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!
When it comes to cookies, what camp are you in? Soft and puffy or thin and crisp?
I’ll admit, I have never, NEVER (sorry to shout but this is important), met a crispy cookie that I have liked. I just haven’t.
I am a soft and chewy cookie girl all the way. No compromise. It doesn’t matter how delicious the cookie is – if it is crispy, I’m probably not going to waste the calories.
Until now.
These cookies. Oh, these cookies.
They are so utterly delicious, I really don’t know where to start.
You might be wondering why I tried them in the first place since crispy cookies are not my thing.
In the interest of full disclosure it is only because I frequently let my kids pick what treat they want to help me bake and after poring through my cookbooks, my 4-year old who can’t read but must have a good cookie psyche, pointed to these.
In a book without pictures no less. Argh.
I tried to lie to him and tell him he had pointed to Double Chocolate Chewy Morsels but curse his little learning-his-letters brain, he insisted there was no “Duh” sound in the letters he was pointing to and my battle was lost.
So we made these crispy oatmeal cookies.
And even after they exited the oven and cooled, I was not convinced. I didn’t try them. Not me. Not me and my anti-crispy cookie bias.
Even as my kids were literally scarfing them down, I was unmoved.
Until my sweet sons started dipping these crispy oatmeal cookies into their glasses of frothy, cold milk. And then for some reason, the golden halves of cookie dripping in icy milk had me rethinking my staunch refusal and I decided to take one little taste.
Oh my starlit heavens. These are amazing. Somehow I was won over.
The buttery crispness of the cookies with a very, very, very slightly chewy center (probably because I underbake everything) had me eating another and another and another.
I was no longer in control of my own actions. I just couldn’t stop.
Dipped in milk these are unreal. But even on their own, I have to confess that I’ve been converted to thin and crispy.
Not for every cookie in the world, but for these oatmeal cookies? I’ll go thin and crispy any day.
One Year Ago: Healthy Banana Bran Muffins
Two Years Ago: Chicken Cordon Bleu {The Easy Way!}
Three Years Ago: {No-Bake} Oreo Cheesecake
Thin and Crispy Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 14 tablespoons butter (1 3/4 sticks), softened but still slightly cool
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups 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
Don't substitute quick oats in this recipe; you'll hate me because the cookies won't look like the ones in the pictures. It's old-fashioned rolled oats all the way here.
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Added 1/2 cup of butterscotch chips and these turned out amazing! Thank you!
This recipe is so easy to make. Turned out so tasty and pretty right from the first try. But rolled oats is a luxury for me. Will bake them with quick oats next time. Thank you Mel
These cookies are delicious!! They were easy to make and turned out great. Will definitely be making these again!!
The best! Thank you for sharing! It’s perfect.
I made this cookie! I love it! Im Korean and i dont like desserts that r too sweet but this is just right! My family liked them too 🙂
This recipe warranted me to delete all other plain oatmeal cookies recipes on my pinterest account! I rarely rate or leave comments but, I love these cookies and I love you for sharing this recipe! Thanks! This is a keeper!
Thank you so much, Diane!
I would love to make a peanut butter version of this recipes. Thoughts on subbing peanut butter fo the butter, and peanut butter powder for some of the flour. Any comments?
I wouldn’t sub out all of the butter – if anything, I’d take out 1/4 cup of butter and add peanut butter starting at that point.
These were amazing. I added chopped pecans and walnuts.
I added a small teaspoon of cinnamon powder, made for great flavour, delicious cookies
I’m about to make these cookies while watching my favorite Youtubers, Bon Appetite. Imagine my surprise, but not really, as one of the chefs mentions that she follows Mel’s Kitchen! You’re famous.
Really?? That’s awesome! Thank you for sharing that!
Omg ! These cookies!! There were exactly like an old family recipe I have been searching for ! Hands down the best oatmeal cookie you’ll ever wrap your lips around !
Have you ever tried freezing the baked cookies for later? I have to make a bunch of cookies w/o chocolate for a youth activity and these look delicious Just wondering if they freeze well
Yes, works great!
I just made them They’re awesome!! So crispy and delicious. I just toned down the sugar bc I didnt have the brown sugar, I used cristalized instead and they’re just perfect. Best recipe for crispy oat cookies.
Wow! These were amazing!
My first attempt at this recipe was a huge success. The cookies started disappearing as soon as they came out of the oven. But a word of warning: the crispiness and flavor of these cookies are irresistable and highly addictive.
This is an addition to my previous post about these oatmeal cookies. I formed all the cough into balls and placed them on an extra cookie sheet which was kept in the refrigerator while other cookies baked. I found that the cookies that had waited in the refrigerator for their turn in the oven came out better than those that received no refrigeration at all. So for me, I will add about 15 mins. minimum in the refrigerator before popping into the oven. I wonder if anyone else had this occur?
I’ve previously worked as a pastry chef and what I’ve done in situations like this where the dough gets a little soft is simply keep the batter in the fridge in between rounds of baking. Always works for me.
I made these cookies, following the recipe precisely. Although the taste is scrumptious, the cookies spread out so much that they look like ‘lace’ cookies. Maybe it’s a difference in climate as I am in the deep south. When the Cookie Spirit moves again, I’ll try cutting the amount of butter just a bit. This is the only reason I gave the recipe 3 stars.
What is 3/4 tsp of baking powder
Pls let me know so I can try these
Three fourths of a teaspoon of baking powder equals 1/2 teaspoon plus 1/4 teaspoon
7.5 ml
These are great cookies. I baked them for 10 minutes, 5 minutes on each side, and for me, they were the perfect combination of crisp and chewy. I let them cool on the baking sheet as was recommended. I tried baking one batch for 13 minutes, but they were too crispy, so I guess you have to find the baking time that’s just right for your taste. The only change I made was to add 1 cup of raisins, as I love them. Best oatmeal cookie recipe I’ve ever tried, so thank you, Mel. I don’t have to look any further to satisfy my oatmeal/raisin cookie craving.
You baked them for “5 minutes on each side”? Did you flip them like pancakes? If so, I will definitely try this method.
I baked a Perfect of oatmeal cookies from your recipe
Made these today and boy were they good! Usually, I’m all about the chewy cookie, but I felt I needed some diversity in my repertoire so I tried this one and was pleased, as was the family. I followed the recipe exactly. Think this one would be great for a care package cookie since it seems like it could stand up to a little abuse. 😉
I made these cookies, turned out very crunchy just like I like them. I didn’t add the brown sugar and messed up on the mixing directions but they still came out great.
