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Home » Cookie Recipes

Soft Oatmeal Cookies

Published: Jan 22, 2022 by Mindee · This post contains affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Need a simple recipe for the best old fashioned oatmeal cookies made from scratch? These are soft and chewy just like Grandma used to make! As well as made from everyday ingredients and ready to enjoy while still warm in 30 minutes!

A  stack of oatmeal cookies by a tall glass of milk.
The best oatmeal cookies with a cold glass of milk!
Jump to:
  • Why You'll Love This Recipe
  • Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
  • A Couple Things You'll Need!
  • Step by Step Instructions
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Related Cookie Recipes
  • Soft Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

  • An old fashioned chewy cookie just like Grandma used to make!
  • Just as easy to make as Chocolate Chip Cookies!
  • Soft and chewy, not hard and crispy like prepackaged cookies.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

  • Quick Cooking Oatmeal - Quick oats are not the same as instant oats.  If all you have is rolled oats or old-fashioned oats just pulse the oats a few times in a food processor  or blender until they look like quick cooking oats and go ahead and sub them for the quick cooking ones. Steel cut oats are not recommended for this recipe.
  • Shortening - no do not substitute butter for the shortening. Shortening keeps the flavor "clean" so the oatmeal taste is the dominant flavor.
  • Flour - Use all purpose flour, never self rising flour.
  • Variations - For oatmeal raisin cookies mix in 1 cup of raisins with the flour.
    • For butterscotch oatmeal cookies mix in 1 cup of butterscotch chips.
Ingredients for these oatmeal cookies.
The simple ingredients needed for this classic recipe for a good oatmeal cookie!

A Couple Things You'll Need!

Step by Step Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  • Lightly spray your cookie sheets with non-stick cooking spray or line them with parchment paper.
  • Measure the shortening, brown sugar and white sugar into a large bowl or the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream them together.
  • Add the eggs, water, and vanilla extract. Mix well.
Shortening, sugars, eggs, water and vanilla added to a mixing bowl.
Cream the shortening and sugars in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer.
  • Add the baking soda and salt. Mix well.
  • Add the quick oatmeal and flour. Mix well.
  • For best results allow to the cookie dough to sit for 10 minutes to give the oatmeal time to absorb the extra moisture in the dough. Then if the cookie dough is too wet add a little bit more flour. Add more flour with caution however, because too much flour results in dry cookies.
  • Scoop the oatmeal cookie dough out by the tablespoonfuls onto a prepared baking sheet.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes.
  • The edges will be lightly browned but the tops will not be. Don't overbake these!
  • Cool on a wire rack.
  • Once cool, store these cookies in an airtight container.
  • To freeze, place the cooled cookies in a freezer bag and pop in the freezer.
Baking soda, salt, quick oatmeal and flour added. Dough mixed and scooped onto a pan.
Drop dough onto baking sheets and bake!

Recipe FAQs

Why are my oatmeal cookies dry?

The most common mistake when it comes to oatmeal cookies comes when the dough is first mixed up it seems like it needs more flour.  However, the oatmeal will continue to absorb the moisture in the dough as it sits so if you add more flour your cookies may end up dry and tough.  If you are concerned that the dough is to wet, let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes then give it a stir and see if it is still too wet.  Then add a little more flour if needed.

Can I substitute butter for the shortening in these cookies?

I don't recommend it.  Butter not only changes the flavor, it makes these oatmeal cookies spread out very thin.  The purpose of the shortening in these cookies is to produce a soft and tender oatmeal cookie that doesn't flatten out.  Butter takes away all these qualities.

Related Cookie Recipes

  • Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies - Add a handful of peanut butter chips!
  • Maple Pecan Cookies - These sweet treats are a little nutty!
  • Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies - These chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are pretty good for you too!
  • Oatmeal Craisin Cookies - Better than an oatmeal raisin cookie recipe!
  • Oatmeal Fudge Bars - These are the best cookies to take to a potluck!

Have you tried this recipe? If so, leave me a rating and a comment below! And don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter to get my latest recipes sent right to your email! You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram!

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Soft Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

★★★★★ 4.8 from 5 reviews
  • Author: Mindee
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 14 minutes (per batch)
  • Total Time: 24 minutes
  • Yield: 3 dozen 1x
  • Category: Cookies and Bars
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Need a simple recipe for the best old fashioned oatmeal cookies made from scratch? These are soft and chewy just like Grandma used to make! As well as made from everyday ingredients and ready to enjoy while still warm in 30 minutes!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • ¾ cup Shortening
  • ½ cup White Sugar
  • 1 cup Brown Sugar
  • ¼ cup Water
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 2 Egg
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • ½ tsp Baking Soda
  • 3 cups Quick Cooking Oatmeal
  • 1 ½ cups Flour

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare baking sheets by spraying with non-stick cooking spray or lining with parchment paper.
  2. Cream the shortening and sugars together.
  3.  Add the water, vanilla extract and egg.  Mix well.
  4. Stir in the baking soda and salt.
  5. Stir in the oatmeal.
  6. Stir in the flour.  
  7. Let dough stand for 10 minutes to let the oatmeal absorb the extra moisture.
  8. Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto prepared baking sheets.
  9.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes.  The bottom edges will have turned very lightly browned.  Cool on a wire rack and eat!

