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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Hi Jenn,
Why do you put the baking racks in the upper and lower 1/3 of the oven? Are you supposed to rotate the cookie sheets while baking from the top to the bottom because it doesn’t say to in the recipe?
Thanks. I am really looking forward to trying out this recipe. Everything I have made from your site so far has been delicious! Just made the Chicken Chili last night!
Jane
Hi Jane, Yes, and I reworded the instructions to be more clear. Hope you enjoy the cookies!
Jenn, I have been making cookies for years but this is a 10 star recipe! Really good. I don’t bake as much anymore but do once in awhile for my grandkids and neighbors. I’ve made several of your recipes and have your book. Every recipe is delicious. However, cooking for one is not easy but I enjoy dinner at home than going out all the time. Then it’s a treat when I go out with friends. Sue 1/6/2020
These are seriously the best oatmeal cookies ever. I usually don’t like oatmeal raisin, but these are incredible.
I think I must have an older version of these wonderful cookies. The recipe ingredients are the same. Did you change this recipe from a yield of 20 large cookies with toasted pecans? If so, I’m wondering why besides the fact that the version on your website today makes a larger quantity of smaller cookies (which is my preference).
Hi Maret, I haven’t made any changes to this recipe. I did reshoot the pictures within the past year. When I remade it, I didn’t change any of the ingredient amounts but it’s possible I may have updated the number of cookies that it makes based on how many it yielded when I baked them this time around. Hope that clarifies. 🙂
Hi! Does it work if I chill the dough in the fridge overnight and then bake the next morning?
Sure!
Jen, I’ve been using your recipes for the last three years or so and I never usually leave reviews but it’s now time I do! Your recipes are all so good and you are my go to person for meals and goodies always. BTW my Thanksgiving dinner last two years were all you and I get nothing but compliments about how delicious everything was. So many recipes I’ve tried of yours that are just so delicious.
As for these cookies, perfect crunchy outside and soft inside. I don’t usually change your recipes at all but I just don’t like raisins so I just used Ocean Spray dried cranberries 50% less sugar. Oh my gosh, it added just a little tart to this already amazing cookie. Thank you for your amazing talent you share with the world!
So glad you’re enjoying the recipes, Stephanie! ❤️
Great idea! Love dried cranberries. I’m planning on making these today.
Soooooo good! Another 5 star recipe! Thanks Jen! 😋
Did I miss something in the instructions? Did the recipe say to toast the pecans?
No, you didn’t miss anything — no need to toast the pecans! Hope you enjoy the cookies. 🙂
If you omit the raisins altogether, does the amount of any other ingredient need to change?
No, Tracy, no other modifications are necessary. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
Can I reduce the amount of sugar by 1/2 cup?
Thank you
Hi Sandra, You could decrease the sugar but I wouldn’t decrease it by more than 1/4 cup. Just keep in mind that sugar contributes to the moisture in baked good, so if you reduce the sugar too much, it will affect the texture. Please LMK how they cookies turn out if you try them!