Can I add chocolate chips and if so do I change anything
You can try! It might effect the texture of the cookies or how much they flatten/don’t flatten, but I think others have tried it with good results.
A great cookie recipe! I added a touch of cinnamon but this is definitely a cookie I’ll be making over and over! Thank you!
These are excellent. The only change I made to the recipe was to make the cookies bigger. My yield was 14, so they were considerably bigger than the cookies pictured with the recipe. If you make them without tweaking the recipe, they should turn out exactly as described. Sometimes less is more, and this basic oatmeal cookie recipe is a great example.
Excellent recipe Mel, thank you from my family in England. I baked half the batch for 12 minutes because my husband and daughter prefer chewier more flapjacky textured cookies and the other half for 16 minutes for my son and I who prefer crisper cookies. Both types are delicious. I didn’t make any alterations to the recipe and nobody wanted any raisins or nuts thrown in – plain and simple is so often overlooked but sometimes exactly hits the spot, and that’s the case with these excellent cookies.
HI Mel, great recipe, I changed the recipe a little bit. I used l/2 cup sugar instead of 3/4 cup. I also added Almond extract instead of vanilla. Added Rice Krispies, and chocolate chips. . Thank you.
Excellent cookies. I used 1/2 sugar and 1/4 brown sugar. Also I substituted vanilla for almond extract. And added Rice Krispies, and chocolate chips.
Wowza!!! These are delicious. I absolutely think the key is to undercook them just a tiny bit. I took them out when the edges were starting to get golden but the middle looked barely done. They were just perfect. These are a must do and a definite re-do!!
Hi Mel,The cookies melt in my mouth!The best oatmeal cookies ever and can’t stop eating them.I love your recipes.You rock!!
These were so yummy! I didn’t have old fashioned oats but I did have quick oats and they turned out great! The whole family LOVED them! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Can I substitute coconut flour or almond flour
I haven’t tried either of those substitutions, but you could definitely experiment.
do you think you could add coconut to these and get same success?
I think others in the comment thread have done that with good results!
Oh my Goodness! I don’t even like Oatmeal Cookies,. Till Mel’s,, and now I have not wanted to stop eating them. Just break off one more little bite! My husbands likes raisins in the cookies, so I did add half a cup (I saw another ‘fan’ did also). And, I must admit, as great as these are , I did add some chocslate chips to the last batch. Oh My! ❣️
These cookies are phenomenally good. I will say what so many have said before. I used to have to buy cookies like these. No one I knew could make them, I certainly could not. But now, I can!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe. It is fabulous.
These are excellent cookies! My family loved them. I had been looking for a crispy cookie recipe and this was perfect. Thank you!
Just made these cookies…they are delicious!
I’m in love!! I added some chopped toasted walnuts to 1/2 the batch…delicious also!
Thanks
These are amazing!! This will be the only oatmeal cookies I ever bake. Perfect balance of crispy and buttery. This is the 3rd and last recipe I tried. Great with about 1/2 cup of raisins too!
These are delicious yet simple cookies! They are crisp but slightly chewy in the center. Perfection.
These are AMAZING !!! My mother in law has a oatmeal cookie recipe that I thought was the best. Now I think these are!!! I followed the recipe to a T and they are so amazing. I can eat them all myself. Thank you for sharing
Fantastic flavour. I can’t get them out of the oven fast enough for my family!!! TFS
These cookies are so delicious. Crispy and buttery.
I added chopped raisins to mine. Also used a smaller cookie scoop and baked for 12 minutes. Kids waste cookies if they are too big so smaller size works for me.
This definitely is the only recipe I will ever use for oatmeal cookies!!!!
These are absolutely phenomenal they should be rated 10!! They’re addicting. I hadaltered the recipe By using half a cup cane sugar half a cup truvia made by Stevia, and added a quarter cup of ground flaxseed. I was going to take some to work but that will be a next time I’m keeping these( what’s left of them) morning I’m going to try next time using unbleached flour to make it a little bit healthier
Love love love these cookies. I can no longer eat chocolate so bye bye chocolate chip cookies and I usually like soft oatmeal cookies but these have taken over!! Thanks for the recipe!
Help!!! I had made this cookies several times, aI make sure I put all the ingredients but sometimes my cookies don’t come out thin and crispy as they should. (My cookies don’t spread) I obviously doing something wrong and I’m desespérate to find what it is. Can someone help me ? I’ll be very grateful!!
Try adding a bit less flour – that should help.
King Arthur says the weight of a cup of flour is 4 1/4 ounces – more accurate than measuring by volume.
Absolutely delicious; exactly what I was looking for! Thank you for sharing.
pretty good cookies, added cinnamon and raisins and they turned out really good
These cookies are great!! But now looking for a healthy LOW FAT version. Do you have one…thanks a bunch
I don’t – sorry!
Broke my #1 rule when making this recipe for the first time by modifying it. I doubled the recipe and substituted 1 cup of toasted ground walnuts and 1 cup somewhat crushed rice krispy treats. Walnurs for flavor and rice krispie s for crunch. They were the bomb! Also, used convection oven, baked 3 trays at a time, did not press down dough balls, rotated half way thru baking; perfect flat, golden crispy cookies.
Oops….not rice krispy treats, just rice krispy cereal…..and walnuts, not walnurs
Awesome cookies! Soooo tasty, buttery, and CRISPY!!!! I had previously tried another recipe but the cookies were chewy. My husband craved crispy cookies. I did half of the recipe. I substituted the brown sugar measure (1/4 cup) for 4 packets of Splenda and I substituted the white sugar measure (1/2 cup) for brown sugar. Old-fashioned rolled oats is a MUST!!!!!
BEST oatmeal cookie I’ve ever made. And my mother in laws has always been THE best oatmeal cookie so that says a LOT! I followed the recipe to a T and my family devoured them. Now I’m making another batch a couple days later lol
Hi, do you know if you can freeze these cookies?
Thanks
Yes, they freeze great.
I’ve made these twice now, and IMO they’re better with quick oats. The batch I made with regular rolled oats was more “crunchy” than “crispy” Both are delicious but I preferred the more delicate texture of the quick oats version
This is my favorite recipe.I tweek it sometimes depending on the occasion.I’ve probably used this 60 times.Never a bad review.Always a hit at Christmas n Birthdays.Best crisp n Chewy cookie .EVER……Thanks Mel. Your story was mine.Lol
Lord have mercy!!!!! These are the BEST cookies in the world!!!! My husband requests these cookies at least once a week and every time I make a batch to take to church they are devoured instantly.
