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These healthy oatmeal raisin cookies are soft and chewy and need just 4 ingredients to make. I love how they bake in just 10 minutes.
Love healthy oatmeal cookie recipes? Try my oatmeal breakfast cookies, healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, and flourless cookies.
As much as I love a good chocolate chip cookie, sometimes we want something without chocolate (yes, sacrilegious). My healthy oatmeal raisin cookie recipe is the perfect antidote, and it’s wholesome to boot.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Ready in 10 minutes. No refrigeration of the dough or chill time is required.
- No butter, eggs, or oil. Which is perfect if you are following a low-calorie, low-fat, gluten-free, and/or vegan diet.
- Easy to customize. Add extra spices and mix-ins, or even dip them in chocolate.
- Just like classic cookies. They taste sweet and have an almost buttery flavor (thanks to the almond butter!). They have a chewy texture and are loaded with raisins.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“These are delicious and perfect! I omitted the raisins and added more cinnamon and pb. thanks for the quick, easy, and affordable recipe.” – Demi
Ingredients needed
- Rolled Oats (Old fashioned oats). A must for a cookie that requires oatmeal! This also replaces any need for flour. Be sure to use gluten-free rolled oats to keep this recipe 100% gluten-free.
- Banana. Mashed bananas replace the need for oil or butter while also providing sweetness. The riper the bananas, the sweeter the cookies will be.
- Almond Butter. I prefer using almond butter, but any nut butter works, including peanut butter and cashew butter.
- Raisins. I recommend using a good-quality brand of plump and juicy raisins. See my trick below for instant fat and juicy raisins!
- Flavor boosters. It’s optional, but add some sea salt, ground cinnamon, and/or vanilla extract.
Plump and juicy raisin trick
Pour the raisins you want to use into a bowl or mixing bowl, add boiling water over the tops of them, and let sit for at least 30 minutes.
During the 30 minutes, the raisins naturally plump up and become fat and juicy—perfect for these cookies! Discard the water and soak up any extra liquid with a paper towel, and voila—plump raisins.
How to make healthy oatmeal raisin cookies
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Make the cookie dough. In a large mixing bowl, combine your rolled oats, banana and almond butter, and mix well, until combined. Fold through your raisins.
Step 2- Shape the cookies. Using a cookie scoop or your hands, form 12 small balls of dough. Transfer them to the lined baking sheet, pressing down on each cookie. Top with extra raisins.
Step 3- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges just brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before eating!
Arman’s recipe tips
- Do not overbake the cookies, as they continue to cook as they cool down. We want these cookies to be soft and chewy, so remove them from the oven when they are ‘just’ done. Also, they don’t contain any eggs, so you can underbake them.
- If your dough is too thick, add more banana or even some liquid sweetener, like maple syrup or agave. If the dough is smooth and drippy, add more oats!
- These cookies DON’T spread much, so make sure the cookies are the size and thickness you prefer.
- If you prefer sweeter cookies, add some brown sugar, coconut sugar, maple syrup, or honey. These cookies rely on the banana for sweetness.
Dietary swaps and substitutions
- Oats– Quinoa flakes or brown rice flakes work.
- Nut-free– Use tahini or sunflower seed butter instead of almond butter.
- Use a banana alternative– Unsweetened applesauce or pumpkin puree.
- Cut the carbs– Instead of these cookies, try keto oatmeal raisin cookies instead.
Storage instructions
To store: Store leftover cookies in the fridge, as they will spoil quickly if left at room temperature. Keep them in a sealable container or covered on a plate. They will keep fresh for up to 7 days.
To freeze: Place leftover cookies in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
When made as instructed, there are just 140 calories per cookie.
More easy cookies you’ll love
- Healthy monster cookies
- Keto chocolate chip cookies
- Vegan chocolate chip cookies
- 2 ingredient Biscoff cookies
Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats gluten free, if needed
- 3 large bananas mashed (approximately 1.25 cups) * See notes
- 1/2 cup almond butter can substitute for any nut or seed butter ** See notes
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of your ingredients except for your raisins, and mix well. Fold through your raisins using a rubber spatula.
- Using a cookie scoop or your hands, form 12 balls using the cookie dough. Transfer them onto the lined tray and place around 1-2 inches apart. Press down on each cookie to form a cookie shape (they will not spread, so make them your desired size and thickness).
- Place them in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden around the sides.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published April 2020, updated May 2022, and republished April 2024
These are AMAZING!! I love your simple ingredient healthy recipes!! I make so many of them and they are a HIT!! Knowing they are healthy with simple ingredients gives me peace of mind, and belly 🙂
Love these for a healthy and wholesome alternative to traditional cookies.
I made these because my husband loves oatmeal raisin cookies and he is trying to find ways to lower his sugar intake. The first batch I made I followed the directions exactly and they were okay. They turned out almost as expected however I know he would like them a little sweeter. I think I will try next time adding some honey or maple syrup to the recipe. I had a little left over batter and added semi-sweet chocolate chips to that batch for myself and they were really good!
Love to hear that, Patty!
These make such a fabulous and healthy cookie!
Great recipe for a healthy version of Oatmeal Raisin cookies. I’ve made this recipe twice. The first with Almond Butter and some applesauce when I only had 2 bananas and the 2nd with Peanut Butter and vanilla added as an extra. Great portable breakfast substitute for a bowl of oatmeal with the extras.
Interesting combination.
Raisins and bananas.