I can’t help but share my Brown Sugar Oatmeal Cookies, soft and chewy with a slightly caramelised flavour and a surprisingly simple twist that you’ll want to read about.
I bake these Brown Sugar Oatmeal Cookies whenever I want something a little different. I love how the light brown sugar gives a caramelised edge, and the old fashioned rolled oats keep them chewy without falling apart.
Sometimes I overbake one tray and swear theyre ruined, but they still taste like the Soft Chewy Oatmeal Cookies people fight over. This recipe is simple enough to make messily on a weeknight, yet it always seems to impress at potlucks.
I promise you, once you try them, you will be poking at the cooling rack and wondering why you waited so long.
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter: adds richness, tenderness and browning, makes cookies soft and slightly crisp.
- Brown sugar: gives caramelised sweetness, moisture and chew, more depth than white sugar.
- Rolled oats: packed with fibre and slow carbs, they add chew and rustic texture.
- Eggs: bind ingredients, add protein and lift, sometimes makes cookies puff a bit.
- All purpose flour: provides structure, mostly carbs though, use more for cakier cookies.
- Vanilla extract: small amount boosts flavor, subtle, not sweet by itself.
- Raisins or chocolate chips: give bursts of sweetness, chew or melty pockets.
- Walnuts or pecans: add crunch, healthy fats and a toasty nutty bite.
Ingredient Quantities
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) packed light brown sugar, gives the caramelised flavour
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups (150 g) all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon, optional but nice
- 3 cups (270 g) old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup (150 g) raisins or chocolate chips, optional
- 1/2 cup (60 g) chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
How to Make this
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
2. In a large bowl beat 1 cup softened unsalted butter with 1 cup packed light brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until light and a bit fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping the bowl once or twice.
3. Add 2 large eggs one at a time, mixing well after each, then stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Don’t overbeat, just get it combined.
4. In a separate bowl whisk together 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon fine salt and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon if using.
5. Fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture just until no streaks of flour remain, be gentle or the cookies get tough.
6. Stir in 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats until evenly mixed, then add 1 cup raisins or chocolate chips if you like and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans if using. Mix until distributed.
7. For thicker, chewier cookies chill the dough 20 to 30 minutes, but you can bake right away if you’re impatient.
8. Drop rounded tablespoons or use a 2 tablespoon scoop onto the prepared sheets about 2 inches apart, flatten slightly with your fingers or the back of a spoon so they bake evenly.
9. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until edges are set and centers still look a little soft. Let cookies cool on the sheet 5 minutes so they finish cooking, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Enjoy with tea or coffee.
Equipment Needed
1. Oven, preheated to 350°F (175°C)
2. 2 rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats
3. Large mixing bowl for creaming butter and sugars
4. Medium mixing bowl for the dry ingredients
5. Electric hand mixer or a sturdy wooden spoon to cream the butter (either works)
6. Measuring cups and spoons (1 cup, 1/4 cup, tbsp, tsp)
7. Whisk for the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon
8. Rubber spatula and wooden spoon to fold in oats, raisins/chips and nuts
9. Cookie scoop (2 tbsp) or rounded tablespoon to portion dough, plus a wire cooling rack (if youve got one use a 2 tbsp scoop, if not just use spoons)
FAQ
Brown Sugar Oatmeal Cookies Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Unsalted butter → Use solid coconut oil or vegan stick margarine 1:1. Gives a hint of coconut and the cookies might be a bit firmer, so chill the dough 15-20 minutes before baking.
- Light brown sugar → Make your own: 1 cup granulated sugar + 1 tbsp molasses (stir until even). Or swap with coconut sugar 1:1 for similar caramel notes but slightly different moisture.
- Eggs → Flax “egg” for each egg: 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water, let sit 5 minutes. Keeps cookies egg-free, they’ll be a touch denser.