Thanks so much for this delicious recipe
Delicious! I used salted butter and quick oats, and they turned out great (a little more savory with salted butter – although it wasn’t specified in the recipe, usually baking calls for unsalted). I also (was painting attention and) mixed all of the dry ingredients together then added the wet (melted the butter fully but not hot).
Been looking for a recipe like this for years. Added peanuts. we can’t leave them alone. thanks so much.
These are the best oatmeal cookies ever. . Crisp n chewy center … also you can add some toffee bits and semi sweet morsels to really kick in the “can’t wait to eat another ” obsession These are best ever !! Thank you for this recipe….
Michelle
Made these cookies again. First batch didn’t last long. I added hickory nuts to half and coconut and nuts to the other half. Perfect recipe.
These cookies are my favorite of ALL time
Buttery, crispy melt in your mouth perfection
Thanks for this wonderful cookie recipe!
I have been looking for a recipe like this, and it is perfect. Easy and they did spread out just like you said. Thank you so much. I will make these all the time now.
My husband loves crispy cookies and these were by far the best I have ever made of any kind…4th time baking these gems…Thank you so much for sharing.
Omg!!! This is – without a doubt – the best oatmeal cookie ever. Thank God I doubled the recipe!
I tweaked recipe using 50/50 blend of stevia and granulated sugar and also for the brown sugar (50/50 with stevia). Cookies are delicious!
Crispy is an understatement. They failed to flatten and in fact turned out like little hockey pucks — and I followed the recipe exactly.
OMG So chewy and buttery almost makes Tates cookies take a back seat.
These cookies are so good. I added cinnamon, chocolate chips, walnuts and raisins.
I can’t really add anything more than what’s already been said…will never use any other oatmeal cookie recipe! Followed the recipe exactly as shared, made the perfect batch. Thank you for sharing this gem!
I was looking for a recipe for crisp, flaky oatmeal cookies to try to reproduce a recipe I used in the late 70s. This was the one! I recall using shortening in the old recipe however so I used 4 oz shortening and 3 oz butter instead of the 14 tablespoons of butter. I also cut back on the salt, to just over a half a teaspoon. They turned out beautifully. What a great way to test out my new oven! The highlight of my week – THANK YOU FOR PUBLISHING THIS RECIPE!
Thanks so much, John!
Forgot to rate! Hands down BEST recipe ever!!
My husband loves oatmeal cookies. I wanted to try a new recipe – my husband was a little nervous as he believed the recipe I was using was perfect. However, I just made these cookies – followed directions – absolutely incredible! He couldn’t believe that there was a better recipe. This will be my go to recipe going forward!
Great recipe! I used 1 cup of brown sugar and only 2 cups of oats, and they turned out so delicious.
Awesome! Glad they turned out so well.
These cookies are addictive! I made them exactly according to the recipe. In the future, I might add raisins or chocolate chips or coconut, but they don’t need anything! They are absolutely perfect as is. ❤️
I made these cookies exactly as the recipe states. I also added 8 oz ofchocolate chips and 8oz peanut butter chips. They were amazing!
These were by far the best oatmeal cookies I have ever made. Even my husband who is more of a chocolate fan loved them. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
These are simply delicious cookies – very crispy and chewy.
I baked 14 min & let sit on the pan for a few minutes and removed to rack –it will become a favorite — thanks for sharing your recipe .
I made these cookies today and they were absolutely delicious. My children loved them so much. I followed the recipe but increased my baking time by an extra five minutes. This recipe is a win for me. Thanks for sharing I appreciate.
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe. I just made slight variations. I replaced butter with 1/2 cup of peanut butter and 1/2 cup of vegetable oil ,egg replaced with 1/4 of banana purée and increased baking time to 18 mins . I got really crispy cookies. Please advise cooling time before transferring to container
these are truly the perfect oatmeal cookies! every person that tried them immediately asked for the recipe. These are the kind of cookies you cannot put down when you start eating. I love it!
I follow the recipe exactly and they come out perfect each time.
Needs more flavor, cinnamon will make these greater!
Used quick oats and they still turned out great. I love crisp cookies. Only always use salted butter too.
Delish, made no changes & your right no need to press the balls at all.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
Made these cookies for my family but they didn’t turn out that great. 2 tablespoons of cookie dough blended together, so I switched to 1 1/2. Don’t forget to use parchment paper, greasing the pan doesn’t work. Still tasted good!
I have always been a fan of crispy cookies, and I have spent a lot of time searching for the perfect one. The rest of my family would be happy just eating the dough. (Yuck!)
However, I made these recently and served them to my family, and they loved them!!!
Thanks so much for the recipe. I can barely keep the cookie jar (Cookie Monster) filled.
Yay!
These cookies are to die for. Chewy yet crisp. Follow recipe exactly. I love oatmeal cookies and these are my all time favorite! Everyone loves them!
I made it last weekend, the most delicious oatmeal cookies I ever had. Thank you !!!
Do you think this recipe would work as the topping for a peach crisp? I’m trying to find something super crispy to go on top and for there to be a lot of it!
Definitely worth a try!
What a great idea! Did you ever try this? How did it turn out?
I usually add roasted pecans to my crisp topping, but I never thought about doing this
I’m going to lie and tell everyone this is my grandmother’s secret recipe!
Added (Washington State company) Chukar cherries and walnuts, and this made the best oatmeal cookie i’ d ever had. I’ve never been a big fan of oatmeal cookies but a friend tried this recipe and I was persuaded to change my mind!
5 stars!! ✨ Perfect
I love this recipe!! The cookies are super crispy as promissed! 5 stars!!
I would really like to try an apple version of this recipe, but I am afraid the cookies get soft and not crispy… How do you recommend doing it?
I read that so people do it with dried apples…
I look forward to your feedback!
Thanks 🙂
I’m not entirely sure, but I do think the idea of dried apples is the way to go – and using freeze dried apples would be even better!
Fantastic. As much as I wanted to make them exactly like the recipe I used what I had on hand which was pancake mix instead of flour and water instead of the egg. I reduced the sugar too based on some of the comments.. Really great and a definite make again!
Got rave reviews from guests. I added chunks of Valrhona bitter sweet chocolate and semisweet Calebaut chocolate. Wonderful in the crisp cookie surroundings.
I’m planning to make a big batch. How long do the cookies last?
A couple days if they are well covered.
