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Old-Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies

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Soft in the middle and chewy on the edges

Iced Oatmeal Cookies stacked on marble

Old-Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies – a walk down memory lane!

These delicious Old-Fashioned Ice Oatmeal Cookies are so much better than the cookies of my childhood. They’re soft in the middle, chewy around the edges, they’re not overly sweet and have notes of cinnamon and nutmeg.  This is a really terrific cookie!

Do you remember Iced Oatmeal Cookies from your childhood?

I was thinking about when I was a kid and how it was a special treat to get a store bought cookie, cake, or candy bar.  We started getting Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies in our lunches in later years. But being one of 5 kids, hand-me-downs were the norm and we didn’t waste money on things we didn’t need.
I also remember Mother’s Iced Oatmeal Cookies that came in the bright blue and red package and each cookie was perfectly shaped, crisp and delicious. It’s interesting that home-made is now the ‘special treat’ and store-bought anything is the norm.
As I’m from the baby-boomer generation, I still remember when we installed our first push button telephone.  (I was a very, very, very young girl.)
I was so young that I didn’t really have any friends to call at the time. We just jumped on our bicycles and road over to their house if we had something to discuss. But I wanted to call people just to use the new phone with the raised plastic numbers and lighted background.

We often regale our grown children with stories of what life used to be like without microwaves, Internet, cable, email, Facetime or hands-free anything. Technology is amazing and the pace with which it’s being developed is nothing less than astonishing.

A side view of oatmeal cookies on a cutting board

Ingredients needed to make Old-Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies:

For the cookie dough:

  • old-fashioned rolled oats
  • all-purpose flour
  • baking powder
  • baking soda
  • salt
  • cinnamon
  • nutmeg
  • unsalted butter
  • light brown sugar
  • eggs
  • vanilla extract

For the icing:

  • milk, cream or water as needed for the desired consistency
  • powdered sugar
Iced Oatmeal Cookies stacked on a cake stand

How to make Iced Oatmeal Cookies:

First, prepare the cookie dough:

  1. Pulse the oats in a food processor to achieve a variety of textures. Combine the oats with the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
  2. In a separate bowl beat the butter until creamy, then add the sugars. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, then pour in the vanilla.
  3. Blend in the dry ingredients.
  4. Form into dough balls and bake.

Next prepare the icing:

  1. Mix the ingredients together until you have a thick, but pourable icing. Dip the tops of each cooled cookies into the icing and let the excess drip off. Place the cookies on a cooling rack until set
Stacked oatmeal cookies on a small cake stand

The reviews are in! Old-Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies are everybody’s favorite!

These homemade Iced Oatmeal Cookies are so much better than store-bought. They have the perfect texture and just the right amount of icing.

The craggy top has great visual appeal, too. These cookies don’t last long!

Closeup of an iced oatmeal cookie

We love the craggy top for great visual appeal!

Dipping the tops of the cookies in icing gives them that authentic old-fashioned iced oatmeal cookie signature look. The thick icing doesn’t seep to the cracks and crevasses, and looks amazing!
Old-Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies in a stack with icing dripping down the sides

Can you freeze Iced Oatmeal Cookies?

These cookies freeze beautifully and will keep well sealed in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You can freeze them with or without the icing.

Place sheets of wax paper or parchment between the layers and make sure the icing is set. Make-ahead cookies perfect for any occasion!

Thanks for PINNING!

A stack of Oatmeal Cookies with icing on top

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4.73 from 22 votes

Old-Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 12 mins
Total Time: 32 mins
Yield: 30
Course: Cookies, Dessert
Author: Tricia
PRINT RECIPE
The classic cookie with great flavor and textures

Ingredients

For the cookie dough:

  • 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats *
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature (16 tablespoons or 226g)
  • 1 cup light brown sugar packed
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the icing:

  • 2 tablespoons milk cream or water (more or less as needed for desired consistency)
  • 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

To prepare the cookie dough:

  • Add the rolled oats to a food processor and pulse 10 times. Don't over process because you want a variety of textures not just a ground oat flour. In a large mixing bowl combine the oats, flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk or stir to combine. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter on medium-high about 30 seconds. Add the brown and granulated sugars and mix on medium-high until the batter lightens and becomes fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until the yolk disappears into the batter. Lightly beat in the vanilla. Add about ⅓ of the oat and flour mixture to the butter and egg mixture, mixing on a low speed just until blended. Continue adding the flour mixture until fully incorporated.
  • Using a 2 tablespoon size ice cream or cookie scoop (not heaping - leveled straight across the top of the scoop), roll the dough into balls and place on the prepared baking sheet at least 2-inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms just begin to brown. Do not over-bake.
  • Remove the pan from the oven and let the cookies rest for 5 minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely.

