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4.62 stars (1299 ratings)Jun 14, 2013607
These thin and crispy oatmeal cookies are absolute perfection! Crispy, buttery, and completely addictive – I dare you to eat just one!
I am a soft and chewy cookie fan all the way, but there is something about these thin and crispy oatmeal cookies that is absolutely irresistible.
They are so classic and so delicious!
Key to a Crispy Cookie
The cookie dough for these oatmeal cookies is very straightforward. Nothing fancy about it!
The reason the cookies end up being thin and crispy instead of soft and chewy are due to a couple of reasons:
- higher butter to flour (and eggs) ratio
- more granulated sugar, less brown sugar
- old-fashioned rolled oats, not quick oats
- slightly longer baking time (don’t underbake!)
The dough can be mixed in a stand mixer or in a bowl with a handheld electric mixer.
The key is to not over mix the dough once the dry ingredients are added.
Old-fashioned Oats vs Quick Oats
The recipe for these thin and crispy oatmeal cookies calls for old-fashioned rolled oats.
Subbing in quick oats will change the texture and outcome of the cookies. They’ll likely be thicker and puffier instead of thin and crispy. (It also doesn’t work to sub in steel cut oats.)
It’s important to use old-fashioned rolled oats for the best outcome!
A Tried-and-True Favorite
It goes without saying that these delightful oatmeal cookies are delicious dipped in a glass of cold milk. YUM!
This recipe has over 1,000 5-star reviews for a reason! So many of you have fallen in love with them, too.
Grace says: This is my all time favorite recipe I’ve used for years, after trying this you won’t be able to go back to any other oatmeal cookie recipe and all other oatmeal cookies will taste inferior.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
MM says: Amazing cookies! I’m afraid to make them again because I ate 18 cookies in 4 days. They’d be good with chocolate chips in them too. Maybe I’ll try it when I get better at sharing… ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sara says: OK. I didn’t think these would be as good as they are. I’ve had oodles and oodles of oatmeal cookies and these are now our favorite.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Linda says: These are wonderful..Buttery, chewy and crisp. I’m eating them with a glass of cold milk. I baked them 16 min. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
FAQs for Thin and Crispy Oatmeal Cookies
Can I freeze the dough?
Yes, the dough freezes great!
Do you use salted or unsalted butter?
I use salted butter.
How do you store them to stay crispy?
I usually store them in a covered container but if you want them to stay extra crispy, you can try storing them uncovered.
Can I use any kind of oats for this recipe?
In this recipe, you definitely want to use old-fashioned rolled oats. If not, the cookies won’t spread the same and the texture could be completely off.
Thin and Crispy Oatmeal Cookies
Yield: 24 cookies
Prep Time: 20 minutes mins
Cook Time: 16 minutes mins
Total Time: 36 minutes mins
4.62 stars (1299 ratings)
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Ingredients
- 1 cup (142 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 14 tablespoons (198 g) butter (I use salted), softened but still slightly cool
- 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (53 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups (250 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
Instructions
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a large bowl (of a stand mixer or with a handheld electric mixer), beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together until just combined, about 20 seconds. Increase the mixer speed to medium and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute longer. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Add the egg and vanilla and beat on medium-low until well mixed, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again. Add the flour mixture and mix until barely incorporated, 10-20 seconds. It's ok if there are a few dry spots.
Gradually add the oats and mix until well-combined, about 30 seconds to 1 minutes. If needed, give the dough a final stir with a wooden spoon to ensure that no flour pockets remain and that the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Scoop out about 2 tablespoon-sized mounds of dough and roll them to form balls. Place the cookies about 2 1/2-inches apart on the baking sheet(s) – about 8 cookies per sheet. They will spread quite a bit. Lightly press each cookie to about 3/4-inch thickness (I found after baking one sheet of these that I didn’t need to press them at all so use your best cookie judgment).
Bake 1 sheet of cookies at a time until the cookies are golden brown, edges are crisp, and centers are still very slightly soft, 13 to 16 minutes. Cooling the cookies completely on the baking sheet will yield crispier, more perfect cookies.
