Best Oatmeal Cookies

Soft and chewy with a warm brown sugar / cinnamon flavor, these are ridiculously good and cozy Oatmeal Cookies.

Oatmeal cookies and cinnamon sticks on the counter with text on the photo that reads "Classic, soft, and chewy oatmeal cookies."

The BEST Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

There are so many things to love about this Homemade Oatmeal Cookie Recipe! Featured in my newest cookbook, “Cookies for Days” these cookies are a beloved staple in thousands of homes. Here’s why they’re a fan-favorite: 

  1. The outside is perfectly crisp, but the inside is SO soft and chewy. If you were to google the perfect texture for the best Oatmeal Cookies you’d find these cookies. 
  2. This is an Oatmeal Cookie that stands on its own, but can absolutely be a team player. Meaning, you can eat these as-is, or pump them full of chocolate chips, raisins, nuts, craisins, butterscotch chips, or whatever your heart desires. Don’t change the recipe at all, just add about 1 1/2 cups of your chosen add-in and bake!

Okay, but how do you keep oatmeal cookies soft? I have two best practices for you.

– First, DO NOT over-bake them! Over-baked cookies will be dry, hard, and crumbly. (No thanks).

-Second, always store your cookies in an airtight container. It’s simple, but it will keep your cookies nice and soft for up to 3 days. But hey, if your homemade oatmeal cookies still aren’t as soft as you’d like, just add a slice of white bread to the container and they will soften right up!

The Best Oatmeal cookies broken in half to see the soft center.

Ingredients in Soft Oatmeal Cookies

This classic Oatmeal cookie recipe has a few upgrades to help it stay ultra soft (cornstarch), be nice and chewy (brown sugar), and taste just like grandma’s (cinnamon). Check out the rest of the ingredients below!

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  • Salted Butter (softened) – I always use salted butter, but if you only have unsalted butter, use that and add an extra pinch of salt to the dough. You can also substitute margarine if needed!
  • Brown Sugar – We’re using a majority of brown sugar in this recipe to give the cookie a homey, comforting taste. Plus, using more brown sugar will help it stay chewy longer.
  • Granulated Sugar
  • Egg
  • Canola Oil – This will help the cookies spread just a bit and give them a crispy exterior.
  • All-Purpose Flour
  • Rolled Oats – I use old fashioned rolled oats, not quick oats.
  • Cornstarch – The cornstarch will keep this cookie super soft.
  • Cinnamon – The cinnamon gives this cookie that classic, cozy, oatmeal cookie taste. If you don’t like cinnamon, I would add a splash of vanilla instead so that the cookie still has some extra flavor.
  • Baking Soda
  • Salt
Balls of homemade oatmeal cookie dough on parchment paper before baking.

How to Make Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

  1. Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (180°C).
  2. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, then set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or with an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light in color and fluffy in texture.
  4. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula so that all ingredients are in the mixture, then add in the egg and canola oil. Mix until fully combined.
  5. Next, add in the dry ingredients (flour, rolled oats, cornstarch, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt) and mix until a dough forms.
  6. Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough into your desired cookie sizes and then place each ball on your prepared cookie sheet. For small cookies, use 1 1/2 tbsp of dough; for medium cookies, use 3 tbsp of dough; for large cookies, use 1/3 cup of dough.
  7. Bake the cookies until they spread slightly and no longer look wet and glossy on top. This will be about 7-9 minutes for small cookies, 9-11 cookies for medium cookies, or 12-15 minutes for large cookies.
  8. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for about 5-10 minutes before serving.
  9. ENJOY!
Several soft oatmeal cookies on the counter with cinnamon sticks and a striped dish towel.

Best Oatmeal Cookie Recipe FAQs

Can I add chocolate chips or raisins to this recipe?

Absolutely! If you want to add chocolate chips or raisins to your oatmeal cookies, you don’t need to adjust the recipe at all, just add 1 1/2 cup of your favorite add-in and bake as directed.

Should you chill oatmeal cookie dough before baking?

Always follow the recipe exactly. For this recipe, the dough requires no chilling before baking. However, other recipes might require chilling the dough before baking to keep the cookie from spreading too much.

Homemade oatmeal cookies on parchment paper after baking.

More like this Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

Oatmeal cookies and cinnamon sticks on the counter with a striped dish towel in the background.

Best Oatmeal Cookies

Soft and chewy with a warm brown sugar / cinnamon flavor, these are ridiculously cozy Oatmeal Cookies.
5 from 23 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes
Servings: 24 small cookies
Calories: 210kcal

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup (167g) salted butter softened
  • 3/4 cup (200g) brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (60g) granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 1/2 cups (228g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups (153g) old fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C).
  • In a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar and sugar until light in color and fluffy in texture.
    3/4 cup (167g) salted butter , 3/4 cup (200g) brown sugar, 1/4 cup (60g) granulated sugar
  • Scrape the sides of the bowl and add in the egg and canola oil. Mix until well combined.
    1 egg, 1 tbsp canola oil
  • Add the flour, rolled oats, cornstarch, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Mix until the dough forms.
    1 1/2 cups (228g) all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 cups (153g) old fashioned rolled oats, 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt
  • Portion the dough out -For small cookies, use 1 1/2 tbsp of dough for each cookie. For larger cookies use 3 tbsp of dough.
  • Arrange on a silicone or parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
  • Bake at 350° F (180° C) until The cookies spread slightly and no longer look wet and glossy on top. Small cookies: 8-10 minutes. Larger cookies: 9-11 minutes.
  • Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5-10 minutes before serving.
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Nutrition

Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 148mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 195IU | Vitamin C: 0.003mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg

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28 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These really are the best! You don’t need to look for another oatmeal cookie recipe. They turned out just like the cookies in the pictures and as described. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!

5 from 23 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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