I am baking on Ometepe Island in Nicaragua. These cookies have been a hit with locals. We make a five inch version… ‘la galleta grande’. I’m still working on the thickness and baking time to achieve ‘crispy’… mine are still on the chewy side. I use dark rum instead of vanilla.
the rum is why they are chewy
I don’t know if you or any of your readers use baking as a form of stress relief, but I work out a lot of frustration mixing and kneading and frosting things. Today was one of those days where a very difficult time at work and a too long commute sent me straight to the kitchen when I finally got home. After thawing soup for dinner (broccoli and cheese…also thank you for that), I made these perfect, tasty oatmeal cookies. They are perfect and made just enough for dessert tonight, a lunchbox treat for the kids tomorrow, and the cookie balls I didn’t bake for the freezer for another night. I so appreciate you, Mel. You helped me turn this day around. XO
Ah, thanks, Sara. Hang in there. (I bake for stress relief, too, so I get where you’re coming from!)
Did someone say stress relief?! That’s exactly why I have my blog – because I do the same thing. You’re in good company!
Hi! I’m about to try your oatmeal cookies (crispy version). Can I chilled them for overnight for even size? I will tweaked your recipe in my first try by lessening the white sugar to 3/4 cup.
Yes, I think you can chill them.
I did something wrong..cookies tasted great, BUT…not crispy at a all. Cooked them for 16min, nice color, cooled completely…still chewy. Could I have not cooked them long enough or made the size too big. Have been cooking for 60 years but I’m at a loss of what I did or did not do to make these very tasty cookies soft and chewy ? Any suggestions from all you good cooks out there ?
Hi Norah – I’d just try adding a few minutes to the baking time. That should do the trick.
These cookies are awesome!!!
About how many cookies does this make? Sorry if I’ve overlooked it. I can’t wait to make these!
The yield is right above the recipe title – it makes about 2 dozen. 🙂
After years of making oatmeal cookie and tasting too healthy or not crispy enough–I finally found the recipe!!!
I didn’t have all purpose flour so I subbed with 1/2 cup almond, 1/4 coconut, 1/4 quinoa. I didn’t want to use all butter, so I used Nutiva red palm oil shortening. I added walnuts and dried cranberries, subtracted a 1/4 cup oats and 1/2 cup sugar.
Ok, so that really isn’t her recipe at all! LOL! 🙂
Love love love this recipe!! Easy to follow instructions .. easy to make!! I found this recipe and your blog yesterday. Have had fun reading things on your site and looking forward to making more recipes of yours. Mel, you’re the next Pioneer Woman! Seriously!! I hope Food Network finds you and makes you an offer and star! Keep doing what you do. You’re an inspiration!
(from St. Louis, MO)
Haha, you are so cute, Laura. Thank you!
Oh My! These cookies are delicious! I love oatmeal cookies and I love crispy cookies so when I found this recipe I was in heaven! I’ve made them several times now but last week I wanted to make them and realized I only had 1 stick of butter so I used the butter I had and filled in the rest with coconut oil. Then, since I was changing the recipe anyway I thought, why not add in some other goodies? So I added 12 oz dark choc chips, 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 cup dried cranberries and 1 cup chopped toasted almonds. OMG! I think those turned out to be the BEST cookies I’ve ever tasted! EVERYONE who ate them thought they were amazing and a couple of people actually said I’d stumbled upon the worlds best cookie recipe ever. I will continue to make the basic cookies because I truly do love them but I’m going to also continue to experiment with additional ingredients because the basic recipe is so good it can easily be adjusted to fit anyone’s tastes. Thank you so much for posting!
This is my FAVORITE Cookie recipe! I love a crunchy cookie and after searching for so long, I came across your recipe and it is PERFECTION! I made them at Christmas this year, and plan to make them throughout the year! As someone who is more of a novice at baking and does not bake often, this recipe was easy to follow, but dead on when it came to crunch and taste – I wouldn’t change a thing! Look forward to making many more batches!
These truly were perfect. I followed the recipe and instructions as written except that I added raisins and walnuts. The crispiness is divine. This is the oatmeal cookie recipe I’ve been looking for forever.
I made these cookies and they are so crunchy. I don’t like the soft sugary-sweet ones, so these are perfect for me.
These were delicious! I love crispy cookies, and recently bought some at a Japanese shop that were very small, crisp and delicate, with baby chocolate chips and finally ground oatmeal. I used this recipe as a base, but put the oatmeal in the food processor and ground it up fairly fine, and added tiny semi-sweet chocolate chips. I made two cylinders of dough about 1 1/2″ in diameter and frozen them in parchment paper, then sliced them about 3/8″ thick. I baked them on parchment paper at 350 for 11-12 minutes. They were crispy, fine, delicate and delicious!!! Not exactly like the cookies I was imitating, but pretty darn close!
Have been searching for the cookie of my childhood, founded it finally. Did not disappoint and I’m happy, happy, happy. Easy and fun, good to involve kids with. I sprinkled cinnamon sugar on cookies for that something extra.
I’m guessing if I use instant oats it should look finer right? I’ll try and keep you posted!!!
Instant oats will NOT provide the same results.
i like it
Absolutely deeelish…thanks for posting.
(i also reduced the size of the cookies. used a rounded tablespoon, got 36 cookies, perfect size)
Oh LORD! I made these cookies this weekend (moderate changes — added raisins and walnuts, cinnamon…) and they are FANTASTIC. I love crisp oatmeal cookies. Don’t like soft ones! The texture and flavor was fantastic. THANK YOU!
Best tasting (and smelling!) recipe ever! I added cranberries and walnuts. I pre soaked the cranberries in the egg and vanilla mixture. Plumps them up. Soooo good! Thank you.
Soooo good!
Just baked this, it is indeed delicious. I reduce the white sugar by 1/4 cup. It is perfect. Crispy but not flat like the usual crispy cookies. Love it. ❤️
While I AM a staunch “crispier the better” cookie lover, oatmeal cookies have never been one of my favorites.
I recently started dating a man who loves oatmeal cookies, so to earn “brownie points”, I decided to make him a batch. This recipe floored him! He couldn’t stop raving about them.
Coming from an oatmeal connoisseur, I was quite impressed! I must admit I love them, too . Happily, we are still seeing each other. The problem is, however, I don’t know whether it’s me or the cookies he is sticking around for!
Haha! Loved this! Glad the cookies were a hit. 🙂
I made this last week and pretty sure I got my butter measurement wrong. Tasted so good but everyone was pretty much overdosed with butter. Will make it again next week and will half my butter this time, I added cranberries and dark choc chips.
Do u have a scale? I believe it is 7 oz
My go-to recipe every time for oatmeal.
This cookie recipe is incredible!! This is the second time I have made it and me and my husband love it! It is our go-to cookie!
Sorry, forgot the stars!!!!
