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!

Two cookie halves sitting on top of glass of milk.

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.

Step-by-step making cookie dough; bowl with butter, sugar and egg; bowl with cookie batter and flour; bowl of mixed cookie dough; bowl of cookie dough and oats.
Oatmeal cookie dough in glass bowl.

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!

Four thin oatmeal cookies on white plate with top cookie broken in half.

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. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Two oatmeal cookie halves sitting on rim of glass of milk.

FAQs for Thin and Crispy Oatmeal Cookies

Can I freeze the dough?

Yes, the dough freezes great!

Do you use salted or unsalted butter?

I use salted butter.

How do you store them to stay crispy?

I usually store them in a covered container but if you want them to stay extra crispy, you can try storing them uncovered.

Can I use any kind of oats for this recipe?

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.

Four crispy oatmeal cookies stacked on white plate.

Thin and Crispy Oatmeal Cookies

4.61 stars (1295 ratings)

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

Oats: subbing quick oats for the old-fashioned rolled oats will affect the texture/outcome of the cookies – they may be thicker and puffier and not as thin and crispy in texture. 
Serving: 1 cookie, Calories: 154kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 24mg, Sodium: 147mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 11g
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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.

A thin, baked oatmeal cookie split in half on a white plate, with a glass of milk in the background.
Four thin and crispy oatmeal cookies stacked on top of each other on a white plate.