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Easily make delicious and chewy Oatmeal Cookies with this small batch recipe, ideal for when you crave a treat but don’t want a full batch. This recipe is ideal for those baking for one or two, and offers flexibility with ingredient substitutions.
Looking for more small batch cookie recipes? You’ll love these Chocolate Chip Cookies, Ginger Cookies, Peanut Butter Cookies, and Butter Cookies!
Why You’ll Love This Oatmeal Cookie Recipe
- Simplicity: No need for fancy techniques or tools. Just mix, scoop, and bake.
- Portion Control: Ideal for satisfying your craving without over-indulging.
- Versatility: Our recipe provides several easy substitution options.
- Quick: In under 30 minutes, you’ll have warm cookies ready to enjoy.
- Delicious: Perfectly chewy and flavorful, a treat you’ll make again and again.
Ingredients And Substitutions
- Butter: Gives the cookies a buttery richness. Substitution: Coconut oil or vegan butter for a dairy-free option.
- Sugar: Use granulated sugar and brown sugar. Sugar not only adds sweetness but also provides structure and tenderness. If you don’t have brown sugar, try our easy homemade brown sugar recipe.
- Egg yolk: 1 egg yolk is all that is needed in this small batch oatmeal cookie recipe. The egg yolk helps bind the ingredients together. Save the egg white and use it in a small batch of Meringues, or a mini Texas Sheet Cake, or in Two Vanilla Cupcakes.
- Vanilla extract: Imparts a sweet aroma and flavor. Substitution: Maple syrup or almond extract.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour which gives structure to the cookies. This recipe has not been tested with other types of flour.
- Baking soda: Provides the lift for the cookies. Ensure it’s fresh for optimal results.
- Ground cinnamon: Adds warmth and depth of flavor. Alternative: Nutmeg or allspice.
- Salt: Salt enhances the flavors in sweet baked goods.
- Oats: The star of the show. Use rolled oats for the best results. Substitution: Quick oats but reduce the baking time and be aware that the texture of the cookies will be different. Consider using leftover oats in a Blackberry Crisp, Baked Oatmeal, Butter Pecan Granola, or in a half batch of Texas Governor’s Mansion Cookies.
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why I used them. For the full recipe please scroll down to the recipe box at the bottom of the post.
Recipe Variations
Sometimes, we all like to change things up a bit. Here’s how you can experiment with the basic oatmeal cookie recipe:
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies: Add chocolate chips or cocoa powder for a chocolaty twist.
- Tropical Oatmeal Cookies: Incorporate shredded coconut and dried pineapple bits.
- Oatmeal Walnut Cookies: Mix in your choice of chopped nuts – walnuts, pecans, or almonds.
- Spiced Oatmeal Cookies: Add a pinch of cardamom or cloves for a spiced flavor profile.
How To Make Oatmeal Cookies
These step-by-step photos and instructions help you visualize how to make a small batch of oatmeal cookies. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Heat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat liner.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix 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.
- Use a medium-sized cookie scoop or 1 large tablespoon to scoop out the cookie dough. Place cookies 2-inches apart on the cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on a cookie sheet then transfer them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Serving Suggestions
Cookies are versatile and pair wonderfully with various accompaniments. Here are a few ways to elevate your oatmeal cookie experience:
- Tea Time: Serve with a cup of your favorite tea, like Earl Grey or Chamomile.
- Ice Cream Sandwich: Use two cookies to sandwich a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Breakfast Treat: Pair with Greek yogurt and fresh berries for a delightful morning treat.
- Dessert Platter: Combine with other single serve desserts for a mini dessert buffet.
Expert Tips
- Measure the flour correctly: This is so important. To measure flour correctly, stir the flour in its container with a spoon. Then, use a spoon to scoop flour into a dry 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.
- Line the cookie sheet: Use a baking mat or parchment paper to line your cookie sheet. I don’t recommend coating your baking sheet with butter or oil spray because it creates an overly greasy sheet that will make your cookies spread.
- Do not overbake: Remove the cookies from the oven when the edges begin to lightly brown.
- Portion out the cookie dough evenly: I use a cookie scoop that holds about 2 to 2.5 tablespoons of cookie dough. Using this size will yield 4-5 cookies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Old-fashioned rolled oats are the best oats to use when making oatmeal cookies. Do not use steel-cut oats, as they will be too hard, or instant oats which will become mushy.
Store oatmeal cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Although I don’t think these soft oatmeal cookies need a thing, you may like to add a drizzle of icing to yours. Here’s how to make the cookie icing:
In a small bowl stir together 1/3 cup of powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon of milk or cream. You may find you need to add more milk to get your preferred icing consistency. Spoon over cooled cookies. Allow the icing to set for 15-20 minutes before enjoying.
If you’d like to make a small batch of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, reduce the amount of oats to 1/4 cup and add 1/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Reduce the amount of oats to 1/4 cup and add 1/4 cup of raisins.
You might like to use our small batch oatmeal raisin cookie recipe.
More Small Batch Cookie Recipes
Looking for more petite batches of sweet delights? Explore our curated collection of small-batch cookie recipes.
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:
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.
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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
- Heat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat liner.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix 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.
- Use a medium-sized cookie scoop or 1 large tablespoon to scoop out the cookie dough. Place cookies 2-inches apart on the cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on a cookie sheet then transfer them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- Measure the flour correctly: This is so important. To measure flour correctly, stir the flour in its container with a spoon. Then, 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.
- Line the cookie sheet: Use a baking mat or parchment paper to line your cookie sheet. I don’t recommend coating your baking sheet with butter or oil spray because it creates an overly greasy sheet that will make your cookies spread.
- Do not overbake: Remove the cookies from the oven when the edges begin to lightly brown.
- Portion out the cookie dough evenly: I use a cookie scoop that holds about 2 to 2.5 tablespoons of cookie dough. Using this size will yield 4-5 cookies.
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.
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.