This is an updated recipe from the Macheesmo Archives!

I’ve heard a rumor that crispy oatmeal cookies can match or even beat the soft, chewy, raisin-packed oatmeal cookies that I know and love. I was skeptical (very), but I decided to give them a shot. The idea behind these cookies is that you use a bit more leavening powder to make the oatmeal cookies spread out during baking and therefore crisp up.

But are crispy oatmeal cookies really good?

YES! And they are stackable.

In the cookie universe, I like to think of oatmeal cookies as healthy. Sure, they have some butter and sugar as all cookies do, but the oats lend a real heartiness and lots of fiber. So they’re kinda healthy cookies!

Crispy Oatmeal Cookies

4.72 from 7 votes
Author: Nick Evans
Servings: 24 cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
These crispy oatmeal cookies are the evil step-child of the soft raisin-packed oatmeal cookie. Thin, laced with orange zest, and crispy! Very addictive!

Ingredients 

  • 14 Tablespoons 1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
  • 1 Cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ Cup brown sugar
  • Zest of one orange, optional
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 Cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ Teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ Teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ Teaspoon salt
  • 2 ½ Cups rolled oats

Instructions

  • Add butter, sugars, and orange zest to a large bowl.
  • Using a hand mixer or stand mixer (or I guess a fork/whisk combo attack), cream the butter into the sugar on medium speed.
  • Add a large egg and vanilla extract.
  • In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients except the rolled oats.
  • Slowly incorporate dry ingredients into butter mixture.
  • Mix in oats, 1/2 Cup at a time.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a parchment-lined baking sheet place heaping Tablespoon balls of dough with a good amount of space in between each ball (8 per tray)
  • Using a spatula (fingers), mush the dough down until you have small disks that are about 1/2 inch high.
  • Bake for 14-16 minutes and if they appear to be cooking unevenly, rotate the sheet halfway through.
  • Once the cookies are lightly browned around the edges, take them out and let them cool on a wire rack. Let them cool on their baking sheet.

Nutrition

Calories: 153kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 141mg | Potassium: 44mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 214IU | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: American

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Crispy Oatmeal Cookies

It might look like a lot of ingredients for cookies, but most of them are standard pantry ingredients.

This dough is really no different for from a standard dough. Start by adding your butter, sugars, and orange zest if your using it (I totally recommend it) to a large bowl. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer (or I guess a fork/whisk combo attack), cream the butter into the sugar on medium speed.

Crispy Oatmeal Cookies
Lots of zest!

After a few minutes you should have a smooth, thick mixture that would be delicious if you were to eat it with a spoon.

Don’t eat it though!

Instead, add a large egg and your vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, combine your dry ingredients except the rolled oats.

Then slowly incorporate your dry ingredients into your dough.

After everything is mixed together well, mix in your oats, 1/2 Cup at a time. Don’t mix your oats into your dry ingredients first because it will make it hard to get your flour and leavening things equally distributed.

Crispy Oatmeal Cookie Dough
Finished dough

Cooking the Cookies

Once your batter is mixed well, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. On a baking sheet place heaping 1 tablespoon balls of dough with a good amount of space in between each ball.

You should get 24 balls out of the batter. I only got 23 because I’m crazy like that and I didn’t really measure them.

Crispy Oatmeal Cookies
Lots of room.

Seriously though, don’t put more than 8 of these on a sheet at a time. You’ll thank me later.

Then, using a spatula (fingers), mush the batter down until you have small disks that are about 1/2 inch high.

Bake these for 14-16 minutes and if they appear to be cooking unevenly, rotate the sheet halfway through.

Once the cookies are lightly browned around the edges, take them out and let them cool. And here is the important trick to these cookies: Let them cool on their baking sheet. Don’t take them off.

This will mean they’ll continue to crisp up a bit while they cool, but they won’t burn. If you’re cookies are touching, feel free to cut them apart a bit.

Crispy Oatmeal Cookies
Flat and crispy!

After they cool completely, you can eat them immediately or, if you’re like me, form a cookie structure of some sort.

It’s very possible that these crispy oatmeal cookies converted me from the oatmeal cookies I know and love. They were packed with flavor but still really light and had a perfect texture.

Crispy Oatmeal Cookies

Plus they’re pretty straightforward to make. And they’re healthy(ish)!

Basically, there’s no reason to not make these cookies! And that rumor I was talking about at the beginning of this post… yea… I think I’m going to start spreading it.

For a late summer cookie treat, try Zucchini cookies with chocolate chips!

Crispy Oatmeal Cookies