, they’re smaller and thinner than old-fashioned rolled oats. This size difference means they soften faster, which gives your healthy banana oatmeal raisin cookies the best soft and chewy texture.

Tip: If you’d like to make your healthy banana oatmeal raisin cookies gluten-free, then use certified gluten-free instant oats. They work perfectly!
 

 
Flour. Similarly to the rest of my healthy oatmeal cookie recipes, I opted for whole wheat flour. I love its health benefits, like more fiber and micronutrients!

Tip: If you’d like to make your healthy banana oatmeal raisin cookies gluten-free, then see the Notes section of the recipe. I’ve included how to do so there!

Cinnamon. It felt strange to skip the cinnamon… It pairs so well with both oats and raisins — and I’m so glad I included it! The cinnamon made these banana oatmeal cookies taste extra cozy and comforting.

Tip: This is currently my favorite kind of cinnamon! It tastes slightly sweeter, richer, and stronger than regular cinnamon. Many stores now stock it, but I typically buy it online here.
 

 
Coconut oil or unsalted butter. Just a small amount! Unlike traditional recipes that call for a full stick or two, you only need 2 tablespoons for this one. That helps keep your healthy banana oatmeal raisin cookies low calorie and low fat!

Tip: If you’d like to make your healthy banana oatmeal raisin cookies vegan and dairy-free, then use the coconut oil option — or substitute stick-style vegan butter. I really like this one and this one, and both work perfectly!

Ripe bananas. Another very important ingredient! The bananas provide flavor and natural sweetness, and they also replace the eggs. That’s right! These healthy banana oatmeal raisin cookies are naturally egg-free — plus dairy-free and vegan too!

See those bananas? And all of those brown spots? When it comes to baking with bananas, brown = beautiful! I love extra speckly bananas because they have so much bright, bold flavor — as well as more natural sweetness! They’re softer too, which give your oatmeal cookies an even moister and chewier texture. This is the minimum amount of brown that I recommend. More is even better!
 

 
Sweetener. The rest of the cookie dough’s sweetness comes from another natural ingredient… Pure maple syrup. It’s the kind that comes directly from maple trees and only includes one ingredient: maple syrup! It’s often sold in thin glass bottles or squat jugs (like this).

Tip: Skip the pancake syrup and sugar-free maple syrup! These contain other ingredients, so they perform differently in baking recipes. This is especially true of sugar-free maple syrup! It’s often water-based, which makes your cookies more bready and cake-like.

Raisins. The raisins add even more natural sweetness! I love their bright pops of flavor. The freshly bought, extra plump, perfectly soft ones are ideal… But if you have older, somewhat dried out raisins (hmm… I guess it sounds a little silly to describe dried fruit as “dried out!”), that’s okay too. I have a special trick to make them taste much better — and we’ll cover that momentarily!
 

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY BANANA OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

Time to chat about how to make the best banana oatmeal raisin cookies! Like I promised earlier, this recipe is easy and straightforward. I also have some tips to ensure your batch turns out beautifully!

Measure correctly. I probably sound like a broken record by now… But because I adore you and want your cookies to turn out perfectly soft and chewy, I’m reminding you again…

It’s extremely important to measure your flour and oats correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much of either ingredient will make your cookies cakey, bready, or dry, rather than soft and chewy. This is especially true of the oats — they act like little sponges and soak up lots of moisture from your cookie dough!

Then for the bananas, measure by cups or grams — not by number of bananas! Not all “small” bananas are the exact same size. If your small bananas are slightly larger, that’ll add too much moisture to the dough and prevent your cookies from setting properly. If your small bananas are slightly smaller, the dough will be too dry and yield cakey or bready cookies. So stick with cups or grams, and you’ll be golden! (Get it? Bananas? Yellow? Golden? Umm, okay, I’ll just see myself out…)

Hydrate the raisins. This is my special trick! I use it whenever I bake anything with raisins. Simply add them to a microwave-safe bowl, and pour water on top until they’re completely covered. Seal plastic wrap over the top (or cover with a lid), and microwave the bowl on high for 1 minute. If you let the raisins sit while measuring the other ingredients and mixing together the cookie dough, this little trick hydrates them so they’re exceptionally plump and juicy — and that makes a big difference in these cookies once they’re baked!
 

 
Briefly rest. After stirring together the other ingredients and folding in the raisins, the cookie dough will be somewhat wet and loose, so you’ll let it sit for a few minutes. This resting step lets the oats soak up more moisture, which thickens the cookie dough and makes it easier to work with.

Drop + shape. It’ll still be on the sticky side though, so use a spoon and spatula to drop it onto the baking sheet — not your hands! Using that same spatula, flatten your mounds of cookie dough and smooth out the edges to make them nice and round. These cookies don’t spread, so they’ll look exactly the same before and after baking… Just no longer raw!

Tip: I love using these mini spatulas! They’re incredibly handy (and cute too!).
 

 
Bake. These finish baking relatively quickly, so don’t stray too far from the kitchen! That’s not usually an issue for me… The aroma coming from the oven smells much too tempting!

