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
- 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)
- In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
- 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.
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
31 Comments
Winnie
January 6, 2015 at 2:46 pmמאדדדדדדדדדדד אוהבת עוגיות כאלה. שוב – במיוחד שיש בהן שיבולת שועל!
יכולה לזלול אותן כל היום!
לא בטוחה באיזה אזור אתם גרים\ אבל מאחלת לכולנו לעבור את הסערה הזאת בשלום ומהררררררררררר
Angie@Angie's Recipes
January 7, 2015 at 2:33 pmOatmeal cookies are my favourite. I baked some from Bouchon Bakery a while ago and they were very delicious too. I am saving this for my next batch. They look awesome!
Shiran
January 11, 2015 at 7:36 amI love everything from Bouchon Bakery, and love the book too!
Kelsey
January 11, 2015 at 11:03 pmI just made these exactly to your recipe and they are perfect! Sweet, salty, chewy and a little different than the usual oatmeal cookie. Thank you!
Shiran
January 12, 2015 at 5:18 amThank you so much Kelsey! 🙂 I’m so glad you like them!
claudia
February 8, 2015 at 6:52 pmDo i have to use eggs?
Shiran
February 9, 2015 at 5:35 amHi Claudia, yes, eggs are necessary for this recipe both for taste and texture.
claudia
February 14, 2015 at 9:52 amThank you Shiran! by the way i tried it. Girl best ever
Shiran
February 15, 2015 at 10:41 amGreat! I’m really glad you like them 🙂
Celia
March 17, 2015 at 8:14 amI love that you put the converted measures in grams! It makes it so much easier for me when I grow lazy converting all of them myself (I’ll never understand the sticks of butter thing… Is it like a common size available or something?)
My oven is warming up, I hope it won’t fail me on these delicious cookies 😀
Shiran
March 17, 2015 at 1:34 pmThat’s great to hear Celia, thank you! US butter is sold in packages that are divided into “sticks”, and one stick equals 4 ounces. Enjoy your cookies!
Nammie
November 11, 2020 at 9:30 pmI’m confused. Is it 1 cup or 2 cups of add-in? In the recipe card it says 1 cup then the note says 2…(1.5 cups of one kind)
Shiran
November 15, 2020 at 6:31 amI edited it and I hope it’s more clear now 🙂
Bayan
February 11, 2017 at 11:06 amHi shiran
How Can I add banana to the recipe?
Shiran
February 15, 2017 at 5:17 amBanana will change the texture and flavor of the cookies, so I suggest using another recipe that uses it.
Luq
May 8, 2017 at 1:25 amHi Shiran. I have a question..I tried this recipe but the batter turned out quite sticky and runny. I chilled it for few hours before baking it, but the dough spreads wide, leaving the cookies become really thin. What could be the issue?
Thanks
Shiran
May 14, 2017 at 5:28 amIt shouldn’t be runny, and the longer you chill it, the less it spreads. Make sure that the butter is at room temperature, and not melted. If still runny, you can add more flour.
Ronda Pedigo
December 8, 2017 at 11:56 amHi Shiran, can I use quick oats instead of old-fashioned oats?
Shiran
December 9, 2017 at 8:10 amHi Ronda, old-fashioned oats have the best flavor and will produce the best texture. It’s possible to use quick oats (but not instant), just know that the cookies will be less chewy.
Emily
October 28, 2018 at 9:39 amThese are really great. I followed Alton Brown’s advice and used strong bread flour vs all-purpose and used 120g brown sugar and no white. And baked on convection. I don’t have a hand-mixer so I creamed my butter with a fork. Besides the changes, I’m a big fan!! Chewy with a nicely crisp, buttery exterior. The nutmeg is stellar.
Michelle
December 4, 2018 at 4:33 pmThank you very nice recipe. Just made the cookies turned out Great!
Melissa Kircher
December 6, 2018 at 5:32 pmHow do I figure out the measurements for 100 cookies? I’m going to make these for a cookie exchange but your recipe is only for 20-24 cookies. Thanks!
Shiran
December 9, 2018 at 11:11 amHi Melissa, you can just multiply the amount of ingredients depending on on many cookies you want.
Becca
January 5, 2019 at 2:15 amI made these tonight for a soon-to-be-mom and they taste amazing! I love the amount of clove!
Mine turned out very thin and gooey, crisp on the edges, looking like oatmeal lacies. I had chilled the dough for 45 min in the fridge beforehand and followed the recipe to a T. Is there someway I can counteract this with some substitutions or instructions?
Deborah
January 21, 2019 at 3:18 pmMade these, no cinnamon, half cup walnuts, half cup raisins, half cup dried cranberries. Let dough chill half hour. OMG. Best cookies I have ever made!!! Cooked 12 minutes. Crispy edges, softer center. It’s hard to make myself stop eating them!
Jen
January 29, 2019 at 3:50 pmI found these turned out poorly – too gummy. Kinda regretting making a double batch before I had tested the recipe.
Torrence
February 14, 2019 at 10:19 pmI used tart dried cherries and subbed in some honey and turbinado sugar, mixed everything by hand w a spoon.
These were some of the best cookies! Family and neighbors can’t get enough! Thanks
Jessie
February 16, 2019 at 7:05 pmI used dried cherries and semi sweet chocolate chips…they’re amazing. Thank you for sharing.
Nancy
March 18, 2020 at 11:27 amI used dried apricots, raisins and dried cranberries and they just turned out delicious! Very moist and flavorful. Thank you for the recipe.
Emmi
August 18, 2020 at 7:07 pm5 stars
Emmi
August 18, 2020 at 7:20 pmOhhhh and skip refrigerating the cookie dough for 30 minutes, just toss the bowl into the freezer for 10 minutes then make cookie dough balls and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.