Iced Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

Iced oatmeal cookies stacked on a wooden board with a glass of milk in the background.

4.84 from 50 votes

Iced Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

These iced oatmeal cookies are soft, chewy, and full of cinnamon flavor, with a sweet vanilla glaze and simple pantry ingredients.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Natalie Dicks

Ingredients

Cookie

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour and 2 tbsp
1 tsp cornstarch
½ tbsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 ¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
8 tbsp butter softened
½ cup brown sugar packed
¼ cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
¼ tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ tbsp milk

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Add the old-fashioned oats to a food processor or blender and pulse until you have a mix of finely ground oats and small oat pieces. About 10 to 12 pulses should do it, but go by texture rather than the exact number. Do not process into a fine oat flour.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the pulsed oats, flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.½
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the egg on low speed until combined. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Do not overmix.
Cover and refrigerate the dough for 20 to 30 minutes. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky, and chilling gives the oats time to absorb moisture while helping the cookies spread less in the oven.
Scoop the dough into 1½-tablespoon portions and place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes for softer cookies or 14 to 15 minutes for crispier cookies. The edges should look set and lightly golden while the centers still look slightly soft. The cookies will continue to set as they cool.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Whisk the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth. The glaze should be thick enough to coat the tops of the cookies without running into every crevice. If it is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. If it is too thick, add milk 1 teaspoon at a time.
Dip just the tops of the completely cooled cookies into the glaze, then lift straight up and let the excess drip off. Leave some of the craggy oatmeal texture showing through for that classic iced oatmeal cookie look.
Let the glazed cookies sit uncovered until the icing is firm. Give them at least 30 minutes before serving and longer before stacking or packaging.

Notes

Recipe Tips.

It is important to pulse, not blend. Keep some small oat pieces in the mixture. Turning all the oats into flour will change the texture of the cookies.
Too much flour can make the cookies dry or cakey. Spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it off.
The dough is meant to be soft and slightly sticky. The short chill makes it easier to scoop and helps control spreading.
Start checking around 10 minutes if you like softer cookies. The centers should still look a little soft when you remove them.
Cool completely before icing; warm cookies will make the glaze melt and slide off.
Dip only the tops of completely cooled cookies into the glaze. If the icing gets too thick while you're working, stir in a little milk, one teaspoon at a time.

Store. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature, placing parchment or wax paper between layers to keep them from sticking together.

Freeze. You can freeze baked cookies, but I'd recommend freezing them without the glaze for the best appearance. Thaw completely and add the icing before serving.

Freeze the dough. To freeze the dough, scoop and roll it into balls, then place them on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen dough balls to a freezer-safe container or bag until ready to bake.

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