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These small batch oatmeal cookies bake up soft and chewy with crisp edges and a warm cinnamon flavor. Made from scratch with brown sugar, they’re ready in under 30 minutes, just right for one or two.
Featured Comment
“Have now made this recipe multiple times. It’s always delicious and the perfect size for two people.”
– Anise
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Equipment: Baking sheet
- Cook Method: Oven
- Servings: 6 cookies
- Difficulty: Easy
- Flavor Profile: Buttery and sweet with warm cinnamon spice and hearty oats. Chewy in the middle with crisp, golden edges.
These oatmeal cookies for one are stirred together by hand, and you can bake a few fresh without pulling out the mixer or committing to a big tray.
Why You’ll Love These Small Batch Oatmeal Cookies
For years I baked oatmeal cookies for a houseful of five kids, and a full-size batch never lasted past the afternoon. As my kids grew up and moved out, I decided to scale my recipe down to yield six cookies so I could keep making them as an after-school snack for my daughter. It was the perfect amount for her and me to share while she told me about her day.
The trickiest part of scaling a cookie recipe down is the egg. With only a third of a cup of flour in this dough, a whole egg adds too much liquid and makes the batter runny. I tested it using the egg yolk, and it worked perfectly. Using just the yolk gives the dough the richness and structure to hold its shape, so the cookies bake up chewy in the middle with crisp edges. Save the leftover egg white for any of my egg white recipes so nothing goes to waste.
For more oatmeal cookies made for one or two, try my small batch oatmeal raisin cookies, small batch oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, or my single serve mini oatmeal skillet cookie next. You’ll find plenty more in my collection of small batch cookie recipes.
Ingredient Notes
If you have any ingredients left over from this easy oatmeal cookie recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
Butter: Melted butter gives the cookies their rich flavor. I use salted butter. For a dairy-free batch, coconut oil or vegan butter both work.
Brown sugar: Brown sugar is the main sweetener here, and its molasses keeps the cookies soft and chewy. If you’re out, you can make your own with our brown sugar recipe.
Granulated sugar: A smaller amount of white sugar helps the edges crisp and the cookies spread evenly. Together the two sugars give you a chewy middle and crisp edge.
Egg yolk: One yolk binds the dough and adds richness without the extra liquid a whole egg would bring. Use the egg white in small batch meringues or a mini Texas sheet cake.
Vanilla extract: Vanilla adds a warm background note that works with the cinnamon and oats.
All-purpose flour: Flour gives the cookies their structure and holds the dough together.
Baking soda: A little baking soda gives the cookies some lift.
Cinnamon: Warm cinnamon is the flavor most people expect in an oatmeal cookie. Add a touch more if you’d like a stronger flavor.
Salt: A little salt balances the sweetness and sharpens the other flavors.
Old fashioned oats: Rolled oats are the right choice here for a hearty, chewy texture. Quick oats work in a pinch but bake up softer and less chewy. Skip steel-cut oats, they stay too firm. Use extra oats in small batch butter pecan granola or small batch Texas Governor’s Mansion cookies.
Recipe Variations
There are a few easy ways to change up these chewy oatmeal cookies or serve them for dessert. For mix-ins, stir up to ¼ cup into the finished dough right before you scoop, and if you’re combining two, use about 2 tablespoons of each so the small batch isn’t overloaded.
Oatmeal Cookies with Nuts
Add ¼ cup of chopped pecans, walnuts, or sliced almonds for crunch, and macadamia nuts are good here too. Chop them small so they fold evenly through the dough.
Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Fold in ¼ cup of dried cranberries for a tart, chewy contrast to the brown sugar. Chop any larger pieces so they spread through the batch instead of clustering.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Stir in ¼ cup of semisweet or white chocolate chips for a sweeter cookie. For a version built around the chocolate, see my small batch oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Add ¼ cup of raisins for the classic oatmeal cookie most people grew up on. For a recipe developed around them, see my small batch oatmeal raisin cookies.
Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Sandwich a scoop of vanilla ice cream between two cooled cookies for an easy dessert. Freeze them for a few minutes first if you want the ice cream to firm up.
How To Make Small Batch Oatmeal Cookies
Here’s how to make oatmeal cookies from scratch, step by step. See the recipe card below for the full ingredient amounts and instructions.
Before you begin: Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In a medium bowl, stir the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until smooth and well blended.
- Stir in the egg yolk and vanilla until the mixture looks creamy.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until no flour streaks remain.
