These iced oatmeal cookies are soft and chewy, warmly spiced, and lightly dipped in vanilla icing to taste just like the classic store-bought cookies!
These homemade iced oatmeal cookies are my newest obsession! Inspired by Mother's oatmeal cookies, this version has soft centers and crispy edges.
To give them a really chewy texture, I used my monster bar recipe as the base, and they turned out perfect! With flavors of brown butter, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon, these oatmeal cookies are perfect for Christmas.
For more cookie recipes, try Biscoff Butter Cookies, Lemon Bar Cookies, and Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies.
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why these are the best iced oatmeal cookies
- Soft and chewy: These old-fashioned oatmeal cookies have soft centers, and chewy edges and are topped with a light coating of vanilla icing that sets over time.
- Cozy spiced flavor: Flavors like brown butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg gives them a rich and buttery brown sugar-spiced flavor.
- Vanilla icing: The tops are lightly dipped in vanilla icing which makes them look super pretty for any occasion!
ingredient notes
Find the full ingredient measurements and instructions in the recipe card below!
Old-fashioned rolled oats: This is also known as rolled oats. I don't recommend using another kind of oat if you want a chewy texture like oatmeal cake!
Brown sugar: Although the recipe specifies light brown sugar, dark brown sugar can be substituted instead.
Molasses: The molasses gives these iced oatmeal cookies their classic warm caramel flavor. They don't use as much as our molasses crinkle cookies or gingerbread cake, but just enough to give them an extra depth of flavor and soft texture like in molasses chip cookies.
recipe instructions
STEP ONE: Brown the butter. Cook the unsalted butter in a stainless steel pan over medium heat until there are solid brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
The time this takes will depend on your stove and pan, for me, this takes about 10-11 minutes! Then scrape all of the butter into your mixing bowl and let it cool to room temperature.
STEP TWO: Grind the oats. Add the rolled oats to a food processor or dry blender. Blend until there is a mixture of whole oats and oat flour. Set aside.
STEP THREE: Whisk the sugar and butter together. Whisk the light brown sugar and granulated sugar into the brown butter for one minute until well combined.
STEP FOUR: Whisk in the wet ingredients. Whisk in the egg, vanilla extract, and molasses until just combined.
STEP FIVE: Fold in the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold the ground oats, all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until combined.
STEP SIX: Scoop and chill the dough. Scoop the dough into two tablespoon-sized balls and place them on one of the prepared baking pans. Then chill the tray in the freezer to chill for at least 1-2 hours, or until frozen solid.
Chill overnight for the best flavor!
STEP SEVEN: Bake! Bake them spaced two inches apart on a lined baking tray for 10-12 minutes or until just the edges are brown.
STEP EIGHT: Make the glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
The glaze will be thick, but should still run off the whisk smoothly.
If it's too thin, add extra powdered sugar to it. If the glaze is too thick that it won't stick to the cookies, add a bit more milk.
STEP NINE: Ice! Dip just the tops of the cookies quickly and lightly in the glaze. Alternatively, you can dip your finger in the glaze and dab it over the top!
Allow them to set for at least a few hours before packaging!
expert baking tips
- Use a kitchen scale. Baking with a scale is much more accurate than cup measurements. To convert this recipe, click the "metric" button next to the ingredients title on the recipe card.
- Don't burn the butter. Browning butter is tedious but it can burn very easily! Once you start to see the colored butter solids at the bottom of the pan, take it off the heat right away.
- Glaze completely cool cookies. If they are not completely cool after baking, the glaze will rip the top of the cookie off.
- Make the glaze thick. Using a thin glaze will run off the sides instead of setting into the top. Dip one cookie to see how it looks and determine if you need to make it thicker or thinner.
- Quick and light dip! To get the icing to set just on the top texture, dip them quickly and lightly. Do not press them too far into the glaze!
storage & freezing
- Room temperature: Store baked cookies in an airtight container or ziplock bag. They will stay soft and chewy for 2-3 days.
- Freezer: Store the frozen cookie dough balls in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months!
faqs
I do not recommend using quick oats as the dough has a completely different texture.
Yes! Grinding the oats a bit will help give them their extra chewy texture.
I have not tested this recipe with gluten-free flour but would love to hear how they turn out!
This depends on the humidity in your kitchen. For my kitchen, this took about 1-2 hours.
more cookie recipes to try
If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments below, I love hearing from you! Also, please leave a star rating while you're there! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Recipe 📖
Soft Iced Oatmeal Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough
- 14 tablespoon unsalted butter cubed
- 1 ¾ cup + 1 tbsp old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon + 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon + 1 tsp molasses
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon + 2 tsp all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
For the Glaze
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon whole milk
Instructions
Make the Cookie Dough
- In a stainless steel pan, cook the butter over medium heat, stirring frequently. When the bottom of the pan has brown bits of butter solid and it starts to smell nutty, scrape all of it into your mixing bowl. (this usually takes 10-11 minutes in my kitchen!) Set aside to cool to room temperature.14 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Pulse the rolled oats in a food processor or dry blender until half of the oats is oat flour with some whole oat pieces remaining. (see visual photo in post!)1 ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon old-fashioned rolled oats
- When the butter is ready, vigorously whisk in the light brown sugar and granulated sugar for 1 minute until well combined.1 cup light brown sugar, ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- Whisk in the egg, vanilla, and molasses.1 large egg, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon molasses
- Fold in the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until combined.1 cup + 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoon all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- Scoop the dough into two tablespoon-sized balls and place them onto a parchment-lined baking tray.
- Chill the tray in the freezer for 1-2 hours minimum.
- Then preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C.
- Bake them spaced at least two inches apart for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Let the cookies cool completely before glazing!
Make the Glaze
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk until smooth. The glaze should be thick but should flow off the end of the whisk easily.1 ½ cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoon whole milk
- Then quickly and lightly dip the tops of the cookies into the glaze. Let the glaze harden completely for a few hours then enjoy!
Notes
- Use a kitchen scale. Baking with a scale is much more accurate than cup measurements. To convert this recipe, click the "metric" button next to the ingredients title on the recipe card.
- Don't burn the butter. Browning butter is tedious but it can burn very easily! Once you start to see the colored butter solids at the bottom of the pan, take it off the heat right away.
- Glaze completely cool cookies. If they are not completely cool after baking, the glaze will rip the top of the cookie off!
- Make the glaze thick. Using a thin glaze will settle over the entire top and run off the sides instead of setting into the top. Dip one cookie to see how it looks and determine if you need to make it thicker or thinner.
- Quick and light dip! To get the icing to set just on the top texture of the cookie, dip them quickly and lightly. Do not press them too far into the glaze!
Libby De Paolo says
I haven't tried these yet but I gave it a 5 star rating because I just know they will be awsome! I love the finer milled oats and am intriqued by the freezing prior to baking.I'm assuming I would first bring the frozen dough balls to room temperature before baking. Is that correct? 30 minutes?
Thank you!
Cambrea Gordon says
Hi Libby! This recipe needs to be baked straight from the oven, otherwise the cookies will spread too much!
Tiffanie says
Can quick oats be used if you don't have old-fashioned?
Cambrea Gordon says
Hi Tiffanie! I think it should be fine, although the texture may be slightly different!
Gina says
These are really good!!! Love the recipe!!
Cambrea Gordon says
YAY! So happy to hear that Gina, thanks for the review! 🙂
Melissa says
These cookies are incredible!!! They taste just like the store bought ones but obviously so much better. The brown butter gives them so much flavor. I'm adding these to my cookie gift boxes!