Best Easy Oatmeal Cookies (Pantry Dessert)

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Folks, you’ve found a super easy Oatmeal Cookie Recipe. They’re made from staple pantry ingredients you already own and are so simple to make that the kiddoes can make them for you.

Weight Watchers points included.

finished oatmeal cookies stacked and ready to eat

With many people trying to make sure they’re eating what they already have available in their pantries and not spend any unnecessary money, for some it means getting extra crafty in the kitchen.

Luckily for you, I’ve crafted the best Oatmeal Cookie Recipe made with staple ingredients, so no need for an extra trip to the market.

Recipe Link : Easy Snickerdoodle Mug Cake.

Kids loooooove these Oatmeal Cookies. They love making dough, and working with numbers and measurements isn’t a bad idea either. Baking cookies is a great rainy day activity, summer break treat, and a perfect way to entertain the kids when they’re stuck at home.

five oatmeal cookies stacked on top of each other

Related Link : Air Fryer Donuts.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS SIMPLE OATMEAL COOKIE RECIPE

  • Pantry Ingredients. You’ve already got these ingredients in your pantry- no need to add them to your grocery list or make a trip to the grocer. 
  • One Bowl Prep. Means fewer dishes to wash! Now, that’s something to celebrate.
  • Get the Kids Involved. This is a fun way to keep them entertained and get them involved in baking a quick and simple treat.
  • Perfect Texture. This delicious homemade Oatmeal Cookie Recipe has been tested many (and I mean many!) times by my family. They love the crispy and crunchy edges that transition to a bit more of a chewy texture towards the center.
  • No Chilling Necessary. Unlike other Oatmeal Cookie Recipes, this one doesn’t require you to chill the dough before using it. This makes this recipe even more valuable and QUICK!
  • Timesaver – Easy to Make and Freeze for Later. Who doesn’t love to have dough already made and in the freezer for when your kids are asking for some easy Oatmeal Cookies?!? Double or triple and freeze so you can satisfy cookie cravings whenever they strike.

How to Make Oatmeal Cookies 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F / 180C / gas 4.
  2. In a large bowl cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar with an electric mixer.
  3. Add the eggs and vanilla and then beat well.
  4. Stir in the flour, baking soda, salt, and oats.
  5. Mix in the coconut and chocolate chips.
  6. Scoop out tablespoonfuls of dough, roll into balls and then place on baking sheets covered with parchment paper.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes. Transfer oatmeal cookies to a wire rack to cool.
image collage showing the first four steps for making oatmeal cookies

it’s so easy to make these oatmeal cookies…..

image collage showing the last few steps for making oatmeal cookies

Recipe Tips

  • I prefer a crunchier oatmeal cookie, but, if you like a chewier cookie, decrease the cook time to 15 minutes.
  • Using room temperature butter makes it easier to cream together with the sugars (especially important if the kiddos are helping you).
  • A cookie scoop helps ensure the cookies are the same size so that they all bake evenly.
  • They are versatile. Try adding in other mix-ins that you have on hand. Think cinnamon chips, dried fruit, raisins, white chocolate chips, nuts, etc.
  • Looking for a richer, nutty flavor? Brown your butter before adding it into the mix.
  • Ovens can bake at different temperatures, so check on your oatmeal cookies often to prevent under baking or over baking your dessert.

MEAL PREP AND PREP AHEAD

This simple Oatmeal Cookie Recipe is great for prepping ahead. You can easily double or triple this recipe, make a batch now and freeze the rest to use on a different occasion. Need a rainy day activity or a lazy Sunday entertainment for the children? Make the dough ahead of time.

Make Ahead Dough – This oatmeal cookie dough can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. If you form the dough into separate cookies before storing, it makes baking them later, even easier. Chilling the dough (although not necessary for this recipe), helps enhance the flavors and texture of these cookies.

Make Ahead Cookies – Go ahead and make your cookies and if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, they can be stored in an airtight container on the counter at room temperature for up to a week. Use the handy freezing instructions and tips below if you want to freeze your pre-made cookies.

Freezing Already Made Cookies

  • Let the cookies cool down completely on their wire racks. Then transfer into these very handy Ziploc freezer bags.
  • Squeeze out all the extra air and seal the bags.
  • Label the bags and then lay them flat in the freezer.
  • Store the premade oatmeal cookies in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Freezing Unbaked Oatmeal Cookie Dough

  • If storing the dough, transfer the uncooked dough into these very handy Ziploc freezer bags.
  • Squeeze out all the extra air and seal the bags.
  • Label the bags and then lay them flat in the freezer.
  • Store the uncooked cookie dough in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Can You Bake These Cookies with Frozen Dough?

If you have some frozen oatmeal cookie dough to use, you can absolutely bake them from frozen. You do NOT have to thaw the dough before using it. Just add a minute or two to your cook time. Make sure to check on them often with the extra time so you don’t over bake them.

baked oatmeal cookies on a cooling rack

What Kind of Oats Should You Use?