- Stir in the oats until they’re evenly worked through the dough.
- Scoop the dough with a medium cookie scoop or heaping tablespoon, spacing the mounds about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. The centers will look soft and finish setting as they cool.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Expert Tips
Scoop the dough freeform: Scoop the dough into loose mounds instead of packing it into tight balls. When I tested this recipe, the freeform mounds held their shape better in the oven.
Measure the flour correctly: Spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup and level it off. Scooping straight from the bag packs in extra flour and dries the cookies out.
Take them out when the edges are golden: Pull the cookies at 8 to 10 minutes, when just the edges are lightly browned. They finish setting on the hot sheet as they cool.
Let them firm up before moving: Cool the cookies on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them. They’re soft right out of the oven and hold together better once they’ve set.
Troubleshooting
If your oatmeal cookies aren’t turning out quite right, here’s how to fix common issues.
Why are my oatmeal cookies spreading too much?
Oatmeal cookies spread too much when the baking soda is old or the flour was mismeasured, so there’s too little to hold their structure. Use fresh baking soda, spoon and level your flour, and don’t grease the baking sheet. If they still spread, chill the dough for about an hour so the butter firms up before baking.
Why are my oatmeal cookies dry or hard?
Dry or hard oatmeal cookies usually come from too much flour or too much time in the oven. Spoon and level the flour instead of scooping it from the bag, which packs in extra. Take the cookies out at 8 to 10 minutes, when the edges are golden and the centers still look soft.
Why are my oatmeal cookies not spreading enough?
Oatmeal cookies stay in tall mounds when there’s too much flour or the dough was packed too tightly. Spoon and level the flour, and scoop the dough into loose mounds instead of firm balls. If they still bake up thick, flatten each mound slightly before it goes in the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe makes six small cookies, which is already a small batch for one person. To bake just one or two at a time, scoop the dough into mounds and freeze them on a tray, then keep them in a sealed bag. Bake straight from frozen whenever you want a fresh cookie, adding a minute or two to the time.
Yes. Line a small baking dish, like a 5×5-inch pan, with two criss-crossed strips of parchment so you can lift the bars out later. Press the dough in about ¾ to 1 inch thick and bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges are set and the center no longer looks wet. Let the bars cool, then lift them out and cut.
Yes, but the texture will change. Old fashioned rolled oats give these cookies their hearty, chewy bite. Quick oats bake up softer and less chewy, so use them only if that’s the texture you want, and check the cookies a few minutes sooner.
Store oatmeal cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. To keep them longer, freeze the baked cookies in a sealed bag for up to three months and let them come to room temperature before serving.
Yes. Stir together ⅓ cup powdered sugar, ¼ teaspoon vanilla, and 1 teaspoon of milk until smooth, adding a little more milk if needed. Drizzle over the cooled cookies and let it set for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
More Small Batch Cookie Recipes
If you’re baking for one or two, here are more small batch cookies worth trying.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you make this small batch oatmeal cookie recipe, I’d love to know how it turned out. Please rate it and leave a comment below to tell me how you liked these cookies. And if you take a photo, tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we love seeing what you bake.
Small Batch Oatmeal Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons salted butter – melted
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar – packed
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup old fashioned oats
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a medium bowl, stir the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until well blended.
- Add the egg yolk and vanilla, and stir until the mixture is creamy.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until no flour streaks remain.
- Fold in the oats until they're evenly worked through the dough.
- Scoop the dough into mounds with a medium cookie scoop or a heaping tablespoon, spacing them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look soft. They finish setting as they cool.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I made these oatmeal cookies yesterday and oh my goodness, they are delicious!!! 😋 Using the size cookie scoop that I have it made 10 cookies, yay!!! Thank you for sharing your recipes!!👏🏻♥️
Perfect, even I can make them. Just the right number of cookies for the two of us.
Phil 79 y/o
Joanie, u did an excellent job with this recipe!! I ended up using almond flour instead of AP flour and added raisins and chopped walnuts! So GOOD! I also followed the advice to not overbake them! Wonderful, thank u again:)
I’m so happy you enjoyed them. Thank you so much for your feedback.
