Thin and Crispy Oatmeal Cookies
These thin and crispy oatmeal cookies are absolute perfection! Crispy, buttery, and completely addictive – I dare you to eat just one!
I am a soft and chewy cookie fan all the way, but there is something about these thin and crispy oatmeal cookies that is absolutely irresistible.
They are so classic and so delicious!
Key to a Crispy Cookie
The cookie dough for these oatmeal cookies is very straightforward. Nothing fancy about it!
The reason the cookies end up being thin and crispy instead of soft and chewy are due to a couple of reasons:
- higher butter to flour (and eggs) ratio
- more granulated sugar, less brown sugar
- old-fashioned rolled oats, not quick oats
- slightly longer baking time (don’t underbake!)
The dough can be mixed in a stand mixer or in a bowl with a handheld electric mixer.
The key is to not over mix the dough once the dry ingredients are added.
Old-fashioned Oats vs Quick Oats
The recipe for these thin and crispy oatmeal cookies calls for old-fashioned rolled oats.
Subbing in quick oats will change the texture and outcome of the cookies. They’ll likely be thicker and puffier instead of thin and crispy. (It also doesn’t work to sub in steel cut oats.)
It’s important to use old-fashioned rolled oats for the best outcome!
A Tried-and-True Favorite
It goes without saying that these delightful oatmeal cookies are delicious dipped in a glass of cold milk. YUM!
This recipe has over 1,000 5-star reviews for a reason! So many of you have fallen in love with them, too.
Grace says: This is my all time favorite recipe I’ve used for years, after trying this you won’t be able to go back to any other oatmeal cookie recipe and all other oatmeal cookies will taste inferior. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
MM says: Amazing cookies! I’m afraid to make them again because I ate 18 cookies in 4 days. They’d be good with chocolate chips in them too. Maybe I’ll try it when I get better at sharing… ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sara says: OK. I didn’t think these would be as good as they are. I’ve had oodles and oodles of oatmeal cookies and these are now our favorite. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Linda says: These are wonderful..Buttery, chewy and crisp. I’m eating them with a glass of cold milk. I baked them 16 min. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
FAQs for Thin and Crispy Oatmeal Cookies
Yes, the dough freezes great!
I use salted butter.
I usually store them in a covered container but if you want them to stay extra crispy, you can try storing them uncovered.
In this recipe, you definitely want to use old-fashioned rolled oats. If not, the cookies won’t spread the same and the texture could be completely off.
Thin and Crispy Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (142 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 14 tablespoons (198 g) butter (I use salted), softened but still slightly cool
- 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (53 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups (250 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl (of a stand mixer or with a handheld electric mixer), beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together until just combined, about 20 seconds. Increase the mixer speed to medium and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute longer. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Add the egg and vanilla and beat on medium-low until well mixed, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again. Add the flour mixture and mix until barely incorporated, 10-20 seconds. It's ok if there are a few dry spots.
- Gradually add the oats and mix until well-combined, about 30 seconds to 1 minutes. If needed, give the dough a final stir with a wooden spoon to ensure that no flour pockets remain and that the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Scoop out about 2 tablespoon-sized mounds of dough and roll them to form balls. Place the cookies about 2 1/2-inches apart on the baking sheet(s) – about 8 cookies per sheet. They will spread quite a bit. Lightly press each cookie to about 3/4-inch thickness (I found after baking one sheet of these that I didn’t need to press them at all so use your best cookie judgment).
- Bake 1 sheet of cookies at a time until the cookies are golden brown, edges are crisp, and centers are still very slightly soft, 13 to 16 minutes. Cooling the cookies completely on the baking sheet will yield crispier, more perfect cookies.
Notes
Recipe Source: adapted ever so slightly from The Cook’s Country Cookbook from America’s Test Kitchen (used salted butter instead of unsalted)
Recipe originally published June 2013; updated November 2022 with new photos, recipe notes, etc.
Shoot. I should have never made these. I am not typically a huge oatmeal cookie fan but if you recommend something I think I always like it. DARN these are good and I am not sure there will be any left for my girls to eat tomorrow…
This recipe is great! I cut sugar in half, added just under 1/4c of mini chocolate chip. I used whole wheat pastry flour and 1tbs of flaxseed.
