These gluten-free oatmeal raisin cookies are the perfect crisp and chewy cookies that will disappear just as quickly as they come out of the oven.
When it comes to classic cookies, my kids love them all. I've been making these gluten-free oatmeal raisin cookies for years. Besides my gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, these are their favorite. These oatmeal raisin cookies are chewy with slightly crispy edges and filled with soft raisins; they will make everyone fall in love with them.
You will also love my gluten-free oatmeal cream pie cookies, gf peanut butter cookies, and gf ginger molasses cookies.
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Are Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Gluten-Free?
Typically, no oatmeal raisin cookies are not gluten-free because they usually use wheat flour and conventional oats. With that being said, oatmeal raisin cookies can be made gluten-free with a few changes that are easy to do.
Oats are typically gluten-free. However, they are often contaminated with gluten due to the way they are handled and packaged.
Ingredients
To make these gluten-free oatmeal raisin cookies, you need the following ingredients.
- Gluten-free Old Fashion Oats - Make sure to buy certified gluten-free oats.
- 1:1 Gluten-free Flour - When it comes to baking gluten-free cookies, you want gluten-free flour that is lighter and contains xanthan gum. I prefer to use the King Arthur 1:1 blend (This is not the all-purpose blend.)
- Corn Starch - You can also use tapioca starch.
- Xanthan Gum - Omit if your blend already has it.
- Baking Soda - Helps the cookies to rise and gives them a soft and chewy texture.
- Salt - Adding a pinch of salt makes all the flavors stand out.
- Butter - You can easily make these into dairy-free oatmeal cookies by swapping the butter out for a melted dairy-free alternative.
- Eggs - Two large eggs add moisture to the dough and help the ingredients stick together.
- Vanilla - It gives the cookies a subtle, sweet aroma. For the best taste, use a good quality pure vanilla extract.
- Molasses - This ingredient gives the cookies their signature flavor. Use light or dark molasses. Avoid blackstrap molasses as they have a bitter flavor.
- White and Brown Sugar: The combination of white and brown sugar adds sweetness and depth of flavor to the cookies.
- Raisins - The main ingredient for these cookies!
How to Make GF Oatmeal Raisin Cookies?
Let's make a batch of gluten-free oatmeal raisin cookies.
- Warm up 2 cups of water in the microwave. Soak the raisins and let them rest for 15-20 minutes.
- Whisk the gluten-free oats, 1:1 flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together.
- In a separate large bowl, mix the melted butter, sugar, and brown sugar into a bowl.
- Add the egg, vanilla, and molasses to the butter and sugars.
- Fold the bowl of dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients.
- Drain the water from the soaked raisins and add them to the mixture. Fold them into the batter.
- Chill the dough for at least an hour.
- Scoop about a tablespoon of cookie dough and roll it into a ball.
- Place the cookie dough balls a few inches apart on the baking sheet. (These cookies do spread, so give them some room.)
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven.
- Allow the cookies to rest on the baking tray for about five minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Tips for the Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Don't think that you can only bake cookies during cookie season. Trust me; this gluten-free oatmeal cookie recipe is one you will want to make all year long. Here are a few of my tricks and tips for making these delicious gluten-free cookies.
- Measure your gluten-free flour blend by weight to get the most accurate results every time.
- Use melted but cooled butter. You want your butter melted but not so hot that it will scramble the eggs once they are added.
- Add a pinch of cinnamon. I tend to leave it out because my kids are sometimes not cinnamon fans, but the combination of cinnamon and raisin is delicious.
- Mix by hand. I am usually on team mixer when baking, but for this gluten-free oatmeal raisin cookie recipe, I like to do them by hand. This helps to keep all the gluten-free oats intact and not become mushy.
- Do NOT skip soaking your raisins. If you skip soaking the raisins before adding them to the oatmeal cookie dough, you run the risk of the raisins drying out even more and becoming hard lumps in your cookies. Soaking adds moisture, so you end up with soft pieces of dried fruit in your cookies.
- Let the dough rest. - You want this gluten-free cookie dough to rest for at least an hour if not two. This will help keep the cookies from spreading too much while being baked.
- Do NOT overbake these cookies. I find in my oven that 8 minutes is all they need. The cookies will look a little soft in the middle when they are done.
- Let the cookies rest on the baking tray before moving them to a wire rack.
Variations
If you are not a fan of raisins, below are some ideas to swap them out!
- You can easily swap out the raisins and use chocolate chips and make these gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies instead.
- Swap the raisins for another dried fruit. The combination of dried cranberries and white chocolate is delicious and makes these a perfect gluten-free Christmas cookie.
- Add nuts. If you want a little extra crunch to your gluten-free cookies, add in some chopped walnuts, pecans, and even almonds.
- You can even just enjoy these as plain gluten-free oatmeal cookies.
Oatmeal raisin cookies FAQ
Most people associate oats with other gluten-containing grains. Oats, by nature, are actually gluten-free. Oats can become not gluten-free through processing, where they can interact with other gluten-containing grains. If you want to make sure your oats are gluten-free, look for purity oats and oats that are certified as gluten-free.
