If you’re anything like me, you know that a truly great oatmeal cookie feels like a cozy hug in edible form — soft, chewy, with just the right hint of cinnamon and that wonderful oat texture we all crave. This Oatmeal Cookies Recipe is exactly that kind of treat, perfect for any time you want to feel a little warmth and nostalgia, straight from your own kitchen. I love how adaptable it is, whether you’re adding chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit, it always turns out to be a crowd-pleaser.
When I first started baking oatmeal cookies, I used to struggle with achieving that perfect chewy texture without them turning dry or crumbly. But once I discovered the importance of chilling the dough and using quick oats, everything changed for the better. You’ll find that this Oatmeal Cookies Recipe is straightforward yet produces bakery-quality cookies that make your home smell amazing and keep everyone coming back for more.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfectly Chewy Texture: Chilling the dough guarantees soft, puffy cookies every time.
- Versatile Mix-Ins: Customize your cookies with chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit to suit any craving.
- Simple Ingredients: Pantry staples work together for an easy, accessible homemade cookie.
- Reliable Baking Tips: Tried and true steps that ensure you don’t overmix or underbake.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This oatmeal cookies recipe brings together classic ingredients that balance flavor and texture perfectly. Using quick-cooking oats helps them bake into soft, chewy bites, while cinnamon adds a cozy sparkle.
- All-purpose flour: The foundation for structure and chewiness.
- Ground cinnamon: Adds warm, aromatic spice enhancing the oats.
- Salt: Balances sweetness and brings out deeper flavors.
- Baking soda: Essential for that perfect rise and texture.
- Unsalted butter: Provides rich flavor and tenderness.
- Brown sugar: Adds moisture and caramel-like notes.
- Eggs: Binds it all together and adds richness.
- Vanilla extract: Deepens the cookie’s flavor profile.
- Quick cooking oats: Gives the soft oatmeal texture we all love.
- Mix-ins (optional): Chocolate chips, nuts, or raisins add personality to your batch.
Variations
I absolutely love tweaking my oatmeal cookies based on what I have in the pantry or the mood I’m in. This recipe handles substitutions like a champ, so feel free to get creative or make it fit your dietary needs.
- Chocolate Chip Delight: Adding a cup and a half of chocolate chips takes these cookies into classic comfort food territory; my kids go crazy for this version.
- Nutty Whole Wheat: Swapping half the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour gives the cookies a heartier bite and a boost of fiber without sacrificing softness.
- Vegan-Friendly: I once used Earth Balance Vegan Butter sticks and skipped eggs with a flaxseed substitute and still ended up with incredible chewy cookies.
- Sugar-Free: For a lighter twist, substituting brown sugar with a low-carb sweetener like Swerve works surprisingly well.
How to Make Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
Step 1: Mix Your Dry Ingredients Carefully
Start by whisking together the flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. This step is important because it evenly distributes the leavening and spice, so your cookies bake beautifully without uneven pockets of baking soda or cinnamon.
Step 2: Cream Butter and Sugar Like a Pro
In your stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the softened unsalted butter with packed brown sugar until it’s smooth and creamy—this should take about 1 to 2 minutes. I discovered this makes all the difference for soft, tender cookies because it incorporates air, helping them rise nicely.
Step 3: Add Eggs and Vanilla for Richness
Mix in the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla extract until everything is combined and smooth. Be careful not to overbeat here; just enough to bring things together keeps the texture tender.
Step 4: Combine Dry Ingredients and Oats Gently
Gradually add your dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, folding it in gently. Then stir in the quick oats, making sure everything is just incorporated. Over mixing at this stage can make your cookies tough, so slow and steady wins the race.
Step 5: Chill the Dough – The Secret Weapon
Here’s the trick I learned the hard way: scoop your dough into 2-tablespoon balls, place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, cover tightly, and chill for at least 30 minutes. Chilling firms up the fat so your cookies bake up thicker and chewier instead of spreading out thin and crisp.
Step 6: Bake to Golden Perfection
Preheat your oven to 350°F and place chilled dough balls 2 inches apart on your lined baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the bottoms are just golden and the tops have lost their gloss but aren’t browned. Let them rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely—this helps them set perfectly without breaking.
Pro Tips for Making Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
- Chill Before Baking: I always chill my dough to achieve that soft yet chewy texture—I can’t recommend it enough.
- Don’t Overmix: Mixing the flour in gently keeps your cookies tender instead of tough.
- Use Quick Oats: These create a softer cookie compared to old-fashioned oats.
- Watch Baking Time Closely: Pull them out when the edges turn golden and tops lose their gloss for the best chew.
How to Serve Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
Garnishes
I love serving these cookies with a light dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of melted white chocolate for a little festive touch. Sometimes, I add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt right before baking to balance the sweetness—it’s a game changer!
