If you’re looking for the best oatmeal cookie recipe, then you must try my Grandma’s Oatmeal Cookies!
I can’t take credit for this one. It’s all grandma with these cookies! This recipe comes from my grandmother, who was the ultimate cookie baker. I’m so lucky to have her recipe, and you’re so lucky I’m sharing it with you!
What makes this recipe so special?
Grandma’s Oatmeal Cookies are made with shortening. You cannot substitute butter for the shortening. Butter also has a lower melting point, which means that the fat melts at a lower temperature and the cookies will spread and flatten out faster during baking. If you try to use butter, I fear that these cookies will turn into awful, flat disks instead of cookies. My solution is to use butter shortening instead of plain shortening. Baking cookies with shortening will make them more tender than crispy.
Grandma’s Oatmeal Cookies have plenty of cinnamon in them- one whole tablespoon! I love a good cinnamon-infused oatmeal cookie. Raisins and nuts are optional. Grandma used to add them in, but I prefer them without.
What kind of oatmeal is best for cookies?
In oatmeal cookies, old-fashioned oats will give you a chewier texture, and quick oats will taste more like you ground up the oats a bit (slightly less chew, but still the same flavor). It’s really personal preference which one you like better for baking. I suggest you use the old-fashioned oats for Grandma’s Oatmeal Cookies!
These are both a chewy and crunchy oatmeal cookie recipe. I think you’ll find that everyone will rave about them.
Do you have to add baking soda to cookies?
Baking soda acts as a chemical leavener in these cookies, causing them to rise and spread slightly. It also influences the texture. If you forget to add baking soda to the cookies, they’ll likely be flat and somewhat hard.
Here are a few more oatmeal cookie recipes you might enjoy:
- Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
- Maple- Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
- Coconut Lovers Oatmeal Cookies
- Paper Bag Oatmeal Cookies
- Spicy Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies
- Old Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies
- Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Grandma's Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup shortening
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 2 large eggs, well beaten
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or raisins (see Recipe Notes)
- 3 cups old-fashioned oats (do not use quick-cooking oats)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper, or spray with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the shortening and sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well. Set aside.
- Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well. Add the nuts and/or raisins, if desired. Stir in the oats last.
- Spoon out by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and cool completely.
Notes
- If you'd like to add raisins to your oatmeal cookies, use 1 cup of raisins and reduce nuts to 1/2 cup. Raisins and nuts are not included in the nutritional information.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is the perfect oatmeal cookie recipe!
Outstanding! Everything I love in an oatmeal cookie!
Can you help me understand why so many oatmeal cookie recipes call for shortening? I’ve always assumed this is Crisco? Can butter be used instead? I recently made a different recipe for oatmeal cookies which called for shortening and they were very bland. Thanks for your input!
I’m not entirely sure. I usually use the butter shortening.
Like my mom’s…except she added Toll House chocolate chips. This was the only chocolate chip cookie I ever knew existed until I spent the night at some else’s house when I was 14. It was the only oatmeal cookie we ever had to. We didn’t put in cinnamon. You couldn’t stop even after eating FIVE in a row…with cold milk on the side. Good with a scoop of ice cream too!
I have made this recipe over 10 times. They always turn out perfectly and they’re delicious! Chewy and light.
I followed the recipe and the cookies came out picture perfect. My only change would be to add more sugar , cinnamon and less salt. The cookies are not very sweet, which is fine , but the after taste is salt.
I chose this 4 star recipe over the others which were 5 star and I’m glad I did. I give it 5 stars. Finally I’ve made a softer oatmeal cookie I like! (I’m 63) I used a 1/4th less sugar and added about 3 tablespoons of protein powder so we can eat these with no guilt. I also switched to half butter instead of all shorthening. (and my shortening is butter flavored)