- All purpose flour → Replace with a gluten free 1:1 baking blend that contains xanthan gum, same weight/volume. Or sub up to half with whole wheat pastry flour 1:1 for a nuttier flavor, expect a slightly denser crumb.
Pro Tips
1) Use butter that is soft but not greasy or melted. If its too soft the cookies spread, too cold and the dough wont cream well. I sometimes chill the mixed dough bowl for 10 minutes if the butter feels greasy.
2) Chill the dough longer for thicker, chewier cookies, like an hour or even overnight, youll get better texture and deeper flavour. If youre short on time scoop the dough, freeze the balls for 10 minutes, then bake straight from the freezer.
3) Lightly toast the oats and nuts in a dry skillet or on a baking sheet for 4 to 6 minutes to bring out nuttiness and make the oats less raw tasting. Keep a close eye tho, they go from perfect to burned fast.
4) Pull the cookies when the edges are set but centers still look a little underdone, they continue to cook on the hot sheet so they wont be raw. Let them cool on the sheet for a few minutes then transfer, if you wait too long they stick and break.
Brown Sugar Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
I can't help but share my Brown Sugar Oatmeal Cookies, soft and chewy with a slightly caramelised flavour and a surprisingly simple twist that you'll want to read about.
24
servings
206
kcal
Equipment: 1. Oven, preheated to 350°F (175°C)
2. 2 rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats
3. Large mixing bowl for creaming butter and sugars
4. Medium mixing bowl for the dry ingredients
5. Electric hand mixer or a sturdy wooden spoon to cream the butter (either works)
6. Measuring cups and spoons (1 cup, 1/4 cup, tbsp, tsp)
7. Whisk for the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon
8. Rubber spatula and wooden spoon to fold in oats, raisins/chips and nuts
9. Cookie scoop (2 tbsp) or rounded tablespoon to portion dough, plus a wire cooling rack (if youve got one use a 2 tbsp scoop, if not just use spoons)
Ingredients
-
1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
-
1 cup (200 g) packed light brown sugar, gives the caramelised flavour
-
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
-
2 large eggs
-
2 tsp vanilla extract
-
1 1/4 cups (150 g) all purpose flour
-
1 tsp baking soda
-
1/2 tsp fine salt
-
1 tsp ground cinnamon, optional but nice
-
3 cups (270 g) old fashioned rolled oats
-
1 cup (150 g) raisins or chocolate chips, optional
-
1/2 cup (60 g) chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In a large bowl beat 1 cup softened unsalted butter with 1 cup packed light brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until light and a bit fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping the bowl once or twice.
- Add 2 large eggs one at a time, mixing well after each, then stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Don’t overbeat, just get it combined.
- In a separate bowl whisk together 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon fine salt and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon if using.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture just until no streaks of flour remain, be gentle or the cookies get tough.
- Stir in 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats until evenly mixed, then add 1 cup raisins or chocolate chips if you like and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans if using. Mix until distributed.
- For thicker, chewier cookies chill the dough 20 to 30 minutes, but you can bake right away if you’re impatient.
- Drop rounded tablespoons or use a 2 tablespoon scoop onto the prepared sheets about 2 inches apart, flatten slightly with your fingers or the back of a spoon so they bake evenly.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes until edges are set and centers still look a little soft. Let cookies cool on the sheet 5 minutes so they finish cooking, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Enjoy with tea or coffee.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 50g
- Total number of serves: 24
- Calories: 206kcal
- Fat: 10.6g
- Saturated Fat: 5.1g
- Trans Fat: 0.08g
- Polyunsaturated: 1.25g
- Monounsaturated: 2.21g
- Cholesterol: 35.8mg
- Sodium: 103mg
- Potassium: 116mg
- Carbohydrates: 29.8g
- Fiber: 1.78g
- Sugar: 16.2g
- Protein: 3.6g
- Vitamin A: 262IU
- Vitamin C: 0.1mg
- Calcium: 15.5mg
- Iron: 0.87mg
