Iced Oatmeal Cookies
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These iced oatmeal cookies are soft in the center with lightly crisp edges and a simple vanilla icing on top. They’re made with old fashioned oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla, so they have all the classic flavors.
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In my opinion, this is one of the best flavors of cookies and they’re even better when you make them from scratch. These aren’t meant to be a crunchy, packaged-style oatmeal cookie. They’re softer and chewier, with a thick vanilla icing that settles on top instead of soaking into the cookie.
There is a bit of prep involved. You’ll need to mix the dough, let it chill (don’t skip this part!), bake the cookies, let them cool, and then dip them in the vanilla icing. It takes me about 2 hours from start to finish, but they’re worth the effort.
If you love classic cookie recipes, don’t miss my chocolate chip cookies and ginger cookies.
Make the Oatmeal Cookie Dough
- Start by stirring together the oats, flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. You’ll want to use old-fashioned rolled oats and not quick oats. The cookies are chewy and more moist that way. Set that bowl aside while you mix the butter and sugars. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until everything is well combined.
- Add the eggs and vanilla, then mix again until smooth. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on low speed just until the dough comes together. Be careful about overmixing because it can make the cookies tough. At the same time, make sure the oats aren’t sitting in clumps.
Chill and Bake the Cookies
- Scoop the dough onto a small baking sheet. These cookies are best on the smaller side, so about 1 ½ tablespoons of dough per cookie works well. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, and chill it for at least 1 hour. Transfer the chilled dough to a large baking sheet, and leave a couple of inches between each cookie so they have room to spread.
- Bake until the edges are lightly browned. The centers should still look soft, but the edges should be set. Don’t worry if the cookies look like they’re melting in the oven. They’ll come together as they bake. You’ll want to rotate the pan halfway through if your oven has hot spots. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for several minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
Make the Vanilla Icing and Dip the Cookies
- The icing is just powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Super simple! I start with less milk and add more as needed because it’s much easier to thin icing than it is to fix icing that’s too runny. Use a shallow bowl if you have one. It makes dipping the cookies a lot easier.
- To dip the cookies, you’ll want to turn each cooled cookie upside down and dip just the top into the icing. Pull the cookie straight up, let the extra icing drip back into the bowl, then turn it right-side-up and place it back on the cooling rack. Try not to dunk the whole cookie. The tops are all you need, and dipping too far can make the cookies easier to break. The icing should set enough to serve after about 30 minutes.
How to Video
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Icing
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 to 2 ½ tablespoons milk
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Instructions
For the Cookies:
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.2 cups old fashioned oats2 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon salt1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well combined.1 cup unsalted butter1 cup light brown sugar½ cup granulated sugar
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat on high until combined. Pour in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until combined.2 large eggs2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Scoop about 1 ½ tablespoons of dough for each cookie, and place them on a small baking sheet. Cover, and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- When you're ready to bake, preheat oven to 350℉, and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. You'll need to work in batches or use multiple baking sheets.
- Place the chilled dough onto the larger baking sheet, and leave about 2-inches between each piece. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes until lightly browned on the edges.
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies sit on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.
For the Icing:
- While the cookies cool, make the icing. Place the powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Add the vanilla and milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the icing is thick but dippable.2 cups powdered sugar½ teaspoon vanilla extract2 to 2 ½ tablespoons milk
- Dip the tops of the cooled cookies by turning them upside down and dip in the icing. Pull the cookie straight up, letting the excess icing drip back into the bowl. Turn the cookie right-side-up and transfer back to the cooling rack.
- Let the icing set for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Recipe makes approximately 28 cookies.
- Old fashioned oats work best for this recipe. Quick oats may change the texture and make the cookies softer, drier, or less chewy.
- Make sure the cookies are completely cool before icing. Warm cookies will cause the icing to thin and soak into the tops.
- You have a couple of options in regards to adding the icing. Dipping is easy and fairly quick. The only thing you’ll need to watch out for are soft cookies that want to break in the center. If you think that’s going to happen, use a knife or spatula to spread the icing on instead.
- Store iced oatmeal cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days after the icing fully sets. For longer storage, refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months with parchment paper between layers. Thaw frozen cookies at room temperature before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 2cookiesCalories: 392kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 4gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 364mgPotassium: 101mgFiber: 2gSugar: 40gVitamin A: 444IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 2mg
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I’ve been making this cookie recipe for six years and loveee it!
Thank you Marilla! Kim and I appreciate your comment and rating the recipe. Have a lovely day 🙂
Wow these cookies look so similar to a coffee shop I use to go to back in college but is no longer there. I’m going to have to give this recipe a try and make these. Yum!
Ouh, these look SO good!!!! I love oatmeal cookies and these ones are 10 notches up from what I am used to. YUMM
There’s nothing quite like a chewy oatmeal cookie. Especially when it’s covered in icing!
Oatmeal cookies are my all time favorite. And, I like them iced but can never find them soft and chewy. I really like the idea of ginger and nutmeg in these cookies. Thanks! Shared and saved!!!