How to Bake Oatmeal Cookies

Co-authored by Ross Canter

Last Updated: November 27, 2022

When it comes to cookies, oatmeal is a classic. Between the sweet hints of cinnamon, the decadent chewiness, and the different mix-in possibilities, oatmeal cookies are sure to be a crowd- pleaser. Luckily, even the most amateur baker can make these. With a few common ingredients and your basic cookie-baking tools, you can whip up a batch of these quite easily.

Ingredients

1 cup (236.59 mL) of butter, softened
1 cup (236.59 mL) white sugar
1 cup (236.59 mL) packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon (4.93 mL) vanilla extract
2 (473.18 mL) cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon (4.93 mL) baking soda
1 teaspoon (4.93 mL) salt
1.5 teaspoons (7.39 mL) cinnamon
3 cups (709.77 mL) quick cooking oats
Optional mix-ins (raisins, chocolate chips, dried cranberries, etc.)

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Making the Dough

1
Combine the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. It’s key that the butter has been softened to room temperature first so that it is easy to mix in.^{[1]
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Research source} You can combine the ingredients by hand, or use a mixing bowl to blend them all together more quickly (and without the elbow grease). Continue blending the ingredients together until they are thoroughly blended into a creamy texture.
2
Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Crack and add one egg into the mixture, and stir it thoroughly. Then, add your second. Once both eggs are blended into the mixture, add a teaspoon (4.93 mL) of vanilla extract. Continue mixing.^{[2]
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3
Mix the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and oats in a separate bowl. You can use a fork to mix all of these dry ingredients together easily. Once they’re thoroughly blended, add them to the creamy mixture.^{[3]
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- The easiest way to do this is to add a bit of the dry mixture, mix it all together, add a bit more of the dry mixture, mix it again, and so on. It’s a slow and steady process!
- Quaker Oats oatmeal is suitable for making oatmeal cookies. Use "Old-fashioned" and not "Quick Cook" or "Steel Cut" oats.
- Old-fashioned gives cookies the perfect chewy texture. Quick-cooking oats are processed to cook faster. So they are a bit mushy and less oaty when used in baking.
- Steel-cut oats are great for long-simmered oatmeal. The relatively fast baking time of cookies does not give the oats the time they need to soften up.
4
Add optional mix-ins. If you want to add a little something extra to your oatmeal cookies – and if your arm isn’t completely exhausted at this point – then add in some delicious mix-ins. Common additions are raisins and chocolate chips. You can also add things like cranberries, coconut flakes, chopped nuts, or anything else that sounds good to you. Don’t be afraid to get creative.
- If you want to try several variations, feel free to split up the dough into chunks and try all different mix-ins!

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Prepping for Baking

1
Chill the cookie dough. After you’ve created your dough, cover it and pop it in the refrigerator for at least an hour before baking.^{[4]
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Research source} By chilling the dough, it’ll thicken up a bit before baking and you’ll create really chewy, thick cookies.^{[5]
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Research source} You’ll have to be patient, but the finished product will be worth it.
2
Preheat the oven. Once you’re almost ready to take the cookie dough out of the fridge, preheat your oven so it will be hot by the time you’re ready to bake. Set your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, or 190 degrees Celsius.^{[6]
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Research source} It will probably take your oven anywhere from ten to twenty minutes to get hot enough.
3
Roll the cookie dough into balls. Once your cookie dough has chilled for an hour or so, it’s time to form them into balls. You can use your hands to create the balls, or you can use a tablespoon or an ice cream scoop to do this. Create rows of the cookie dough balls on baking sheets, leaving about two inches of space between them.^{[7]
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- If you’d rather have thicker, chewier cookies, leave the dough as is. If you’d prefer thinner, crunchier cookies, flatten out the balls slightly with your fingers or by pressing down on them with a fork coated in sugar.^{[8]
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- This recipe makes about 24 cookies, although you may make a bit more or less, depending on how big you make the dough balls.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Baking your Cookies

1
Place your cookies in the oven. The exact cooking time is a matter of personal preference, but the general range is about eight to ten minutes.^{[9]
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Research source} If you like chewier, softer cookies, take them out earlier. If you like your cookies crispier, leave them in for the full time.
2
Let your cookies cool on the baking sheets. It’s important to remember that while the cookies are still hot, they will continue to bake even out of the oven, especially while on the hot cookie sheet. If they seem a little bit soft or undercooked when you first pull them out, they will likely firm up while they sit. After cooling on the baking sheets for about five minutes, you can transfer them to another surface, or a wire rack if you have one.^{[10]
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- If you do not have a cooling rack, you can place your cookies on another sheet of wax paper or parchment paper on your kitchen counter.
3
Serve your cookies. Once they’re fully cooled, you can put your cookies into cookie tins or boxes to give to friends or bring to parties. If you’ve created several different variations using mix-ins, it’s helpful to label what each kind is. Don’t feel obligated to share the deliciousness though! Feel free to keep them all to yourself, and enjoy them with a tall glass of milk.

Community Q&A

Question

How many minutes does it take?

Community Answer

The entire process of making these cookies (including making the dough, chilling them in the refrigerator, and baking them) will take about an hour and a half. The total baking time is 8 to 10 minutes.
Question

What if I don't have brown sugar?

Katrina Marnadóttir

Community Answer

If you do not have brown sugar, you can use white sugar and add one tablespoon of maple syrup to every cup of the white sugar.