Chewy Oatmeal Cookies, just like Grandma used to make, are the best cookies that take you straight back to your childhood!
Full of chewy oats, brown sugar, walnuts, and spices, you just can’t beat the taste and texture of these classic homemade cookies. This chewy oatmeal cookie recipe will become a favorite!
OATMEAL COOKIES
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Chewy Oatmeal Cookies are, not surprisingly, a favorite of a lot of people. What’s not to love? They’re sweet, super chewy, and the oatmeal tricks your brain into thinking they’re healthy!
I’ve made many cookies in my day. From what I call anytime cookies like Birthday Cookies with sprinkles and Toasted Macadamia Coconut Cookies, to cookies that are especially popular during holidays like Christmas and Valentine’s Day… I will never turn down a freshly made cookie.
How to make oatmeal cookies:
- As with any cookie recipe, you’ll start by preheating your oven and lining a baking sheet with silpat or parchment.
- In a medium bowl or using your stand mixer, you will cream together the butter and sugars. Next I like to beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla. You will combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and stir them into the creamed mixture. Finally, you’ll mix in the oats and nuts.
- You’ll get the best results if you use a small or medium cookie scoop and drop dough 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. I like to flatten each cookie slightly.
- Bake for exactly 8 minutes in preheated oven. Any longer and you’ll end up with crispy cookies. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Kitchen tools needed to make oatmeal cookies:
Most of the time you don’t even need any special equipment. Although I use my KitchenAid stand mixer all the time, most cookie recipes can be made with a large bowl, a wooden spoon, and a strong bicep. I do, however, strongly recommend investing in a silpat or a big box of parchment paper to use as a non-stick barrier between your baking sheet and your cookie dough. Also, if you don’t already have a cookie scoop, they are fabulous additions any time you are baking drop cookies like these oatmeal cookies.
How to make oatmeal cookies chewy:
There are two factors that make these cookies chewy.
First has to do with the bake time. You’ll pull them out of the oven when they don’t look fully cooked and the allow them to sit on the hot cookie sheet for a bit of time. This allows them to finish cooking but not get overly crisp.
The second factor is the brown sugar. I find that using brown sugar leads to a more chewy cookie. In fact, I don’t even use granulated white sugar when I make my chocolate chip cookies, and they are extra chewy!
Be sure to store your cookies in an airtight container to keep them fresh and chewy.
Watch the recipe video for my chewy oatmeal cookies below!
Chewy Oatmeal Cookies
RECIPE VIDEO
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs slightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or substitute with pumpkin pie spice
- 3 cups quick cooking oats
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with silpat or parchment.
- In a medium bowl or using your stand mixer, cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a separate bowl and stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in oats and nuts.
- Use a small or medium cookie scoop and drop dough 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Flatten each cookie slightly.
- Bake for exactly 8 minutes in preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Just making these with my boys! They smell great:) They were too hesitant to try with the pumpkin pie spice so we just did cinnamon!!
I noticed tour ingredients list pumpkin pie spice but in the directions you reference cinnamon. Are you supposed to use both or only one or the other?
Hi Tammi, My mistake. You can use one or the other. Will update the recipe now. Thanks!
I’m so excited to try these!!! Thank you
Hi Kristy!
I am getting ready to make these cookies, and I only have the old fashioned oats. Can I substitute old fashioned oatmeal for the quick cooking oatmeal suggested in the recipe?
Sure can! They just might be a bit chewier but I sometimes prefer that. Enjoy!
I am going to try to make these this weekend but needed to make them dairy free. Do you think there’ll be a big difference in texture, flavor, anything if I use a butter substitute? Thanks!!
I have found Earth Balance is the best 1:1 butter substitute and that should work perfectly.
These were great and easy. I used pecans and semi sweet chocolate chips.
I used half butter and half coconut oil. Then added butterscotch chips! Amazing!! Turned out so good!
I used whole wheat pastry flour and earth balance but should have also cut down the sugar because they are super sweet.
What type of mixer are you using can it be used with any bowl
Hi Renee, I’m using a nutrimill mixer in the video but I don’t love it. Aside from the video, I always just use my kitchenaid stand mixer.
These look great! What kind of mixer is that? That is so cool!
Hi Patty, It’s a nutrimill mixer. I can’t say I love it though…
Wanting to make these but I only have imitation vanilla, not vanilla extract. Do you think it’ll still work and taste the same?
I might be the wrong person to ask because I hate imitation vanilla and keep a gallon of homemade vanilla extract in my pantry just so I’ll never run out… but yes, you can use it in this recipe. 🙂 Krissy
Can I omit the nuts in this recipe
You bet! -Krissy