Best Oatmeal Cookies - Two Peas & Their Pod (2024)

One of my favorite cookies to bake and eat are Oatmeal Cookies. I know they are often picked last because their friends are more popular…chocolate chip, chocolate, peanut butter, and snickerdoodles, BUT I always pick oatmeal cookies first. You can’t go wrong with a GOOD oatmeal cookie.

This is the BEST oatmeal cookie recipe. The cookies are soft, chewy, sweet, buttery, and taste like home. They are comforting, wholesome, and nostalgic.

There is nothing fancy about oatmeal cookies, but I don’t need fancy, I just need a really good cookie and this recipe is perfection. I guarantee it will become your GO-TO recipe. Enjoy for dessert, a snack, or even breakfast…there is lots of oatmeal involved so they are the perfect breakfast food:)

What Kind of Oats Do You Use for Oatmeal Cookies?

Oatmeal is the star so it’s important to use the right kind of oats. For my oatmeal cookie recipe, I use old fashioned oats, also called rolled oats. When processed, the whole grains of oats are first steamed to make them soft and pliable, then pressed to flatten them. The oats look like flat, irregular discs.

Old fashioned oats provide a chewy, nutty texture and flavor to oatmeal cookies. They are thicker and heartier than quick oats (instant oats).

I don’t recommend using quick oats because the cookies won’t have as much texture and you want a nice and chewy oatmeal cookie that is hearty with lots of texture going on. Quick oats also absorb liquid differently and you don’t want to end up with dry cookies.

You can find old fashioned (rolled oats) at any grocery store in the cereal aisle. You can also buy oats in bulk.

Cookie Ingredients

I make these cookies A LOT because I always have the ingredients on hand. You will need:

• All-purpose flour– to measure, fluff, spoon, and level the flour. Never pack the flour or the cookies will be dry.
• Baking soda
• Cinnamon
• Sea salt– salt goes in the cookie dough and I like to finish the cookies with a sprinkling of sea salt.
• Pinchof nutmeg-optional, but so good!
• Butter– I use unsalted butter so I can control the amount of salt in the recipe.
• Sugar– brown sugar and granulated sugar
• Eggs– one large egg AND a large egg yolk. The extra yolk makes the cookies super chewy.
• Vanilla extract– always use pure vanilla, not imitation.
• Old fashioned oats

How to Make Oatmeal Cookies

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Don’t skip the cinnamon, it adds a warm, sweetness to the oatmeal cookies. If you like nutmeg, you can also add a pinch of nutmeg to increase the nutty flavor.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat with the paddle attachment until creamy and smooth, scraping down the sides with a spatula if necessary. This should take 1 to 2 minutes. Note-if you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a hand mixer or even mix by hand, just make sure you cream the butter and sugars together really well.
• I use an egg and egg yolk to create super chewy oatmeal cookies. Make sure you use pure vanilla extract for maximum vanilla flavor.
• When you add the dry ingredients, don’t over mix. It’s ok if there are still a few streaks of flour left.
• Stir in the oats with a spatula.
• Line large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Scoop the cookie dough into round balls, about 2 tablespoons per ball. Place on the lined baking sheets, about 2-inches apart.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown but the centers are still light golden and soft. Don’t over bake!
• Remove from the oven and sprinkle the cookies with flaked sea salt. The flaky salt is the perfect finishing touch! Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

How to Keep Oatmeal Cookies Soft

Here are a few tricks to keeping oatmeal cookies soft and chewy!

• Using butter, brown sugar, and old fashioned oats in the recipe will help create a soft and chewy cookie.
• I also use a large egg and a large egg yolk. The yolk makes the oatmeal cookies extra chewy.
• Don’t over mix your cookie dough or you will end up with a dense cookie.
• Make sure you don’t over bake the cookies. This is really important! The cookies are done baking when they are still soft in the center and slightly golden brown around the edges. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes. The cookies will finish baking as they cool.
• Store the cooled oatmeal cookies in an airtight container. You can even put a half piece of bread or a large marshmallow in the container to keep the cookies super soft. The cookies will absorb moisture from the bread, the bread will get hard, but the cookies will stay soft. White bread is best, as it won’t transfer its own flavors to the cookies.

Variations

I love the simplicity of a plain oatmeal cookie, but if you want to jazz up your oatmeal cookies, this is a great base recipe. You can add up to 2 cups of the following ingredients, depending on how loaded you want them to be.

• chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips
• chocolate chunks
• chopped nuts
• raisins or dried cranberries
• M&M’s
• flaked coconut
• chopped toffee

How to Store & Freeze

Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months.

You can also freeze the cookie dough. Scoop the cookies into balls and place on a baking sheet or tray. Put in the freezer until the balls are firm. Transfer the balls to a freezer container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, remove from the oven and add a few minutes to the baking time.

More Oatmeal Cookie Recipes:

• Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
• Monster Cookies
• No Bake Cookies
• Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Oatmeal Scotchies
• Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• Cowboy Cookies