This cinnamon raisin cookie recipe is the best because of one extra, easy step, that makes all the difference. You'll never make another raisin cookie recipe again. These cookies are a melt-in-your-mouth dreamy treat.
This truly is the best cinnamon raisin cookie recipe. With just one extra (secret) step, or trick, if you will, other recipes just can't compete with it.
These cookies are SO incredibly buttery and cinnamon-y! And the raisins – oh, the raisins – you don't even have to be a raisin fan to appreciate them!
They're soft and crisp, and buttery and cinnamon-y -- all at once!
The Secret to Making the Best Cinnamon Raisin Cookies
The secret is that before the raisins are added into the batter, they soak for about an hour in warm, cinnamon-vanilla infused melted butter.
They become soft, plump and rich with flavor.
Now imagine all of this held together by a lovely, perfect combination of a soft and crisp cookie.
*I use a similar technique with lemon zest in my lemon blueberry cookie recipe.
The Ingredients
- raisins - Golden or dark -- both work really well in this recipe, though I prefer golden.
- ground cinnamon
- unsalted butter - I always bake and cook with unsalted butter so I can better control exactly how much salt goes in the recipe.
- pure vanilla extract - I like this one.
- all-purpose flour - If you're gluten-free, see Substitutions and Variations below.
- baking soda - If you don’t bake regularly, it’s a good idea to check to be sure your baking soda is still good. To do so, pour a couple of tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice over about ¼ teaspoon of the baking soda. If it starts to fizz, it’s still good.
- kosher salt - I bake (and cook) with Kosher salt because of its larger flake size and it usually doesn't contain additives. (If you use table salt, use half the amount.)
- granulated sugar
- brown sugar
- eggs
(See recipe card below for quantities.)
Substitutions and Variations
- all-purpose flour - This can be substituted with Cup4Cup Multipurpose Gluten-Free flour. Use 2 tablespoons less than the instructed amount.
- If you want to add chocolate chips and/or oats, follow this version derived from the cinnamon raisin cookie recipe.
Recipe Tips
- Please be patient and wait the full hour while the raisins are soaking in the butter mixture. This is where the magic happens, and it's the key to success of this recipe.
How to Make Them
- Add the butter to a medium-sized sauce pot and place it over low-medium heat. Once the butter has melted, turn the heat to low. Add the raisins, vanilla and cinnamon and stir to blend. Cover and let this gently simmer for 5 minutes. Then turn the heat off, keep the pot covered, and let it sit for 55 minutes.
- While the raisins are soaking, preheat the oven to 350°F. Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside, and adjust two racks towards the center of the oven.
- Combine the flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside. Add both sugars to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Once the raisins are done soaking, add the mixture to the bowl with the sugar and mix to blend. Then add the eggs and mix until they are fully incorporated. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix just until you no longer see any dry spots.
- Use an approximately 2-inch cookie scoop to drop the batter onto the parchment-lined baking sheets. Gently press each one down about a bit with the palm of your hand. There should be a couple of inches between them.
- Bake in the preheated 350°F oven until they're set and slightly golden along the edges, about 12 minutes.
- Let them cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack.
More Cookie Recipes with Raisins
I think this raisin cookie recipe is the best of all time, though that doesn't mean the below recipes aren't also amazing. 😉
- Peanut Butter Trail Mix Cookies
- Healthy Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies
- Spiced Granola Breakfast Cookie Recipe
I love these cinnamon raisin cookies, and for me to be this crazy about a cookie without chocolate, well . . . that's really saying something.
Get those raisins soaking, and get these cookies made by the time the kids return home from school. Or in time for dessert, or a weekend get together, or just in one and a half hours for the best snack ever!
How to Store Them
- Once they're completely cooled, these cookies can be stored in an airtight container, at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you don’t plan to serve them within the first couple days after baking them, you can freeze them.
- They can be kept frozen in an air-tight container for up to a month. (Longer is okay, but the longer they’re frozen, the more moisture they’ll loose.)
Enjoy every last crumb!