Perfect cookie!!!! I’m so sick of recipe’s for fat, soft cookies. I love oatmeal and thought I’d give these a try. I did use less granulated sugar, and used 1/2 regular flour and 1/2 coconut flour. I also added 1/4 cup raisins, ans 1/4 cup chopped dates. They turned out nice and flat, and crispy for a wonderful change. Easy recipe and fun to tweak. But not necessary since they are so good just the way they are. Thank you!
Gluten-Free Version: I followed this recipe exactly except used King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free all-purpose flour, for people with Celiac. They came out amazing…my dad said that gluten-free or not, they are the best oatmeal cookies he’s ever had.
The original recipe said to put two-tablespoon scoops, but that makes huge balls that come out like big cookies, so I assume they meant two teaspoons? I am going to add cinnamon to the next batch. I tried with chocolate and walnuts, and prefer it without anything. Excellent post thank you!!
I substituted stevia for white sugar. They came out great.
Hi can you please tell the temperature at which these need to be baked for 13-16 minutes?
They bake at 350 degrees F.
Do you have weights for the ingredients?
I haven’t added weight measures to this recipe yet, but I will hopefully update the recipe soon!
Awesome cookies ! Thanks for the recipe!
I love these cookies.
I have been searching for a recipe for crispy oatmeal cookies that I would like to make more then once…. I found it.
I did add a bit less sugar , omitted 1/4 cup of the white sugar (I don’t my cookies too sweet.)
I did bake them for 2 extra minutes (18 minutes, I like them real crispy) and left them on the cookie sheet to cool for 10 minutes before placing them into a cookie container.
They are very crispy and taste great.
Printed and saving this recipe forever.
This is the best oatmeal cookie recipe I tried so far. Compare with the other recipes I tried before, this one contains more percentage oatmeal inside and less other ingredients – I think this is why the cookie tastes so great 🙂
Thanks for posting it.
Oh my goodness! The first time I made these cookies was in 2007 after receiving the recipe in a Cook’s illustrated magazine which was lost in a move in 2010. I have been looking for this recipe since then! These are THE ultimate oatmeal cookies from heaven and I am thanking you for finally being able to have this recipe again! Just in the “Nick” of time for our church’s Christmas in July dinner fest this coming Saturday. I am in charge of deserts and wanted this one to be on the list! KUDDOS!
Hi Mel please tell me the weight measurement of butter. 14 tabs sounds like an awful lot for 1 cup flour. Many Thx Von
7 ounces
Beware: If you make ice cream cookie sandwiches out of these and leave them in the freezer for a day, your life will be forever changed. It’s unreal.
Yum!
oh my gosh ur right! These would be the perfect cookies to recreate an It’s It ice cream sandwich…my faves were w coffee ice crm.
This recipe is awesome! Buttery, crunchy and super tasty! I’ve been looking for a recipe that utilizes oats but always stumble upon the cinnamon-ginger-raisin type.. This is a butter cookie (mmm!) with oats in the starring role, just the thing I wanted!
The baking times where on spot (13′ for a 1tsp cookie, 16′ for a 2tsp cookie) and the crunchyness was …mmm..! On the down side (thus I didn’t gave 5 but 4,5 stars) they are overly sweet to my taste. Even though in this fisst try I’ve already substituted 1/4 cup of white sugar with packed brown (resulting in 3/4 cup white +1/2 brown) they .. I will definately make them again (and again, and again…) with less sugar! Definately a keeper!
Can I had raisens and nuts. If so, how mich?
Sure! I haven’t done that so you could experiment with quantities – maybe 1/2 cup each?
Loved them, and I’m picky about my oatmeal cookies. I tweaked it a bit, adding coconut flower, cinnamon, and milk.
Opps. Flour, not flower.
I added mini semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon to the recipe and they were IRRESISTIBLE. They didn’t last 30 minutes in my house. I only wish it yielded more cookies, but I will just have to make another batch. 🙂
Hi Mel,
I found this recipe and made these cookies today. I was so happy to have finally found a recipe for crunchy cookies :). They were super easy to make and everything was going well until they went in the oven. Why did they smell and taste like the smell of microwaved butter popcorn?
Are they suppose to be those sweet yummy oat cookies….cause my ones were a bit sweet but had a sort of a tangy smell and taste to it…one I can only resemble to microwaved butter popcorn (the way they smell not taste). I’m trying to figure out what it could have been as all my ingredients were fresh and just been bought.
I really don’t mean this in a rude or a bad way, but I thought I might just ask because from reading all the comments I’m pretty sure something went really wrong for me.
Thank you for sharing your recipe though, I might give it another try because the crunchiness was amazing!
Kind regards,
Mary
Hi Mary – it might be related to the brand of butter/oats you used. These cookies do have a crunchy, almost caramelly/toffee like exterior because of the crispy nature of the cookies. You might have made them exactly right!
I would very much like to know how many carbs per cookie. I have a sweet tooth and am a diabetic 2 so trying to find a healthy recipe
I’m not sure; I’ve never calculated the carbs in this cookie recipe. Sorry about that!
I wonder if You could use almond flour and half splenda
Omg!!! These cookies are the best!! Finally a great recipe!!! These cookies are so delicious!! Came out better than expected! Thanks so much for sharing!!
These are fantastic. My new go to oatmeal cookie. The first batch spread quite a bit and were very thin and crispy- perfect to my mind! The 2nd time they were thicker and needed to bake longer. With the first batch the butter was still cool, and and very soft and more room temp with the 2nd. It seems like results should have been the reverse. The 2nd batch aI also used a hand beater all the way thru, so maybe that made a difference. Either way, a terrific cookie.
Hello,
Do you mind advice the measurement in gram for the ingredient as i do not have a cup measurement,
1 cup all-purpose flour
14 tablespoons butter (1 3/4 sticks), softened but still slightly cool
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
Thank you so much for your advice.
http://www.rapidtables.com/convert/weight/ounce-to-gram.htm
You can.plug it in. 1c=16 oz 14 tablespoons =7 oz 1/4c = 2 oz
I noticed there is no eggs in this recipe. Is that the reason for them being so crispy?
It definitely helps contribute to the crispiness. 🙂
I am confused , because your recipe for the crispy oatmeal cookie DOES have 1 egg. Is there a different recipe with no egg? I am looking for one with no egg, but I am going to try your recipe today! Sounds like everyone loves them.
Thanks,
You have every right to be confused! There IS an egg in this recipe…I was obviously confused when I commented back that response. I was thinking about another recipe – but when I went and checked, it also has an egg. So basically, I should just keep my mouth shut. 🙂
I used quick oats and they were the best
It is the best crispy oatmeal cookie! Baked longer for color and crispiness. Can these keep out on the counter for a week? Thank you so much!!!
