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.
Migdalia Vegas
I actually had to alter this recipe a bit, maybe my oats were dryer than most but adding a whole 3 cups made it hard as a rock and they did not spread. Nonetheless, a cookie is a cookie and it did not go to waste, used on another project as pie crust it was AWESOME!!! so I made t hem again and added equal amounts of oats to flour and they spread out and were chewy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. SOO GOOD!!! I luv this GAL! May make my own video of the pie crust on my “Meghanshomestead” youtube channel.
Sugar Spun Run
I am sorry that the first round of Oatmeal Cookies didn’t turn out well. I am happy that you gave the recipe another chance and had greater success. Enjoy! 🙂
Paola
Hi can i use almond flour? Instead of apf? Thank you
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Paola! Unfortunately, I do not recommend it for this recipe. 🙁
Julie
How long can these cookies be kept/stored? Thank you.
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Julie! The cookies will last about a week if stored in an airtight container. I hope you enjoy them! 🙂
Terry
Hi,
Just wondering if the dough can be frozen in balls for later. Recipe sounds great, thanks
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Terry! Others have done it and have had success. I hope that you enjoy the oatmeal cookies. 🙂
Linda Durfee
Love love your cookie recipes ! Finally found you and your delicious recipes. I am a 73 yr. Old who likes to try new and better cookies AND yours have been over and beyond my expectations. What does one do in retirement? Why bake Sugar Spun Runs cookies of course!
Sam
Thank you so much, Linda! I am so glad you are enjoying all of the cookies. I really appreciate the nice comment. 🙂
Janel
Hi,
I don’t have a mixer.
Can i just manually mix it?
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Janel! You can manually mix, but you will want to make sure that the ingredients are well combined. Let me know how your Oatmeal Cookies turn out! 🙂
Janel
It is not too sweet and chewy 🙂 Thanks for the recipe. Do you also have chocolate crinkles recipe? I hope you can make some. 😊 I looked for an oatmeal cookie recipe since I am breastfeeding.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed the oatmeal cookies! And I do have a chocolate crinkle cookie recipe! I hope you love it as much as I do!
jay
Can I use steel cut oats?
Sam
Hi Jay! The cookies will be a lot chewier if you use steel cut oats vs old fashioned oats.
mei
I don’t have brown sugar, is there a substitute?
Sam
You can just substitute granulated sugar. 🙂
Katie
Can you use quick oats for these or will it ruin them?! They sound so yummy I want to make them.
Sam
Hi Katie! I think quick oats will work here. 🙂
Jim
Thank you so much Sam for such a delicious tasting oatmeal cookie. You could smell the cinnamon and butter baking into each cookie as the pan hit the oven. I just kind of knew they had to be delicious since you posted the recipe on my birthday. Oh, and your first video was very good. Nice job! I look forward to using more of your recipes in the future. They all look great.
Sam
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the oatmeal cookies, Jim! And thank you so much for the kind words, I appreciate it 🙂
Amanda
This is a fabulous recipe! Split the dough in half and made plain oatmeal and oatmeal chocolate chip. Both cookies were delicious! Can’t wait to make them again and add raisins. Thank you for sharing!
Sam
Thank you so much, Amanda! I am so glad you enjoyed the oatmeal cookies. 🙂
Johan
Hi. I want to bake this but I see there is 1 cup sugar, 200g and then again sugar 100g ? Pse help.
Johan
Sam
Hi Johan! You need 200g of tightly packed light brown sugar and 100g of granulated sugar. 🙂
Janet
I used brown sugar then Truvia for the white. They taste just fine. Making for diabetic who loves his sweets. So on cup of sugar in all of the flour and oats is pretty darn good.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the Oatmeal Cookies and the adjustments worked well. Thanks for commenting, Janet! Enjoy! 🙂
Audrey
Delicious!
Sam
Thank you so much, Audrey! 🙂
Sara
Best oatmeal cookies ever. I made them into bars, out of sheer laziness. They’re delicious. They stay soft for days. I love them. Thank you for sharing!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them, Sara! I’m glad to hear they worked as bars too. Thanks for the feedback. 🙂
cris
Best OC recipe hands down. have used and made hundres if not thousands. They stay soft, not raw awesome. I like to add a 1/2c each of shredded coconut because I love the texture and cranberries personally but the basic recipe is perfect.
Sam
Thank you so much, Cris! I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies! 🙂