The Best Cinnamon Raisin Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups raisins
- 1½ tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- 1½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup golden brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Prepare the raisins: Add the butter to a medium-sized sauce pot and place it over low-medium heat. Once the butter has melted, turn the heat to low. Add the raisins, vanilla and cinnamon and stir to blend. Cover and let this gently simmer for 5 minutes. Then turn the heat off, keep the pot covered, and let it sit for 54 minutes.
- Preheat oven and prep baking sheets: While the raisins are soaking, preheat the oven to 350°F. Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside, and adjust two racks towards the center of the oven.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside. Add both sugars to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Combine all of the ingredients: Once the raisins are done soaking, add the mixture to the bowl with the sugar and mix to blend. Then add the eggs and mix until they are fully incorporated. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix just until you no longer see any dry spots.
- Shape the batter: Use a cookie scoop (approximately 2 inch) to drop the batter onto the parchment-lined baking sheets. Gently press each one down about a bit with the palm of your hand. There should be a couple of inches between them.
- Bake the cookies: Bake in the preheated 350°F oven until they're set and slightly golden along the edges, about 12 minutes.
- Cool the cookies: Let them cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack.
NOTES
NUTRITION
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Tania
Just made the 2nd batch after adding a little baking powder ("so it rises a bit") from my dad, who can't help himself from getting involved in anything in the kitchen. He's a retired pastry chef. He said they are the best cookies he's ever tasted. "Not just good. They're too good." "They're tasty, soft, really nice. And I've baked a lot of cookies in my life." Of course real butter makes it too. I said I'd pass along the compliment to the maker. Many thanks!
valentina
Hi Tania. Wow,thank you so much for this fantastic compliment, and from a pastry chef to boot! You both made my day! I hope you'll enjoy more recipes on the site. 🙂 Valentina
T J
Is this ingredient list complete? The only moist ingredient is the eggs. No water or other fluid?
valentina
Hi! Yes, it's complete. Don't forget the butter -- which gets added melted. Hope you love them! 🙂 ~Valentina
Chris W
Sadly I had to toss the first batch as it was bitter and salty. Batch #2 I easied back on the salt and replaced the baking soda with baking powder. Soooooooo good, thank you!
valentina
Hi Chris. Thanks so much for writing in. Sorry to hear the first batch was too salty for you. And of course, I'm happy to hear (with adjustments to your taste) you loved it the 2nd time around. That's awesome. 🙂 ~Valentina
Christine
Just made these...the cinnamon smell in the house is so comforting on this chilly, fall day. I had to say that these cookies are amazing!! Soaking the raisins is absolutely genius! Was wondering if I could add spiced rum to the butter in place of the vanilla? Just a thought. Anyway, thanks for this recipe. It's already bookmarked, and I'm looking forward to trying more of your recipes! Happy Thanksgiving!
valentina
Hi Christine, Thanks so much for your note. I'm so happy you enjoyed these cookies (and their accompanying delicious cinnamon scent)! The rum would be delicious! I love that idea. Go for it. Happy Thanksgiving! 🙂 ~Valentina
Ethel Silva
I need to plump up my raisins and I was going to just do it with \\ith water but I was wondering if I could add some cinnamon to the water. Too much? I love cinnamon with applesauce so could I use apple slices in the water?
valentina
Hi Ethel! Thanks for writing in.Just want to make sure I understand . . . do you not want to soak the raisins in the melted butter, as instructed? If that's the case, just add the melted butter to the batter and yes, add the cinnamon to the water. Then you'd drain the raisins before adding them to the batter. You can also soak the raisins in apple juice. You would get more of the apple flavor this way, than with just the apple slices. Again, you'd drain the raisins before adding them to the batter. And if you'd just like to add some apple flavor to the batter (which sounds delicious!), you could add about 3/4 cup of finely chopped dried apple to the batter. I hope I've answered your question, and that this helps. 🙂 ~Valentina
jr
Hi, I am stuck indoors from all the smoke in the air and came across your raisin soaking recipe which sounded so yummy i had to try. I am in the raisin soaking stage and the air in our home is starting to smell delicious. My last batch of cookies was raisin oatmeal with a twist of dates. Although my family devoured a double batch, they were not exactly what I was looking for. I am trying to satisfy an old craving from back in my youth when my mother made raisin cookies for me. Unfortunately her cookie days are long gone and i did not think to keep all those recipes. After my last batch i realized the ones i remember were not with oatmeal. I will let you know how yours ranks with my tasting crew. One ingredient from the old days i do remember besides raisins is molasses. Sorry but i had to added a little to your recipe and subbed out a bit of the white sugar just for old time sake. I will let you know how it works out.