They’re ready to come out when the centers still feel a little soft and squidgy. Yes, that’s right! Do not wait until the centers feel firm. That results in overbaked cookies with a drier and cakier texture. Instead, pull them out when the centers are slightly squishy! The residual heat from the warm baking sheet will cook those centers all the way through while you let the cookies rest before transferring them to a wire rack. This is my #1 tip for the best soft and chewy oatmeal cookies!

Reshape (optional). This doesn’t affect how the cookies taste — only how they look! The moment you remove them from the oven, use a butter knife to gently nudge any lopsided edges back into place and make them look perfectly round.
 

 
Trust me… With two weeks’ worth of cookie day cravings, these definitely hit the spot every single time! 😉 And when you make your own, 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 healthy banana oatmeal raisin cookies!

Healthy Banana Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 15 cookies

These oatmeal cookies are soft, chewy, and full of banana flavor! The familiar cozy spices and plump raisins make these even more irresistible. They’ll keep for at least four days (if not closer to one week!) if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator — if they last that long!

4.91 from 10 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients 

• 1 cup (100g) instant oats (gluten-free if necessary and measured like this)
• ¾ cup (90g) whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
• ¼ cup (63g) mashed banana (see Notes!)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup (120mL) pure maple syrup
• ¼ cup (40g) raisins (see Notes!)

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter or coconut oil, mashed banana, and vanilla. Stir in the maple syrup. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the raisins. Let the cookie dough rest for 10 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
• Using a spoon and spatula, drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet, and flatten to ⅜"-thick using a spatula. Bake at 325°F for 10-12 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

Notes

IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s extremely important to measure both the oats and flour correctly using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much of either will dry out the cookies and leave them cakey, bready, or dry, instead of soft and chewy.

 

IMPORTANT BAKING NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Do not over-bake these cookies! They’re ready to come out of the oven when the centers still feel slightly soft and underdone. The residual heat from the warm baking sheet will continue to cook the centers all the way through while you let the cookies rest for 10 minutes after pulling the pan from the oven.

 

IMPORTANT BANANA NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: For the best results, use the ripest, darkest, most spottiest bananas you have! (See my photo in the blog post above for reference.) The ones that are purely brown are ideal. They have a stronger and sweeter banana flavor than purely yellow bananas. They also yield a softer and moister texture in your oatmeal cookies.

 

You'll need about one tiny banana or half of one medium banana. However, measure the bananas by cups or grams, not by “one tiny banana.” Not all “tiny” bananas are the same size!

 

OATS NOTES + ALTERNATIVE: Instant oats are also known as “quick cooking” and “one-minute” oats. They often come in large canisters, just like old-fashioned rolled oats. They are not the ones in the small flavored packets of oatmeal.

 

In a pinch, to make your own, add the same amount of old-fashioned rolled oats to a food processor, and pulse 10-12 times or until the oats are about ¼ to ⅛ of their original size.

 

FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the whole wheat flour. Oat flour (gluten-free if needed) may also be substituted, but be very careful when measuring it because it tends to be more absorbent than wheat-based flours!

 

CINNAMON NOTE: I highly recommend Saigon cinnamon. It has a slightly stronger, richer, and sweeter flavor compared to “regular” cinnamon. This is the one that I use, and it's really affordable. (It's basically the only kind I use in my baking now!)

 

COCONUT OIL + BUTTER ALTERNATIVES: Melted stick-style vegan butter (I like this one and this one) or stick-style margarine may be substituted for the coconut oil or unsalted butter.

 

PURE MAPLE SYRUP ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup. Regardless of which you use, make sure it’s at room temperature. If chilled, it will re-solidify the melted butter or coconut oil.

 

I generally don't recommend substituting sugar-free maple syrup. It's often water-based, which makes your oatmeal cookies turn out more cakey or bready.

 

RAISINS NOTE: I highly recommend hydrating your raisins first. It makes them really soft, plump, and juicy! To do so, add the raisins to a microwave-safe bowl, cover them with water, and cover the top of the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Let the raisins sit for 10-15 minutes (or while you measure and mix together the rest of the ingredients). Thoroughly drain the excess liquid before folding them into the batter.

 

DAIRY-FREE, EGG-FREE + VEGAN OPTION: Use the coconut oil option, or substitute stick-style vegan butter (I like this one and this one).

 

GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: For the gluten-free flour, I recommend the following blend: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) brown rice flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) will also work, if measured like this.

 

HOW TO STORE: Store leftover cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should keep for at least four days (if not closer to a week or more!). Once baked and fully cooled, these oatmeal cookies also freeze really well!

 

For answers to all other questions regarding substitutions and tips, see my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page.

 

{gluten-free, clean eating, vegan, egg-free, dairy-free, low fat}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  Healthy Banana Oatmeal Cookies
♡  Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Oatmeal Cookies
♡  Healthy Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
♡  Healthy Cranberry Banana Oatmeal Cookies
♡  Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
♡  Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Cookies
♡  The Ultimate Healthy Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
♡  …and all of Amy’s healthy oatmeal cookie recipes!