The best oatmeal cookie recipe! It yields soft and chewy oatmeal cookies that are perfectly spiced with cinnamon. Add raisins or chocolate chips!
This oatmeal cookie recipe makes perfect soft and chewy oatmeal cookies! They’re warmly spiced with cinnamon and filled with rich flavor from butter, brown sugar, and vanilla. And though I often make this recipe with raisins, it works well with a variety of mix-ins. Fold in walnuts, dried cranberries, or chocolate chips!
Another reason to love this oatmeal cookie recipe? You don’t need a mixer to make it. The dough is easy to mix up with a spatula and basic pantry ingredients whenever a cookie craving strikes.
This recipe was originally published in Sarah Copeland’s cookbook Every Day Is Saturday, and I first shared it in 2019. I’ve made it countless times since. Our readers have too—it now has over 500 5-star reviews! Try it the next time you’re craving soft and chewy oatmeal cookies. I think you’ll love it!
Oatmeal Cookie Recipe Ingredients
This recipe has simple ingredients. You likely have them in your pantry already! Here’s what you’ll need:
- All-purpose flour and whole rolled oats – They make up the base of the dough. Spoon and level your flour to avoid packing too much into your measuring cup.
- Baking powder and baking soda – They help the cookies rise.
- Brown sugar – It adds the perfect caramelized sweetness. Light brown sugar and dark brown sugar both work well.
- Sea salt – It balances the sweet sugar and raisins.
- Cinnamon and vanilla extract – For warm, spiced depth of flavor.
- Melted butter – For moisture, richness, and buttery flavor. To make these cookies dairy-free, use melted coconut oil instead.
- 1 large egg + an extra egg yolk – The extra egg yolk makes these cookies especially moist and chewy.
- Raisins or chocolate chips – For pops of sweetness.
- And walnuts – For crunch!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Can I use quick oats in oatmeal cookies?
Yes, you can use quick oats in this oatmeal cookie recipe. After testing it both ways, I recommend old fashioned oats for the best chewy texture, but in a pinch, quick oats work too!
How to Make Oatmeal Cookies
Making this oatmeal cookie recipe couldn’t be easier. Here’s what you need to do:
First, make the dough. Whisk together the wet ingredients in one mixing bowl and the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in another.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Then, fold in the walnuts, oats, and raisins. The mixture will be thick!
Next, let the dough rest for 20 minutes. This gives the wet ingredients a chance to hydrate the flour and oats, making it easier to work with the dough. The cookies come out chewier, too!
Then, shape and bake the cookies. Roll the dough into balls and place them on parchment-lined baking sheets. Press down lightly on the tops to flatten them slightly. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 11 minutes, or until golden brown.
Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely. Enjoy!
Oatmeal Cookie Recipe Tips
- Use brown sugar. I’ve tested this recipe with a mix of granulated sugar and brown sugar. I didn’t find that the white sugar improved it. Use 100% brown sugar for the best oatmeal cookies. They have a richer molasses flavor.
- Let the dough rest for 20 minutes before baking. Those 20 minutes will make your dough easier to roll into balls, so the cookies will keep their shape and develop a yummy chewy texture in the oven.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely for the best texture and flavor. It may be agony, but letting these oatmeal cookies cool completely only makes them better. They’ll be chewier and fully infused with brown sugar flavor. Sarah likes these best a few hours to 1 day after baking. (Though I can attest that they’re still good if you can’t wait that long.)
Oatmeal Cookies Variations
- Use raisins to make oatmeal raisin cookies. Or swap the raisins for dried cherries or cranberries.
- Add chocolate chips to make oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. White chocolate chips are a fun option too.
- Use pecans instead of walnuts.
- Add a dash of cardamom or ginger to the dough.
- Add butterscotch chips to give the cookies an extra-buttery taste.
How do you like to make oatmeal cookies? Let me know in the comments!
How to Store Oatmeal Cookies
To keep these oatmeal cookies soft and chewy, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. They also freeze well for up to 3 months.
Make-Ahead Oatmeal Cookies
If you’re someone who likes to keep cookie dough on hand in the fridge or freezer, this oatmeal cookie recipe is for you. You can store the cookie dough in the fridge for 7 to 10 days or freeze it for up to a month.
To store the dough, roll it into balls and freeze them briefly. Then, transfer the cookie dough balls to airtight containers or Ziploc bags and refrigerate or freeze. You can also roll the dough into a log, using an 8×12-inch piece of parchment paper as a guide. Wrap the log tightly in parchment to refrigerate or freeze, and slice the cookies into rounds before baking.
Bake your cookie dough straight from the fridge. If it’s frozen, allow it to rest for 15 minutes at room temperature before putting it in the oven.
More Favorite Cookie Recipes
If you love these easy oatmeal cookies, try one of these yummy cookie recipes next:
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Easy Sugar Cookies
- Best Peanut Butter Cookies
- No Bake Cookies
- Chewy Molasses Cookies
- Homemade Brownies (not a cookie, but still delicious…)
- Or any of these 17 Easy Cookie Recipes!