Thanks again for such a good idea "Soaking Raisins in buttery goodness."
valentina
Hi there, Thanks so much for writing in. I'm excited for you to try these, and I expect the molasses in them was a tasty addition. I hope this recipe comes close to your memories of your mom's cookies. Either way, I hope you and your family enjoy them. Happy your home smells delicious! 🙂 ~Valentina
Jennifer
Hey, where did the cinnamon raisin cookie recipe go?! It's the right page, wrong recipe- the recipe showing up now is the oatmeal chocolate chip cookie one. What the heck?! Such a bummer. I remembered the amount of butter, raisins, etc and started the cookies but needed a refresher on the flour amount and now I dunno what to do. I guess I just wasted the ingredients. I don't like oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, so I don't want to use this recipe. Please let us know what happened to the recipe that used to be posted on this page!
valentina
Hi Jennifer. This was a technical error and it's fixed! I'm so sorry for any inconvenience! Please check your email for a personal message. 🙂 ~Valentina
Kate
Hi dear V, can I sub all purpose flour with oat flour?
valentina
Hi Kate, Thanks for writing in. Unfortunately these cookies won't work with oat flour instead of the AP. If your goal is to have them be gluten-free, you can use Cup4Cup GF AP flour. And if it's just the oat flour flavor you want, you can switch out a little of the AP flour for it (maybe 1/4 to 1/2 cup). I hope this helps and that you love them if you make them. 🙂 ~Valentina
Kate
This is such an amazing recipe. My family absolutely love these raisin cookies. So soft and it’s nice that have generous amount of raisins. I added your suggested amount of oats, which blended in so well that we cant even taste it. I made 3 times already. Definitely recommand this recipe for raisin cookie lovers!!
valentina
Hi Kate, thanks so much for your lovely comment! You made my day. 🙂 I'm so happy you and your family love this recipe. And awesome you it worked out well with the oats. Thanks for being one of my readers/cooks. Stay well! ~Valentina
Eric Deschenes
Hi Valentina,
Since the butter is being melted, do you think I can replace it with tub margarine?
Thanks, Eric
valentina
Hi Eric. Thanks for writing in. You can try it with margarine, but the flavor and texture won't be the same. Not to say they won't still be good, I just haven't tested them this way so I can't say for sure. Since margarine is usually salted, I'd omit the salt from the recipe. Let us know how it goes and hope you enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina
Eric Deschenes
Thanks for responding I will let you know...Corona times force me to use what I have.
valentina
Yes, let me know.:-) ~Valentina
Ĵeremy
Delicious. I often make them for my Church and every single one is gone. Thanks for a great recipe.
Valentina
Thank you, Jeremy! I'm thrilled everyone loves them! An empty plate always makes me happy. 🙂 ~Valentina
Tory
I've made these many times but I struggle to find the recipe again. Can you make these Pin-able for Pinterest? They are amazing. I'm making them for my children's PTA function next week. Thank you!
Valentina
Hi Tory, Thanks so much for writing me. If you hover over the top left corner of the top image, you should see the red PIN button appear. If for some reason you don't, I have a new feature on the site on each page: There is a box you'll see towards the top of the post that says "Want to save this recipe?" where you can enter your email, and that particular recipe will be immediately sent to your inbox. I hope this helps, and I'm so happy you love the recipe. 🙂 ~Valentina
Stacy
BEST COOKIES EVER!! I made this cookies on Monday night and it was all gone the next morning by my kids... (not even a crumb in sight) . Now my kids are asking me to make em again...
valentina
You made my day, Stacy. Thanks for this note. So happy they were a big hit. We love them over here, too! Hope you keep making them. 🙂 ~Valentina