Old-Fashioned Crisp Oatmeal Cookies
This recipe produces simple, old-fashioned, crisp oatmeal cookies with an ever-so-slightly chewy center. Perfect for an easy treat and for dunking into a cold glass of milk!
As is probably obvious, I love to cook. But in truth, baking was my first love. And when people ask me what is my favorite thing to bake, I’m quite torn. Cookies vs. cupcakes? If only these were the truly great problems and choices of our times.
I love that cupcakes can be very festive and beautiful, but honestly, is there anything as downright comforting as a homemade cookie? And while we have far too many “family favorite” cookie recipes (here, here, and here, for starters), this one holds a special place in my heart.
It’s one for which I searched high and low, then worked to recreate, with the aim of mimicking a simple, classic oatmeal cookie my husband remembers his Mom making when he and his siblings were small.
Related: Mini Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Simple ingredients. No fancy instructions.
Crisp edges. An oh-so-slightly chewy center.
Old-fashioned in all the best kinds of ways.
What kind of oats to use in oatmeal cookies?
There is one critical element, however, to making a successful batch of these cookies, and that is to use old-fashioned rolled oats. I don’t recommend using quick cooking oats, even if you have them on hand. Quick oats simply don’t hold their shape and texture nearly as well when mixed into the dough and baked.
Fortunately, old-fashioned oats are very easy to find when you look for them, usually right next to the boxed and quick versions in the grocery store. I buy them in bulk and consider them a pantry staple for breakfast, granola, snack bars, and more.
These cookies make a really lovely little snack. The flavors are simple, but a little hint of brown sugar and cinnamon goes a long way. They go beautifully with a cup of tea for an afternoon snack, or with a tall glass of cold milk for an after-school treat.
If you try these oatmeal cookies or any other recipe on the blog, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. I love hearing from you, and other readers will benefit from your experience!
- One Year Ago: Overnight Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls
- Two Years Ago: Applesauce Mini Bundt Cakes
Old-Fashioned Crisp Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- Using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on medium-low to combine.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated. (Try not to overmix; a few streaks of flour are OK.) Gradually add the oats and mix until evenly combined.
- Scoop out mounds of dough approximately 2 tablespoons each and roll into balls. Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets; they will spread out.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown with crisp edges and very slightly soft centers. If baking more than one pan at a time, rotate them midway through the bake time to ensure the cookies brown evenly. Cool cookies completely on the baking sheets, then store tightly covered at room temperature.
Notes
- Cookies will keep well at room temperature at least 3-4 days.
- Do not sub quick cooking for the old-fashioned rolled oats! They do not hold up as well when mixed into the dough and baked, and the end result will NOT be the same!
Nutrition Estimate
These turned out great! But as I’m wont to do, I made modifications. Baked 1 sheet at a time at 350 Convection setting for 9-10 minutes. I sprayed the parchment with coconut oil.
I changed the shortening to half-and-half butter and lard. Lard is great for that old fashioned flavor and texture. I mixed, in the food processor, 1/2 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut with a few chunks of home-made butterscotch until very fine. I added this mixture with the flour mixture. With the oat addition, I added 1/2 cup of commercial butterscotch bits for a little mystery texture.
I have baked many variations of oatmeal cookies and this one is the best so far.
I like my cookies crisp, and these filled the bill! I’ve tried three different oatmeal cookies over the last month, and will stop here. This is it!! (I added raisins and walnuts, as I always do.)
Hi! I haven’t tried this recipe yet but it looks amazing! I just wanted to mention that I live in Spain and I work with grams. It would be great if in the ingredient list you added the equivalent because I find it a nightmare to look up all the conversions from “cups”. I would really appreciate it! 😀 Thanks! Really nice blog btw!
Hi Jenn, I understand that – I will try to work on that in the future! Thank you for the idea and the feedback!
Made these yesterday. Used 1 cup of sugar (using 3 types of sugar, 45% granulated, 40% coconut, and 15% brown). Also used 6 tablespoons of butter and 8 tablespoons of coconut oil. My new favorite oatmeal cookies. Thank you….
So glad you enjoyed the cookies, Steve, and thank you for sharing what worked for you!
Best oatmeal cookies I ever made. I used half whole wheat flour and they still blow the doors off!
These are the best! They are the perfect crispy/soft combination. I made them for Ev and they reminded us all of Mary.
I tried to make these cookies and they turned out really flat and greasy too..like a sheet pan of cookies? Lets see if they can be cut later on into squares….? What have I done wrong ? I have made a few batches of different oatmeal cookies and usually its the other way round they are too thick and a bit cakey.. but this one is the exactly opposite ..
Help please, I must’ve done something wrong because my cookies are flat and somewhat greasy. I bake a lot, with success usually, but I consistently have a problem with oatmeal cookies spreading, almost like a lace cookie. Thanks for any help you can offer!
Hi Becky- I checked out your Facebook page, your sugar cookies are works of art! The first thing I thought of was that perhaps your oven runs hot, although if you don’t have this problem with other types of cookies, that seems unlikely. Are you always using old-fashioned oats in the recipes that give you trouble? Also is it possible that your butter is very warm, warmer than room temperature?
I hope this gives you some helpful ideas, but if you’re looking to troubleshoot some more, this post has a lot of helpful suggestions! https://www.bostongirlbakes.com/8-reasons-your-cookies-spread-too-much/
Thank you so much for the compliment, that was so nice! I will try again with these new tips in mind. I want my cookies to look like yours ?
I adore oatmeal cookies. These look seriously delicious and I really want to reach in and take a bite.
I love that your “favorite thing to bake” decision is between cupcakes and cookies — two of my least favorite things to bake! But I will never, ever turn down a good cookie baked by someone else, and these oatmeal cookies look like perfection.
These cookies hit all the right notes! A batch of these would be perfect for the weekend.
I love good old fashion crisp oatmeal cookies! You have the right idea by putting them next to a glass of cold milk because that is exactly how they would be eaten.
I always loved oatmeal cookies! And crisp was definitely best for me… They are so easy to make yourself These look delicious.
Love the crispy edges of these cookies! I prefer them to chewy cookies big times!
Totally agree with you on the old fashioned oats! If I want an oatmeal cookie I want the texture of the oats to be noticeable when I bite into it and these are definitely cookies I want to bite into!
These oatmeal cookies look so good! And who could resist them when they are crispy on the outside while soft on the inside? 🙂
I love oaty biscuits and these look smashing! I wonder if your old-fashioned oats would be the equivalent to our rough oats in Scotland. I’ll have to give these a try and see. sharing!
Oatmeal cookies are always popular in my house and these look incredible! Love that these are crisp too!
Okay you’ve definitely reached cookie perfection with these! They look SO yum!!
Oatmeal cookies are the best! Love them with a creamy cup of coffee. 🙂 Breakfast.
Oooohhh! You don’t see crisp oatmeal cookies that often and I don’t know why because they are delish! My father would absolutely love these so I’m going to make them for him!
Oatmeal cookies are my absolute favorite. I love the texture of earthy oats against warm spices. With a snap! I cannot wait to give this version a go. My typical oatmeal cookie is chewier.
I love how crunchy these look!! Crispy on the edges just how I like it!
How sweet to work so hard to recreate the beloved cookie of your husband’s childhood! A lovely recipe – classic and simple, which is just absolutely perfect for an oatmeal cookie!
I think oatmeal cookies are my favorite kind of cookie. I definitely prefer the old fashioned oats to quick oats in my cookies. These would go fast in this house (and not just because of the kids)!