To prepare the icing:

  • Combine the powdered sugar with the milk. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved and the icing is somewhat thick. Place the icing in a shallow dish or container, about 4x4 inches. Quickly dip the tops of the cooled cookies into the icing and let the excess drip off. Set the dipped cookie on the rack until the icing has set.
  • Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Recipe Notes

*NOTE: This recipe has only been tested using Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats processed in a food processor for the combination of textures that appear above. Do not substitute quick oats or oat bran for the rolled oats.
IMPORTANT: I've had many comments that the cookies did not spread and create the cracks like those in the photos. Be careful not to over-process the oats. Pulse quickly, do not make oat flour. The texture is created by having chunkier oats not powdery oats.
Tips for the icing: due to varied humidity and seasonal changes, you may need more or less milk or powdered sugar. The icing should stick but not runny when you dip the cookie. If it's too thick it will not adhere to the cookie at all. 
You can use water in the icing if preferred, but it looks thin and not as white. 
Adapted from a recipe posted on Mother Thyme

Nutrition

Calories: 183kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 108mg | Potassium: 47mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 207IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1mg

Finally, here are a few more cookie recipes you might also enjoy:

 

Finally … I was wondering … what’s the very first ‘cool technology’ thing you remember?

If you say an iPhone I’m going to feel old! A few of the other things I remember coming along were fax machines, Federal Express, memory and correcting typewriters.

I actually had one of the early cell phones. You know the giant ones that mounted in your car? I also remember it was $.25 a minute and there were no usage plans!

Back in the day we relied heavily on our pagers and used cell phones to check messages. If I needed to return a call, I would run to a pay phone instead of racking up the cell phone bill.

Sheesh – it’s so much easier now.

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160 Comments

  1. April says

    4 stars
    These were very good. I didn’t have a food processor, so I hand chopped the oats. It is very easy to do, and you have more control over how varied your oat pieces are. The cookies turned out very flat, but crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle. Just the way I like my cookies.

    reply to this comment >

  2. Shirley Alberts says

    5 stars
    I have made these cookies several times and they are absolutely my favorite cookie (and they keep very good in the cookie jar). Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. They are a favorite with the grandkids and great- grandkids too.

    reply to this comment >

  5. JoAnne says

    5 stars
    Just tried this. Followed recipe exactly. Turned out sooo gooood! Have not iced them yet. The really don’t need it. In between batches, I put the dough in the fridge to keep it cold. Really, really easy and tasty.

    reply to this comment >

  6. Victoria says

    4 stars
    My cookies didn’t flatten while baking like in the photos, nor did they crack so when I dipped the first one it looked awful. I decided to drizzle the icing over the rest of them and it looks better for sure. They taste really great so I will definitely try this recipe again. I thought I was being quite careful not to over process the oats but maybe I did overdo it.

    reply to this comment >

  8. Stephanie says

    5 stars
    I was skeptical that these would turn out as nice as the picture shows. The picture looks so good you’d think the author of the recipe went and bought a package of the store bought ones and snapped some pictures of those! But low and behold! They turned out beautiful! Even better than store bought ones. The flavor is amazing and the icing even hardens( thought not as hard as the store bought) really nicely. Enough so that you can actually stack them up and they don’t turn into a mess. This is my new favorite recipe!

    reply to this comment >

  9. sharon says

    5 stars
    These were wonderful! i only had organic quick oats so skipped the processor step and it worked fine thankfully. I did add a little ginger and some golden raisins but those were the only tweaks made to the recipe and we thought they turned out divine! As for the texture mine started out after baking slightly crisp on the edges and soft and chewy center, but gradually lost the crispiness but it didnt matter at all to us Lol.
    The icing just makes the cookies even better so I recommend that everyone just do it and you will be glad that you took the the time to. They tasted so good plain that I almost didnt, but did anyway and was so happy later on!

    reply to this comment >

  10. Lee says

    I think we are close in age. I also was very, very, very young we switched from rotary to push button phones. I also remember playing outside with neighbors until the lights came on. That was until we got atari and intellivision game units. Then we began to sit inside all the time.

