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We LOVE cookies, and oatmeal cookies are a classic favorite at our house.
Our family has been making them for as long as we can remember, which is why they are one of our favorite cookies. They are super chewy, great with mix ins, and are SO easy (no need to chill the dough)!
They are especially delicious straight from the oven when they are warm. Serve them up with a glass of milk. YUM!
If you love oatmeal cookies like we do, try our oatmeal raisin and coconut oatmeal versions, too!
Why we think you’ll love it:
- So simple. These cookies are easy to make and require common ingredients.
- A fabulous texture! Not, only are they soft and chewy, but they’re delicious and taste amazing too!
- Great for parties and gifting. This cookie is one everybody enjoys and is great for get togethers, gifting and holidays like Christmas and Easter.
Oatmeal Cookie Ingredients And Substitutions
- ¾ cups unsalted butter – room temperature (see How to Soften Butter Quickly)
- 1½ cups brown sugar – We used light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar can also be used.
- 1 egg – room temperature eggs combine better with the other ingredients.
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour – be sure to Measure Flour Correctly
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2¼ cups old-fashioned oats (rolled oats) – For a less chewy cookie, use quick oats.
- optional mix-ins – Add up to 1 cup of chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, walnuts, pecans, chopped candy bars or M&M’s, raisins, or dried cranberries.
How to Make Easy Oatmeal Cookies
- PREP. Preheat the oven to 325°F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- BATTER. Using a stand mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, around 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat for another minute.
- Add flour and sprinkle on baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix in the dry ingredients until combined. Add oats and combine. The mixture will be a little tacky, but you should be able to roll it into a ball in your hands without making a total mess. If it is too sticky, add 1 tablespoon flour at a time until the mixture can be handled.
- BAKE. Roll the dough into 1 to 1½ inch balls, using your hands, and place the balls on the prepared cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10 to 14 minutes until the edges brown slightly and the centers are set. Transfer to a wire rack and let them cool completely.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- We use old-fashioned oats for the classic chewy texture, but quick oats can be used and will produce a softer cookie.
- While plain oatmeal cookies are divine, we often add chopped nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips to the dough.
- The butter needs to be at room temperature. Too cold, and it won’t mix in well. Too warm, and the cookies will spread flat in the oven.
Easy Oatmeal Cookies
Irresistibly easy oatmeal cookies are a family favorite because they are chewy, soft, and always gone in minutes!!
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1½ cups brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2¼ cups old-fashioned oats
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Add butter and brown sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer and beat at medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, around 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for another minute.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until combined. Add the oats and combine. The mixture will be a little tacky, but you should be able to roll it into a ball in your hands without making a total mess. If it is too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until the mixture can be handled.
- Roll the dough into 1 to 1½ inch balls, using your hands, and place the balls on the prepared cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10 to 14 minutes until the edges begin to brown and the centers are set. Transfer to a wire rack and let them cool completely.
Video
Notes
Recipe Tips.
- We use old-fashioned oats for the classic chewy texture, but quick oats can be used and will produce a softer cookie.
- While plain oatmeal cookies are divine, we often add chopped nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips to the dough.
- The butter needs to be at room temperature. Too cold, and it won’t mix in well. Too warm, and the cookies will spread flat in the oven.
Nutrition
Calories: 131kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 17mg, Sodium: 106mg, Potassium: 55mg, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 150IU, Calcium: 19mg, Iron: 0.7mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Make ahead of time?
Cover and refrigerate the dough for 1-2 days before baking. You can also form cookie dough balls and freeze them for 3-6 months. See How to Store Cookie Dough for tips.
How to store?
Store baked cookies in an airtight container for 2-3 days or in the freezer for 3-4 months.
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This recipe was originally published August 2013.
I love ur recipes but it won’t allow me to print
I’m a baker. Cheesecakes are my superpower. I enjoy making cookies so so however when I discovered this recipe I can’t make enough. My mother is 88 and begs for them. My husband says they’re the best I’ve ever made and like I said I know how to bake. My niece and nephew are visiting from Honduras and my nieces asked me to make them to send home. This is the best cookie recipe I have ever found!