Side Dishes
These oatmeal cookies pair beautifully with a cold glass of milk, a warm cup of chai tea, or even a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you’re feeling indulgent. For a cozy snack, I always reach for a mug of hot cocoa alongside.
Creative Ways to Present
For parties, I like to stack these cookies on a pretty platter with small bowls of mix-ins nearby so guests can customize their own cookie stacks or cookie sandwiches. Wrapping a few in parchment tied with twine makes a lovely, homemade gift too!
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
My go-to method for storing leftover oatmeal cookies is an airtight container at room temperature—this keeps them fresh and chewy for up to 4 days. Placing a slice of bread in the container can help maintain moisture, a trick I learned from my grandma.
Freezing
If I make a double batch, I freeze portions of dough balls wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in a freezer-safe bag. When you’re ready for fresh cookies, just bake them straight from frozen with an extra minute or two of baking time. This really comes in handy when you want fresh-baked cookies on a whim!
Reheating
To revive a day-old cookie, I pop it in the microwave for about 10 seconds or warm it briefly in a low oven—it brings back that just-baked softness wonderfully. I avoid reheating too long because I want to keep that perfect chewy texture.
FAQs
-
Can I use old-fashioned oats instead of quick oats?
You can swap old-fashioned oats, but keep in mind the texture will be chewier and a bit denser. Quick oats create a softer, more tender cookie, but both options work well depending on your preference.
-
Why is it important to chill the cookie dough?
Chilling the dough helps solidify the butter, reducing spread during baking so your cookies come out thick and chewy rather than flat and crisp. It’s a simple step that makes a big difference in texture.
-
Can I make this recipe gluten-free?
Yes! Substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend. Just double-check your mix-ins and oats to ensure they’re certified gluten-free for the best results.
-
How do I know when my oatmeal cookies are done baking?
Look for golden edges and tops that have lost their shiny gloss but aren’t browned. The bottoms should be just lightly golden—this means they are soft and chewy inside once cooled.
-
Can I double this recipe?
Absolutely! I often double this recipe to feed a crowd or freeze half for later. Just make sure to chill the dough thoroughly before baking to keep the same great texture.
Final Thoughts
This Oatmeal Cookies Recipe has become a favorite in my kitchen because it’s genuinely foolproof and flexible enough to make your own. Whether you’re baking with kids, prepping for a party, or just craving a warm, homemade treat on a rainy afternoon, these cookies never disappoint. I hope you’ll enjoy baking them as much as I do—and that they’ll find a special spot in your family’s cookie repertoire too!
Print
Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 32 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These classic oatmeal cookies are soft, chewy, and bursting with warm cinnamon flavor. Featuring quick cooking oats and optional mix-ins like chocolate chips or nuts, this recipe yields 24 delicious cookies perfect for any occasion. The dough requires chilling to ensure perfect texture, resulting in soft edges and a tender inside.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (186g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups (300g) packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Additional Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups quick cooking oats
- 1 1/2 cups mix-ins (such as M&Ms, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, raisins, or other candy) – optional
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, salt, and baking soda until combined. Set this mixture aside for later use.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a hand mixer and large bowl, cream the softened unsalted butter and packed brown sugar together until smooth and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla extract, mixing until the batter is smooth and well combined.
- Mix Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing carefully and slowly to avoid overmixing. Once mostly combined, fold in the quick cooking oats. Then stir in your choice of mix-ins if using.
- Shape and Chill Dough: Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon sized balls and place them spaced apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This step is essential for achieving soft and chewy cookies.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats (Silpat).
- Bake Cookies: Arrange chilled cookie dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the bottoms are slightly golden and edges begin to turn golden. The tops will lose their glossy sheen indicating doneness.
- Cool Cookies: Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or freeze in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to 2 months.
Notes
- Mix-in Options: Use 1 ½ cups of M&Ms, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, raisins, or other candies for variety.
- Baking Variations: For smaller 1 tablespoon cookies, reduce baking time to 8-10 minutes. To make two 9-inch cookie cakes, bake 18-25 minutes. For a 9×13-inch pan cookie bar, bake 20-28 minutes.
- Dietary Substitutions: Use Earth’s Balance Vegan Butter Sticks instead of butter for a vegan version. Substitute bread flour or gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose flour blend for regular flour. For a healthier twist, half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour can be used. Replace brown sugar with 1 ¼ cups Swerve Sweetener Brown Sugar to make sugar-free cookies.
- Tips: Always cream butter and sugar before adding eggs. Whisk dry ingredients beforehand. Use baking soda—not baking powder—for best rise. Chilling dough is critical for chewy texture. Baking on silicone mats or parchment paper prevents sticking. Cookies are done when edges are golden and the glossy top is gone.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
