Oatmeal Iced Cookies
Oatmeal Iced Cookies are soft and tender in the center with perfectly chewy edges. Their craggy tops and sweet icing make them as beautiful as they are delicious!
Frosted Oatmeal Cookies
Y’all might recognize these cookies as a copycat to the famous Mother’s brand of iced oatmeal cookies. You may even remember eating them as a kid – if you are in my older generation camp. 😀 If you enjoy the package version, you’re gonna love this homemade version WAY MORE!
I’ve talked a lot about the oatmeal obsession we have in our home, thanks to my hubby. When we’re not eating oatmeal cookies, we’re enjoying Healthy Chocolate Granola, Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies, Peanut Butter and Jelly Overnight Oats, and Oatmeal Raspberry Jam Bars.
SO MUCH OATMEAL! Such little time to eat it all.
Reasons to love these cookies:
- Perfect texture combo – soft in the center, chewy on the edges, and just the right bite.
- That icing! – the sweet vanilla glaze takes them from simple to irresistible.
- Nostalgic vibes – they feel like a homemade bakery treat from childhood.
- Cozy flavor – warm oats and cinnamon pair beautifully with the sweet icing.
- Pretty presentation – the craggy cookie tops and glossy icing look rustic and inviting.
- Easy to make – no fancy steps, just classic baking.
- Crowd-pleasers – perfect for holidays, bake sales, or coffee breaks.
- Sturdy but soft – they travel well but still feel tender and fresh.
Ingredients Needed:
- unsalted butter
- sugars – a combo of dark brown sugar and granulated sugar
- large eggs
- pure maple syrup
- vanilla extract
- old fashioned oatmeal
- all-purpose flour
- baking soda
- kosher salt
- ground cinnamon
- simple icing – combo of powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract
Light brown sugar has a mild caramel flavor and creates cookies that are lighter in color with slightly crisper edges. Dark brown sugar, on the other hand, contains more molasses, which gives cookies a deeper toffee-like flavor, a darker color, and a softer, chewier texture. Really, you can’t go wrong—it just depends on whether you’re after a subtle flavor or a bolder, cozier vibe.
Oatmeal cookies are some of our favorites, including our Mini Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies, classic Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, and a holiday favorite, these White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies.
How to make Oatmeal Iced Cookies:
Step 1
Pulse the old fashioned oatmeal. To a food processor, add the old fashioned oatmeal. Pulse for a few seconds or until some of the oatmeal is still in tact but some is crumbs.
Step 2
Mix the wet Ingredients. In the bowl of a large standing mixer, combine the softened butter and both sugars and mix until creamy. Add the eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla – and mix well.
Step 3
Add dry to wet. Add the dry ingredients – the processed oatmeal, all-purpose flour, baking soda, kosher salt, and cinnamon.
Step 4
Roll into balls. Roll the dough into about 32 balls (small – about two tablespoons). The dough may be sticky, so you can chill it for 20 mins or so, or use cold water on your hands to help roll.
Step 5
Chill cookie balls. Cover the pan of cookie balls and chill in your refrigerator for at least two hours or overnight.
Step 6
Bake. Place 8 cookie balls (spread evenly apart) on prepared baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes, or until the cookies are fairly brown on top. You want the cookies to be firm and easy to handle.
Step 7
Cool. Let the cookies sit on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire cooling racks. Let cookies cool completely.
Step 8
Make icing. In a small mixing bowl, make the icing by combining the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Check consistency. It should be thick but stir-able. You may need to adjust ingredients as needed (more powdered sugar to make it thicker, more milk to make it thinner).
Step 9
Dip cookies. Take the completely cooled cookies and dip them in the icing. Don’t push or turn, just dip and pull straight out. The icing should set and make the prettiest little “snowflake” design on top, if dipped properly.
Step 10
Let icing harden. Keep the cookies on the cooling racks to let the icing harden. It shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours for it to firm. up. Then you can stack and store them.
Store cookies in an airtight counter on your countertop for 4-5 days. Then freeze for best results. You can stack and store or freeze these oatmeal cookies after the icing hardens.
Recipe FAQs:
All ovens vary greatly, so keep that in mind. You want these cookies to be quite firm so they can be properly dipped in the icing.
