These healthy oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies are soft and chewy with golden edges, plump raisins, and melty chocolate in every bite. They're gluten-free, refined sugar-free, sweetened with coconut sugar and a little maple syrup, and about 130 calories each with 6 grams of sugar.
Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies At A Glance
- ✅ Recipe Name: Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies (Soft & Chewy)
- 🕒 Ready In: 55 minutes (includes a 30-minute chill)
- 👪 Serves: 18 to 20 cookies
- 🍽 Calories: ~130 calories per cookie
- 🍯 Sugar: 6g per cookie
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Rolled oats, oat flour, gluten-free flour, coconut sugar, maple syrup, butter, raisins, chocolate chips, cinnamon
- 📖 Dietary Info: Gluten-free, refined-sugar-free, vegetarian, no white or brown sugar, can be made dairy-free
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: Chewy centers, golden edges, and plump raisins with melty chocolate, sweetened with coconut sugar and maple syrup instead of white sugar.
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Why I Sweeten These with Coconut Sugar and Maple Syrup
Oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies are my favorite cookie, and I'll stand by that even if you're not a raisin person. You get the chewy oats and warm cinnamon of a classic oatmeal raisin cookie plus melty chocolate in every bite, so nobody has to pick a side.
When I made my own version, I wanted it to taste like a real bakery cookie without any white or brown sugar. So I tested it three ways: with only coconut sugar, with only maple syrup, and with a mix of both. The blend won every time, for flavor and for chewiness.
Coconut sugar gives you that cozy, caramel flavor you'd normally get from brown sugar, and just a couple tablespoons of maple syrup keeps the centers soft. Coconut sugar is my go-to in my healthy snickerdoodles and healthy coconut sugar cookies, and it hasn't let me down yet.
If oatmeal cookies are your thing too, my apple pie oatmeal cookies are the next ones I'd make.
Jump to:
- Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies At A Glance
- Why I Sweeten These with Coconut Sugar and Maple Syrup
- Are Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Healthy?
- Ingredients You'll Need
- Which Gluten-Free Flour Works Best?
- How to Make Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies (Step-by-Step)
- Recipe Video
- Tips for Thick, Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Easy Substitutions & Variations
- How to Store and Freeze Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies FAQs
- More Healthy Cookie Recipes You'll Love
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Are Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Healthy?
Oatmeal raisin cookies can be a healthier cookie, but it depends on the recipe. Most classic versions use white sugar, brown sugar, and all-purpose flour. This version uses coconut sugar, a little maple syrup, and oat flour, with about 130 calories and 6 grams of sugar per cookie.
- No white or brown sugar: Coconut sugar and maple syrup sweeten the dough with a warm, caramel flavor.
- Oats in every part: Oat flour and rolled oats give you whole grains and that hearty, chewy texture.
- Gluten-free: Made with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and certified gluten-free oats and oat flour.
They're still a cookie! But I love that they're lighter than traditional recipes and still taste like the real thing.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I made these and was happy I did… I didn't add chocolate chips but added walnuts and pecans. I will make it again. A good GF oatmeal cookie recipe.
- Lyn
Ingredients You'll Need
You only need 12 simple ingredients for these healthy oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies, and most are probably already in your pantry. Here's what each one does:
- Butter: Use room-temperature butter so it creams smoothly with the coconut sugar. It gives the cookies soft centers and golden edges.
- Coconut sugar: My go-to swap for white and brown sugar. It adds a subtle caramel flavor that makes these cookies taste rich and cozy, just like in my healthy oatmeal chocolate chip walnut cookies.
- Maple syrup: Keeps the centers soft and adds natural sweetness. It also makes the dough softer than a typical cookie dough, which is why the chill matters.
- Egg: One large egg binds the dough and adds structure.
- Vanilla extract: Rounds out that warm, bakery-style flavor.
- Gluten-free flour + oat flour: I use a mix of a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and oat flour for a chewy texture and a whole-grain boost. Use certified gluten-free oat flour if needed.
- Baking soda: Gives the cookies lift so they don't bake up dense.
- Cinnamon: Makes the oats, raisins, and chocolate taste even cozier.
- Rolled oats: Use rolled oats, not quick oats. They hold their shape and give that hearty, bakery-style chew, while quick oats make the cookies softer and less textured. Choose certified gluten-free if needed.
- Raisins: Soak them in warm water for 5 minutes first. Dry raisins pull moisture from the dough, so soaking keeps the cookies soft and chewy instead of dry.
- Chocolate chips: I love semi-sweet or dark chocolate. Use dairy-free chips if you're making these dairy-free.
Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this page for exact quantities.
Which Gluten-Free Flour Works Best?
Use a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend that already includes xanthan gum, which helps hold the cookies together. Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour is my favorite and what I use for these.
Different blends absorb liquid a little differently, so if your dough seems extra soft, give it the full chill before baking. Skip almond or coconut flour here, because they'll make the cookies spread flat.
How to Make Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies (Step-by-Step)
These cookies take about 15 minutes of hands-on time, plus a 30-minute chill so they bake up thick and chewy. Start by soaking your raisins in warm water while you mix the dough.
- Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar. Beat the butter and coconut sugar until light and creamy, then mix in the maple syrup, egg, and vanilla.