BJ
I’ve made a lot of oatmeal cookies and this one doesn’t require cinnamon nor raisins. I found that strange at first but I never made cookies as crispy as that. Thanks for the recipe, perfect with my milk in the morning!
Tried your recipe, absolutely the best oatmeal cookies, I have baked ever, thank you for sharing. We love them, this recipe is definitely a keeper. Also, first time making them without the cinnamon, best choice ever!!!!
Glad you liked them, Paula!
These are the most satisfying crunch-offering cookies. They spread out to a perfect thin but with substance thickness and you can’t stop biting them. They taste wonderful as well, but I cannot get over the crunch!
These are fabulous, just perfect. I added a cup of raisins at the end, and they made the cookies even better. I have been looking for a great crispy oatmeal cookie recipe, and this one is it. Thanks so much Mel.
they only came out crispy on the edges..they were still chewy in the middle and i let them cool down completely before tasting them.
They look exactly like yours tho and they weren’t underbaked
Second time I’ve made these, great recipe. I used 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup white, used almond extract instead of vanilla, added raisins. Purposely over baked to get extra crispy. The almond adds a nice secondary flavor. I’ll bake recommended time next go round, this recipe is getting saved.
I used oil instead of butter and dates+ raisins instead of sugar. Works fine but lost some of the crisp.
Stil great taste though!
Peter
Omg best oatmeal cookie ever.
No more buying from Starbucks
I love love these! I accidentally left the second pan in too long and they got caramel brown. I might love them the most! Thank you for the amazing recipe! Your blog is the only one I follow where I actually make the recipes.
OH God I cant thank you Enough for this Recipe! Ve made oats cookies so many times before..but this time it was actually perfect! I added chocochips and bit of cocoa .FINAlly a recipe m going to use for life! <3
I added 1/2 cup of chia seeds! So good!
Have you tried to make these cookies sugar free? I subsituted truvia brown and white sugar and the cookies tasted good but they didn’t spread and therefore were not crispy.
Please help.
I haven’t tried making them sugar free, Ruth. Sorry!
I didn’t add enough sugar and same thing happened didn’t spread or get crispy. Needs real sugar I think.
Still a great recipe! I did make them according to recipe the first time and they turned out perfect.
Can I add walnuts?
You could certainly experiment!
I have been searching for the “ultimate” crispy oatmeal raisin cookie for my husband. I came across this recipe and decided to try them. Today is his birthday and he is going to be so delighted to get these. Not only are they crispy, they are delicious. (Make sure you follow the directions and let them cool completely on the baking sheets.) I just added one cup of raisins to the recipe. Next time I will try to add a little cinnamon. I have this recipe bookmarked to make again.
Hi Mel,
i just finished making your cookies and they are soooooo good. i love crispy cookies and these are perfect!
Thanks a lot for this recipe
I was in a large home store today that offers products from around the world and they offered a crispy oatmeal cookies at check out but didn’t try one until I finished with check out. It was a great light crispy cookie. I knew I had the ingredients at home so I googled “crispy oatmeal cookie” and found this one and so glad I did! It is as good or better since it is fresh home baked. I used a heaping teaspoon since it does spread and it makes the perfect size for us. Thank you for sharing 🙂
I just make thin and crispy cookies today. It was so darn good. Thank you for the recipe. I’ll bring it to my brother’s family house for Christmas. Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year (smile)
Hi Mel,
I was thinking of making these for some family that are gluten intolerant – do you think these would work with GF oats and GF flour? Thanks and these look great!
I haven’t tried it that way but it’s certainly worth experimenting. Good luck!
I’ve been looking for a cookie like this for years. YUM YUM!!
these were called Oatmeal Favorites back in the day, nice to see the recipe. A bit of history, they go back to the 1800’s 😀
Has anyone tried adding raisins and or white choc chips? Would love to make these as a bday treat for someone!
Best cookies ever. 🙂
Omg best cookies ever, better after a few days:) I increased the brown sugar ,used a half a cup, a Tablespoon of Molasses drizzled thru last mix. Best ever. Been looking for this type of oatmeal cookie for 35 yrs. I don’t like the thick ones. These are almost Florentine type. Thank you! My husband and friends just devoured them:)
I made these today and they are absolutely easy, simple, and most importantly a perfect cookie. How could anyone not love these?! I used King Arthur “white” whole wheat flour. Thanks for the recipe!
Made these this evening subbing about 1/2 a cup of coconut flakes for some of the oatmeal, and 6 tablespoons of the butter for coconut oil. They are not crunchy this way except for the edges, but BOY are they GOOD!!
I made these cookies for the first time today. The ingredient list is so simple and the cookies are very tasty.
Now, I’m the absolute worst when it comes to raw oatmeal cookie dough—im surprised any cookies make it into the oven at all! but alas, I have to ask, how many calories do these have? Thanks!
Made these for a friend who just had a baby and who loves crunchy cookies. I dislike crunchy cookies, but these were so good that I hated to give them away. Like some others I reduced the sugar quite a bit. Next time I will also cut the salt a little. I undercooked the first batch and they were delectably chewy. I loved them that way, but in case anyone else makes this mistake, I put them in the oven for another 3 minutes (for my crunchy loving friend’s sake) and even after they’d fully cooled this crisped them up beautifully. Really tasty crispy or chewy!
hey these look so delicious but can you substitute the egg with applesauce?
You could try but I can’t guarantee the results.
I would love to try these cookies, but sadly I am very allergic to eggs. Is it possible to just leave out the eggs or can I use egg substitute?
I haven’t tried leaving out the eggs or using an egg substitute in these cookies, Sonia, so you’ll have to experiment. Good luck!
Very crispy! I was looking for oatmeal crispy cookies and your site was in the first page of the search. I decided to give it a try using a batch of homemade granola that I made last week and my kids were not eating it even if for me tasted good with orange zest, coconut, pumking and sunflower seeds. Your recipe turn out very good, I will keep it. Also I will see tomorrow if the kids will eat them, for today I have to make sure the product is still holding on and is good… There goes cookie number 5 for me!
I made these today! They r very good. I was surprised because its hard too find a good oatmeal cookie. Thank you!
