With this easy oatmeal cookies recipe, you will have fewer dishes to clean, there’s no time required for softening butter, chilling the cookie dough is optional, and you can freeze the cookie dough for cookies another day. I love these easy oatmeal cookies so much!
If you have an extra five minutes to spare when making these cookies, try browning your butter before adding it to the cookie batter. Browned butter adds a nutty richness to the cookies. I’ve provided instructions below, or you can see my recipe for brown butter.
1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, optional
10 tablespoons (140g) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups (150g) old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup (130g) raisins, dried fruit, chopped nuts, or chocolate, optional
1You can use regular melted butter or browned butter for these oatmeal cookies. For regular melted butter, melt the butter in the microwave or on the stove and then cool. When cool, use the melted butter in the recipe below.
2For browned butter (our favorite), melt the butter in a light-colored skillet over medium heat. Swirl the pan occasionally to be sure the butter is melting evenly. As it melts, the butter will begin to foam, and the color will change from light yellow to golden and finally to brown. This only takes a minute or two.
3When the browned butter smells nutty and is a light golden brown, transfer it to a heatproof bowl to cool. When cool to the touch, use the browned butter in the recipe below.
1Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C) and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3In a large bowl, whisk the sugars, whole egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and melted butter (or browned butter) together.
4Switch to a large rubber spatula, then add the flour mixture in 3 parts, stirring until they disappear. Fold in the oats and mix-ins like dried fruit, nuts, or chocolate.
5Roll the cookie dough into balls (about 1 ½ tablespoons of dough) and place onto baking sheets. Leave 2 inches between the cookies to allow for spreading. (For large cookies, use 3 to 4 tablespoons of dough and space them apart by 3 inches.)
6Gently press the tops of the cookies down a little to help them spread more evenly in the oven.
7Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, rotating once during cooking, for 9 to 15 minutes (larger cookies take a bit longer). They should be light golden brown around the edges but almost wet in the middle.
8Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.