My oatmeal cookies recipe yields soft, chewy, bakery-style cookies. This old-fashioned classic is an all-time favorite, and I think you’ll love the incredible flavors, perfectly balanced texture and sweetness, and ease of this recipe! Includes a how-to video!
Truly the Best Oatmeal Cookies
Despite their humble appearance, my oatmeal cookies are always the very first cookies to disappear from their cookie tins each Christmas.
While they may not look as exciting as chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodles, or flashy iced sugar cookies, they have a classic hearty texture and incredible depth of flavor that’s rich with brown sugar, vanilla, and butter. They’re also easy to prepare, are made with basic, easy to find ingredients, and are perfect for beginner and advanced bakers alike.
Why You Should Try THIS Oatmeal Cookie Recipe
- Incredible flavor. A blend of brown and white sugar, a healthy splash of real vanilla, a subtle sprinkling of cinnamon, this recipe checks all the boxes for a satisfying cookie.
- The *perfect* texture. Hearty and satisfying, the oats make for a sturdy cookie with perfectly balanced sweetness.
- Easy to make! This recipe is perfect for bakers of any level of expertise.
- Over 250 five-star reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! Since I first published this recipe in 2017, it’s garnered hundreds of rave reviews and has become a new staple in households across the world. So don’t just take my word for it, check out the comments!
I know there are literally hundreds of thousands of other oatmeal cookies out there, but give this one a try and I strongly suspect it will become your new go-to, too.
What You Need
Oatmeal cookies are made with pantry staples, which is one of the many reasons they’ve been so popular over the years! Let’s go over a few key ingredients.
- Oats. I recommend and prefer old-fashioned oats in my oatmeal cookies, but discuss alternatives in the FAQ section below.
- Sugar. My oatmeal cookies use a blend of white granulated and light brown. The brown sugar adds moisture and flavor, helping to make these cookies nice and soft.
- Softened butter. Perfectly softened butter should be slightly cooler than room temperature; 65°F is ideal, if you want to get technical (it does not need to be exact!).
- Vanilla extract. I use a healthy pour of vanilla in my recipe, which gives the cookies incredible depth of flavor. Now is a great time to whip out your homemade vanilla, if you have any!
- Flour. Use all-purpose flour. Bleached or unbleached will work, I personally use unbleached. Do not use self-rising flour which contains baking powder, which this recipe does not use, and salt, which we have already accounted for.
- Corn starch. As I mentioned, this is one of my favorite ingredients to use in my cookies (it makes an appearance in my peanut butter blossoms, too). It makes them nice and soft and chewy without making them cakey. You could alternatively substitute arrowroot starch.
- Baking soda. This leavening agent gives the cookies the perfect chewy texture and just the right amount of spread. It also helps cause some of that golden caramelization that gives the cookies their beautiful coloring (and rich flavor). No baking powder is needed in this recipe
- Ground cinnamon. You can leave this out if you have allergies, but the flavor of these oatmeal cookies is so perfectly enhanced by a dash of cinnamon.
SAM’S TIP: If you don’t have cornstarch and can’t find arrowroot, you can substitute the cornstarch with an equal amount of flour. The oatmeal cookies will be a tad flatter and they won’t be quite as soft and chewy, but they’ll still be very good!
This is just an overview of the ingredients I use in my oatmeal cookie recipe and why I do so. For the full recipe with measurements, please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
Tips for Perfect Cookies, Every Time
I love these oatmeal cookies (and really all cookie recipes) because I think they’re the perfect recipe for beginner bakers and seasoned pros alike. I wanted to share a few tips that helped me level up my own cookie game, hopefully they help you, too!
- Cream the butter and sugar well. Creaming, or thoroughly beating together the butter and sugars, is necessary in this recipe because it helps incorporate air into the batter and helps the cookies achieve the proper texture. This means going beyond simply stirring together the butter and sugar until just combined; you want the mixture to appear light and fluffy, and an electric or stand mixer is best for easily achieving this.
