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These irresistibly soft and chewy Gluten Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are a total classic and all-time favorite! They’re seriously like sweater weather in cookie form, brimming with wholesome oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and sweet raisins.
Thick and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
There aren’t many things better than biting into a thick and pillowy oatmeal cookie: the sweetness, the kick of spice, and the feeling of your teeth sinking into soft, crumbly oats.
I love this recipe for deliciously rich and chewy gluten-free oatmeal raisin cookies. And I may as well warn you ahead of time, these are seriously addictive! These oatmeal cookies are cozy, classic, and the perfect size for snacking. They’re perfect for fall, filled with the flavors of caramelized brown sugar, cinnamon, and sweet raisins.
These homemade oatmeal raisin cookies store easily at room temperature and are great to freeze for the longer term. This means I’ll be stockpiling mine from now until the spring!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These wholesome oatmeal raisin cookies are:
- Big-batch. This recipe makes a whopping four dozen cookies! These oatmeal cookies are easy to make ahead, store, and freeze.
- Soft and chewy. If you’re a fan of thick, chewy oatmeal cookies, these are impossible to beat in terms of texture and flavor. Plus, there’s the option to make them even crispier if that’s your thing!
- 100% gluten-free. These oatmeal raisin cookies are a classic, and with a few easy ingredient swaps, this version is 100% safe for gluten allergies.
- Totally customizable. There are so many ways to make these oatmeal cookies your own! Don’t miss the section later on with easy variation ideas.
Ingredients
Below is everything you’ll need to make these perfectly soft and chewy gluten-free oatmeal cookies. Be sure to refer to the recipe card for the full amounts!
- Gluten-Free Flour: These cookies came out great with 1-to-1 gluten-free flour. I’m partial to the blends from Bob’s Red Mill, Cup-4-Cup, or King Arthur Flour.
- Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon brings a hint of warm, cozy spice and really plays off of the brown sugar and raisins.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder: For leavening.
- Salt
- Unsalted Butter: You’ll want to get your butter softened to room temperature before you begin. This makes it easier to mix, and your cookies will bake up more evenly in the oven.
- Sugar: Cookies almost always turn out the best when they’re made with both light brown sugar and granulated sugar.
- Eggs
- Vanilla: Use pure vanilla extract over imitation if possible.
- Oats: You need quick oats for these cookies. While oats are gluten-free, they don’t always come from gluten-free production lines. Make sure to use certified gluten-free quick oats in this recipe, to rest assured that your oatmeal cookies are 100% safe to eat.
- Raisins: You can use any variety of raisins you’d like. Black raisins are a classic, but these cookies taste just as yummy made with golden raisins, dried cranberries, Sultanas, or even currants.
Can I Use Chocolate Chips Instead?
You can absolutely make gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies instead! Simply sub chocolate chips in place of raisins in the recipe.
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How to Make Gluten-Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Are you ready to make the best oatmeal cookies ever? Good! These come together in just a few breezy steps:
- Mix the Dry Ingredients: First, mix up the flour with the rest of your dry ingredients. You can do this using a sifter or a whisk. In a separate bowl, combine the butter with both sugars.
- Combine: Next, beat together the butter and sugar, then add the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.
- Add Oats and Raisins: Stir in the oats as well as the raisins.
- Portion and Bake: Use a cookie scoop to portion the oatmeal cookie dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Get those cookies into the oven at 350ºF for 10-12 minutes, until they’re just browned. Leave your gluten-free oatmeal raisin cookies to rest on the baking sheet for a while, then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Can I Make the Dough Ahead?
Yes! The oatmeal raisin cookie dough can be prepared and stored wrapped or otherwise airtight in the freezer for up to 3 months. I like to freeze the scooped oatmeal cookie balls, so I can quickly defrost them on a baking sheet and then pop them into the oven.
Tips for Success
Here are some additional tips when making perfect homemade oatmeal raisin cookies:
- Use white and brown sugar. This is what gives these cookies their soft, chewy texture in the middle.
- For thinner, crispy oatmeal cookies, leave out the baking powder.
- If your oatmeal cookies come out flat, it could be that your oven is too hot. This makes the butter melt too quickly, causing the cookies to spread before the other ingredients have a chance to bake up. Not all ovens are made the same, so know your oven and adapt accordingly!
Variation Ideas
Who can resist the nostalgic allure of a thick and chewy, classic oatmeal raisin cookie? And there’s always room for variations! Mix up this recipe with these easy ideas:
- Craisins: Instead of raisins, fill these cookies with sweet-tart dried cranberries.
- Spices: Make pumpkin spice oatmeal raisin cookies with pumpkin pie spice in place of cinnamon.
- Nuts: Chopped nuts like pecans, hazelnuts, and peanuts make great additions for a bit of crunch.
- Icing: Drizzle your oatmeal raisin cookies with Easy Royal Icing. Or, borrow the simple sweet glaze from my Cinnamon Rolls recipe.
If you’re looking for even more oatmeal cookie inspo, check out my Cranberry Cashew White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies, which are also totally gluten-free!
How to Store Homemade Cookies
Store gluten-free cookies airtight at room temperature. I like to place a slice of white gluten-free bread into the container to keep my oatmeal cookies soft and moist.
Can I Freeze Oatmeal Cookies?
This recipe makes A LOT of gluten-free oatmeal cookies. Lucky for everyone involved, they freeze up beautifully! To freeze a stash of oatmeal raisin cookies for later, store them in an airtight container or sealable freezer bag. They can be kept frozen for up to 6 months.
Thaw the cookies at room temperature whenever you’re ready to serve!
Gluten Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend , such as Bob's Red Mill, Cup-4-Cup, or King Arthur Flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter , softened to room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar , firmly packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups certified gluten-free quick oats
- 1 cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, sift or whisk together the gluten-free flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar and beat with a hand mixer or paddle attachment of a stand mixer at high speed until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
- Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and add the flour mixture, beating until just combined. Stop the mixer and use a spatula to stir in the oats and raisins until well combined.
- Drop by tablespoons onto the lined sheet. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring the cookies to a rack to cool completely.
Notes
- If you like a thinner, crispier cookie, you can omit the baking powder. They turn out delicious and caramelized, but a bit more tender a delicate.
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