The “Thin & Crispy Oatmeal Cookies” are the best cookies I’ve ever made. And that’s saying something as I’m an avid and experienced baker. I’ve always preferred large, thin and crisp oatmeal cookies, sans raisins or any other additions, so I thought I’d try this recipe. I used my favorite Trader Joe’s Old Fashioned Organic Toasted Rolled Oats, and followed the recipe to the letter. I baked them for the longer amount of time because I wanted them crispy all the way through. As suggested, I cooled them on the baking sheets and they were perfect — crisp and crunchy with a slightly chewier center, and with a delicious toasty, nutty flavor. This is the only oatmeal cookie recipe I’ll be using from now on. Thanks, Mel!
These are incredible. This is the oatmeal cookie recipe I have been looking for my whole life! Thank you.
Just made these and they are perfectly scrumptious. I doubled the recipe and reduced the butter to 3 sticks added a cup of raisins and omg they are just like we had when I was a kid. I will definitely be keeping this recipe thanks so much.
These came out delicious! And addictive! Here are my modifications: I used half whole oats and half quick oats. I reduced the white sugar in half–as many had suggested. I added 1/2 c chopped walnuts. And I took several recommendations to sprinkle just a tiny bit of salt on each one. I made 1 tbsp size balls and pressed them with a glass.
So much for the diet. I’ve been looking for these all my life!
Wonderful recipe! These cookies were gobbled up everyone who came near them, kids and adults alike. The texture was perfect! I used whole wheat pastry flour & wheat germ instead of all purpose flour, and added a bit of cinnamon. ( I blogged them here if you want to see the changes.) They spread beautifully into gorgeous, crunchy, addictive cookies. Thank you!
Just made these and added 1/2 cup chopped pecans, 1/2 cup raisins, and a pinch of cinnamon……mmmmm, they are yummy! Yes, I will make again. (Oh, and I reduced the regular sugar a bit—something I usually do with recipes)
THE BEST OATMEAL COOKIES!
I made a batch of these and added 2 cups semisweet chips. My wife said they tasted “Gourmet” and she would gladly pay 2 bucks per cookie for them! With our 4 sons they did not last a day. Now i am back making another batch!
love the recipie! i’m a chewy cookie gal and these hit the spot!
Oh my Goodness!! I am NOT a crunchy cookie eater, but had to try these. As it turns out, I only had one stick of butter on hand, but also had a jar of pumpkin butter. So, that’s what I used in place of t last 3/4 stick of butter….and IM NEVER GOING BACK! These were amazing!! So flavorful and crunchy, yet chewy and perfect for the comfy fall season. I’m sold. Thank you for sharing!
These cookies are my favorite now, the only change i made is i put half a cup of sugar that is brown and white combined together, next time i might reduce sugar a little more.
(I’m Helen, too because I see that another Helen already posted 🙂 ) Just made these and they turned out great!–in spite of the fact that I didn’t have but 2 cups of old fashioned oats so used 1/2 cup quick cooking oats for that last 1/2 cup.. The cookies look beautiful and taste wonderful. Thank you for the recipe.
This cookies did not spread or became flat like you said they would. They are also too sweet and dry. I wouldn’t recommend this recipe, sorry.
Wow these were a dream. I followed the recipe exactly but just added chopped dark chocolate and cherries…man. They spread out and were chewy in the center and crispy on the edges ahhhhh thank you so soo much !
LOVE these.. Loaded them up with nutmeg and when cooling took half and rolled them into cone shapes. filled them with fresh fruit and drizzled with chocolate. HIT!! THANK YOU!!
So I did try these! And I’ve since made them THREE times. Love them.
Just pulled them out of the oven and they are to die for!
this is really crunchy oatmeal can’t get enough I have baked for my husband but I ended up eating it mostly LOL 🙂 I added macadamia nuts & it was really great. Thanks for sharing the recipe Mel your the best!
Ok…lucky me I found your site looking for thin oatmeal cookies and I just finished making them! Now I must say I used what I had and that was the quick oats and they are darn good regardless. I also used half the amount of white sugar – I didn’t press down the first batch and they didn’t overly thin out (still taste good!) and I did for the others and they flattened out nice. VERY good and remind me of my moms! 🙂
I make this recipe all the time. These cookies are amazing…everyone loves them…even those who don’t like crispy cookies. I do top mine with fleur de sel (sea salt) which takes the cookie to a whole other level. I also like to under bake mine by just 30 seconds or so, enough that the center is still a little chewy. Another thing I like about this cookie is the dough freezes well. Once I have them on the cookie sheet I throw them in the freezer, when frozen I place them in a freezer bag. (just add a minute or so to your baking time)
I, too, usually love chewy cookies but these absolutely won me over. Great cookies!
