Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Dry Mix (For Storage or Gifting)
- 180 g all-purpose flour
- 270 g rolled oats
- 200 g light brown sugar, packed
- 100 g granulated white sugar
- 5 g baking soda
- 3 g fine sea salt
- 2 g ground cinnamon
Wet Ingredients (For Baking)
- 225 g unsalted butter, softened
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 10 ml vanilla extract
Optional Custom Add-Ins
- 150 g semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 150 g raisins
- 100 g chopped walnuts
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 154 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 19 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 13 g
- Sodium
- 81 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 4 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 24 mg
- Potassium
- 86 mg
- Calcium
- 27 mg
- Iron
- 0.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 8 mg
- Phosphorus
- 26 mg
- Zinc
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 49 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.02 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.03 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 6 mcg
- Water
- 5 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a medium mixing bowl or a 1-liter glass jar if preparing for a gift, combine the all-purpose flour, rolled oats, light brown sugar, granulated white sugar, baking soda, fine sea salt, and ground cinnamon until evenly distributed.
When ready to bake, place the softened unsalted butter in a large mixing bowl and beat using a mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
Add the room temperature eggs and vanilla extract to the creamed butter, beating continuously until fully incorporated and light in color. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Gradually add the prepared dry mix and any optional mix-ins to the wet ingredients. Fold gently with a spatula just until no dry flour spots remain, taking care not to overmix.
Cover the mixing bowl tightly and chill the dough in the refrigerator. This allows the oats to hydrate and prevents the cookies from spreading too thinly during baking.
Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Scoop the chilled dough into individual 35g portions, rolling them into smooth balls. Space the dough balls about 5cm apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake the cookies at 175°C (350°F) for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges are set and golden brown, even if the centers still appear soft and slightly underbaked.
Allow the baked cookies to rest on the hot baking sheet to gently finish setting the centers through residual heat.
Transfer the cookies carefully to a wire cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before serving or storing.
Chef's Notes
- For the ultimate gifting presentation, layer the dry ingredients neatly in a 1-liter glass jar. Start with the denser sugars at the bottom, add the flour mixture, and finish with the oats and visual mix-ins on top. Attach a tag detailing the wet ingredients and baking instructions.
- To elevate the flavor profile of the base mix, try toasting the dry rolled oats on a baking sheet at 175 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes. Let them cool completely before mixing them with the other dry ingredients.
- Hydration is key for perfect oatmeal cookies. Resting the dough in the refrigerator solidifies the butter to prevent excessive spreading and gives the oats time to absorb moisture, resulting in a distinctively chewy texture.
- This base recipe is a blank canvas. Try sophisticated combinations like white chocolate with macadamia nuts, or dark chocolate chunks with a pinch of flaky sea salt on top right before baking.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Prepared dough can be stored tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze scooped dough balls in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the baking time.
Troubleshooting
Cookies spread excessively and merge into each other during baking
Cause: Butter was melted rather than softened, or dough was too warm when placed in the oven
Fix: Chill the remaining unbaked dough longer before baking the next batch
Prevention: Ensure butter yields only to slight pressure and always chill dough for at least 30 minutes before baking
Cookies are dense, dry, and do not spread properly
Cause: Too much flour or oats were added, or the dough was heavily overmixed
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Weigh dry ingredients accurately using a digital scale and fold wet and dry ingredients only until just combined
Cultural Context
The oatmeal cookie traces its culinary roots back to Scottish oatcakes, which were hearty, sustained-energy rations relying heavily on locally grown oats. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the recipe evolved in North America into a sweeter, spiced dessert, popularized significantly by prominent oat producers. Packaging the dry ingredients as a cookie mix in a jar became a widespread homemade gifting tradition in the 1990s, symbolizing warmth, thrift, and personalized care.