Notes

  1. When the dough is first mixed up it may seem like it needs more flour. However, the oatmeal will continue to absorb the moisture in the dough as it sits so if you add more flour your cookies may end up dry and tough. If you are concerned that the dough is too wet, let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes then give it a stir and see if it is still to wet.

Keywords: oatmeal cookies, chewy oatmeal cookies, simple oatmeal cookies

Did you make this recipe?

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Thanks for stopping by! Before you go, be sure to check out a few of my most popular recipes!

  • Coconut Pecan Frosting
  • The Best Clam Chowder
  • Fluffy Lemon Jello Salad
  • Lemon Cream Syrup
  • Black Tie Mousse Cake

Any nutritional analysis on this Site is based on an estimate, calculated by Nurtifox plugin (or other third-party source) from the individual ingredients in each recipe. Variations may occur for various reasons, including product availability and food preparation. We make no representation or warranty of the accuracy of this information.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Charlie

    October 08, 2022 at 11:23 pm

    Thank you so much for posting. These cookies are wonderful. I was looking for a good recipe for soft oatmeal cookies. The next time I make them, I'm thing about adding a dash of cinnamon and clove. Also, I can't wait to make your chocolate chip cookies.

    Reply
    • Mindee

      October 10, 2022 at 6:26 am

      You're welcome!

      Reply
  2. Tony

    July 05, 2022 at 2:18 pm

    What about Becel margarine instead of Crisco?

    Reply
    • Mindee

      July 06, 2022 at 7:19 am

      I have never tried that brand but I never recommend using margarine for baking as it has a distinct flavor.

      Reply
  3. Linda

    February 08, 2022 at 4:47 pm

    How about using coconut oil instead of Crisco? It is solid at room temp like crisco but healthier?

    Reply
    • Mindee

      February 08, 2022 at 5:07 pm

      You can sub coconut oil. You may need a bit more flour and the cookies will spread a bit more because while coconut oil is solid at room temp it melts to a liquid at 76 degrees and shortening melts at 117 degrees which gives time for the cookie structure to set more before it melts.

      Reply
  4. Amanda

    June 10, 2021 at 8:35 pm

    I have tried this recipe before and loved it. I am now diabetic, so I did try substituting the sugar with monk fruit sweetener because I found one that measures cup for cup like sugar. I doubled the batch and used monk fruit for the white sugar and half golden monk fruit and half regular brown sugar for the brown sugar. They are definitely acceptable and will do in a pinch if you can't have the original recipe! I really wanted a good oatmeal cookie, so thought it couldn't hurt to try it.

    Reply
  5. Jeff

    January 18, 2021 at 6:35 pm

    One of my favorite cookies!!

    Reply
  6. Kathryn

    October 21, 2020 at 7:49 am

    This recipe only calls for one egg, is this correct? Other recipes say to use two eggs.

    Reply
    • mindeescookingobsession

      October 21, 2020 at 8:02 am

      Other recipes? Yes, only 1 Egg.

      Reply
      • Kathryn

        October 21, 2020 at 8:18 am

        Thanks! Making them today.

        Reply
  7. Wendy

    May 26, 2020 at 10:21 am

    Hi, Can I use coconut sugar in place of the brown sugar and monk sugar in place of white sugar.
    Also, substitute almond flour for the AP flour?
    Thank you.

    Reply
    • mindeescookingobsession

      May 27, 2020 at 6:46 am

      This recipe would not turn out making those substitutions. Subbing the almond flour for the all purpose flour typically would require the addition of additional eggs which changes the balance of ingredients. The small amount of monk sugar that would be used in place of the sugar would remove a large amount of substance from the batter which would put the other ingredients out of balance. Coconut sugar lacks the moisture that brown sugar has which is an important part of this recipe. Swapping out both sugar would surely leave these cookies really dry and probably dense as well.

      Reply
      • Christy

        August 25, 2021 at 7:31 pm

        Could you use butter crisco?

        Reply
        • Mindee

          August 26, 2021 at 6:13 am

          You could but it will alter the flavor significantly.

          Reply
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Hi! I'm Mindee! Not only do I love to try and create all kinds of recipes, I LOVE to share them! Teaching others how to be successful in cooking in their own kitchens is one of my favorite things to do! Learn more about me or jump right in and check out my recipes!

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