Perfect Oatmeal Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie Scoop (I use this one)
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled*
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cups whole rolled oats
- ¾ cup raisins or chocolate chips
- ½ cup chopped walnuts, optional
Instructions
- Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, whisking vigorously.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir in the oats, raisins, and walnuts, if using, folding into a tight batter. Set the dough aside for 20 minutes while the oven preheats. (Note: If your dough seems too wet to become scoop-able, chill it in the fridge for this 20 minutes and it'll firm up. If your dough is too crumbly, stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons water.)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the dough, heaping your scoops slightly to get 20 to 22 balls of dough. Roll lightly in barely damp hands to make them round. Spread out onto the prepared baking sheets and press down lightly on the tops of the dough balls.
- Bake until puffed, golden, and a touch underbaked-looking, 10 to 11 minutes. Let cool on the pans for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Do I use salted or unsalted butter? Thank you!
Unsalted butter
Hands down the BEST oatmeal raisin cookie I’ve ever eaten let alone baked. I used Sucanat and coconut sugar instead of brown sugar and they were amazing! So chewy. Just loved them and so did my husband.
Hi Kiki, I’m so glad you loved them!
Perfect! Very easy, not too sweet… these were a Goldilocks “just right” cookie for me and my happy sixth graders!
Hi Nancy, I’m so glad everyone loved them!
These were delish! I used mini chocolate chips and coconut oil. No electronic tools, just a whisk and spatula, sooo easy. These would be good with pretty much any pantry add-in so you don’t have to shop, you probably have some goodies on hand to make them. Definitely a keeper recipe!
So glad you love the cookies!
Would dried blueberries work or do they get bitter when baked?
I think dried blueberries would be great.
Do you need to flatten these before baking (with a damp fork?) or do they flatten on their own
Hi Tracey, I don’t flatten them – you can see the thickness in the last photo, they flatten on their own but they’re not a super flat cookie.
I baked these cookies for the first time yesterday and was very pleased. They taste super! I used chocolate chips this time. Next time I’ll use both chocolate chips and raisins. Also of note, I used gluten free flour. Some bakes do better than others with this substitution but these cookies came out perfect. Question: how long will the cookies last on the counter in a sealed plastic container? And can the cookies be stored in the freezer?
Hi Melissa, I’m so glad they worked well with GF flour – which brand did you use? I keep them on the counter for a few days and freeze them after that.
I use Bob’s Red Mill gluten free baking flour.
I loved your best brownie recipe–it is the only recipe I use. Now, I am going to make your perfect oatmeal raisin cookies. I have one question: should I soak the raisins before adding them to the oatmeal raisin dough? Thanks.
Hi Lisa, I’m so glad you loved the brownies. No, just mix the raisins in without soaking.
These are my favorite oatmeal cookies – they’re addictive! – but I so wish they were vegan now that I’m trying to follow that lifestyle. Do you have any tips on making these vegan or plans to make a vegan oatmeal cookie recipe?
Hi Mary, here’s how we’ve made these vegan:
sub the eggs for 2 tablespoons ground flax + 5 tablespoons water. Stir and set aside to thicken for 5 minutes. Add the mixture in place of the eggs, and use coconut oil instead of butter.
I hope that helps!
It’s not showing up here, but Love and Lemons replied to my comment with a suggestion for making these vegan: “sub the eggs for 2 tablespoons ground flax + 5 tablespoons water. Stir and set aside to thicken for 5 minutes. Add the mixture in place of the eggs, and use coconut oil instead of butter.” I tried this, and the result was wonderful! I usually make these without raisins, but they would certainly add nice bits of sweetness.
I’m so glad the vegan option worked so well for you!
I dont like raisins – am I able to just leave these out?
?❤?
If I don’t have parchment paper, should I lightly oil my baking sheet, or leave it undressed?
Hi Leslie, you could lightly oil your baking sheet.
Omg these cookies are delious
Definitely going to be a favourite bake in my house
I’m so glad you loved them!
Realized while assembly the wet ingredients that I was out of vanilla. Rolled the dice and substituted maple extract for the vanilla in the same amount. Was a success.
OMG, they are soooo good!
I’m so glad you loved them!
Cookies were amazing!! I used smaller balls this time so I could get more cookies. Brown sugar was a great substitute but if you follow the instructions they come out great!! Thanks!! ??
I’m so glad you loved them!
These oatmeal cookies are perfect! I made them with golden raisins, and they were so yummy. “Were” because they disappeared in two days.
I also appreciate the useful cooking tips.
Ha ha, I’m glad you enjoyed them.
Are they chewy? I don’t seem to be able to get a chewy cookie with butter. TY
Hi Alicia, if you make them with coconut oil they’re very chewy.
I added raisins and cranberries, they were a huge hit with all my family! They kept asking for more, I even did a gluten free version of this and they turned out delicious as well ? Thank you!
I’m glad you loved them!
These are delicious.! Thank you Jeanine, and Sarah Copeland!
I’m so glad you loved them!
Fabulous. I was skeptical about the melted butter but so easy–no mess. Perfect rounds. I used chocolate chips. These cookies are being shipped off to my college grandson! I am going to check Sarah Copeland’s “Every Day is Saturday”
I’m so glad you loved them!