My beloved Australian husband has never understood the allure of soft, chewy cookies. These are amazingly delicious and perfect for him! Well, they’re perfect for all of us!
I’ve got these in the oven now……I think I accidentally used self rising flour….so I’m hoping it turns out ok!
I’m curious as to how the different types of oatmeal differ when used in baking. There’s quick oats, rolled oats, old fashioned oats..confusing! Can we interchange the type of oats in this recipe?
Melanie – in this recipe, you definitely want to use old-fashioned rolled oats. If not, the cookies won’t spread the same and the texture could be completely off. Usually rolled oats and old-fashioned oats are referring to the same thing. Quick oats are a slightly more ground up version of old-fashioned oats. Because they have less surface area and are more ground, they usually absorb more liquid in a cookie recipe. It isn’t always the case, but I’ve found that old-fashioned (or rolled) oats will cause more spreading in a cookie whereas quick oats will act more like a flour binder and the cookies won’t spread as much. Again, depends on the recipe…
So you saying using Quaker Oats 1 minute oatmeal won’t be a good idea to use
Shilonda Rawlings – These cookies turn out best when using old-fashioned oats (not the minute/quick oatmeal).
I made a double batch of these yesterday and took a plate with me to a gathering of women who have pretty high brow taste. It was so fun to see them take one (only after learning that they were homemade, not store-bought — they were surprised because they looked “too perfect”) and proclaimed them to be delicious! I agree.
Most of my cookies spread out a little thinner than I would have liked and I attribute it to two possibilities: I softened the butter a little more than I should have with some melting, and I didn’t cool it as the recipe suggested; and, I didn’t do a very good job on that last stir with a wooden spoon, so that as I got to the bottom of the bowl, the dough was a little drier and didn’t spread as much. And yet with these little gaffes, they were still very pretty and very delicious cookies!
My chocolate chip loving husband and boys absolutely agreed. And I agree with Mel that though I LOVE chocolate, adding chocolate chips is unnecessary and not really going to improve these ones.
My butter thoughts are completely in line with Mel’s. I used to buy the unsalted for baking/cooking purposes, but more often than not they got confused in application and it became not worth it. And I really didn’t notice a difference in end product.
Lovely simple recipe. Thank you!
Hi Mel-
I made these yesterday and they are deliciously wonderful. They really spread out alot-
some of mine had holes, almost like lace. I’m wondering if maybe a little more flour would help them have a bit more structure. I refrigerated a little bit of the dough, so todays experiment will be to see if cold dough will help them keep a bit more structure and height.
The buttery oatmeal taste was perfect- great with my coffeebreak.
I don’t know, Mel. I’ve NEVER had a crispy cookie I liked, either!! I suppose I’ll have to try it ’cause you’re always right with food. We shall see…
Dad loves oatmeal cookies. His married daughter made him this recipe for Father’s Day. We added a cup of raisins. The first batch out of the oven were a little too crispy but good. About 1/4 of flour was added to the remaining batter. The cookies were perfect for a crispy cookie. As I have been typing this my granddaughter has snatched 3 of the cookies after not knowing if she would like the first one. It’s hard to eat only one of these cookies. Thanks for the recipe.
I too am a thick and chewy cookie lover. In fast, I got this post in my email and actually deleted it when I saw it said “Thin and Crispy” Cookies. However, I had already seen the first couple of lines you wrote as I was deleting it and decided to search my deleted box for this. I think you have convinced me to give these a shot!
Crispy cookies are the perfect accompaniment to a glass of milk. Cookies need to be crisp for good dunking. 🙂 America’s Test Kitchen recipes are reliably great! Thanks!
Hi Mel, LOVE your recipes! I’ve recently gone from a household of 1 to a household of 5 with 3 teen boys. Your recipes have been lifesavers!! This recipe looks delish. Pioneer woman has an oatmeal crispy recipe. Oh my…SO GOOD. Some of the oats are replaced with chopped pecans. It’s the most wonderful combo. Great crumbled over ice cream too.
