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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.
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.
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