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Enjoy soft, chewy oatmeal raisin cookies filled with nutty oats, sweet raisins, and a touch of cinnamon. This easy small batch recipe comes together quickly, baking to perfection in just 10 minutes.
Looking for more small batch cookie recipes? Try into our spiced Ginger Cookies for a warm, rich flavor, or Thumbprint Cookies filled with sweet, fruity jam. For something soft and sweet, our Sugar Cookies are topped with creamy frosting, while Chocolate Covered Oreos deliver a classic treat with a chocolatey twist.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick to Make: These oatmeal raisin cookies are quick to prepare and bake in just 10 minutes.
- No Waiting: Skip the chill time and bake immediately for instant satisfaction.
- Warmly Spiced: A touch of cinnamon gives these cookies an extra layer of flavor.
- Small Batch: Perfectly portioned for one or two servings.
- Easily Scalable: Need more cookies? Simply double the recipe!
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small batch oatmeal raisin cookies recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Butter: Use 3 tablespoons of melted salted butter for rich flavor and chewy cookies. Melting the butter is key to creating a soft, moist texture.
- Sugar: This recipe combines granulated sugar and brown sugar for sweetness and structure. Brown sugar also adds a touch of softness to the cookies. No brown sugar on hand? Make your own brown sugar using just granulated sugar and molasses.
- Egg Yolk: A single egg yolk acts as a binder in this small batch recipe. Save the egg white for other egg white recipes like a Mini Flourless Chocolate Cake or Two Vanilla Cupcakes.
- Vanilla Extract: A must-have for enhancing the flavor. Use pure vanilla extract for the best results.
- Flour: Stick with all-purpose flour for the structure of these cookies.
- Baking Soda: Helps the cookies puff up slightly during baking, contributing to their soft texture.
- Ground Cinnamon: Adds a warm, subtle flavor.
- Salt: Just a pinch balances and elevates the sweetness in the cookies.
- Oats: Old-fashioned oats are the best choice for chewy cookies with great texture. Use any leftovers in recipes like Apple Crisp, Baked Oatmeal, or Lace Cookies.
- Raisins: Classic oatmeal raisin cookies call for raisins, but feel free to substitute with dried cranberries, chopped dates, or your favorite dried fruit. Leftover raisins can be used in Morning Glory Muffins, Hermit Cookies, or Cream Scones.
- Nuts: Add a few tablespoons of chopped walnuts or pecans for a bit of crunch. They’re optional but add delightful texture. Use extra nuts in Ambrosia, Crustless Pecan Pie, or Chicken Salad.
Recipe Variations
This oatmeal raisin cookie recipe is a classic—rich, buttery, and perfectly spiced. While the original version is delicious as is, here are a few ways to customize the cookies:
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies: Swap out the raisins for chocolate chips, or mix them together for a chewy, chocolaty twist.
- Nutty Oatmeal Cookies: Stir in a handful of chopped pecans or walnuts for added crunch and a nutty flavor.
- Dried Fruit Oatmeal Cookies: If raisins aren’t your favorite, substitute them with dried cranberries, chopped dates, or even apricots for a sweet, fruity variation.
- Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies: Replace the raisins with butterscotch chips to add a rich, caramel-like flavor that pairs beautifully with the spiced oats.
How To Make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
These step-by-step photos and instructions help you visualize how to make a small batch of oatmeal raisin cookies. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Preheat and Prep: Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat liner.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, mix the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well blended.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until creamy. Set aside.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Combine Mixtures: Gradually mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture until well combined.
- Add Oats and Raisins: Stir in the oats and raisins.
Pro Tip: Soak raisins in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry for plumper raisins.
- Scoop Dough: Use a medium cookie scoop or a large tablespoon to scoop out the dough. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.
- Bake: Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Expert Tips
- Read Before You Start: Take a moment to read through the entire recipe, including the Ingredient Notes, to ensure you’re set up for success. Every detail is covered in the post.
- Measure Flour Correctly: To avoid dense cookies, spoon flour into your dry measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Scooping directly from the container can compact the flour, leading to dry cookies.
