These are the best oatmeal cookies around! Use this recipe to make either soft or crispy oatmeal cookies. The soft cookies are chewy and toffee-like, while the crispy version has a perfect snap and caramelized flavor—better than most store-bought cookies.
This is the best oatmeal cookie recipe I’ve tried. The key ingredient that sets these apart is cornstarch. If you’ve made other recipes that use cornstarch, you know how it transforms texture—it’s my secret for tender, well-structured cookies.
Cornstarch does two important things for these cookies. First, it helps control texture: a slightly shorter bake yields a soft, sticky, chewy cookie; a longer bake produces a crisp, caramelized cookie. Second, it reduces spread. Oatmeal cookies often overspread because their flour-to-butter ratio is lower than other cookie doughs. Cornstarch absorbs excess moisture and gives structure without making the cookie dense or floury—no chill time required in most cases.
If the dough is very sticky and hard to shape, chilling for a short time helps, but I often just dip my hands in cold water and continue shaping. Otherwise, these cookies come together quickly and easily.
Oatmeal cookie ingredients:
• Flour
• Baking soda + baking powder — together they give the best texture
• Salt
• Ground cinnamon — optional, a favorite spice
• Cornstarch — for texture and structure
• Butter
• Brown + granulated sugar — more brown sugar makes cookies chewier; more granulated sugar makes them crisper. I like ½ cup brown to ¼ cup granulated.
• Egg
• Vanilla
• Oats — rolled (old-fashioned) oats are recommended
How to make oatmeal cookies:
1. Whisk together dry ingredients. Set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugars. Beat until no dry sugar remains, then add egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
3. Mix dry ingredients into the butter mixture just until combined. 4. Fold in oats and any mix-ins.
5. Portion and bake. Scoop about 2 tablespoons per cookie and roll into balls. 6. Cool. Let cookies rest 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling to avoid overbaking and condensation on the bottoms.
What oats to use for oatmeal cookies:
Use rolled (old-fashioned) oats. They provide the ideal texture, absorption, and bake time. Steel-cut oats are too coarse, and quick or instant oats absorb and bake too quickly for the preferred cookie texture.
Optional oatmeal cookie mix-ins:
Get creative with mix-ins. Cinnamon is a favorite, but try chocolate chips, toffee bits, caramel chips, coconut flakes, chopped nuts (walnuts are classic), raisins or other dried fruit, or chopped candy bars. You can mix and match.
For spices, I usually keep each spice under ½ teaspoon and reduce quantities when combining several spices. For other add-ins, aim for about 1 cup total so cookies balance flavor and texture.
How to store oatmeal cookies:
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days for best freshness.
Cookie dough freezes well. Portion and roll dough, freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet until firm (about 1 hour), then transfer to a freezer-safe container. Dough keeps 3–4 months frozen. To bake from frozen, either thaw and bake as usual or add 3–5 minutes to the bake time and bake directly from frozen for slightly thicker cookies.
Recipe details
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
- In a large bowl, cream butter with brown and granulated sugars until no dry crystals remain (about 2 minutes with a mixer). Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in the oats and any mix-ins. Avoid overmixing.
- Portion dough into 12 balls (about 2 tablespoons each). Arrange on the prepared sheet with about 1 inch between cookies. If dough is too sticky, chill 10–20 minutes or refrigerate until firm enough to roll.
- Bake in the center of the oven 10–11 minutes for soft cookies or 14–15 minutes for crispy cookies. Soft cookies should be golden at the edges but slightly loose in the center; they will set as they cool. Cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 12 cookies
Enjoy!