Oh thank you!! This makes me so so happy to hear!
Made these cookies followed the directions to the letter cookies came out great. Had no problem w spreading as mentioned in other reviews. Will keep recipe. Next time I’ll try some add ons.
I made these cookies last night as a treat for my son. They were indeed soft and tasty. I flattened them with my hand instead of leaving them as balls. It worked better for me and my nerves. Lol
The only problem I had with the receipe was the amount of oatmeal being used. It was entirely too much and all of the oats didn’t mix or stick to the rest of the ingredients. Even when baked. Next time I make these cookies, I will not use 2 1/4 cups of oats instead I will modify it down to just 1 cup to get a better mixture.
Thanks for the feedback! I’m glad you enjoyed these cookies and you can certainly adapt to your preference.
Followed to a T. These were so easy and delicious!
Yum!
These cookies were not even eatable. They never flattened, took a longer time to bake, and tasted like under cooked oats.
Thanks for the feedback and giving the recipe a try.
This recipe came together easily and the cookies were delicious! I used 1 cup of all purpose flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, added macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips to half the batch and walnuts and cranberries to the other. My husband said they were the best cookies ever! I have to agree. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Cookies are good but web site might have me never using Lil Luna again! Absolutely agro
This is the second time I’ve made your cookies lately. I add a cup dried cranberries too. My husband and family LOVE them! Thank you!💕
Ooh yum! That sounds tasty! So glad you enjoy the cookie recipe!
Mine didn’t flatten at all. Oat ratio is way too high! So dry it’s like eating oats right out of the pack..had to throw it all away.
Sorry to hear the cookies didn’t turn out for you. Thanks for the feedback and for giving the recipe a try.
I made these cookies tonight . The only thing not room temp was the egg . The cookies didn’t flatten as shown . They tasted good but what did I do wrong ??
I’m not sure! You could always try pressing the cookie dough ball down just a bit before putting into the oven.
Good but mine didn’t flatten either I just pressed them down with a spatula. 10/10
Made them three weeks in a row. Best oatmeal cookies I’ve ever made and eaten.
Love this recipe, so easy and delicious.
Thank you.
These were SO GOOD! I love them, my kids love them, my boyfriend loves them and my neighbors love them!! Perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft, chewy insides. The lack of white sugar is NOT missed and I LOVE how the brown sugar gives these cookies the chewy texture. I followed this recipe as it was but I only had 8 tablespoons of butter and I added cinnamon because I loooove cinnamon and oats.Mmmm just can’t go wrong! These cookies were like biting into memories of when my MawMaw Rose made cookies!!! I’m keeping this recipe forever!!! Thank you so much for this delicious recipe!!!
You’re so welcome! I’m glad these could bring back good memories and that you all enjoyed them!
Professional Chef here. This recipe is amazing. Thank you so much for sharing. I added a teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch instead, of the baking soda and powder. I added walnuts and wow, amazing and now I incorporated them as broken pieces on top of my blueberry and peach cobblers. Thanks again. Perfect recipe.
Thank you so much!! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies!
No egg in this recipe??
The recipe does call for 1 egg. It is listed in the ingredient list at the bottom of the page.
Can you add raisins
Yes you can add raisins! You can add anything you want honestly. Hope this helps!
Yes, you could definitely add in whatever mix-ins you want. We do have an Oatmeal Raisin Cookie recipe, which is very similar and also delicious. https://lilluna.com/oatmeal-raisin-cookie-recipe/
The cookies taste really good. When the cooled of they were really hard. I added a small amount of milk so the cookies could have a more traditional shape and cool softer.
It was simple and delicious!
love making cookies when i’m high. made these tonight and they’re by far one of the best!! great job
Easy, quick, delicious.
Yes! Glad you enjoyed them!
