These Classic Oatmeal Cookies have been in my family for a few generations. Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, they will bring nostalgia right into your kitchen too!

classic oatmeal cookies

This is a very special recipe for me to share. My Papa’s 99th birthday (yes, he was born in 1923) would have been this upcoming week. He passed away last year and I have been missing him and his phone calls every day since. So I wanted to celebrate his birthday with this small tribute. These Classic Oatmeal Cookies were one of the few of Papa’s go-to recipes. He was a sucker for all food but mostly sweets. Whether it was cake, pie, cookies or anything with honey drizzled on top, he was interested! So when he got in the mood for dessert, he would whip up a batch of these oatmeal cookies. This exact recipe had been passed down to him from his Mom and a family friend, so we are keeping the tradition alive!

cookie dough

Cookies can be part of a healthy lifestyle!

It’s about time we squash the idea that dietitians don’t eat dessert or anything deemed “unhealthy.” If you have been following me on Instagram you will know I preach the approach “all foods fit.” In fact, I find this way of eating is actually healthier than following a strict diet of no sugary foods or desserts. If you have been down that path before, you may be able to attest to the restrict and binge cycle. The more we avoid and eliminate certain foods from our diet, the harder it is to stop thinking about them. This can result in a negative thought pattern that has the potential to create stress around food, ultimately leading to an unhealthy lifestyle.

When we give ourselves unconditional permission to have all foods, we begin to learn what we crave, what makes us feel good physically and mentally and the stress around food drops away.

Okay, now that we have covered that, let’s get back to Papa’s Classic Oatmeal Cookies…

classic oatmeal cookies

Texture

Some of my most cherished photos are of Papa flattening the cookies when we made them together one day. He preferred to make them thinner and crunchy so he really put pressure on that fork. If this is how you prefer your cookies, go ahead and do that! I like my cookies to have a bit of chewiness to them, so I keep them around 1/2″ thick before baking.

A couple of options that could add a bit of extra texture (and flavour) include:

  • Adding 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or raisins while you mix in the dry ingredients
  • Sprinkle some dried coconut in the batter or on top of the cookies before baking
  • Drizzling some melted chocolate on top or just dunking the cookie in melted chocolate

classic oatmeal cookies

Softened butter hack

I learned this trick from Sarah at Broma Bakery and it will save you so much time! If you don’t have time to soften your butter to room temperature, we can make butter from the fridge work too. Here’s what you do:

  1. Take out 1/2 cup of butter (as needed for this recipe) and cut into small squares that are about 1/2″ thick.
  2. Place all of the squares along the outside edge of a dinner plate.
  3. Microwave on the defrost setting for 10 seconds.
  4. Remove the plate, flip over each square of butter and microwave for another 5-10 seconds (depending on the strength of your microwave). Your butter should now be evenly softened and ready to use!

classic oatmeal cookies

I really hope you love this Classic Oatmeal Cookie recipe! If you can make it with a family member or close friend, you’ll be sharing the love of them just like my Papa did with me. Enjoy!

 

Don’t forget to check out some of these other delicious cookie recipes:

If you make Papa’s Classic Oatmeal Cookies I would love to see your comment and rating below. It also makes my day seeing your creations of my recipes on Instagram- don’t forget to tag @allnutrition.rd!

classic oatmeal cookies
5 from 1 review

Papa's Classic Oatmeal Cookies

Servings: 20 cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Author: Ashlen Leonard
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Ingredients
 

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all purpose flour, or 1-to-1 gluten free flour
  • 1 1/2 cups quick oats
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking liner.
  • In a large bowl, add the softened butter* and granulated sugar. With a hand mixer, beat on high for 30-60 seconds or until fluffy and light in colour.
  • Add the brown sugar and beat again. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix well.
  • Add flour, oats, baking soda, salt and beat or stir with a spoon until all ingredients are well combined.
  • Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop out 1-2 tbsp of dough, roll into a ball and place on the baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
  • Using a fork, gently flatten each cookie to ~1/2" thickness*. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom of the cookie. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes before enjoying!

Notes

*Softened butter: If you didn't have time to soften your butter to room temperature, we can make fridge-temperature butter work too! Take out 1/2 cup of butter (as needed for this recipe) and cut into small squares that are 1/2" thick. Place all of the squares along the outside edge of a dinner plate. Microwave on the defrost setting for 10 seconds. Remove the plate, flip over each square of butter and microwave for another 5-10 seconds (depending on the strength of your microwave). Your butter should now be evenly softened!
 
*Thickness: My Papa loved to really flatten his cookies so they came out thinner and crunchy. If this is how you prefer your cookies, go ahead and do that! I like my cookies to have a bit of chewiness to them, so I keep them around 1/2" thick.