Make sure you measure the ingredients VERY carefully. If the icing is too thick or thin, you can fix it. If it’s too thick, add a few drops of milk. If the icing is too thin, add a bit of powdered sugar.
Yes, the icing will harden. Leave them sit on the cooling racks until it sets up completely.
These cookies freeze beautifully (with the icing!) and will keep well in an airtight container for up to three months.
Expert Tips:
- Use “almost” room temperature butter for better creaming of the butter and sugar. The butter should still be cool to the touch.
- Carefully measure the flour using the spoon and sweep method or use a digital thermometer (preferred). Makes a huge difference when baking!
- Chill the cookie dough for at least two hours before baking. This helps the cookies from over spreading.
- If your cookies are spreading too much while baking, you can remove the pan, fix the edges with a spoon, and place back in the oven.
- Let cookies cool slightly before moving them to cooling racks.
Let’s bake cookies!
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Oatmeal Iced Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Wet ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted butter – at room temperature
- 1 cup dark brown sugar (220 grams) – or use light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 2 large eggs – at room temp
- 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract – I like Watkin's brand
Dry ingredients:
- 2 cups old fashioned oatmeal (170 grams)
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (270 grams)
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (15 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
For the icing:
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar (180 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ Tablespoons milk – or more, to desired consistency
Instructions
- Pulse the old fashioned oatmeal. To a food processor, add the old fashioned oatmeal. Pulse for a few seconds or until some of the oatmeal is still in tact but some is crumbs.
- Mix the wet Ingredients. In the bowl of a large standing mixer, combine the softened butter and both sugars and mix until creamy. Add the eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla – and mix well.1 cup unsalted butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 grams), 1 cup dark brown sugar (220 grams), 2 large eggs, 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Add dry to wet. Add the dry ingredients – the processed oatmeal, all-purpose flour, baking soda, kosher salt, and cinnamon.2 cups old fashioned oatmeal (170 grams), 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (270 grams), 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (15 grams) 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- Roll into balls. Roll the dough into about 32 balls (small – about two tablespoons). The dough may be sticky, so you can chill it for 20 mins or so, or use cold water on your hands to help roll.
- Chill cookie balls. Cover the pan of cookie balls and chill in your refrigerator for at least two hours or overnight.
- Bake. Place 8 cookie balls (spread evenly apart) on prepared baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes, or until the cookies are fairly brown on top. You want the cookies to be firm and easy to handle.
- Cool. Let the cookies sit on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire cooling racks. Let cookies cool completely.
- Make icing. In a small mixing bowl, make the icing by combining the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Check consistency. It should be thick but stir-able. You may need to adjust ingredients as needed (more powdered sugar to make it thicker, more milk to make it thinner).1 ½ cup powdered sugar (180 grams), 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1½ Tablespoons milk
- Dip cookies. Take the completely cooled cookies and dip them in the icing. Don’t push or turn, just dip and pull straight out. The icing should set and make the prettiest little “snowflake” design on top, if dipped properly.
- Let icing harden. Keep the cookies on the cooling racks to let the icing harden. It shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours for it to firm. up. Then you can stack and store them.
Notes
- If you measure the ingredients properly, these cookies will bake up beautifully. But if you notice the cookies spreading too much, you can remove the pan toward the end of baking time, fix the edges with a spoon, and place back in the oven.
- You can sub light brown sugar for the dark brown sugar, if desired. Light brown sugar has less molasses, giving cookies a lighter color and mild caramel flavor, while dark brown sugar has more molasses, creating a richer taste, darker color, and chewier texture.
- Store set cookies (after icing hardens) in an airtight counter on your countertop for 4-5 days. Then freeze for best results. You can stack and store or freeze these oatmeal cookies after the icing hardens.
These are the best! Perfect for any event and even just for yourself!
Thanks Kincaid!
Oatmeal cookies are my favorite! Turned out perfect.
Yay! Thanks Synthia!
This might be the best cookie ever!
Yes!
5 stars plus!!!! These are my favorite oatmeal cookie ever, the dough (my favorite part) was so scrumptious it was as tempting as the finished product. They are also very pretty and festive!
Thanks so much for trying these, Linda! They really are pretty, aren’t they?!