Iced Oatmeal Cookies

Iced Oatmeal Cookies

Is there anything better than a classic Iced Oatmeal Cookie? We think not! This recipe offers all of the flavor you love with no extra frills or unnecessary steps.

These may even be better than your grandma’s cookies… But don’t tell her we said that! These homemade Iced Oatmeal Cookies always turn out so chewy and soft, but are still just hard enough to have that signature Oatmeal Cookie consistency to them.

You won’t be able to have just one, but we dare you to try!

How to Make Iced Oatmeal Cookies

Decide in advance who gets to lick the icing spoon!

For the cookies:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside. 
2. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well combined.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat on high until combined.
4. Spoon in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until mixed, being careful not to overmix.
5. Cover, and chill the dough for 45 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 350℉, and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Scoop about 1 ½ tablespoons of dough for each cookie, and place about 2-3 inches apart on the baking sheets.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned on the edges.
9. Remove from the oven and let the cookies sit on the baking sheets for 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the icing:

1. While the cookies cool, make the icing. Place the sifted powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Add vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk at a time, adding more until desired consistency is reached. The icing will be fairly thick.
2. 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. Allow the icing to set for 30 minutes before serving.

Tips and Variations

• If you’re using salted butter, be sure to reduce the salt amount to ½ teaspoon.
• Make sure all of your ingredients that need to be at room temp are at room temp! This makes everything so much easier to mix together. 
• Don’t have an electric mixer? No worries, you can also make this dough by hand.
• Chill your dough! This step allows the flavors to combine and the oats absorb some moisture and soften. 
• This recipe yields cookies that are best on the smaller side.
• Let the cookies completely cool before dipping them in icing! This allows the cookie to harden, but don’t fret – they will still be very soft. If the icing is added too quickly, it won’t stay on top of the cookie.
• Add the milk to the icing slowly! If you go too quickly, the icing will thin out and you’ll have to add more powdered sugar. 
• Use a shallow bowl for the icing. It’ll make dipping the cookies easier. 
• Dip just the tops of the cookies into the icing. If you dunk too much of them, they may break apart. 

Are old-fashioned and rolled oats the same?

Yes they are! They are both oats that have been cut and rolled into flakes. They’re both also larger than quick oats. 

Can I use quick oats?

In our opinion, the old-fashioned rolled oats create the best chewy and moist cookie. Quick oats tend to make cookies dry. 

My oatmeal cookies turned out hard. What causes this?

Overmixing! Overmixing the dough leads to over developing the gluten, which makes a tough cookie. When using an electric mixer, the dough should be mixed just until streaks of the dry ingredients can’t be seen. It would even be acceptable to mix the dry ingredients in by hand.

Can I spoon the icing on the cookies instead of dipping?

Certainly! The “signature” look of an Iced Oatmeal Cookie is that craggy looking top, and dipping the cookies is what helps create this look. The icing clings to the bumps on top of the cookie but doesn’t sink down into the cracks. However, if spooning or spreading the icing works better for you, go for it! The cookies will have a slightly different look but taste just as amazing. The icing recipe is enough to ice all the cookies this way. If you dip them, you may have some leftover icing.