    This recipe was just what I needed. Now if you can copy New York Seltzers . . . 🙂

    reply to this comment >

  12. Lisa says

    1 star
    The tase and texture is very opposite then the description. They are way to soft and slightly chewy. I didn’t get the crunchy crumbly texture. They are pale in color also.

    reply to this comment >

  13. LaLa says

    5 stars
    These cookies were delicious! I made a half batch because I was low on butter. I added the full amount of cinnamon and added 1/4 t ground ginger and 1/8 t black pepper. I will definitely make them again.

    reply to this comment >

  14. Cinthya says

    5 stars
    Just made these. Only two things I changed were I added 1.5 cups of chocolates chips to the oats while pulsing them in her food processor and omitted the nutmeg. They came out like they showed in the picture. These are my new recipe.

    reply to this comment >

  15. Kathleen says

    5 stars
    Delicious….just like my Mom used to make. Because I only had quick oats, I used them. Two quick pulses in the Kitchen Aide. Worked great!!! Cookies are soft, chewy and looked like bakery cookies. Definitely will be making over and over again. Thanks!!

    reply to this comment >

  16. Mara says

    5 stars
    These were great. I was hunting for a pumpkin spiced oatmeal cookie and these sounded great. I just swapped the cinnamon for pumpkin spice, a mild substitute. Not sure i could even tell the difference. I also cut the sugar by 1/4 as i was serving these to kids… they turned out so so good. I also used salted butter and added some vanilla bean in bourbon extract to the icing so I got those nice bean flecks. Thank you so much for sharing.

    reply to this comment >

  17. Mom of 1 says

    5 stars
    Thank you for the excellent recipe! Mine were not fluffy and soft as some mentioned. The middle was soft, but the edges were perfectly done. I followed the recipe to a T and I also used a brand new box of baking soda and baking powder. Again, thanks for this, it’s the perfect fall cookie! I will be keeping this recipe for years…easy and delish! 🙂

    reply to this comment >

  21. Katie says

    I wonder if some people have issues with making them due to where they live.
    I know elevation can effect these types of things.
    I live in Alaska and will be trying these tonight and will let you know the outcome 🙂

    reply to this comment >

  26. Rachael R. says

    No matter what I do I can’t get these cookies to flatten and be crispy 🙁 🙁 🙁 my fiancé has no problem with the way they come out {puffy and chewy} but I want them crispy like the pictures. I’m not sure what gives :’( I follow the recipe to a T!

    reply to this comment >

    • Tricia Buice says

      Hi Rachael. I’m sorry they’re not turning out like the photos. I think maybe the oats are processed too much? The cookies are crisp around the edges but soft in the middle so maybe the texture is not completely off. Glad you enjoyed them anyway and I’m sure you followed the recipe correctly. Try cutting your processing in half and see if that works. Thanks for trying them – hope that helps!

      reply to this comment >

  27. Cyndei says

    Happy holidays Trish!!

    We must be the same exact age. I resemble each and every of the time travels you mentioned which has made my heart more full than you know….

    Life seems short looking back now but girl there is a lot of life left in us…..don’t stop baking!!

    Cyndei, with and e i…like Old McDonald had a farm, e i, ei, O!!

    reply to this comment >

  28. Kristen says

    I made them using instant oats. I didn’t read that until I had baked them oops! ? They turned out fine though! I baked them for only 12 minutes because I like a soft cookie. No matter what I did I couldn’t get the icing to thicken. I used cold milk maybe next time I’ll try warming it up first. Thanks!

    reply to this comment >

    • Tricia Buice says

      The icing hardens pretty well but if you are concerned, leave out the milk or cream. It won’t be as creamy white and will be less transparent, but it will still taste great. I didn’t have any trouble with the icing when the cookies were stacked together. Pack them carefully and I bet they will be fine. This is a good travel cookie!

      reply to this comment >

  30. Brigitte says

    The cookies I made turned out perfect! I was a little leary about making them for the first time after reading all the comments. The one thing everyone said was the cookie was delisious whether it turned out like the picture or not so I had to give them a try. Although I used vegan butter and Aquafaba instead of eggs for the cookie and coconut milk from the can in place of milk for the icing. My grandchildren and the children that come over to play with my grandchildren loved the cookies! I’m not Vegan, but my good friend and her family are so I enjoy trying new recipes that I can share with them. This oatmeal cookie recipe was a hit and I know I will be making it again….. Next time I make them I am going to try grinding up some nuts and snipping some raisins to add to the cookie dough. Thank you for sharing this deilous cookie recipe!