- Weigh your ingredients! A kitchen scale (⬅️ that one is my favorite!) is a game changer when it comes to baking anything, from cakes to macarons and oatmeal cookies. It will also save you on dishes, no more measuring cups to wash. Here is my guide on using a kitchen scale to get you started. If you don’t have a scale, don’t worry, you can still make great cookies, just make sure you are measuring your flour properly (don’t scoop it into your measuring cup!).
- Roll your cookies. Most drop cookies (like these) can simply be, well, dropped on the baking pan and baked. No problem! But if you want your cookies to look more uniform and round, roll the dough between your palms to make a round ball before baking.
- Know your oven temperature. Many ovens run hotter or cooler than they let on (I once had an oven that was 25 degrees hotter than it told me it was!). I highly recommend keeping an oven thermometer in the center of your oven to monitor the temperature. Also make sure you bake in the center rack, unless otherwise noted.
- Underbake slightly. Remove the oatmeal cookies from the oven before they’re baked all the way through! The edges should look set/slightly golden but the centers will appear slightly underdone (but not raw!). Let your cookies cool completely on the baking sheet, where they’ll finish cooking to perfection. This will give you cookies that stay soft and chewy for days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes you can! Any of these may be added to the dough without having to make any other alterations to the recipe. I recommend adding about 1 ½ cups of your favorite add-ins, stir them in with a wooden spoon or spatula after adding your oats.
I also do have a standalone oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe and an oatmeal raisin cookie recipe, both of which are different from this recipe.
I used to recommend against using quick oats (also sometimes called “instant oats”), but after a series of recent tests I’ve concluded that it’s fine to use quick oats instead. Note that your oatmeal cookies will be less chewy, less hearty, and may be a tad more dry.
Substitute an equal amount.
This recipe is specifically designed to yield soft, chewy cookies. You can help ensure your cookies stay soft by following my instructions for not over-baking the cookies. When storing, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature, they’re best when enjoyed within 5 days of baking.
I hope you love this oatmeal cookie recipe every bit as my family does!
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! Subscribe to my newsletter to be notified of all the newest recipes, and find my free recipe tutorials on YouTube 💜
Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature preferred
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cup (215 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch (cornflour in UK)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 cups (285 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 ½ cups chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or raisins optional!
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Beat butter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or using an electric beater) for about 30 seconds.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
- Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy (pause to scrape down sides and bottom of bowl, if needed).1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined.2 large eggs
- Stir in vanilla extract.1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.1 ¾ cup (215 g) all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon table salt, ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture until completely combined. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so ingredients are well-mixed.3 cups (285 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- Gradually stir in oats until completely combined. If using raisins or chocolate chips, stir them in at this point.1 ½ cups chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or raisins
- Cover dough with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.
- Preheat oven to 375F (190C) and prepare cookie sheets by lining with parchment paper.
- Drop cookie dough by rounded 2 Tablespoon-sized balls onto parchment paper, spacing at least 2" apart. If desired, roll cookies between your palms to make a smooth ball, which will give you more uniform cookies.
- Bake on 375F (190C) for 10-12 minutes (edges should be slightly browned, centers may still be slightly underbaked but shouldn't be raw, they'll bake completely as they cool).
- Allow cookies to cool completely on cookie sheet before serving and enjoying.
Notes
Brown sugar
You may substitute dark brown sugar for an even softer and more chewy oatmeal cookie!Oats
You may substitute an equal amount of instant oats for the old-fashioned.Storing
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
This oatmeal cookie recipe was originally published April of 2017. Photos have been updated, additional tips have been added, and a video has been added. Recipe remains the same.
Angela
I apologize if this has already been answered. How many cookies does this recipe make?
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Angela! This makes approximately 23 large cookies. I hope that you enjoy them! 🙂
Carmen
I never see the amount of flour or anything like that on the recipe at all.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Carmen. I am unsure of what you mean. Is the flour not showing for you? or is it too much flour than you are used to seeing?