Hello! I love oaty cookies and can’t wait to try this recipe! I saw you said in a comment somewhere that there can be frozen after baking – how long do you think they could be kept in the freezer for? Also, do you reckon the dough could be frozen before baking? I usually do this with my other cookie dough recipes and just bake the cookies straight from the freezer as I need them! Thanks ☺️
Thank you for your comment! Yes, these cookies can be frozen after baking and will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the dough before baking—just scoop it into portions, freeze them on a tray until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag or container. When you’re ready to bake, you can bake them straight from the freezer. I hope you enjoy the cookies!
That’s perfect, thank you so much! I can’t wait to try them!
Just finished making a batch and they are perfect and delicious! I will make them again and again! I am so looking forward to making more of the small batch cookies as we go through the holiday season! I love this site! You absolutely rock Joanie! Thank You!
Thank you!
These are always absolutely delicious! Simple, healthy (as cookies can be), and easy. I can whip up a batch of these so fast. Love that they aren’t overly sweet. Once they’re ready to be put on the pan – I grab a tablespoon size measuring spoon to scoop – give it a squeeze in my hand, and then softly roll it into a ball in my hands before placing on a nonstick cookie sheet. I bake for about 10-11 minutes.
Fantastic! So excited to find your small batch recipes as an empty nester; full batches just pointless now. Thanks so much!!
I’m so glad you found us and hope you find many new recipes you love.
Have now made this recipe multiple times. It’s always delicious and the perfect size for two people. Planning to make several for a family gathering this time. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Although they tasted good, for me they baked up super flat and very oily. Didn’t do any substitutions or adjustments to the recipe. Maybe I overmixed the wet ingredients? The recipe said “until creamy” so I mixed until the batter was slightly lighter in color. Not sure what I did wrong, many great reviews on these cookies!
Hi there! Thanks for trying the oatmeal cookies and for your feedback. It sounds like the butter might have been overmixed with the sugar, which may cause the cookies to spread and turn out flat. Next time, try mixing just until combined and the mixture is smooth. Also, if your oven runs hotter, that could be another reason for the flat and oily texture. You might want to check your oven temperature with a thermometer to see. I hope this helps, and I’m glad you enjoyed the taste! Let me know if you have any other questions.
These cookies were quick, easy to make and delicious! I made two small changes by browning the butter and adding half vanilla and half maple flavoring. Like a few other posters, my dough was a bit dry, probably from using KerryGold butter and browning, so I added a scant tablespoon of water. Thanks, Joanie for a great recipe!
Substituted in homeade canabutter……..AMAZING!
Pro-tip…..Make a regular batch as well. You WILL eat TOO MANY!!
🌿always🌿
Absolutely perfect. I’ve needed this for years. I used Stevia brown sugar and next time might omit the white sugar because I think they’d be sweet enough without it. I would also NOT press them down like I did as they would’ve cooked evenly without me interfering 🤣
Delicious! Hit the spot!
These are amazing!! Made 10 medium sized cookies total and within 20 minutes they were all gone. Next time I’ll have to double it. Thanks for sharing.
These cookies turned out great! I added some chocolate chips to a few and raisins in the others
I used Maple Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal to make these cookies. They were delicious.
I made these but I added more flour as the dough was too wet. I also added chopped toasted almonds, pumpkin seeds, chocolate chips and walnuts. Everyone went crazy for these, thank you for sharing.
Wow, these were great! I didn’t have brown sugar on hand so I used half white sugar and half maple syrup in its place and it worked perfectly! Nice yummy little treat that was super easy to make!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the oatmeal cookies and that the substitution worked well – great to know!
Perfect for me!
Single, 64 years old. I don’t want a whole batch of cookies, or I’ll eat ’em!
very good
I had only 1/3 cup of oatmeal left and I was scrolling through to see how would I use it. I found this website and your recipe saved me. Thank you.
Hi Joanie,
I recently discovered your website. I think it is great for empty nesters like myself and my wife. The dishes are delicious without having tons of leftovers. Although that’s not always a bad thing. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
Thanks, Lou
Can one double or triple these measurements to make a bigger batch without issues?
We have doubled this recipe with success but have not tripled the ingredient amounts.
These were delicious. My batch made three cookies, which is just right. I’m not a fan of baking cookies because I live alone and unless I freeze them, many go to waste. This recipe is just perfect. Note: Where I live, I had to bake them a couple of minutes longer.
Don’t be a smart a…leck like me. I just went ahead and used the whole egg. Wrong! I had no idea egg whites would make such a difference. Learn from my mistake — yolk only!!!
Crunch in edges and chewy in the middle. Scrumptious! I used 1 tablespoon sized to scoop dough and made a dozen. Baked for same amount of time. Next time, if using salted butter I would omit the 1/8 tsp. of salt or add only a pinch as I thought they seemed a bit on salty side for my taste. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for your feedback, Cynthia. I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies.
Very good!
The dough seems a little on the dry side. I added honey to soften it.
The oatmeal cookies are just wonderful and so very easy to make. I iced mine and they are delicious with coffee!!!
Best oatmeal cookie recipe ever!,
Cookies tasted very good, but I was surprised that they came like oatmeal lace cookies. Mine liiked nothing like those pictured.
Thank you once again. It is just hubby and I these days and while I love to bake I do t like having lots of sweets leftover. These recipes are perfect. Hubby loves oatmeal cookies and he LOVED these. I reduced the oats and put in mini chocolate chips. Delish!
I used 1/4 cup of applesauce (that I made from scratch) instead of the egg. I used 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp.of baking POWDER (instead of soda). I baked it for 15 minutes. It tasted pretty good, but next time I’m gonna use 1 more tablespoon of white granulated sugar. Thanks for the recipe. Now I know what I’Ill have for breakfast from now on…
Perfect amount
My favourite cookie recipe!
For me, this recipe made 5 cookies which I thought would be the perfect amount for 3 people. However immediately after tasting the first cookie, I began making a second batch because, well, let’s just say you’re going to want more than one of these!
Brown sugar- packed tablespoons?
Yes.
I had for dessert tonight. Delicious 😋. Warm and 😋 tasty.
Making now, very easy! I put scotchies in and left out cinnamon. I love your recipes so much! My children are grown and it’s just me and my husband so these are much appreciated!
These cookies are delicious!!
I added chopped pecans & craisins because that’s what I like in my oatmeal cookies.
They were a little too sweet. When I make this again, because I know I will, I will use less sugar.
This made just enough to have a few servings.
Thank you for this recipe.
I just tried these cookies and I love the recipe. I did change up a bit by adding a tablespoon peanut butter and 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter. I did it before I read the peanut butter recipe! Also added chopped cranberries. Very tasty! Could I grind the oatmeal? Is there a trick to make them soft before adding to the recipe?
I’m glad you enjoyed the cookies, Angela. Ground oats would need to take the place of the flour in the recipe, so if you want to grind the oats, reduce the amount of flour.
It’s triple digits outside and I didn’t want to heat up the house, so I made these in the air fryer as one giant cookie. It was delicious, personally, I thought it was a bit too sweet, but I will make it again. Thank you for your small recipes. I will be trying out others soon; my husband requested peanut butter!
I loved the taste but I also had the issue of the first step (sugars and melted butters) being on the liquidy side. Should the brown sugar tablespoons be “packed”? Also do you cool the melted butter for a certain amount of time before mixing? Lastly do you refrigerate the dough at any point before scooping and baking? Thanks so much – this was my first time making your recipe and I will surely make it again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies! The sugar and melted butter mixed together will be liquidy. Our process photos show how the batter should look at each stage, which may be helpful. When the flour, oats, etc. are added, the batter thickens up.
We do not cool down the melted butter before mixing it with the sugar and we do not refrigerate the cookie dough before baking.
I just made the small batch oatmeal cookies in SUGAR FREE. I ate one warm and they are delicious!!!! Thank you for all your single serve recipes. I made 5 cookies from this recipe.
I just wrote the oatmeal cookie recipe down. I will be making them with sugar free substitute sugars SOON! I’ll also add a few pecans to mine. Thanks for outstanding recipes for one!
My favorite cookie and being a single retiree, this is the perfect amount for answering my cookie monster call. Thank you so very much. As always your recipes hit the spot and are perfect when “you’re home alone and fixing for just one person!”
Terrific recipe.
Phenomenal cookies! So delish. I followed the recipe exactly but didn’t have salted butter so added a teensy bit more salt to these
Not sure what I’m doing wrong but the first steps with the butter sugar and brown sugar is not the Consistency of hers mine is more liquidy anything I’m doing wrong or recommendations?
Jennifer, it sounds like either more butter or not enough of the sugars were used.
Followed the recipe exactly as written and the cookies were great and exactly what I was hoping for.
TFS such a great recipe
I just made these this morning and they are delicious! Thank you for the recipe. This is my husband’s favorite cookie. I will be trying lots more of your recipes.