    reply to this comment >

  31. Shannan says

    Help! The first time I made these they were perfect. Since then, however, they’ve been super puffy! I’ve tried different types of pans, grinding the oatmeal less, grinding it more and I even smushed them down at various times in the baking. They still taste good but it’s not the same! Any thoughts?

    reply to this comment >

    • Tricia Buice says

      Hi Shannan – I’m not sure what is going on unless you changed brands of oats, butter or live in a location with big swings in humidity maybe. I’m sorry I don’t have a full-proof answer 🙂 I’ve always had good results with this recipe and just love it. Again sorry!

      reply to this comment >

  33. Sydney says

    I made these cookies today and they are amazing! I followed the recipe exactly as written (I just halved it) and they spread perfectly, had a bumpy texture on top, and the icing looks just like yours do in your pictures. I love how the icing on top resembles snow– they’re perfect Christmas cookies! Thank you again for the fabulous recipe, it’ll now be a go-to winter cookie for me!

    reply to this comment >

    • Tricia Buice says

      Hi Sydney!!! I cannot thank you enough for commenting about your experience with these wonderful cookies. People often comment when things don’t turn out completely right – but less so when they are happy. So thank you very, very much! I loved these cookies and can’t wait to make them again. They do look like wintertime! Have a wonderful holiday season and thanks again.

      reply to this comment >

  34. Boys hockeynana says

    Just finished making them and both my husband and daughter said they were delis. Couldn’t get them to spread and was very careful about the oats but after seeing that the first ones out of the oven were still quite puffy I took the bottom of my 1/2cup measuring cup, dipped it in sugar – just enough so it didn’t stick to the cookie – and applied a little pressure to flatten them out a bit. They turned out perfect. Waaay too much icing left over so just had to make sugar cookies to use up lol

    reply to this comment >

  36. Darla Andrade says

    I love crunchy iced oatmeal cookies with a hot cup of straight black coffee! There is just something about the coffee that makes those cookies so good! Anyway, All I had in the cubboard was Quaker quick oats. I decided to try it anyway and mine cracked. They were delicious! Although I did tweak it a little and add more cinnamon. Thank you for sharing this great recipe!

    reply to this comment >

  37. Alissa says

    Frosting tip! Use a silicone brush and brush it on if you want it to look like the picture. I also had to add a lot more powder sugar to thicken. Next time I will start with less liquid since it made more than enough frosting! I also flattened my dough balls before putting in oven to make the cookies come out more flat.

    reply to this comment >

  39. Lisa says

    Opps! I didn’t read the recipe all the way through and did not put any of the oats in the food processor! No fear! Just flattened the dough a little with a spatula. Look and smell great! Iced nicely once I got the consistency right. I think the nutmeg is a nice inclusion.

    reply to this comment >

    • Tricia Buice says

      Thanks Alyssa – I hope you love them as much as we do. Please read the directions a couple of times before starting – it’s easy but you need to follow the directions exactly to get the cracked top. No worries! Thank you so much!

      reply to this comment >

  44. patricia says

    This is a tricky recipe, I made 2 batches, the second WITHOUT baking powder which makes them rise and puff, and they were perfectly flat and round; I wonder if your baking powder was old or just a bad batch -it’s happened to me before a few times even with name brands that were just opened. I tried the icing a few different ways in small batches, and the addition of the water just seems to make it runny and gives the cookies more of a glazed look; the cream is best. I wanted mine crispier like the store bought kind( if I could find them) so I baked them a few extra minutes and the texture was right but it turned them too dark.. Ugh!! A friend who is a chef told me to try a cookie press next time , plus I’m going to try adding raisins.

    reply to this comment >

  45. Jaclyn says

    I haven’t even gotten to the frosting part yet, but I can’t believe how beautifully round and flat these cookies are turning out. They look and SMELL perfect. I can’t wait to add the frosting. My dad is going to love these. Thank you for the recipe, Tricia.

    reply to this comment >

  46. Brianna Mintz says

    I just got done making these cookies. I followed the recipe to a “T”. I even pulsed the oats in the food processor like suggested, but they were not flat like the cookies shown above. My icing looked good until i put it on the cookie. It did not get the pretty crakes as in the picture. Im not sure what went wrong…

    reply to this comment >

    • Tricia Buice says

      Oh Brianna … I am very sorry. Did you dip the cookies upside down in the icing instead of spreading? My icing was a little thick and more on the sticky side. If it was too runny it would go down into the cracks. I adapted the recipe from one posted at Mother Thyme I’ve only made these once and those are the ones in the photos. I used rolled oats and processed them in the food processor as described. She notes that you don’t want to over-process the oats as they will not spread. Perhaps they were too finely ground? If you try again and they turn out for you, please let us know so I can share the comments with our readers. Thanks for getting in touch. I hope it helps and hope you had a beautiful holiday season.