Lianna Ramirez
In love with these cookies! Thank you so much, my family loved them <3
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that your family loved the oatmeal cookies, Lianna! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Isabella
Hi!! These look like amazing cookies! Could i use anything other than cornstarch?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Isabella! Unfortunately, I can’t provide you with a cornstarch substitution. You can, however, leave it out. If you do the cookies just won’t be as soft and tender. I hope that helps. 🙂
Minna
I haven’t tried this, but what about potato starch? It appears to have the same texture, and I’ve read in other recipes that it’s possible to substitute potato starch for corn starch.
Sam
I honestly haven’t tried it either but after a bit of brief research it looks like that should work just fine, good suggestion! 🙂
EJB
Beautiful cookies! And absolutely wonderful! All my kids enjoyed!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the oatmeal cookies, EJB! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Nye
My cookies turned out perfectly
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear this, Nye! Thank you so much for letting me know how the recipe turned out for you, I appreciate it 🙂
Patty
I also put walnuts and raisins in the dough. Thanks again for the perfect oatmeal cookie recipe.
Sam
You’re so welcome, thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you, Patty! 🙂
Patty
Thanks for this delicious recipe. Easy to make, I used my Kitchen Aid with paddle attachment. I had to adjust the cooking time, my oven bakes them in 15 minutes. I just informed my husband that he has eaten 1,600 calories worth of cookies in the past 24 hours. He LOVES them.
james
when you said if your adding raisins or chocolate chips you forgot to add nuts as well
Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for letting me know, James. This was one of my first videos and it will be updated over time. The ingredients are optional so feel free to add what you wish. I hope that you enjoy the oatmeal cookies. 🙂
Julie C
This is the best oatmeal cookie recipe I have ever made. Oatmeal cookies are my favorite cookie, but I haven’t been able to find the perfect recipe that would stay soft. These stayed soft and chewy for days. I did put a half slice of potato bread in the container and change it out daily. I did not add anything to the recipe, because otherwise my family would not have eaten them. This recipe is a keeper!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the oatmeal cookies, Julie! Thanks for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Margie shelton
Can I use steel cut oatmeal?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Margie! Unfortunately, no.
Vickie S.
These really are the best oatmeal cookie recipe! I have made many and experimented over the years to try to make soft, thick, chewy oatmeal cookies but my experimenting is over. These will be my go-to recipe. All the tips and explanations are helpful too. Thank you Sam!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the oatmeal cookies, Vickie, and that you found the tips helpful. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Stephanie Murrile
This recipe is a keeper. Will make as much as possible in the future. Brought these to a meeting and was complimented by all. Instead of dropping the dough at 2-3 tbsp, I dropped 1 tbsp and cooked at 7 minutes on parchment paper. The edges were slightly brown/brown and a nice soft middle. These are so good! Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the oatmeal cookies, Stephanie! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Tammy L Stafford
These cookies are easily my favorite go to recipe.. I have made them several times added different nuts and fruits.. Cherry walnut chocolate chipe is delicious as well as blueberry pecan.
Plain oatmeal or anything in between these are awesome
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the oatmeal cookies, Tammy! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Tracy
Hello Sam…Happy New Year!! Just wanted to say that I made these Oatmeal cookies just before Christmas and they were a HUGE hit!! I did change it up just a little bit though. I do like to use Muesli instead of the regular Oats and I did reduce the white sugar just a bit. DELICIOUS!!! Soft, chewy, tasty!! I am actually about to bake another 2 batches upon request. lol Thank you for such an awesome recipe. You’ve now made me the go-to girl for my Oatmeal Cookies!! lol I will be looking into more of your recipes to see what you have! Thank you again!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the oatmeal cookies, Tracy! Thank you for trying my recipe. I can’t wait to see what you try next. 🙂