The Ultimate Healthy Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
These oatmeal cookies are the best I’ve ever eaten! They’re extremely chewy and packed full of warm cinnamon and raisins. To preserve their texture, store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week—if they last that long!
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
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. Too much of either will dry out the cookies and make them cakey, bready, or crumbly instead of soft and chewy.
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the regular whole wheat flour. (See my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page below for more options!)
IMPORTANT OATS NOTE + ALTERNATIVE: Instant oats are also called "quick cooking" oats and "one minute" oats. They come in large canisters, just like old-fashioned oats. (They're NOT the ones in the small flavored packets of oatmeal!) To make your own, add the same amount of old-fashioned rolled oats to a food processor, and pulse 10-12 times or until they're ¼ to ⅛ of their original size.
SWEETENER ALTERNATIVES: If you prefer, pure maple syrup may be substituted in place of the honey or agave. You may also substitute ½ cup (96g) of coconut sugar or brown sugar PLUS ¼ cup (60mL) of milk. (Any milk will work!)
IMPORTANT RAISIN NOTE + "SECRET" STEP: For the best ever oatmeal raisin cookies, hydrate your raisins first! It makes them SO plump and juicy, which makes your cookies taste incredible! To do so, add the raisins to a microwave-safe bowl, cover them completely with water, and top with a tight-fitting lid or plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH for 60 seconds. Let the raisins sit and absorb water until just before you’re ready to add them to the dough. Drain them thoroughly before folding them in.
IMPORTANT BAKING NOTE: For the best soft and chewy texture, do NOT overbake these cookies! They're actually done baking when the centers still feel slightly soft and underdone. By letting your cookies sit on the warm baking sheet for 10 minutes at the end of Step 3, it allows the centers to fully bake through and continue to set without turning the outsides crisp and crunchy.
GLUTEN-FREE VERSION: use gluten-free instant oats the following gluten-free flour blend: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) brown rice flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will also work, if measured like this.
DAIRY-FREE VERSION: Use the coconut oil option or stick-style vegan butter (like this!) instead of unsalted butter.
VEGAN VERSION: Substitute 1 ½ teaspoons Ener-G + 2 tablespoons warm water for the egg white AND add an additional ½ tablespoon of coconut oil or stick-style vegan butter (like this!) for the egg yolk. Alternatively, you can follow this vegan oatmeal raisin cookie recipe of mine instead!
For all other questions regarding this recipe (including more ingredient substitutions!), please see my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ + Video Page.
{gluten-free, dairy-free, clean eating, low fat, vegan option}
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 @amyshealthybaking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.