Don’t know if you’re still checking on your blog but wanted to say that these cookies ROCK!!! I am with the minority; never liked soft cookies and these really hit the spot. Your recipe made it all the way to Rio, Brasil and the family is delighted with them. Just a pointer for other cooks who also live in uber humid places: once cooled, they have to go IMMEDIATELY to a well-sealed contained otherwise, they do get soft very quickly. I inadvertedly left one on the counter while talking on the phone and they were NOT crispy any more. Again, thank you so much for sharing 🙂
I made these over the holiday weekend with my 2 year old daughter. They were amazing! I made a half batch because I knew I couldn’t be trusted with 2 dozen. I had to give away the leftovers and my daughter has been asking where her cookies went. One recipient told me, “I don’t like oatmeal cookies, but I love these cookies.” Thanks for another great recipe.
I’m going to try these even though I have no idea what quantity a stick of butter is. Ours is sold in one solid block.
Super love d cookies . Thanku so much . They always come out nice n crisp
These came out perfect. My husband only likes crunchy oatmeal cookies so he loved them.
I have made this recipe a million times! Definitely a family favorite. Doesn’t disappoint, thank you 🙂
I have made these several times and I love them. I made when I was breastfeeding my son as an excuse to have my extra calories (don’t like being too skinny) and to encourage lactation. Everyone was skeptical about crunchy cookies, but not anymore! These were an amazing hit! Now I am making these again for the holidays, I can’t wait! 🙂
I love your website and I love a crispy crunchy cookie and your recipe sounded wonderful but when I pulled them out of the oven they were so spread out and paper thin, not like your photos at all. I followed the recipe to a T. What could I have done differently? Help! 🙂
Not sure, Carol – it’s hard to know since I wasn’t there when you made them. Do you think your butter might have been too soft/melty? How do you measure your flour? Everyone measures a bit differently and because of that, you might need a few tablespoons extra flour. Sorry they didn’t work out for you!
Hi Mell it’s me again. I also wanted to let you and other new and experienced bakers know I have been baking since I was very young, I started at about 8 or 9 yrs. old and have never used unsalted butter in my baking. It did not seem to affect the texture or taste of anything I baked. This is just an FYI
Hello Mel, I made crispy oatmeal cookies about 10 years ago for the 1st time and just loved them and I’m not an oatmeal cookie fan at all. I learned to make oatmeal cookies because they are my husbands and was my fathers favorite cookie. As I said I had never made thin crispy oatmeal cookies until then, someone had given me a recipe so I decided to try it and everyone fell in love with them. I had a neighbor who’s had hated oatmeal cookies no matter how his mother made them. I convinced him to try these and he loved them. He did not want his mother to be upset so he would sneak over to my house and scarf a couple at a time. His mother did find out and asked me for the recipe. I was not able to give her the recipe because I lost the recipe the same day I made the cookies and was never able to find it again. Now thanks to you I have it again. Thank you so much. Now I’m really ready for the holidays. Thanksgiving is in about 2 weeks and this is one thing I don’t have to think about. Happy Thanksgiving
I just want to Thank You for the crispy oatmeal cookie recipe. I have made them several times since I found your site. I am so impressed as to how each time I make them, they always come out perfect. I have been searching for a good oatmeal cookie recipe for months without success until I saw your site. My husband says they are the best cookies he has ever eaten. I did make a little change to the recipe, I used organic salted butter and baked them for 14 min. Perfection.
WOW……
I made these and took two dozen to work to share. Everyone wanted the recipe. I sort of took more credit than I deserved by telling my co-workers “of course it’s my recipe”…….
I added the hickory nuts!
Wow, I just made these, and they were DE-LICIOUS!!!! We love raisins around here, so I added a cup of raisins…I didn’t adjust the recipe, just added them. They came out perfect. The two tablespoon measurement was right on…I stacked them in a glass container and they looked amazing, of course, they didn’t last long enough for me to even take a picture…next time. Thanks so much for the recipe…it’s a keeper!!!
Thanks for the great recipe, I am a coconut fan so added half a cup of unsweetened in place of half of oats….result was delicious!!! Similar taste to my favourite ANZAC biscuits my Nana makes.
I have to say I’m completely opposite. I LOVE crispy, crunchy cookies and will not eat a soft cookie. If I see a cookie in the store that I think looks good, I bring the package home, remove the cookies and BAKE THEM. Yes, that’s right; it’s not done if it soft or gooey. That’s my opinion. When I make cookies from a recipe, I look for a cookie with “crispy” or “crunchy” in the title. All other cookies are really cake in my opinion… itty bitty mini cakes. I make cakes and cookies, not cakes and mini cakes.
I loved the cookies and texture was buttery and crispy. I did use unsalted butter because my husband has high blood pressure, but used the suggested recipe amount for the salt. I did not find them in any way less tasty, but I also added Craisins and nuts. I will make these over and over again. Thank you!
Dear Mel,
I have been making these for lunches for several months. They are everyone’s favorite!
Sometimes I do add a handful of chopped pecans. That is great too. I never thought I would enjoy oatmeal cookies so much. Thanks. Melanie w.
I recently made your chocolate chip cookie recipe which was the BEST cookie recipe. In that recipe you called for “melted” butter. In this oatmeal cookie, should I melt the better or just use “softened” butter.
Denise – Just softened for this recipe.
hello mel! your cookies look and sound amazing! as well as all your other recipes 🙂 im gonna try this recipe tomorrow, but I was just wondering are these cookies are really sweet? cos im baking these for my dad, and he can’t take really sweet stuff 🙁
Hi Ashley – I think they are perfectly sweet but everyone’s sweetness level kind of differs so all I can suggest is to make them according to the recipe and see how you like them and possibly tweak for next time. Good luck!
okay then 🙂 thank you so much! cant wait to make them 🙂
This is great! Many thanks to uuuuu!! I sub of 1 cup chopped almond and a tbsp coco powder for half cup oatmeal.. its really crispy and chewy at the same time!! Its divine!! I baked ard 30mins 175C conventional oven and get really crispy cookie.. also tried reduce 2 mins and its a more chewy texture.. its definitely a keeper!!
Just made these…didn’t change a thing except added toasted pecans…MS. MEL YOU ARE SPOT ON!!!! DELISH….
These are the bomb! They came out just as described (how often does that happen?) WONDERFUL! Thanks SO much. Great blog too.
These seem similar to Oatmeal Scotchies, minus the butterscotch chips. What about adding some raisins? I’ll definitely try making them this week!
I couldn’t find my original recipe. It’s delicious. I used 1/2 butter and 1/2 margarine something like that because so it won’t turn brown when baking in the oven. Thank you for sharing it. 🙂
I have been searching for the perfect oatmeal cookie recipe for my husband, who had surgery recently & is having problems eating most foods. He wanted a yumny, crisp cookie & I have made several from scratch recipes. My search is over! He loves this cookie (so do I). I added two kinds of raisins and a cup of coconut. Made this recipe two days ago; and making a double batch of cookie dough to keep in the fridge. Delicious!
