Classic Iced Oatmeal Cookies are my take on those perfectly crunchy, slightly spicy and sweet grocery store treats from childhood. Make your own at home, they taste even better!
Jump to:
Creating This Iced Oatmeal Cookie Recipe
I loved store-bought packages of oatmeal cookies when I was a kid. My parents went for Oreos, and I went for the white-iced oatmeal classics. Equally good dipped in cold milk!
When I set out to make a homemade version (because who doesn't love a homemade cookie?), I was surprised to see raisins on the package ingredients. I didn't remember biting into a raisin or necessarily tasting a chewy, delicious raisin.
I quickly realized these processed little gems included hidden raisins. They must have been ground to smithereens because they were undetectable. That's just what I was going to do!
Bring in the trusty food processor! It's the best kitchen appliance for getting the raisins, and some of the oatmeal, to the right texture. I knew I needed to pulverize some of the oatmeal to get the fine, but textured cookie I wanted.
Tip: These cookies are perfect in my Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Ice Cream! Check out the recipe here.
Ingredients in Iced Oatmeal Cookies
As I explained above, these crispy oatmeal cookies are studded with (hidden!) raisins. They're first blitzed in a food processor with the old-fashioned oats to add flavor and texture.
The combo of butter and shortening is crucial to this recipe. A home cook always wants butter for the best flavor, and oftentimes texture.
But very rarely do you see a baked processed food with butter. Shortening is used to lengthen the shelf-life. It also bakes differently than butter, so I includes a little so the cookies didn't turn out too crumbly.
The remaining ingredients for the crunchy oatmeal cookies are fairly standard — vanilla, spices, flour, egg, and sugar. You know the drill!
The icing was the last step to perfecting this homemade goodness. The packaged cookie icing has a crack and snap to it. Royal icing it is, then! That was easy.
I included a mini-batch version of my royal icing below in the recipe.
How to Make Iced Oatmeal Cookies
This iced oatmeal cookies recipe comes together a little differently than your average cookie. However, the process is still super simple:
- In a food processor, process some of the oats and raisins until finely ground.
- Transfer to a medium bowl, then stir in the remaining oats, as well as the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves.
- In another bowl, beat together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter and shortening until light and fluffy.
- To the butter mixture, add the egg, then vanilla extract.
- Stir the oats mixture into the wet ingredients.
- Roll the dough into 1 ½-inch balls, then bake until light golden brown around the edges.
Icing the Crispy Oatmeal Cookies
My very favorite thing about these iced oatmeal raisin cookies, second to the fact that I got the exact flavor I wanted, is brushing on the icing!
I really wanted that thin coating like the packaged versions, with bits of icing hitting on every little crag and crevice...but not too much!
Use a dry pastry brush dipped in the icing to BRUSH it on! No drizzling, no spreading with a spatula or a knife. Those don't work! Brushing is the key.
How to Store the Oatmeal Cookies
You'll want to store the frosted oatmeal cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Store them in single layers separated by waxed paper. They'll last up to three days.
Can Instant Oats Be Used?
No, instant oats are more finely ground than old-fashioned oats and would result in a drier, more crumbly cookie.
Tips for the Best Oatmeal Cookies
- If you don't have a food processor, you won't be able to make the crunchy oatmeal cookies. There's just no substitute for it!
- Even if you don't like raisins, do not omit them. They get blended up into the cookie dough and you won't even know they're there, trust me.
- Let the freshly iced oatmeal raisin cookies rest for 30 minutes to let the icing set before eating them.
Download my Christmas Cookie Tips booklet HERE for a limited time! Exclusive soft sugar cookie recipe, plus instruction on making the best royal icing, cookie plates and rolling dough.
More of the best cookies in the world
- Honey Cut Out Cookies
- Blossom Cookies with Cashew Butter and Chai Spice
- Black Sesame Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Crunchy Pecan Cookies
- Pistachio Lace Cookies
- Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
📖 Recipe
Classic Iced Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup raisins
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (sifted)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar (firmly packed )
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (softened)
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Icing
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon meringue powder or powdered egg whites
- Water ((as needed))
Instructions
Make the cookies:
- Heat oven to 375ºF and place rack in center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, process 2 cups oats and the raisins until finely ground. Transfer to a medium bowl; stir in remaining 1 cup oats, the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves; set aside.
- In a mixer bowl, beat together granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter and shortening on medium speed, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, then extract; beat until combined. Stir in oats mixture until combined.
- Roll dough into 1 ½-inch balls (2 tablespoons dough each). Place, 2 inches apart, on prepared sheet and lightly press to flatten.
- Bake until light golden brown around edges, 14 to 16 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack and let cool slightly. Transfer cookies to rack and let cook completely.
Make the icing:
- In a small mixer bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and meringue powder. With mixer on low speed, beat in 2 tablespoons water until mixture is the consistency of a medium-thick icing. Beat 3 minutes, adding water (if needed), 1 teaspoon at a time, to make a spreadable icing.
- Ice the cookies using a pastry brush and let stand until set, about 30 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Cookie Recipes from Tara Teaspoon
Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!
Megan Wald says
I always loved those iced cookies from the grocery store. I bet yours are even better!
Tara says
They are, I promise!
Lisa says
I can't wait to try these! They would be perfect "breakfast cookies" for my girls. Hooray!
Tara says
Ohhh cookies for breakfast! yes!! I want you as mom!
Mary Bench says
My friend made these recently. She loved them!
Brittany Smart says
These remind me of childhood! I love a good oatmeal iced cookie 🙂
Mike says
Best oatmeal cookie ever, my store bought cookie has always been iced oatmeal, now I can make them without all the preservatives that are added into store bought cookies. Bring on the ice cold milk, Yummy!
Mike
Mike says
Hi Tara, made these awesome cookies, a friend stopped by to visit and I made coffee and put a plate of these out, she was like OMG, these are the best cookies ever, since then she told lots of our other friends and now they all want me to make them for them, imagine that!
Here is my question, would I be able to place all the dough on a sheet pan, flatten it out into a rectangle and then bake? and cut into squares then ice them. Your thoughts on them this way.
Thanks
Tara T. says
Mike this warms my heart!!! I love this.
I haven't made them for a while, so I can't picture the amount of dough in my head, but I think it should work just fine in a sheet pan. My suggestion would be to start with a 9-by-13-inch pan (or quarter sheet pan) as your first trial run. I feel like the baking will be more even than if it's all in a larger pan.
So if you're using a quarter sheet pan, just start with as much dough as will fill it to 1/2 or 3/4 inch thick. I wouldn't go thicker than that. You may have some dough left over. Happy Baking
Tara