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Soft and chewy iced oatmeal cookies are the ultimate nostalgic treat! Made with rolled oats and dipped in a simple vanilla icing, these old-fashioned oatmeal cookies are a must bake when you crave comfort in cookie form. Best of all, the dough comes together in under 30 minutes, no chilling required! Recipe yields 40 cookies.
With chewy edges, soft centers, and plenty of spice flavor, it’s easy to see why these oatmeal cookies with icing are one of my favorite homemade cookie recipes!
If you loved Mother’s oatmeal cookies, this from-scratch version delivers the same comforting nostalgia baked right in. They’re so delicious and freeze perfectly too!
Ingredient Notes
In my recipe testing, I found that old fashioned rolled oats are the key to a perfectly chewy oatmeal cookie. Briefly pulsing the oats to a coarse consistency gives the cookies a nice uniform texture.
Ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg add warm spice flavor that pairs perfectly with the vanilla glaze. For a seasonal twist, you can also flavor these cookies with pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice.
How to Make Iced Oatmeal Cookies
Pulse rolled oats in a food processor to reach a coarse consistency, about 20 seconds.
Whisk together coarsely ground oats, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
Beat room temperature butter, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar together in a mixer bowl until creamy, about 2 minutes.
Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla, and beat to combine.
Gradually add dry ingredients, beating just until combined. Expect a thick cookie dough (scrape down the bowl as needed with a spatula).
Scoop 1 1/2-inch balls of dough and place two inches apart on baking sheets. Bake cookies for 12 to 13 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Cool them for 5 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Icing for Oatmeal Cookies
Whisk together powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 5 tablespoons heavy cream. If necessary, slowly and gradually whisk in remaining heavy cream until icing is thick and ribbony. Lightly dip the tops of each cookie in vanilla icing and place dipped cookies in a single layer on a wire rack to set before serving or storing.
More favorite homemade cookie recipes:
- Ginger Cookies with Molasses
- Salted Brownie Cookies
- Soft Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
- Soft Molasses Spice Cookies
Chewy Homemade Iced Oatmeal Cookies
- Prep Time: 40
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 52 minutes
- Yield: 40 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Soft and chewy iced oatmeal cookies are comforting and nostalgic! These classic cookies are a must bake when you crave old-fashioned oatmeal cookies dipped in vanilla icing. Recipe yields 40 cookies, no chilling required!
Ingredients
Cookies
- 3 cups (240 g) old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 1/2 cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 3/4 tsp (5 g) salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (100 g)
- 1 1/2 tsp (6 g) vanilla extract
Vanilla Icing
- 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp (4 g) vanilla extract
- 5 to 7 Tbsp (75 to 105 g) heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Pulse oats: Place oats in a food processor and pulse for about 20 seconds to reach a coarse consistency. If you don’t have a food processor, use a blender or place oats in a sturdy, sealable plastic bag and roll over them with a rolling pin until the oats reach a coarse consistency.
- Make dough: Whisk together pulsed oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Beat butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl at medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour-oat mixture; beat just until incorporated. Cookie dough will be thick – scrape down bowl with a spatula as needed.
- Use a medium cookie scoop coated with nonstick spray to form 1 1/2-inch balls of dough (approximately 30 grams each) and place two inches apart on baking sheets.
- Bake cookies for 12 to 13 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until edges are golden and set. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets. If desired, use a slightly larger round cookie cutter to scoot the warm cookies into a perfect round shape as they cool. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely.
- Make icing: Whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla, and 5 tablespoons (75 grams) heavy cream in a medium bowl until smooth and thick. If necessary, slowly and gradually add remaining cream (while whisking) until icing is smooth, thick and ribbony. If icing is still too thick, whisk in additional cream 1 teaspoon at a time.
- Dip cookies: Start with one test cookie to check the consistency of the icing. Lightly dip the top of cookie into the icing and pull straight up, letting some of the excess drip off back into the bowl. Repeat with remaining cookies. Place dipped cookies in a single layer on wire racks and allow icing to set before serving or storing. If icing starts to thicken while working, whisk again as needed and add another 1/2 teaspoon of heavy cream.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
Notes
Oats: I use and recommend Quaker old-fashioned oats. Be sure to pulse the oats in a food processor or blender for 20 seconds (to reach a coarse consistency).
Make ahead: Roll the dough into balls and freeze on a baking sheet for 1 hour, then transfer to an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls as directed, adding 1-2 minutes to baking time.
Freeze cookies: Arrange iced cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour, then transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 months.
Just made these cookies, fantastic recipe! The chewy texture and nostalgic flavor is spot on!
Thanks for trying this recipe, Sandy!
Made these for a cookie exchange. They are amazing!!
Great to hear, thank you Hallie!
These are the best oatmeal cookies I’ve ever had! My family loves them too, thank you for sharing this recipe!
Hi Jane, thanks so much for your feedback and for trying this recipe!
Can you add raisins to the recipe if so how much? Delicious recipe!
Hi Mair, thanks so much! I have not tested this recipe with raisins, but think it should work out well! I’d add up to 3/4 cup (90 grams) raisins and whisk them in with the flour-oat mixture. Hope that helps!
I made these tonight, they were a hit in my home!!! Crispy and chewy and the perfect amount of sweetness! Thanks so much for sharing your recipe.
Hi Arlene, that’s so nice to hear. Appreciate your feedback!
These cookies are so good, everyone loved them at our annual cookie exchange!
That’s great to hear, thanks Lily!
I made these cookies last night and they are delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Thanks so much, Kelli!
These were so easy to make and taste amazing! I can’t wait to make these for the holidays.
Thanks so much, Tiara! So glad you tried these cookies! 🙂
Surprised my kids with these cookies for their afternoon snack – huge hit!! We love this recipe.
Thanks so much, Erica! Cookies are always the perfect snack. 🙂
I immediately thought of Mother’s Iced Oatmeal cookies when I saw this recipe 😋. These were amazing! I shared them with coworkers and they loved them as well. I had an issue getting the right consistency with the glaze…it was a bit thick. Next time I will add a bit more cream.
Happy to hear this recipe was a success! The icing is a bit thick – feel free to add a bit more cream as needed (while whisking) to reach the perfect consistency.
I grew up eating Mother’s oatmeal cookies and I couldn’t wait to try these. Absolutely delicious cookies with a wonderful chewy texture and great spice flavor.
Hi Trina, that’s great to hear. 🙂 Thanks so much for your feedback!
I love oatmeal cookies and will make these..I must admit that I’ve never pulsed the oats in a processor b4 so I’m looking forward to trying this. I. Love. Cookies. Thanks Laura!
Thanks so much, Joan! You’re going to love these (and I’ve been on quite the cookie journey lately, so many more to come). 🙂