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.
Sue
They are very hard to roll into cookie because they are so cold. Help!
Sam
Hi Sue! You can always let them warm a little bit at room temperature. 🙂
Kelsey
I have made these several times and everyone loves them. They have impressed the scary old ladies in my church group in Denmark (expat here living abroad) and one lady even emailed me asking for the recipe 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing this one!
Ro
My family absolutely adores these. However, they are not my kind of cookie– be prepared that they won’t spread and have a spongey texture (I am more of a soft, buttery, crispy-on-the-edges cookie girl). The adjustments that we made were to bake at 325 for 10 minutes (they burn at a higher temperature). Also, if you want them to look like cookies and not hockey pucks, you will need to press them flat before baking. They are my husband’s favorite cookie so give them a go!
Sam
Hi Ro! I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy them! They shouldn’t have the texture you are mentioning. Did you weigh your flour? It sounds like there may have been too much added. 🙁 Does your oven run hot? The temperature listed is the temperature I bake them on. 🙁 Did you make any alterations that could lead to the dough being so stiff?
Heather
Baking is a skill that I just don’t have but these cookies turned out fabulous even for me! Best ever recipe 😍
Adrian
This is the 3rd time I have used your recipe. Instead of 24, I make 8-10 large cookies. I use whole wheat flour instead if all-purpose flour, skip the refrigerator, and I use a heaping medium-sized ice cream scoop to measure out each cookie.
They have come out perfect every time. Thank you for sharing this!
-Adrian
(Not to be confused with B-drian or C-drian!)
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy the recipe is such a hit for you, A-drian! 😄 Thanks for the review!
Cassandra
Good Morning, Sam! I want to really thank you for, after posting an instruction, you always include the item. For example, add sugar to butter (1C brown). This is such a time saver – for me anyway! It’s a real frustration, on other recipes, to have to jump back and forth between instructions and finding the ingredient. Too, your recipes are always so easy and delicious, therefore making us look like rockstars. Thank You! 🙂
Peg
personally I measure out all ingredients prior to starting. it makes it much easier to follow recipe from there. hope this helps.
Ali
The taste was exactly what I wanted. However, they came out very cake like. How do I make them chewy?
Sam
Hi Ali! Did you weigh your flour by chance? They shouldn’t be puffy and cakey? Did you make any substitutions/alterations to the recipe?
Dorothy Moore
With this recipe how many cookies do it make?
Sam
About 24. You can always find this information just above the video. 🙂
Brandy
Can this be halved?
Sam
Sure thing! 🙂
Alexandra
If I were to brown my butter before incorporating it, how would the texture of the cookies change?
Sam
It could potentially dry them out a little bit because you are reducing the liquid in the cookies. I do have a brown butter oatmeal cookie you can check out. 🙂
Nichelle
Can I use those crisco sticks instead of sticks of butter?
Sam
Hi Nichelle! The butter carries a lot of flavor here so you will lose a bit of flavor, but they should work.
Maria Corazon
I just made this today. the best oat cookie recipe I ever made. Definitely a keeper! I can’t wait for the kids to try it after school. I’m bringing some at work to share with my co-nurses as well. Thank you so much for sharing <3
Trevor L
I use this recipe but I substitute all the necessary ingredients for my own dietary restrictions. No eggs, no dairy, no gluten.
They come out amazing every time!! Love this recipe.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you are able to make the recipe work for you, Trevor! Enjoy 😊
Carmen Moseley
I made cookies ton8ght with this recipe and they are delicious, I did add my own touch and chopped some pecans for the top of some. Great recipe!!
Jeff S
Not only are these really good cookies, every recipe should be formatted just like this one. Having the amount of each ingredient in grams in the description so your not having to jump back and forth is such a nice touch.
Gina Wright
Yum! Delicious as is! Thank you!
Misty Weathers
I made these cookies, with raisins, for my mom for her birthday, they’re her favorite. They were delicious. I am obsessed with weighing ingredients; it is so satisfying!! They came out perfectly soft and chewy, with a crisp but tender edge. Another great recipe, thank you!
Casey @ Sugar Spun Run
Weighing ingredients is certainly a game changer! We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Misty! 🙂
Radhika
My husband’s favorite cookie! he asked me specifically to use this recipe! Thank you so much, Sam!