You want to use old fashion oats when making oatmeal cookies. Rolled oats and quick-cooking oats are processed to cook faster, and this can make your oatmeal cookies mushy. Steel-cut oats do not work in oatmeal cookies for the exact opposite reason. They take too long to cook. The texture of the cookies will not be the same if you use another oat than old fashion oats.
If your oatmeal cookies are dry, it usually comes down to a few things.
1. You added too much flour. Make sure you are accurately measuring your flour. Either measure the flour by weight or use the spoon and level method. Do not scoop your flour.
2. You overmixed the dough. Oatmeal cookies can become tough if they are over-mixed. It is best to mix these cookies by hand to help the dough be mixed just until combined to ensure that doesn't happen.
3. Your cookies are overbaked. Do NOT overbake an oatmeal cookie. It is important to remember that cookies continue to bake for a little while after they are removed from the oven. A slightly underbaked cookie will be perfect once it's had time to rest and cool. If you bake it till it is completely done, your oatmeal cookie will become hard and dry.
Raisins are naturally gluten-free. Raisins can become contaminated with gluten if they are processed in a facility that also handles gluten. I use Sun-Maid raisins to make my gluten-free oatmeal raisin cookies because they are gluten-free, according to the manufacturer, even though they are not labeled as such.
Can I make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Ahead of Time?
Because this gluten-free cookie dough needs to rest, it makes these gluten-free oatmeal raisin cookies the perfect cookie to make ahead of time.
- Make the cookie dough and let it rest in the fridge overnight.
- Scoop and bake the next day.
If you want your oatmeal cookie dough to last longer, you can freeze it.
- Chill the dough as if you were going to bake the oatmeal raisin cookies fresh.
- Scoop the cookie dough into balls.
- Place the balls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Freeze the cookie dough balls for about an hour until they are firm.
- Transfer the cookie dough balls to a ziplock bag or airtight container.
- Freeze the cookie dough for up to two months.
To bake your cookie dough from frozen.
- Let the cookie dough balls rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes while you preheat your oven.
- Bake as if they were fresh.
How to Store?
These gluten-free oatmeal raisin cookies will last for about 3-5 days once they are baked when stored in a container at room temperature. If you want your cookies to last longer than that, I suggest freezing the dough and baking off a few cookies at a time, so you always have fresh baked gluten-free cookies.
Want more gluten-free cookies to bake up?
From gluten-free chocolate chip cookies to gluten-free sugar cookies and even some gluten-free Crumbl cookies, these cookie recipes are always a hit.
📖 Recipe
Gluten-free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ½ Cups Gluten-free Old Fashion Oats
- 1 ½ Cups Gluten-free 1:1 Flour
- 2 ½ Tablespoons Corn Starch You can also use tapioca or arrowroot starch.
- 1 Teaspoon Xanthan Gum Omit if your blend has it already.
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Cup Sugar
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar
- ¾ Cup Melted Butter
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 Tablespoon Molasses
- 6 Ounces Raisins
Instructions
Soak the raisins.
- Warm up 2 cups of water in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the raisins to the hot water and let them rest for at least 15-20 minutes.6 Ounces Raisins
Make the oatmeal cookie dough.
- Whisk the gluten-free oats, 1:1 flour, corn starch, baking soda, xanthan gum (if needed), and salt together in a small bowl.2 ½ Cups Gluten-free Old Fashion Oats, 1 ½ Cups Gluten-free 1:1 Flour, 2 ½ Tablespoons Corn Starch, 1 Teaspoon Xanthan Gum, 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda, ½ Teaspoon Salt
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, and melted butter.½ Cup Sugar, 1 Cup Brown Sugar, ¾ Cup Melted Butter
- Add the egg, vanilla, and molasses to the butter and sugars.2 Large Eggs, 1 Teaspoon Vanilla, 1 Tablespoon Molasses
- Stir the bowl of dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients.
- Fold in the soaked raisins.
- Chill the dough for two hours.
Bake your gluten-free oatmeal raisin cookies.
- Preheat your oven to 350 °F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop about a tablespoon of cookie dough and roll it into a ball.
- Place the cookie dough balls a few inches apart on the baking sheet. (These cookies do spread, so give them some room.)
- Bake the oatmeal raisin cookies for 8-10 minutes, depending on your oven.
- Allow the cookies to rest on the baking tray for about five minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Measure your gluten-free flour by weight to get the most accurate results every time.
- Use melted but cooled butter. You want your butter melted but not so hot that it will scramble the eggs once they are added.
- Add a pinch of cinnamon. I tend to leave it out because my husband is not a cinnamon fan, but the combination of cinnamon and raisin is delicious.
- Mix by hand. I usually use a mixer when baking, but for this gluten-free oatmeal raisin cookie recipe, I like to do them by hand. This helps to keep all the gluten-free oats intact and not become mushy.
- Let the dough rest - You want this gluten-free cookie dough to rest for at least an hour if not two. This will help keep the cookies from spreading too much while being baked.
- Do NOT overbake these cookies. I find in my oven that 8 minutes is all they need. The cookies will look a little soft in the middle when they are done.
- Let the cookies rest on the baking tray before moving them to a cooling rack.
Dr. Brandy Victory says
Incredible! I used gluten free for 1:1 and for sweetener 2/3 coconut sugar, 1/3 brown serve and then the molasses. Texture and taste is wonderful!