Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies

Soft & chewy old-fashioned oatmeal cookies are super simple to make. One bowl is all you need and no fancy gadgets required. Classic baking at its best!

When I visited my grandma there were two things I could count on. We would play Uno and eat these oatmeal cookies with tea while we played. Sometimes she would pull out the Bingo machine (yes she had her own) and we would play that but usually only when my sister was around too.

My grandma lived a long life living until she was 97 and until the last few months on her own. I miss her very much. Before she passed at the younger age of 95 she gave me recipe cards filled with as many of the family heirloom recipes as her hands could write out. Her gingersnap recipe is the bomb! I am slowly trying to share these with you all but this oatmeal cookie recipe card I lost… until recently! It was tucked inside another recipe where I couldn’t see it.

So… now you are in for a real treat! These are the best oatmeal cookies I kid you not.

One bite and I was right back at the table with my teacup and cards!

Tips for Making The Best Oatmeal Cookies

• Use shortening instead of butter for the fat. Shortening works differently than butter in that it coats the flour and gluten literally shortening the strands/connection which in turns causes a weaker bond. That weakened bond between the flour, oats and sugars is the where shortening wins the flakiness battel. Food 52 has a whole article about this you may want to check out.
• Don’t overmix! I like to mix the shortening or lard into the wet mixture using just a fork to break up the fat. I don’t like to use a hand mixer because then the fat will be worked into the sugars and eggs to much. What you want is ripples or tiny pieces of fat throughout. When the fat cooks these little ripples of fat melt creating the flaky texture you want. Overmix and you get a tough cookie… no one wants one of those in their life!
• Bake cookies on parchment paper so the sugar doesn’t stick to the pan. I have a clay baking sheet so nothing seems to stick but even then I have to be careful. I started out without parchment and on the second batch added a sheet.
• Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a minute before you transfer them to a cooling rack. These cookies are fragile and will break apart easily or fall out of shape when they are too hot to move.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Rolled Oats – I like to use old-fashioned rolled oats and not the quick oats. Quick oats will cook too quickly and you risk losing the texture you are aiming for. Gluten-free rolled oats work just as well.
• Shortening – Creates the light flaky texture you want in an awesome cookie! Lard is a good subsitution for those who are not living a vegetarian lifestyle.
• White sugar – Adds sweetness and works with the fat to create the chewy texture.
• Brown sugar – A deeper caramel like flavour while still adding sweetness and texture.
• All-purpose flour – creates structure in the cookie.
• Eggs – the glue that holds it all together. The binding agent.
• Baking soda – Works to help the cookies rise. The leveaning agent.
• Salt – intensifies the flavour of all foods.
• Vanilla – optional. I don’t think it is absolutely necessary because the brown sugar adds enough of a caramel/vanilla flavour to stand on it’s own.

How to Make Oatmeal cookies

Preheat your oven to 350ºF.  Whisk the eggs into a large bowl.  Add the shortening and sugars and optional vanilla to the bowl and mix with a fork.

Mix the shortening and sugars into the eggs trying to break the shortening up with the fork into tiny pieces or ripples. It is these tiny pockets of fat that will give the cookies their flaky and crumbly texture. So don’t overdo it!

Then add the flour, baking soda and salt to the bowl. Combine just until mixed.

Add the oatmeal and mix with the fork until evenly blended throughout the cookie dough.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. I should have done this but did it after the second batch.

Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into balls and place them on the baking sheet. Then use the back of the spoon to flatten the cookies out a bit. They will still be about a 1/2″ thick but will spread a little more when baking.

Bake for about 7 minutes or until they are just starting to turn golden brown. Let them cool on the baking sheet for about a minute and then transfer to a cooling rack with a spatula.

Recipe Variations

Feeling fancy? Need a change? I got you! Here are some of my favourite ways to jazz up these old-fashioned oatmeal cookies. Just add in about a cup of any of these.

• Chocolate chips
• Raisins
• Dried Cranberries
• Butterscotch bits
• Caramel chips
• White chocolate chips
• Chopped dates

What is the Difference Between Shortening & Lard?

Shortening is pure vegetable oil whereas lard is made from animal fat. Both work well and both have a neutral flavour. Don’t worry lard won’t taste like pork… it works just as well but is not suitable for those choosing a vegetarian lifestyle.

Shortening and lard produce flaky pie crusts and cookies even better than butter in my opinion and are lower in saturated fats than butter as well as they contain zero trans fats.

Does Oatmeal Cookie Dough need To Be Refrigerated?

Nope! Cookies with butter usually require refrigeration to prevent them from spreading too thin while baking. Shortening holds its shape much better and is less finicky about temperatures.

Can I make a smaller batch of these homemade oatmeal cookies?

Absolutely! This recipe makes about 60 cookies which is an enormous amount so I totally get the need to cut it down. To do so just halve all the ingredient amounts and follow the same order of directions.

I wouldn’t recommend cutting the recipe down further though because there are only two eggs and you can’t really put a quarter of an egg in.

Alternatively, you can make a batch and freeze the dough for later. Just bake what you need and then separate the dough into the portions you would like to make for your next batch. Half of the dough, a quarter of it etc.

Then wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking.

Remember if you have too many…. you can always share with friends!

Storage and Freezing

Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

To thaw just let them sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes.

Can dogs Eat Oatmeal Cookies?

Is your dog giving you those puppy dog eyes hoping you’ll share? Chico is the worst and I give in almost every time! Oatmeal for dogs is fine in moderation but these cookies are very high in sugar so not a great treat for dogs. But a little piece won’t hurt them.

But! If you do share a piece make sure that you have not added any raisins or chocolate to your cookies (which is totally an option). These add-ons are poisonous for dogs.

More Cookie Recipes To Try

• Classic Shortbread Cookies
• The Best Gingersnaps
• Oreo Red Velvet Cookies
• Marshmallow Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Strawberry Lemonade Cookies
• Danish Wedding Cookies
• Triple Chocolate Chickpea Flour Cookies

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