My mom LOVED oatmeal cookies. In her opinion, there was no other cookie. Needless to say, we all ended up not being fans.. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing! LOL. I think in the 40 some odd years since I left home, I’ve only made them twice. All that being said, I think the time just may have come for me to reevaluate ..these look delicious! What can I say? I am a sucker for crispy edges and chewy middles! Thanks for sharing this one…pinning right now! 🙂
Yes !!! They are delicious… And totally passed the milk dunking testers!! And i’m converted to a crispy oatmeal cookie… at least this recipe 🙂 As a follow up I am testing out my own invention of homemade oreos… Cookies are the main menu item today!!! Thanks Mel for another great treat… you never fail to impress!!!
My great aunt made the most wonderful crispy oatmeal cookies. Normally I never like crispy cookies, or virgin (without chocolate or other add ins) cookies. But hers? Oh my, pure and simple, utter cookie perfection. Alas I don’t have the recipe, but I am going to try yours this week because they look and sound exactly like hers. Thank you in advance!
I love crunchy. Thank you, Mel.
I’m never in control if I have a stack of cookies in front of me and a glass of cold milk! These look and sound incredible! Pinning…!
These would be perfect for homemade ice cream sandwiches — dipped in chocolate.
I cannot wait to try these! I love thin and crispy cookies! This recipe looks fabulous. Thanks for sharing!
Like most, I’m a soft cookie lover but crispy cookies like these gorgeous oatmeal ones remind me SO much of my grandmother’s kitchen and how she always had a batch of crispy, buttery cookies on the counter. Great recipe, Mel!
I love soft and chewy cookies, and I love thin and crispy cookies. Which kind do I like best? Whichever one I have in my hand (or mouth) at the time you ask! OK, now that you finally 🙂 have an “ordinary” oatmeal cookie posted, I’m happy–but you need to balance this thin and crispy one with a thick and chewy version. I vote for Levain’s!
Hi Mel! Would it be OK to refrigerate the dough or even freeze it? I like to make the dough THEN ask the kids for “help” when all the work is done 🙂 At least when trying a new recipe.
Lori – I think you could definitely refrigerate the dough. You might need to let it rest at room temp to make it scoopable after chilling if the dough gets firm in the fridge.
I am a soft and chewy cookie person too, but I trust your judgement. I’ll make these cookies today because I have all the ingredients on hand and I love cookies!
I’m a soft and chewy, gooey cookie lover. That said, these cookies look and sound amazing! My husband loves thin, crispy cookies so I will make a batch of these for him. Of course, I will have to try one (or two) for the sake of research. If you loved this recipe enough to post it, I know it’s delicious!
I love this recipe!!! I’ve never been a fan of oatmeal cookies and I could never understand why until I tried one without cinnamon….. I’m not a fan of cinnamon in cookies, I just never knew!! My recipe from ATK cookbook is nearly the same recipe but has a has a bit of nutmeg and it’s delicious. YUM!
Mel! Love your blog, made so many things off it (Magical frosting last weekend, WOW), but i was wondering… could i sub 1/2 cup mini choco chips for 1/2 cup oats here? I just cannot fathom placing a cookie in front of my husband without chocolate. In your professional opinion, do i risk messing with perfection?
Amanda – quite honestly (and trust me, I love chocolate), I think chocolate would mess with the perfection of this cookie. It’s just so perfectly wonderful on it’s own. But hey, I’m never one to fully discourage experimenting so let me know if you take the plunge and try it (oh, I wouldn’t omit any of the oats if you add chocolate chips).
Two words:
Add. Cinnamon.
I am curious why you seem to always use salted butter with baking. I had always thought that unsalted was better because it was supposedly more pure and you could control the salt more. Does salted butter really make a difference, and if so, what does it do to the recipe? Thanks for any input.
Hi Teresa – quite simply, I’m too lazy to keep both salted and unsalted butter on hand, especially because (don’t cringe!), I don’t see a huge difference. I know that food purists say that a stick of butter can have varying amounts of salt and maybe because I consistently buy my butter from the same store, I don’t have over-salted issues. Maybe I’ll change my tune one day but in my world, using unsalted butter is too fussy. However, in recipes that have called for unsalted butter, I usually decrease the salt just a tad since I’m using salted butter. My recipes always reflect that change if I’ve made one. Conversely, if you like to use unsalted butter, you can usually sub it in for the salted butter and increase the salt slightly. Hope that helps!
I,like you, don’t bother with “crunchy” cookies ….. But, because I trust you so much & you have NEVER led me astray, I’m going to try these… I’m pretty sure my ‘cookies dipped in milk’ loving sons will sing your praises… Iet you know when the verdict is in… Around snack time this morning 🙂