Oatmeal cookie recipe
Bake the best soft and chewy oatmeal cookie recipe with simple pantry staples and foolproof steps. Cozy and perfect for any cookie craving.
Ingredients
- Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Optional but highly recommended for warmth.
- Oats & Mix-Ins
- 3 cups old-fashioned oats
- Optional 3 cups quick cooking oats if you prefer a softer texture.
- 1 cup chocolate chips raisins, white chocolate, or your favorite add-ins
Instructions
- Preheat & Prepare
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. This helps with even baking and prevents sticking.
- Cream the butter and sugars
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the room temperature butter, brown sugar, and white sugar for 2–3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- It should look pale and slightly whipped — this step builds structure and ensures soft cookies.
- Add eggs and vanilla
- Mix in the eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Beat just until incorporated; overmixing can toughen the dough.
- Combine dry ingredients
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- Add this mixture into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Add oats and mix-ins
- Stir in fashioned oats (or quick cooking oats) and your choice of chocolate chips, raisins, nuts, or white chocolate.
- You should get a thick, slightly sticky dough.
- Scoop the dough
- Using a cookie scoop or spoon, portion dough into dough balls about 2 tablespoons each. For bakery-style giant cookies, use 3 tablespoons.
- Place on your prepared baking sheet, leaving room to spread.
- Bake
- Bake 10–12 minutes, depending on your preferred texture. The edges should be lightly browned, and the centers should look slightly underdone — they’ll finish setting on the sheet.
- The smell of butter, vanilla, and warm oats will absolutely tell you when they’re ready (honestly, it’s better than a timer sometimes).
- Cool (the hardest part, I know)
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack.
- This prevents breaking and keeps that perfect chewy center intact.
Notes
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes if you want thicker, bakery-style cookies.
- Using a light-colored baking sheet prevents over-browning.
- Toast nuts before adding them for deeper flavor.
- Frozen dough balls can be baked straight from the freezer.
- Slightly underbake for a softer center; bake 1–2 minutes longer for crispier edges.