Easy Oatmeal Cookies

by Robin Miller on November 13, 2026

These homestyle oatmeal cookies are delightfully chewy, buttery-sweet, and scented with cinnamon and vanilla. They’re crisp around the edges and soft in the center, and they balance sweetness and texture, making them a time-honored fan favorite. Plus, the dough requires no chilling, and you can add a variety of different mix-ins to make the cookies your own.

Why these are the best oatmeal cookies ever: There are countless reasons why these bakery-style cookies are cherished by all. Here are some highlights:

The dough is made with simple ingredients; pantry staples you may already have on hand.
The cookie dough comes together in minutes, in one mixing bowl.
It’s easy to double the recipe if you need a bigger batch.
There’s no need to chill the dough – you can get straight to baking!
The dough base works with a variety of mix-ins so you can craft a different cookie every time.
The cookie dough is nuanced with cozy cinnamon and vanilla, bringing warmth to every buttery bite.
The cookie dough and baked cookies are both incredibly freezer friendly.
They make excellent ice cream sandwiches when filled with vanilla ice cream!

Ingredients needed for these oatmeal cookies

Butter. One stick (8 tablespoons) of butter is used as the base of the dough and it lends a wonderful, rich flavor. You may use salted or unsalted butter (when using salted butter, reduce the salt to ¼ teaspoon). Pro tip: Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature to ensure that it’s soft enough to blend into the dough.
Oats. Old-fashioned rolled oats are the best choice for these cookies for two distinct reasons. First, they hold their shape without breaking down, producing cookies with a rustic, bakery-style appearance. Second, rolled oats absorb the appropriate amount of liquid, yielding cookies with soft centers and crisp edges. Quick-cooking oats are smaller and thinner and absorb more moisture, resulting in cookies that are cakier, flatter, and not as chewy. If you only have quick-cooking oats, reduce the all-purpose flour by 2 tablespoons. I do not recommend instant oats.
Flour. One cup of all-purpose flour is needed to round out the dry ingredients in the dough. If desired, you may use a gluten-free flour substitute with a 1:1 ratio.
Sugar. We use both granulated sugar and light brown sugar in the dough. The granulated sugar guarantees crisp edges, and the brown sugar ensures a chewy center and slight caramel flavor. For a deeper molasses flavor, use dark brown sugar instead of light.
Egg. One egg is all you need to help bind ingredients and to create tender cookies. Pro tip: Bring the egg to room temperature before using; room temperature eggs incorporate better into doughs. If you forget, place the cold egg in lukewarm water for 5 to 10 minutes before using.
Leavening agents. We use both baking soda and baking powder in this recipe. The baking soda encourages the cookies to spread out, which helps produce crispy, browned edges. The baking powder helps with vertical lift, which keeps the centers soft.
Cinnamon and vanilla. A simple marriage of cinnamon and vanilla produces that cherished, satisfying flavor of traditional oatmeal cookies.
Salt. A hint of salt balances the sweetness of the sugars while elevating the toasty flavor of the oats.
Optional mix-ins. When adding mix-ins, use about 1 cup total.
Raisins
Chocolate chips (semisweet, bittersweet, milk, and/or white)
Butterscotch chips
Cinnamon chips
Dried cranberries
Dried cherries
Dried apricots, chopped
Chopped walnuts or pecans
Shredded or flaked coconut

Tips for these oatmeal cookies

Measure the flour correctly. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level the top. Avoid scooping the flour with the measuring cup as this often leads to a packed cup and more flour than the recipe calls for.
Don’t over-mix the dough. When adding the flour mixture to the mixing bowl, mix until the dry ingredients are just blended. The same is true when adding the oats. Over-mixing the dough can lead to tough cookies.
Spread the cookies out on the baking sheet. These cookies spread during baking so place them at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
Don’t over-bake the cookies. For perfectly chewy cookies, pull them from the oven when the edges are golden brown and the top is just barely set. They may look slightly underdone in the center (not raw), but they will finish cooking as they cool.

How to store cookie dough and cookies

To freeze uncooked cookie dough, roll the dough into balls as directed and place the balls in a single layer in an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 1 month before baking. When you’re ready to bake, pull the dough balls from the freezer and thaw at room temperature. Bake as directed (if the cookies are still cold, you may need to add a minute or two to the baking time).

To store baked cookies, once cool, transfer them to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen cookies at room temperature.

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