Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

These oatmeal cookies are a classic favorite. Filled with chocolate, fruit or nuts, these chewy oatmeal cookies can be made with your favorite mix-ins.

Happy New Year guys! If there’s one thing I wish for you this year, it’s that you’ll be blessed with some of these amazing oatmeal cookies, or maybe these chocolate chip cookies. If you lived near me, I would be happy to give you some, because (1) I’m generous, and (2) I made like 60 of them because I got too excited about this new year.

I’m always surprised to learn just how many people prefer their chocolate chip cookies with oatmeal. If you’re one of these people, then I’ve prepared these cookies just for you. They make a great base for anything you might want to add, not just chocolate chips.

These easy oatmeal cookies are a great way to use up any leftover dried fruit, nuts or chocolate from your holiday baking projects. You can make the classic oatmeal raisin, or if you’re a chocolate lover like me, throw in some chocolate chips for a chewy chocolate chip oatmeal cookie.

These Oatmeal Cookies are Soft and Chewy

Even when I mistakenly over bake them, these homemade oatmeal cookies still turn out chewy. The cookies bake thick and beautiful, and are full of flavor. For add-ins, I recommend chocolate chips or chunks, toasted nuts, dried fruits, or a combination of any of them.

To get a perfectly chewy cookie, it’s important not to overmix your dough. With all the mix-ins, this is an easy mistake to do so be extra careful as you add in the oats, chocolate, nuts or whatever else you are putting into the oatmeal cookies.

Use Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats

Don’t use quick or instant oats in this oatmeal cookie recipe. Old-fashioned oats, like the classic Quaker Oats, have the best flavor and will produce the best texture. Quick oats make less chewy cookies, and instant oats lose their shape and make a dense cookie. You can use any leftover oats to make some homemade granola bars.

A Blend of Sugars for a Chewy Oatmeal Cookie

I use more brown sugar than granulated sugar for this chewy oatmeal cookie recipe. This gives the cookies a slight caramel flavor and makes them super moist and chewy. If you want the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies to be more crispy and don’t mind them being sweeter, you can add a few more tablespoons of granulated sugar but don’t reduce the amount of brown sugar or else the cookies will lose their chewiness.

Spices for Flavor

While cinnamon is a classic addition to the best oatmeal cookies, you can use your favorite spice (about 1/4 teaspoon) instead. Ground ginger or cardamom work very well here. If you don’t want to use alternative spices, make sure to at least use either the cinnamon or nutmeg for some flavor in the oatmeal cookie recipe.

Mix-In Ideas for Oatmeal Cookies

This oatmeal cookie recipe is just the base for any variety of mix-ins. You can make the classic oatmeal raisin cookie, my favorite oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, or even throw in some dried fruit, toasted nuts, or even salty pretzels. The opportunities are endless for this easy and versatile  oatmeal cookie recipe.

If using nuts, take a few extra minutes to toast your nuts. You can do this by putting the nuts on a sheet pan in an oven set to 350F and baking for 8-10 minutes, until they are lightly browned and fragrant. Be sure to cool them slightly before adding them to your dough.

More Cookies:

• Easy No-Bake Cookies
• Amazing Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Peanut Butter Cookies
• Tahini Cookies
• Thumbprint Cookies

5 from 7 votes

Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 12 mins

Total Time: 27 mins

YIELD: 20 -24 cookies

 

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Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (100 g/3.5 oz.) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg , optional
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick/115 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (100 g/3.5 oz.) light brown sugar (dark is fine, too)
• 1/4 cup (50 g/1.7 oz.) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg , at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/4 cups (120 g/4.3 oz.) old-fashioned/rolled oats
• 1-2 cups add-ins (see note for options)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugars for 2-3 minutes, until fluffy. Beat in the egg until combined, then beat in vanilla extract. Add flour mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. Don’t over mix. Add in oatmeal and all other add-ins, and keep mixing on low just until combined. The less you mix, the softer the cookies will be. Dough will be sticky and soft at this point, so I highly recommend chilling it for at least 30-60 minutes. Cover and place in the fridge.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line pan with parchment paper and set aside.
4. Drop rounded balls of dough onto prepared baking sheet, the size of 2 tablespoons each, and spacing 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies just begin to brown at the edges and center is still soft. Cookies will appear undone and moist in the center, but will continue to bake on the warm baking sheet. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 2 months. To thaw, leave on counter, still covered, or overnight in the fridge.

Recipe Notes

- To toast nuts: Place nuts on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes in a preheated 350F/180C oven, or until lightly browned and fragrant. Allow to cool, then chop into pieces.
- For add-ins: A great combination of add-ins is chocolate chips, toasted nuts (pecans, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts), and dried fruit (raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries). Pecans and raisins are great together, as are pistachios and cranberries, dried cherries and chocolate chips. If you only add one kind of add-in, use 1-1.5 cups. If you use more than one kind, use up to 2 cups total.