This is the best oatmeal cookies recipe! This small batch of soft oatmeal cookies are ones you'll want to keep in your cookie jar. Filled with oats and raisins, these cookies are buttery and crisp around the edges and soft and chewy in the centers. Better than Grandma's!

There's something special about oatmeal cookies.
Perhaps they're nostalgic, at least for me they are.
Soft, chewy oatmeal cookies were ones my Grandmother kept in a little cookie jar on her counter. Every time my family and I visited her, she had a big oatmeal cookie and a glass of cold milk waiting just for me.
Why This Recipe Works
- This small batch oatmeal cookies recipe will yield 4 to 5 cookies depending on how large you make them. If you would like to make 8 to 10 cookies, the ingredients can be doubled.
- When you have a cooking craving, this should be the cookie recipe you go to first. In about the time it takes you to put on a pot of tea or brew a cup of coffee, these cookies can be mixed, baked, and ready to dunk.
- This is an easy oatmeal cookies recipe.
- I happen to love adding plump raisins in my oatmeal cookies but if you aren't a fan of raisins, you can leave them out or substitute chocolate chips instead.

Ingredient Notes
See recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Butter: 3 tablespoons of melted salted butter adds flavor and buttery goodness to each bite.
- Sugar: Use both granulated sugar and brown sugar.
- Egg yolk: 1 egg yolk is all that is needed in this small batch oatmeal cookie recipe. Please see below for ways to use up the leftover egg white.
- Vanilla extract: For flavor.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour.
- Baking soda: Helps give the cookies a little lift.
- Ground cinnamon and salt: For fabulous flavor!
- Oats: For best results, use old fashioned oats.
- Raisins: Feel free to leave raisins out if you'd like.

Expert Tips
- To measure flour correctly, use a spoon to scoop flour into a measuring cup and slightly overfill. Then, use the back of a knife or other straight edged utensil to level the flour across the cup. Do not scoop the flour. When you scoop, the flour gets packed too tightly and you will end up with more flour than the recipe calls for.
- Use a baking mat or parchment paper to line your cookie sheet. I don't recommend coating your baking sheet with a butter or oil spray because it creates an overly greasy sheet which will make your cookies spread.
- Do not overbake. Remove the cookies from the oven when the edges begin to lightly brown.
- I use a cookie scoop that holds about 2 to 2.5 tablespoons of cookie dough. Using this size will yield 4-5 cookies.
- You can make oatmeal chocolate chip cookies by using the same amount of chocolate chips instead of raisins.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use it in any of these small batch recipes:
Small Batch Coconut Macaroons
Two Vanilla Cupcakes
Two Chocolate Cupcakes
Oatmeal cookies can be kept at room temperature for about a week in an airtight container.
Old fashioned rolled oats are what you should use when making oatmeal cookies. These hold their shape well when baking and give the cookies a wonderfully chewy texture.

Other Small Batch Cookie Recipes
- Lace Cookies
- Flourless Chocolate Pecan Cookies
- Meringue Cookies
- Tropical White Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Shortbread Cookies
- Soft Ginger Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- DoubleTree Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
Other Single Serving Oatmeal Recipes
- Baked Oatmeal With Fruit
- Mini Oatmeal Butterscotch Skillet Cookie
- Mocha Oatmeal Bowl
- Pineapple Oat Cake
For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
If you’ve tried these oatmeal cookies or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see!

Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons salted butter , melted
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup old fashioned oats
- 1/4 cup raisins
How To Video
Instructions
- Heat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat liner.
- In a medium sized bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well blended.
- Beat in the egg yolk and the vanilla extract until creamy. Set the bowl aside.
- In a separate small bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture until well blended. Stir in the oats and raisins.
- Use a medium sized cookie scoop and place cookies 2-inches apart on the cookie sheet.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake.
- Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on a cookie sheet then transfer them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- To measure flour correctly, use a spoon to scoop flour into a measuring cup and slightly overfill. Then, use the back of a knife or other straight edged utensil to level the flour across the cup. Do not scoop the flour. When you scoop, the flour gets packed too tightly and you will end up with more flour than the recipe calls for.
- Use a baking mat or parchment paper to line your cookie sheet. I don't recommend coating your baking sheet with a butter or oil spray because it creates an overly greasy sheet which will make your cookies spread.
- Do not overbake. Remove the cookies from the oven when the edges begin to lightly brown.
- I use a cookie scoop that holds about 2 to 2.5 tablespoons of cookie dough. Using this size will yield 4-5 cookies.
- You can make oatmeal chocolate chip cookies by using the same amount of chocolate chips instead of raisins.
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.
The cookies are delicious. Can you explain why you use egg yolks?
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies, Dee. We only use the egg yolk because using the entire egg would affect the texture of the cookies. The fat in an egg yolk gives the cookies (and other baked goods) an extra-rich flavor and smooth texture. It also binds the ingredients together. I’d recommend saving the egg white to use in our other recipes that call for egg whites only.
These cookies are so good! We’ve made several times, perfect for our tiny house and oven. We measure them by teaspoon size and they make about a dozen.
I’m so happy you enjoyed them. Thank you so much for your feedback.
This was exactly what I was after. Tasted better than the ones I usually buy. I have had a look at some other recipes on the site, and cannot wait to try some. Thank you!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the cookies and I hope you find many new recipes you love.
Thank you! for these awesome small batch cookies, the right moment for the right time or day.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies. Thank you.
These are awesome. I rather make a couple of small batches different than a lot of one.
I’m so glad you loved the cookies, Lydia. Thank you.
I’m 79 years old and have made lots of oatmeal cookies but these are the best I’ve ever made. I made a double batch, half with chocolate chips and half with a dried cranberry/golden raisin/dried cherry mix I found at Walmart. This is my go to oatmeal cookie recipe now, can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
I’m so glad you are enjoying the cookie recipe. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.