- Step 2: Add the dry ingredients. Mix in the flour mixture and rolled oats on low speed until just combined.
- Step 3: Fold in the mix-ins. Stir in the soaked, drained raisins and chocolate chips.
- Step 4: Chill the dough. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Step 5: Scoop the cookies. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Scoop the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and press a few extra chocolate chips on top.
- Step 6: Bake and cool. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
Recipe Video
Tips for Thick, Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Soak the raisins: Cover them with warm water and let them soak for about 5 minutes while you mix the dough, then drain and pat them really dry. Plump raisins keep the cookies soft and chewy, and drying them well keeps extra water out of the dough so the cookies don't spread.
- Don't skip the chill: I learned this one the hard way. The first time I skipped it, my cookies spread into thin, crispy wafers. Coconut sugar and maple syrup make this dough softer than a typical cookie dough, so even 30 minutes in the fridge makes a huge difference. If you chill it overnight and it's too firm to scoop, let it sit out for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Bake until just set: Pull them when the edges are golden, and the centers still look a little underbaked. They'll finish setting on the tray and stay soft inside.
Easy Substitutions & Variations
- Make them dairy-free: Swap the butter for coconut oil or your favorite vegan butter, and use dairy-free chocolate chips.
- Use regular flour: Use regular flour: All-purpose flour should work in place of the gluten-free blend if you don't need them to be gluten-free. I'd skip almond or coconut flour, since they behave very differently in cookies. If you want an oatmeal cookie made with almond flour, try my almond flour oatmeal cookies with orange and chocolate chips instead.
- Swap the raisins: Try golden raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped dates for a twist, or leave them out.
- Skip the chocolate: Leave out the chocolate chips for a classic oatmeal raisin cookie.
- Use quick oats: They work in a pinch, but the cookies will be softer and less chewy.
- Add mix-ins: Stir in ½ cup of chopped walnuts, pecans, shredded coconut, or pumpkin seeds, or add a pinch of nutmeg or ginger.
How to Store and Freeze Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Room temperature: Keep cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Add a slice of bread to the container and the cookies will absorb its moisture and stay soft.
- Freeze baked cookies: Once they're completely cool, freeze them in a freezer bag or container for up to 2 months. Warm one in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds for that fresh-baked texture.
- Freeze the dough: Scoop the dough into balls, freeze them on a tray until solid, then move them to a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time.
- Make ahead: Cover and refrigerate the dough for up to 24 hours before baking. The extra chill helps the cookies bake up even thicker and chewier.
Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies FAQs
These have about 130 calories and 6 grams of sugar per cookie. Many classic versions run over 200 calories each, mostly from extra butter and white and brown sugar.
Oatmeal raisin cookies usually have a slight edge because of the whole-grain oats, but raisins add natural sugar too. The bigger difference is the recipe itself, especially the type and amount of sugar and flour.
Yes, but the cookies will be softer and less chewy. Rolled oats hold their shape and give that hearty, bakery-style texture, so they're what I use every time.
Yes! Use all of one or the other, keeping the total amount of mix-ins about the same so the dough stays balanced. You can also swap in chopped walnuts or pecans.
Usually the dough wasn't chilled long enough. The first time I skipped the chill, mine baked into thin, crispy wafers. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes, and make sure your butter is room temperature, not melted.
The most common cause is too much flour, so spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off instead of scooping from the bag. Overbaking and skipping the raisin soak can also dry them out. Pull them when the centers still look a little underbaked.
More Healthy Cookie Recipes You'll Love
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Did you make this recipe?
If you make this recipe, be sure to comment and rate it down below. Also, don't forget to tag me @healthfulblondie on Instagram and use the hashtag #healthfulblondie so I can see your delicious creation and share it with my followers!
📖 Recipe
Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup oat flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups rolled oats, certified gluten-free if needed
- ½ cup raisins
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips, plus extra for topping (dairy-free if needed)
Instructions
- Soak the raisins: Cover the raisins with warm water and let them sit while you make the dough, about 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, oat flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the butter and coconut sugar on medium speed for about 1 minute, until light and creamy. Scrape down the bowl, then beat in the maple syrup, egg, and vanilla.
- Combine: Add the dry ingredients and oats and mix on low speed until just combined. Stir in the raisins and chocolate chips.
- Chill the dough: Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours. If it's too firm to scoop after a long chill, let it sit out for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Scoop about 1½ tablespoons of dough per cookie onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and dot the tops with extra chocolate chips. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the centers look slightly underbaked.
- Cool: Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe tested and developed by Tati Chermayeff, creator of Healthful Blondie. A former Division I rower, Ironman triathlete, and recipe developer based in Austin, TX, Tati creates high-protein and healthy recipes that actually taste like the real thing.
Lyn says
I made these and was happy I did. Only had one review, glad I did. I didn’t add chocolate chips but added walnuts and pecans. Only made 18. I will make it again. A good GF oatmeal cookie Recipe.
Tati Chermayeff says
Thank you for taking a chance on these, Lyn, and for leaving a review to help the next person! Walnuts and pecans sound like a delicious swap. So glad you'll make them again!
Tati Chermayeff says
These are my favorite cookies! Even if you're not a fan raisin, they are super delicious and I love that they are healthier than traditional recipes (refined sugar free and gluten-free). A keeper!