- Prepare the Cookie Sheet: Line your baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Greasing the sheet can cause the cookies to spread too much.
- Baking Time Matters: Remove the cookies from the oven as soon as the edges are lightly golden. Overbaking will dry them out, so keep an eye on the timer.
- Even Cookie Sizes: Use a cookie scoop (about 2 to 2.5 tablespoons) to portion the dough for consistent cookies. This recipe should make 4-5 cookies.
- Easy Swap: Not a fan of raisins? Replace them with the same amount of chocolate chips for a chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookie variation.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can substitute raisins with dried cranberries, chopped dates, or even chocolate chips for a different flavor.
Absolutely! Simply double all the ingredients to make more cookies. The baking time will remain the same.
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
More Small Batch Cookie Recipes
If you enjoyed these oatmeal raisin cookies, try these other small batch recipes for a quick and satisfying treat. Perfect for when you want just enough to enjoy without extras:
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this small batch oatmeal raisin cookie recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Small Batch Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Watch How To Make This
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons salted butter -melted
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup old-fashioned oats
- ¼ cup raisins
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat liner.
- In a medium bowl, mix the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well combined.
- Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract, and beat until the mixture is creamy. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Gradually stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture until well mixed.
- Fold in the oats and raisins.
- Scoop the dough using a medium cookie scoop or a large tablespoon, and place the cookies 2 inches apart on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- Read Before You Start: Take a moment to read through the entire recipe, including the Ingredient Notes, to ensure you’re set up for success. Every detail is covered in the post.
- Measure Flour Correctly: To avoid dense cookies, spoon flour into your dry measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Scooping directly from the container can compact the flour, leading to dry cookies.
- Prepare the Cookie Sheet: Line your baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Greasing the sheet can cause the cookies to spread too much.
- Baking Time Matters: Remove the cookies from the oven as soon as the edges are lightly golden. Overbaking will dry them out, so keep an eye on the timer.
- Even Cookie Sizes: Use a cookie scoop (about 2 to 2.5 tablespoons) to portion the dough for consistent cookies. This recipe should make 4-5 cookies.
- Easy Swap: Not a fan of raisins? Replace them with the same amount of chocolate chips for a chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookie variation.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Fabulous cookie. My husband loves oatmeal cookies but not raisins. I swapped with dried bing cherries and added walnuts. He can’t get enough of them.
Really good. I cut back on brown sugar . I used cane zerosugar sugar. i added some craisins and walnuts. I used olive oil Plant Butter. Great cookies
Those look delicious! 😃 All I have is Quick Oats. Would they work in this recipe?
Old-fashioned rolled oats are the best oats to use when making oatmeal cookies. They provide a chewier texture but if you don’t have any, you can use quick oats. Keep in mind that the texture won’t be quite the same.
So fast, easy and delicious! Made recipe exactly as printed and turned out perfect! Thank you
I made this recipe tonite but the batter seemed very runny. It looked nothing like your scooped cookie batter in the photos. The cookie batter spread out all over the cookie sheet during baking. I double checked to make sure I had the ingredient amounts correct. Could it be from using the butter that’s melted? Should it be melted and cooled? I will say however that they were very tasty, soft and chewy but very thin.
Have been making this recipe for a while. Entered these in our local fair this weekend, and just found out I won first prize in the drop cookie category. Tickled pink!
Oh wow! Congratulations!!!
Can you substitute honey for the Brown sugar
Yes, you can use honey instead of sugar in this recipe. Honey is sweeter than sugar, so you might want to use slightly less honey and the texture of the cookies may be slightly cakier. The cookies will still be absolutely delicious.
Hi Thank you for the recipe but I have to say I found it too sweet!
I love oatmeal raisin cookies and so glad you posted a recipe for a small batch of them. But I was wondering if I wanted to add nutmeg, how much would I need?
I would add 1/8 of a teaspoon of nutmeg.
I loved these cookies when I visited USA. This recipe is delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe