Description
This classic oatmeal cookies recipe delivers soft, chewy, and flavorful treats with a delicious blend of cinnamon, brown sugar, and optional mix-ins like chocolate chips or nuts. Chilled dough ensures perfectly puffy cookies baked to golden perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (186g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter softened
- 1 ½ cups (300g) packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Others
- 3 ¼ cups quick cooking oats
- 1 ½ cups mix-ins (optional, e.g., M&Ms, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, raisins, or other candy)
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and all-purpose flour. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and packed brown sugar together until smooth and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Alternatively, use a hand mixer and large bowl.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Mix in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla extract. Beat until the mixture is smooth and fully combined.
- Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just smooth. Be careful not to overmix to maintain cookie tenderness.
- Add Oats and Mix-Ins: Stir in the quick cooking oats by hand, then fold in your choice of mix-ins if using, ensuring even distribution.
- Chill Dough: Using a tablespoon or cookie scoop, form 2-tablespoon-sized balls of dough and arrange them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes to allow the dough to firm up and develop flavor.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Sheets: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats (Silpats).
- Arrange Cookies for Baking: Place chilled cookie dough balls onto the prepared sheets about 2 inches apart to accommodate spreading during baking.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes or until the bottoms turn slightly golden and the tops lose their glossy sheen.
- Cool Cookies: Let cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes to firm up, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store Cookies: Store fully cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or freeze in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 2 months.
Notes
- For mix-ins, use 1 ½ cups of M&Ms, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, raisins, or your favorite candy.
- You can bake smaller 1 tablespoon cookies in 8-10 minutes or make two 9-inch cookie cakes in 18-25 minutes, or use a 9x13-inch pan for cookie bars baked 20-28 minutes.
- For dietary substitutions, replace butter with Earths Balance Vegan Butter Sticks to make vegan cookies.
- Use bread flour or gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose flour substitutions as needed.
- For added whole grain, substitute half the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour.
- To make sugar-free cookies, substitute 1 ¼ cups Swerve Sweetener Brown Sugar for the brown sugar.
- This recipe scales easily; double or halve the ingredients as desired.
- Always cream butter and sugar thoroughly for best texture.
- Whisk dry ingredients before combining with wet for even distribution.
- Chilling dough is essential for a puffy, soft, and chewy cookie.
- Silicone baking mats provide excellent non-stick surfaces, but parchment paper works well too.
- Cookies are done when edges are golden and tops have lost their shiny gloss.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 196 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 153 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 34 mg