      reply to this comment >

    • Tricia Buice says

      Hello again – thanks for the followup. The recipe is adapted from one posted on Mother Thyme. You may have seen my note at the bottom of the recipe, but she indicated they would not turn out like this unless you process the oats in a food processor. NOTE: This recipe has only been tested using Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats processed in a food processor for the combination of textures that appear above. Do not substitute quick oats or oat bran for the rolled oats. (recipe adapted from Mother Thyme) I hope this helps and truly hope you will try again. I’ve only made these once and they turned out as you can see in the photos. Read over her notes and see if that helps. Good luck and thanks so much for reading and trying the recipes.

      reply to this comment >

    • Tricia Buice says

      Sorry you had trouble Emilie. Mine were soft in the middle and crispy on the outside edges but the icing has something to do with keeping the cookie soft. I think it is essential to pulse the old-fashioned oats in the food processor, just until you have a combination of whole oats and some oat flour. Ten pulses and mine was perfect. Don't substitute quick oats or oat bran for the

      reply to this comment >

      • Karen says

        I too just made these and I pulsed 10 quick times and no cracks! Puffy in the middle too. They have great flavor and if I very lightly dipped cookie the icing looks great. What am I doing wrong?

        reply to this comment >

        • Tricia Buice says

          Hi Karen – sorry to be so late in replying. I was in the mountains for 5 days with no internet. I am not sure why these crack for some and not for others. It may have to do with humidity, brand of oats, etc. It sounds like you did everything right but perhaps a slightly longer (full 1 second) pulse would help? I hope to test these again and will update the recipe if I find the answer. Sorry they didn’t crack but hope you liked them anyway.

          reply to this comment >

    • Emilie says

      I made another half batch tonight, and they turned out better! I only pulsed 1/2 of the oats because my blender pulverizes quickly. So half oat "flour" and half whole oats. I also smooshed the dough balls down some and cooked longer. With the icing, I added very little liquid to the sugar, and it was perfect! This recipe is going in our recipe book, and will likely be a Christmas

      reply to this comment >

    • Ashley says

      Mine came out think too and icing was transparent! They were soft and delicious.. I followed the recipie to the tee… I think I will have to flatten the balls too and less milk and water on icing so it looks white like in the pics!

      reply to this comment >

      • Tricia Buice says

        Sorry these didn’t come out like the photos. I don’t know what to recommend other than check the original post at Mother Thyme for tips about processing the oats. I think I’m going to have to make them again and see if they come out different for me. Glad they tasted good though – thanks for the comment, it helps to hear from readers!

        reply to this comment >

  57. Cheri Savory Spoon says

    Hi Tricia, these cookies do look like the Mothers Old Fashioned that I remember, they were my favorite growing up. Can't remember exactly what cool technology thing but I'm thinking the remote control for the tv as us kids were the remote control before the actual devise.

    reply to this comment >

  58. Karen Harris says

    Oh how I remember our first push button phone, and our first remote control TV. Glorious, both of them. My favorite story that I tell my children is how we used to have to plan a day in advance for a baked potato. They aren't impressed. I guess you had to have been there to get it. I bet you understand LOL! These cookies look amazing. One of my favorites.

    reply to this comment >

  59. Chris Scheuer says

    These look so wonderful Tricia, like a delicious, old fashioned bakery. I do remember getting our first push button phone and thinking it was so cool. But I always wanted my own "princess" phone and that never happened, oh well. It is funny how everything has changed and seems to be changing faster every day!

    reply to this comment >

  60. Anna and Liz Recipes says

    Love these cookies Tricia !! We remembered littles Debbie as well! <br />The fax machine was really cool for my husbands business when they first came out. Anyway, I will be making these cookies for my grandchildren this week while I am babysitting. My daughter will be giving birth to our third grandchild – another boy! Thanks for the recipe !! Warmly. Anna

    reply to this comment >

  61. SavoringTime in the Kitchen says

    These really do look perfect and delicious, Tricia! I love how the icing looks too.<br /><br />I remember the whole switch from film cameras to digital and how easy it made take pictures. Where would we be without digital cameras for our blogs 🙂 It's funny, though, how so little has changed over the years when it comes to making cookies.

    reply to this comment >

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