Best Oatmeal Cookie Recipe
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Meet your new go-to oatmeal cookie recipe: just the right texture, that nostalgic flavor you love, and a dough that’s easy to whip up whenever the craving hits. A must-bake for any cookie lover!
I love discovering end-all-be-all recipes for classic American desserts (see also my favorite chocolate chip cookies and make-on-repeat brownie recipe). You bakers out there know that it can take many attempts to get it just right, but once you find that perfect recipe, it’s your go-to forever. This isn’t your average oatmeal cookie recipe—it uses way fewer oats than most, which, surprisingly, makes for much better oatmeal cookies.
I also opt for using all brown sugar instead of granulated sugar or a combination of the two. This gives the cookies a rich flavor, a slightly crisp exterior, and a perfectly chewy center.
Like chocolate chips in your oatmeal cookies? I’ve got you covered—my oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are always a hit.
“Golden brown, crispy, chewy perfection! This is now my forever recipe. I can’t wait to try different mix-ins!”
What You’ll Need To Make The Best Oatmeal Cookies
- Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats: Give the cookies their signature chewy texture and toasty oat flavor. Stick with rolled oats—quick-cooking oats won’t give you the same hearty texture.
- All-Purpose Flour: Adds structure to the dough so the cookies hold their shape. For best results, scoop it into your measuring cup with a spoon and level it off with a knife.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Work together to help the cookies rise.
- Unsalted Butter: Brings richness and moisture, plus that classic buttery flavor we all love in a good cookie.
- Dark Brown Sugar: Adds deep, molasses-like sweetness and helps keep the cookies soft. Be sure to pack it tightly when measuring.
- Egg: Holds everything together and gives the cookies a bit of lift.
- Vanilla Extract: Rounds out the flavors with warm, sweet notes.
- Coarsely Chopped Pecans: Add a nutty crunch and buttery flavor. You can swap in walnuts or skip the nuts altogether if you prefer.
- Raisins or Currants: Bring natural sweetness and chewiness. Other dried fruits like cranberries or chopped apricots work great, too. Pro Tip: If your dried fruit is overly dry or firm, you can soak it in warm water for 10 minutes, then drain well—this keeps it soft and plump in the cookies.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Whisk the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer and large mixing bowl), combine the butter and brown sugar. Butter that’s just a touch cooler than room temperature blends more easily and helps achieve a uniform creamy texture—if it’s too cold, the mixture may be clumpy.
Step 3: Beat until creamy. Mix on medium speed until the mixture looks creamy and light, about 3 minutes. Aim for a pale, fluffy mixture.
Step 4: Add the egg and vanilla. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth, about 30 seconds.
Step 5: Add the dry mixture. Add the flour and oat mixture to the bowl and mix on low speed until just combined. Overmixing at this stage can make the cookies tough—stop as soon as the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Step 6: Stir in the mix-ins. Add the pecans and raisins and mix just until evenly distributed—don’t overdo it.
Step 7: Portion the dough. Drop the cookie dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets in 1½-tablespoon mounds, spacing them a couple of inches apart. It’s not necessary, but if you have a cookie scoop, use it to make easy work of portioning out the dough.
Step 8: Bake and cool. Bake at 350°F for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are golden but the centers are still pale. Be careful not to overcook oatmeal cookies; they get very crispy if baked too long, and you’ll enjoy them so much more if they are slightly chewy. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then slide the parchment onto wire racks or use a spatula to transfer the cookies. Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Enjoy!
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Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (do not use quick cooking or instant oats)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
- 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup coarsely chopped pecans
- ¾ cup raisins or currants
Instructions
- Position two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add the egg and vanilla and beat again until smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Add the flour and oatmeal mixture and mix on low speed until just combined; add the pecans and raisins and mix again until just combined. Do not over-mix.
- Drop the dough into 1½-tablespoon mounds about 2 inches (5 cm) apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, or until the edges are slightly golden but the centers are still pale. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then either slide the papers off the pans onto cooling racks or transfer the cookies with a spatula. Once cool, store the cookies in an air-tight container.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I made this cookies for some university students who visit once a week and they gave me 5 stars, thumbs up and ouuuu and ahhhhh – so I had to share their critique with you – thank you.
i only have quaker quick oats…why do you not recommend using this? i have made your crispy ginger cookies & loved them. can’t wait to make these.
You’ll get a better, heartier texture with the old-fashioned oats.
I make these all the time. They are delicious with just the right amount of chewy crunchy and oatmeal. You hit the jackpot with this recipe. I told my husband “betcha can’t eat just one” and he couldn’t. I lost count of how many he ate. I matched him for each one he ate. We absolutely love this cookie.
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I had a real baking failure today with an oatmeal cookie recipe (supposedly the original Quaker Oats recipe), which called for 3/4 cup of shortening )I used Crisco). After the first batch I chilled the dough for about 30 minutes, because they spread & were flattish & dk. brown in color, I also used parchment paper after the 1st batch (it said to use a greased pan). They tasted OK but looked bad! The 2nd batch didn’t turn out much better. Wish I had made these! I made some chocolate zucchini muffins right before I made the cookies & they turned out great My oven was on for a long time before I got these cookies in, I wonder if that had anything to do with it? I have an electric oven. Thank you!
Hi Janet, I’m sorry to hear you had a fail with another recipe Assuming you had the oven on the correct temperature, I don’t think the fact that it was on for a while would’ve impacted your result. I hope you have better luck with these! 🙂
Our 92 year old neighbor said these are “the best”! She loves oatmeal cookies so I’ve been making them for her. This is the first one for which she’s requested the recipe so her daughter can make them.
We agree…they are the best!!
We love these cookies! I have made them as written, and they are delicious. Both sweet and hearty. However, this time, I didn’t have raisins, and there is a bad storm, so I just used coconut in place of the raisins. Strange, but it worked! Very yummy!
Absolutely the best! These cookies were done in 12 minutes, brown, crunchy on the edges, softer in the middle. I prepared the dough using 1/2 tsp of vanilla and 1/4 tsp of expresso, divided the dough in half & used craisins and walnuts in the first batch and dark chocolate chips and walnuts in the second half. Delicious!
Hi Jenn,
Amazing recipe. I usually use 70% of the sugar in a recipe as I don’t like things really sweet. I did that here and it worked perfectly. I also had to use half raisins and half cranberries since I ran out of raisins and it was a huge success. Even the hubby and kid who were upset about the lack of chocolate chips in the cookies were converted. You’re wonderful!
These cookies are amazing! The dark brown sugar really gives the recipe a depth of flavor. That being said, I can’t make these until we have company because my husband and I ate the whole batch in two days! Try this recipe, you won’t be disappointed!
Can I substitute with whole wheat flour?
Hi Karen, I’d suggest starting by using half whole wheat and half all-purpose to make sure you like the texture. If you do like it, the next time you make the cookies, you can up the ratio of whole wheat to white a bit more. Also, you may want to consider white whole wheat as it’s lighter and milder tasting than regular whole wheat flour (yet just as nutritious). I’d love to hear how they turn out!