I come to you with another one from my Grandma Velma’s archive… kind of. This classic oatmeal cookie recipe is actually not something in her rotation. Instead, it’s just a recipe that’s collected dust in a box. I’ve taken it out, dusted it off, made so critical updates, and now I am ready to share it with all of you.
Which oats do I use for oatmeal cookies?
For these oatmeal cookies, I use a classic rolled oat, sometimes referred to as old fashioned or common. It gives the cookie enough chew without being too tough like a steel cut oat. I’d be afraid to use instant or quick oats here because it could break down and make the dough gluey. I find classic oats to be the easiest to find and the most affordable, too!
What refinements did I make to this oatmeal cookie recipe?
Though I didn’t completely turn this recipe on its head, I’ve certainly modernized it. Before, this recipe called for melted shortening. I was skeptical, so I made two versions – one with shortening and one with butter. I even had my husband and coworkers do some blind taste testing to see which triumphed. As expected, butter was the clear winner. You just can’t beat the flavor it adds. To up-level it, I also tried a variation with browned butter (see recipe notes) at coworkers’ requests. I prefer that version, but my husband prefers it with regular butter.
That being said, if you don’t like a buttery flavor, you can still use the shortening. It wasn’t a bad cookie (in fact my testers said it’s a little softer), but to me it fell flatter in flavor in the taste test.
Oh, and I always finish with flaky sea salt right as the cookies come out of the oven. There’s something about that extra salt that takes a cookie over the top.
Don’t forget the add-ins!
I will continue to go on the record and say I am very anti-raisin, but this is especially true in my oatmeal cookie. There was nothing more disappointing in my childhood than reaching for an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie to discover that those chocolate chips were really raisins.
You’ll never catch me putting a raisin in an oatmeal cookie recipe, but if you are fond of them, add them in! This recipe is a base, so feel free to mix and match your favorites. My ideal is chocolate chips with tiny walnut pieces… or maybe even butterscotch chips… or toffee bits. Wow, I may need to make several batch variations now.
Anyway, onto the recipe! If you do try this or you add in your own fun variations, leave me a comment below. I’d love to hear about how it went.
Oatmeal Cookies
Previously on a forgotten index card in an old recipe box, I've revisited (and revised) this very easy, delicious oatmeal cookie recipe.
Line a cookie sheet with a slip mat or parchment paper.
Add flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda to a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
Add in brown sugar and eggs, then stir with rubber spatula until fully combined.
Mix cooled, melted (browned or not!) butter into the batter.
Fold in rolled oats and any mix-ins of your choice.
Using a cookie scoop (or a big spoon), spoon the dough onto the sheet pan spaced 2-3 inches apart, then bake for a total of 15 minutes.
At the 12 minute mark, pull the cookies out briefly to tap the pan onto the counter 2-3 times. This will spread the cookies out just slightly and add some chew. Then return to the oven for the final 3 minutes.
After removing from the oven, top with your flaky sea salt. Then, let sit on the pan for 3-5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack for another 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
This recipe can easily be done by hand or with a stand or hand mixer. During my testing, I tried both the stand mixer and by hand, and the results were the same.If you need instructions on how to brown butter, I am a big fan of this blog post from King Arthur Baking. It has lots of visuals to help for your first few go-arounds.