I’m so happy to hear that, Lora! I hope your husband has a speedy recovery!
Thanks so much Mel for your kind comment. At this very moment I’m baking a double batch of your cookies. I bake a lot; everything from scratch as they say in the South. My husband has wanted a crispy cookie for quite awhile; I’m so glad that I won’t need to try other recipes. He’s recuperating & very happy to have his favorite cookies. Me too!
Thanks for this truly delicious recipe. Husband has recuperated, thank you! I’ve made this fabulous recipe umpteen times since May; my husband and family are just not satisfied with any other kind – including a chocolate chip cookie I’ve made for years that used to be their favorite! Getting ready to make a double batch today; perhaps I will get a short reprieve of my family requesting them . . . . . . again! Best to you, Mel!
Those cookies are PERFECT! They might even be my favorite cookies, I think only homemade Oreos can compete.
I already made them 2 times and this weekend I’ll bake another batch , I’m reallly looking forward to them! Sp yummy 😀
Oh and they can be stored for ages…. i put one in an airthight cookie container in december, forgot all about it and when i rediscovered it last month it still was perfectly good and delicoius 😀
Just made a batch of these PERFECTO! The texture is great and the amount of crispiness is perfect. The next batch I may add some cinnamon to. I love crunchy cookies and this recipe fills the bill. Thanks so much for sharing.
OMG! These cookies are the quintessential oatmeal cookie! I get 33 cookies from your recipe and my husband and I eat them within a week. In light of the fact that we are both very health conscious eating roughly 33 cookies per week, less a few here and there if my son visits, Is probably not a good thing. I need to tweak the amount of butter or find a substitute. I read that coconut oil is a good substitute and it is supposedly healthier than butter so maybe I’ll try that but the fat content is almost the same. Do you have any suggestions? I truly love the cookies just as they are but at this rate I’ll have to run 10 miles a day just to maintain my healthy weight…thank you. ;o)
Lucille – I am so glad you like the cookies. I haven’t tested a lower butter or lowfat variation of this cookie so you will have to experiment. These cookies do freeze well though so you could make a full batch and freeze most of them except for the ones you want to keep out to eat.
Hello Mel! Just found your website. I googled thin and crispy oatmeal cookies and of all the recipes I found yours looked the best. I just now made a batch and they are absolutely delisious. I had to make a few adjustments. Turns out I was out of baking powder and had to use a little extra soda. They didn’t come out as thin as yours but they were still good. Also, I don’t eat refined sugar so I substituted with raw turbinado and raw brown sugar. This made them extra crunchy! And lastly, I used whole wheat flour instead of AP. I usually hate whole wheat cookies but it worked so well in this recipe. Can’t even tell a difference. Thanks so much for sharing!
I was in search for the best crunchy oatmeal cookie and I’m glad i found your blog!!! Ijust made tonight and boy it”s cruchy, delicious and i love it! Thanks for this wonderful recipe.. I cant wait to try some recipes from your blog!! THANK YOU AGAIN! 😉
This was the best cookie! I accidentally added an extra egg so I added a little more oatmeal ( I also used quick oats) and the cookie was crunchy and tasty. Thanks.
A nice change from the usual chewy oatmeal cookies I make. I did personalize it a bit.
I find that most recipes for sweets have an over abundance of sugar. I cut the white sugar by half and they are still plenty sweet. You won’t even miss it. I added 3/4 teas cinnamon, and some raisins (of course, that adds extra sugar). Even if I hadn’t added the raisins, I would have cut down the sugar. Who doesn’t need less of that?!! I do it in almost every sweet type recipe I make, and they are all still sweet. I made them as a thank you gift and have already eaten three of them!
Thank you for this great recipe! I added walnuts, pecans, and toasted coconut, plus subbed half the butter for organic coconut oil. I’m in LOVE!!
I just made a batch yesterday, yea, they are almost gone! You should really try the coconut variation they provided in the Cooks Illustrated magazine…..oooooooo my God!!!!!!! You just reduce the oats to 2 cups and add 1 1/2 cups of sweetened flaked coconut to the oats. The coconut flavor is subtle and you don’t feel any of that “coconutty” texture. If you want to go crazy, make some ice cream sandwiches with coconut ice cream ( we are lucky enough to have a local ice cream shop that has tat as a seasonal flavor). Enjoy!
Hi Mel,
Great site. You seem like you may be able to help me. I’m a mother to a two year old with a nut allergy. I’ve recently become acutely aware that his daycare, while amazing in most ways, is lacking in providing nutritious food (which is ironic because it is a daycare associated with a major healthcare system). I have started taking his snacks but don’t want him to feel different/excluded when the kids have cookies for a snack. Do you have any recipes for an oatmeal cookie that is crunchy but still “relatively” healthy (applesauce, limited butter)?
Thanks in advance and great blog!
Cate
Cate – I don’t have a cookie recipe like the one you are looking for. These Healthy Applesauce Oat Muffins might be a good substitution to try. They freeze beautifully as well. Good luck!
Love these cookies! They are really addictive! They are def a favorite! I made them again yesterday & added some chopped craisins… Yum!! The craisins gave it an extra chewiness that I love!
They came out perfect! Crunchy and wonderful. I added chopped walnuts and a handful of dried cherries and another 1/2 tsp vanilla. This will be the only Oatmeal Cookie recipe I will use.
I found them a bit dry, so I added about 1/4 cup of milk. TASTY!
Frighteningly fabulous. I’ve already commented on how good these cookies are, but I’ve now made two batches in a week, and with the exception of half a dozen that I gave to a neighbor, I have to confess that I ate each and every one myself. I have to make yet another batch, as my neighbor is now addicted to them as well.
THANK YOU! From the deepest part of my heart. I tasted cookies like this years ago and the source of them vanished. Along with the recipe! I had all but given up trying recipes when I came across yours! To me, the Lord answered my prayers through you!!! Whew!
Sincerely, Happy in Texas!
So good! I am not a thin an crispy cookie person, but decide to give it a chance after you said it was one of your favourite recipes from this year. I love the lacey, buttery texture. I did one sheet of smaller balls (closer to 1 tbs.) for 13 minutes and I may do them all like that next time just because the smaller size is easier to pack for lunches. I was surprised how much the kids liked them even without chocolate. They asked for them to be sent in lunches– which rarely happens with an oatmeal cookie.
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 🙂