Remember that striped carton of Mother's Oatmeal Cookies grandma used to keep stocked in her pantry? Well, these Iced Oatmeal Cookies taste just like them, only about 100 times better!
The cookie itself is crunchy on the outside, just the right amount of chewy on the inside with all the buttery, vanilla goodness you'd expect from the best oatmeal cookie recipe!
A bit of cinnamon adds warm and cozy vibes, while that white vanilla icing provides both a beautiful and delicious touch.
Consider this nostalgic cookie recipe your new go-to for baking a walk down memory lane, gift-giving during the holiday season, or curing simply your sweet tooth cravings!
In comparison to most other Iced Oatmeal Cookie recipes, this one requires fewer steps, fewer ingredients, and guarantees flawless, addictively delicious results!
Looking for more awesome cookie recipes to try? Bookmark these easy Sour Cream Cookies or Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies in your internet browser for next time!
THE BEST ICED OATMEAL COOKIE RECIPE
Many other Iced Oatmeal Cookie Recipes out there will call for pulsing the oats and making what is referred to as an "oat flour," but in all my trial runs, I found this added step entirely unnecessary.
The chewy texture of old-fashioned oats in combination with a crunchy exterior is what makes these oatmeal cookies look and taste divinely homemade.
By simply adjusting the chemical leavener (i.e., baking soda), the size of the cookie dough ball, and leveling out the amount of granulated sugar to brown sugar ratio, the perfect texture was achieved.
All the hard work has already been done for you, so now you can skip that extra oat flour step, follow this recipe to a "T" and you're guaranteed the best Iced Oatmeal Cookie you've ever had...like, ever.
Love this recipe? You've got to try our oatmeal cream pies next!
HOW TO MAKE ICED OATMEAL COOKIES
The batter for these oatmeal cookies comes together insanely fast and you'll find the icing a cinch to whip up. The only time patience will really come into play is while you're waiting on your cookies to cool and for that icing to set!
Here's a quick recipe overview:
- Combine the Dry Ingredients
- Mix Wet Ingredients
- Add Dry Ingredients and Oats
- Scoop, Bake, and Cool
- Make the Icing and Dip
Before you begin mixing up your cookie batter, be sure to preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit and have ready a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. You will either need to use two cookie sheets or use one twice!
If you like this recipe you will love our Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies!
1. COMBINE THE DRY INGREDIENTS
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Be sure not to use any flour other than all-purpose and take care to use baking soda, and not baking powder! The cinnamon is optional but highly recommended.
2. MIX THE WET INGREDIENTS
Next up are the wet ingredients: unsalted butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, an egg, and vanilla extract.
Once your butter is no longer hot to the touch, add it to the bowl of a stand mixer along with the brown sugar and granulated sugar. If you don't have a stand mixer, you can use a large mixing bowl and a handheld mixer.
Mix the butter and sugars together at medium-high speed for about 2 minutes.
You want the mix to resemble wet sand (see the photo below) and it should look entirely combined. Once this texture is achieved, add in the egg and vanilla and mix once more.
ABOUT THE BUTTER
Note, the butter should be melted and slightly cooled before using. It shouldn't be hot to the touch, but it doesn't necessarily need to be cooled all the way to room temperature.
If your butter is so hot that it warms up the overall temperature of your dough, your Iced Oatmeal Cookies may turn out a little thinner and crispier than you might like!
The recipe calls for unsalted butter so you have full control over the saltiness of your cookie. If you only have salted butter, you can use it, but you'll need to omit the salt from the dry ingredients altogether.
3. ADD DRY INGREDIENTS AND OATS
When the wet ingredients are properly combined, add in the dry ingredients with the mixer on low. Take care to stop and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl after the dry ingredients have been incorporated.
Now, it's time to turn this batter into an oatmeal cookie batter! Add in the old-fashioned oats and mix until they're evenly distributed throughout the batter. Make sure to only use old-fashioned oats and not quick-cooking oats!
TYPES OF OATS
Quick Oats | Quick oats look like rolled oats that have been pulsed a few times in a blender or food processor. This is not the ideal oat for your Iced Oatmeal Cookies!
Rolled Oats | Rolled oats (also known as old-fashioned oats) are flat and flakey looking, and they are precisely the oats you should be using for this recipe. They have more texture to them than quick-cooking oats and make for a more pronounced oat "look."
4. SCOOP, BAKE, AND COOL
Scoop the cookies into generous tablespoon-sized mounds onto a baking sheet lined with either parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. And, take care to place them at least 2" apart from one another.
The size of the cookie dough scoop is actually fairly important when it comes to these Iced Oatmeal Cookies. Be sure not to scoop them too large!
The larger the scoop, the more they'll spread, and the crispier and flatter they'll be. One generous-sized tablespoon is ideal. This will be a scant scoop if you are using a medium-sized cookie scoop (mine is Oxo brand).
Bake your cookies for 10-12 minutes in a 350° Fahrenheit oven. The cookies are done once they have taken on a light brown coloring all over.
At this point, you'll remove the cookies from the oven and set them on a rack to cool completely. Once they've cooled, it's time to transform your oatmeal cookies into Iced Oatmeal Cookies! After you master these cookies, check out our baking recipes and add some to your "must-make" list!
5. MAKE THE ICING AND DIP THE COOKIES
To make the icing, combine powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Whisk until the mixture is entirely smooth and then you can begin dipping your cookies.
The icing should take about 20 to 30 minutes to set, but this amount of time will depend on both the temperature and the humidity of your environment. If you need them to set faster, a blow dryer on cool does the trick much faster!
ABOUT THE OATMEAL COOKIE ICING
For Iced Oatmeal Cookies, you really want the icing to be nice and thick.
The thicker the icing, the better it will stay in place, the less likely it is to fall over the sides, and the more white and pronounced it will look in contrast to the brown oatmeal cookie!
If your icing does not liquify after using the allotted amount of milk, add only a scant tablespoon at a time beyond that. You don't want it to be too runny!
HOW TO GET THAT SIGNATURE ICED OATMEAL COOKIE LOOK
For the perfect "Iced Oatmeal Cookie look," gently dip the tops of your oatmeal cookies into the icing and resist the urge to swirl!
Instead, yo-yo the cookie up and down a few times. Then, allow the excess icing to drip off of the cookie and back into the bowl.
6 MORE COOKIE RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Pinwheel Cookies
- Italian Wedding Cookies
- Haystack Cookies
- White Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Red Velvet Cookies
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
Sour Cream Cookies
Italian Wedding Cookies
Haystack Cookies
White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Red Velvet Cookies Recipe
Best Snickerdoodle Recipe (Without Cream of Tartar)
Iced Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats
For the Icing:
- 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of fine sea salt
Instructions
Make the Cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and have ready a baking sheet lined with either parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside until ready to use.
- Add the melted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. If you don't have a stand mixer use a large mixing bowl and a handheld mixer. Mix on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until evenly distributed.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on low to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix once more. Add the oats and mix on low until evenly distributed.
- Add a generous tablespoon of batter to the prepared baking sheet, spacing each cookie about 2" apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack until the cookies have cooled completely.
Making the Icing:
- Add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and sea salt to a small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine until smooth.
- Gently dip the tops of the oatmeal cookies into the icing and yo-yo it up and back into the icing a few times, and allow the excess icing to drip back into the bowl.
- Transfer back to the cooling rack and allow the icing to set, 20-30 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Philip Anthony says
This is a perfected version of the old stor bought oatmeal cookies!