Prep Time

　　25 minutes

　　Total Time

　　35 minutes

　　This is a no-nonsense oatmeal cookie. It’s not an oatmeal raisin cookie. There are no cranberries or chocolate chips, no pecans, peanut butter, coconut, or any other mix-ins either (not even dates)—nothing that could divert attention from the buttery golden brown comfort of this classic chewy cookie. Old-fashioned oats—not quick oats—give them just the right texture, while vanilla extract and ground cinnamon lend them the warmth and spice that’ll keep you coming back to the cookie platter for more.

　　This easy oatmeal cookie recipe is so simple, in fact, that you might be tempted to make a new batch every day. The one hiccup: It’s imperative to let your butter and egg come to room temperature so that they blend seamlessly into the dough. (Doing some last-minute baking? Here’s how to soften butter quickly.) The dough comes together in no time with the help of an electric mixer, but you could easily make these cookies with a large bowl, a wooden spoon, and a little elbow grease. Portion the cookie dough into tablespoon-size balls (or use a #70 cookie scoop if you want to be precise) and place the dough balls at least 2 inches apart on parchment paper–lined cookie sheets, since they’ll spread as they bake.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 24 cookies

　　1¾ cups old-fashioned rolled oats

　　¾ cup all-purpose flour

　　¾ tsp. cinnamon

　　½ tsp. baking soda

　　½ tsp. kosher salt

　　1¼ sticks (10 Tbsp.) unsalted butter, softened

　　⅓ cup packed light brown sugar

　　⅓ cup granulated sugar

　　1 large egg

　　½ tsp. vanilla extract

　　

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease and line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

　　

Step 2

Stir together oats, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined well. Add flour mixture and beat until just combined.

　　

Step 3

Drop dough by heaping tablespoons 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets and flatten mounds slightly with moistened fingers. Bake cookies in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, about 12 minutes total. Transfer to wire racks to cool. 

　　Editor's note: This recipe was originally published in the September 1999 issue of ‘Gourmet’ and first appeared online in August 2004. Head this way for more of our best cookie recipes→