I tried this recipe this AM.
Came out really good.
Thanks so much.
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies!
These truly are the best oatmeal cookies ever!! We have them like every other week! SO GOOD.
I love a good, perfectly chewy oatmeal cookie and these are top notch! Saving this recipe to make again soon!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for trying it out! 🙂
I divided the dough into thirds and added chocolate chips to one, butterscotch chips to one, and raisins and coconut to the last one. They were all amazing!!
I love how you mixed it up and made different variations with the dough. Such a great idea! Thanks for sharing!
Rolled them into balls but they wouldn’t flatten why would that happen?
Sometimes when cookies don’t flatten in the oven a bit, too much flour was used? Perhaps that was the case. Not totally sure! Hope they still tasted yummy!
These really are the easiest Oatmeal Cookies to make! I love that they are chewy too! Such a great idea on making and freezing them. I love being able to have cookies on hand when needed!
Sometimes, there is nothing better than an oatmeal cookie!! These are chewy & delicious!! Think we might add some chocolate chips next time.
Great idea! You never can go wrong with adding some extra chocolate, right? 😉
Thanks a lot for sharing this oatmeal cookies! It’s very easy to make and kids really loves it!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad that your kiddos loved them too!
I am adding chocolate chips and walnuts
That would be yummy!
Hi! Sugar and animal fat are personal considerations to control blood sugar and high cholesterol levels. So, I would substitute butter with margerine or oil. rrAlso, I would use plumped dry fruits like raisins or berrires for SUGARs.
Thank you for sharing that!
I’m not a big fan of oatmeal cookies, however, these cookies are incredible!
Oatmeal cookies are classic. Good just the way they are or if you want to change them just add your favorite ingredient. My husband likes raisins in his cookies. A favorite of his.
These cookies are super addicting. I usually like cookies right out of the oven, but these are even better the second day. Yum!
I am more of a chocolate cookie fan, but my hubby loves oatmeal cookies & I wanted to try a different recipe. this did not disappoint. I even ate a few!! they are soft & chewy & so good!
I made your oatmeal cookie recipe and the dough was far from tacky, it was the opposite before I even added the oats. I kept looking at the recipe to make sure I had all the ingredients right. It was like it needed more butter or egg or something.
These were absolutely delicious! I just love a plain oatmeal cookie and these hit the spot! I can’t wait for my kids to come home from school and try them! Thanks for a simple but yummy recipe!
I have been making these cookies however instead of egg, i substitute 1/4 cup applesauce and 1 tsp of baking soda. I also have been adding some cinnamon to them and they are DELECTABLE!
Wow!!! These cookies are amazing! I added crushed walnuts and shredded coconut and I think I could possible eat them all!!!! Thank you!
Aren’t they SO addicting?!
Made these today for being the sandwich part of smores! Delicious! Such a wonderful camping indulgence!
Yay for delicious cookies! So glad they were a hit. Thanks for stopping by!
Hey, these cookies were fantastic! 🙂 My sister, a friend and I just made them. And loved them. Thanks a lot for the recipe. 🙂
SO glad you liked them. 🙂
I followed this step by step and they did not flatten out. What could I have done wrong?
I would try patting them down a bit after you scoop the onto the cookie sheet. Hopefully that works! 🙂
What I did was roll the cookie dough into a log and cut 1/2 inch rounds. Worked great!!
Never tried doing that but will have to next time. 😉
Tried this recipe last night and they were perfect! Now to stop eating them. O_o
Yum! I love oatmeal cookies and these look delicious. I’ll have to give them a try next time I make cookies.
Hey Melissa, these cookies look great! I love the recipes that you have been putting up! I just discovered your site and I can’t get enough! Now, I know how I am going to spend the next few days of my life!
Yummmmm! I love oatmeal cookies. They are my favorite. Thanks Melissa!
These look and sound absolutely delicious!! Nothing better than cookies waiting for the kids when they get home.
These look yummy, Kristyn and Melissa! Thanks!