Notes
Oats: subbing quick oats for the old-fashioned rolled oats will affect the texture/outcome of the cookies – they may be thicker and puffier and not as thin and crispy in texture.
Author: Mel
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Method: Bake
Serving: 1 cookie, Calories: 154kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 24mg, Sodium: 147mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 11g
Recipe Source: adapted ever so slightly from The Cook’s Country Cookbook from America’s Test Kitchen (used salted butter instead of unsalted)
Recipe originally published June 2013; updated November 2022 with new photos, recipe notes, etc.
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posted on June 14, 2013 (last updated May 29, 2024)
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607 comments on “Thin and Crispy Oatmeal Cookies”
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Patrice — Reply
Hi there! I have a question… In every recipe I’ve used, 1 cup of flour has equaled 120 grams. I prefer using weight measurements when baking, but I measured out 1 cup of flour and it indeed weighed in at 120 grams. Not sure now if I should just go ahead and use 1 cup of flour or the 142 grams per the recipe. Help?
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Mel — Reply
I test all my recipes using 140-142 grams of flour per cup, so I recommend using the weights given in the recipes vs converting them to weight measures you’ve used in other recipes.
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Peggy — Reply
Sooooo delicious! Buttery and crispy. I used 1/2 cup gluten free flour and 1/2 cup regular flour. Tasted great!
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Deb — Reply
Best recipe yet, i have made alot of oatmeal cookies. Finally done looking this one gave me the great taste and crispness i was looking for. Thanks Mel.
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Lisa — Reply
I don’t know what I did wrong dough was to watery but they tasted good just didn’t look good
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Melanie — Reply
WOW! These are like eating crispy, sweet butter! I can’t believe how delicious they are, the perfect little treat. I followed your recipe exactly, used salted Kerrygold butter, and I did pat down the dough balls a little before I baked them. I sure am glad I go to work tomorrow because I’m going to take these cookies to the office, if I keep them I will literally eat them all!
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Debra Leach — Reply
I am looking forward to making these cookies but I believe there was a typo error of the butter; 14 Tablespoons of butter??
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Mel — Reply
Hi Debra, there isn’t a typo. The recipe calls for 14 tablespoons (7 ounces) of butter.
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aylonna — Reply
i am a diabetic so i need to cut out as much sugar as possible. i’d like your thoughts on using splenda. thank you for responding.
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Mel — Reply
I haven’t used splenda in these cookies, but others have with good results, I believe (if you scroll through the comments you can see their experience).
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Vernon — Reply
So made these tonight,, By far the Best Oatmeal cookie Ever,,, I added walnuts. Yum,, Next time I will add chocolate chips,,,❤️❤️❤️
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Mia — Reply
Hi! I absolutely love this recipe but am wondering if browned butter thats been solidified would also work? Have you tried?
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Mel — Reply
I haven’t, but it should work as long as the butter is soft.
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Sue Bedard — Reply
I’ve come back again to thank you for this amazing recipe. I like a cookie with my coffee in the morning and this is in constant rotation. The only change I make is to add a 1/2 tsp of cinnamon because I like it. The recipe is so flexible – pecans, raisins, chocolate chips – it all works. Sometimes I make them with a large scoop, sometimes small and I don’t flatten them. Pure cookie love. Thanks so much!!!
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Emil — Reply
Perfect crispy oatmeal cookies. Used a scale . . .
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Nejc — Reply
I absolutely love this recipe, its perfect.
Maybe one of my favorite cookie recipes on the internet.
I use GF flour, maple sugar (not syrup!) instead of white, and coconut sugar insted of brown, everything else is the same. And i use scale to measure in grams, much more precise.
After scooping with ice cream scoop, i press them down with a bottom of a metal cup measurer ( i heat it up in hot water each time to prevent sticking to the dough), until they are about 1/4in thick, spread them out far apart, and bake them in convection oven at 350 for about 11 min, rotating half way through.
They come out absolutely stunning! This is 10/10 recipe -
Priscilla — Reply
Very nice taste and perfectly thin and crispy. This recipe will be a favourite to bake again. Thanks for sharing it.
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