This recipe uses Steel Cut Quick Cooking Oats. Quick Cooking Oats and Instant Oats are the same thing. They’re similar, but not the same as Old Fashioned Oats though.

Quick Cooking Oats are cut into smaller pieces than Old Fashioned Oats, so they can cook faster. So if you have Quick Cooking or Instant Oats on hand, that’s what I recommend using in this recipe.

However, if you’re using Old Fashioned Oats, know that this will change the texture of the cookies a bit. Old Fashioned Oats give them MORE of a chewy texture and the classic oatmeal cookie texture.

How Do You Keep Oatmeal Cookies Soft?

If these pantry cookies get hard when storing them in the airtight container, I recommend tossing a piece of bread into the storage container with them. The cookies will absorb the moisture from the bread to help keep them softer, longer.

I recommend using white bread, as other types of bread may transfer flavor to the cookies.

Why Are my Oatmeal Cookies Dry?

As with many cookie recipes, some of them can turn out dry easily. So, it’s important to follow this recipe as closely as you can to avoid them drying out. If you’re struggling with dry cookies, try checking out these ingredients and steps first:

  •  Flour – Did you use too much flour? It’s easy to overpack your flour in the measuring cup, so make sure to scoop and shake or level off your measuring cup.
  • Over baked – Did you over bake your cookies? Oven temps may vary. so use your oven thermometer to make sure you aren’t baking too hot or to cool and then check the cookies as they’re baking to make sure they don’t over bake. Cookies will continue to set up a bit while they cool on their rack, so it’s better to pull them out a bit early or a bit undercooked and let them finish on the rack.
  • Over mixing – Don’t go crazy on mixing the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture as the dough will stiffen up and lead to dryer cookies.
top down view of cooked oatmeal cookies on baking sheet

Serving Suggestions

These go well so many delicious things:

More Easy Desserts

If you’re in a baking mood, I’ve got these other Cookies and Desserts you’ve gotta try:

Weight Watchers Points

There are 12 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this Oatmeal Cookie recipe

Thank you for reading my Oatmeal Cookies recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue dreaming up recipes, traditional African recipes, African fusion recipes, Sierra Leone recipes, travel plans and much more for you. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, UK food blog.

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finished oatmeal cookies stacked and ready to eat
Print Recipe
5 from 5 votes

Easy Oatmeal Cookies

These easy oatmeal cookies are quick and simple to make. They’re made with only pantry ingredients and have the perfect crunchy edges with a bit more chewiness to the center.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American, Western
Servings: 30
Calories: 251kcal
Author: Bintu Hardy

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (227g) butter
  • ½ cup (104g) white sugar
  • 1 ½ cups (312g) brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 ½ cups (300g) flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (90g) steel cut quick cooking oats
  • 1 cup (90g) flaked coconut
  • 2 cups (350g) chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F / 180C / gas 4.
  • In a large bowl cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar with an electric mixer.
  • Add the eggs and vanilla and then beat well.
  • Stir in the flour, baking soda, salt, and oats.
  • Mix in the coconut and chocolate chips.
  • Scoop out tablespoonfuls of dough, roll into balls and then place on baking sheets covered with parchment paper.
  • Bake for 20 minutes. Transfer oatmeal cookies to a wire rack to cool.
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Notes

Tips

  • I prefer a crunchier oatmeal cookie, but, if you like a chewier cookie, decrease the cook time to 15 minutes.
  • Using room temperature butter makes it easier to cream together with the sugars (especially important if the kiddos are helping you).
  • A cookie scoop helps ensure the cookies are the same size so that they all bake evenly.
  • They are versatile. Try adding in other mix-ins that you have on hand. Think cinnamon chips, dried fruit, raisins, white chocolate chips, nuts, etc.
  • Looking for a richer, nutty flavor? Brown your butter before adding it into the mix.
  • Ovens can bake at different temperatures, so check on your oatmeal cookies often to prevent under baking or over baking your dessert.

Serving Suggestions

These go well so many delicious things:

Weight Watchers Points

There are 12 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of these cookies.

Nutrition

Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 146mg | Potassium: 47mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 232IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg

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Recipe Rating




5 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Oatmeal cookies are one of my guilty pleasures. I think this could be great to make and freeze so I don’t eat them all at once.

  2. 5 stars
    Those look great Bintu. I’ll try them with the wee boy, I am sure he will love making them. Sharing them too. Hope you are all well x

  3. 5 stars
    Excited to try these! I have all of the ingredients in my kitchen to make these delicious cookies, and I just know that my whole family will love them!

  4. 5 stars
    I loved how easy these were to prepare! They’re so tasty and the brown sugar adds such a wonderful caramel flavour to the cookies. YUM!