Oma's Easiest, Best, Cheapest Oatmeal Cookies

Name: Oma's Easiest, Best, Cheapest Oatmeal Cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 3 cups brown sugar; 3 cups (6 sticks) butter, softened; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 3 cups all purpose flour; 1 tablespoon baking soda; 6 cups oatmeal

11 steps

Prep:20minCook:10min

This recipe makes 72-80 cookies! Be sure to adjust the desired number of servings (cookies) to the number you want. They freeze well, so it's okay to make extra, though. This is the recipe for my German grandmother' (Oma's) trademark (and my favorite) oatmeal cookie recipe. She made them for me every time that I came to visit. She would put them in her cookie jar and then hide the jar somewhere in the kitchen or dining room, so I had to search for it to get my sweet reward. For variations, you could (as she sometimes did) add some chopped almonds or pecans. Obviously, you can replace the butter with margarine (as she preferred), which would also make the recipe vegan. You can use a sugar-free brown sugar substitute if you prefer it to be lower carb (though it still will not be close to low-carb!). When I made them, I used half Swerve and half real brown sugar. I hope you enjoy these, and I appreciate any feedback.

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 02:35:16 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Unbalanced

Glycemic Index

Moderate

Glycemic Load

Moderate

Nutrition per serving

Calories135.6 kcal (7%)

Total Fat7.9 g (11%)

Carbs15.7 g (6%)

Sugars7 g (8%)

Protein1.5 g (3%)

Sodium36.9 mg (2%)

Fiber0.9 g (3%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

72 servings

Cookies

3 cupsbrown sugar

3 cupsbutter

softened

2 teaspoonsvanilla extract

3 cupsall purpose flour

1 tablespoonbaking soda

6 cupsoatmeal

Instructions

Step 1

Gather your ingredients together.

Step 2

Preheat oven to 350° F

Step 3

Mix sugar, butter, and vanilla together in a large bowl or using a stand mixer.

brown sugar3 cups

butter3 cups

vanilla extract2 teaspoons

Step 4

Add baking soda to the flour and stir with a whisk or fork to combine. Sift the combination into the sugar/butter mixture, about one-fourth at a time, mixing slowly after each addition to combine.

MixerMix

all purpose flour3 cups

baking soda1 tablespoon

Step 5

Add the oatmeal and mix, mash, or knead the dough until the oatmeal is fully incorporated. The dough can become quite thick and overheat smaller mixers, so mixing by hand or with a spoon may work best.

Spoon

oatmeal6 cups

Step 6

Using a non-stick cookie sheet, a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, or a sheet with a silicone baking mat, place the dough balls on the sheet about 2 inches apart-- the cookies spread a lot.

Baking sheet

Parchment paper

Step 7

Using the butter wrappers (or a little stuffed butter), butter the bottom of a flat-bottomed drinking glass. Dip the glass bottom in the sugar and press each dough ball down until it is about 1/4-inch (6.35mm) thick. When removing the glass, give a little twist to avoid pulling the dough up. Continue pressing and sugaring the remaining dough balls. Re-butter the glass if the dough starts sticking to the bottom of the glass, which is roughly every 3-6 cookies.

Glass

Step 8

Bake in batches in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. The longer they bake, the chewier the cookie, and the longer they bake, the crispier they will be. Be careful though, because if you bake them too long, they will turn out very hard and may develop a burnt taste.

Step 9

Alternatively, you can make these as bar cookies. Using butter, lightly grease a 9x13-inch (38x26 cm) baking pan. Press the dough evenly into the pan. You can lightly sprinkle granulated sugar across the top to give it sparkle. Baking time will need to be increased slightly. Test for doneness by poking a clean toothpick into the center. It will be done when the toothpick comes out NEARLY clean (slightly chewy finished texture) or completely clean (crispy).

Baking dish

Step 10

Allow cookies to cool on the sheet or in the pan for 5-10 minutes, until the cookies easily lift up without folding and breaking. If you made bar cookies, use a knife to cut the warm cookies before removing them individually from the pan.

Baking Rack

Step 11

Once cooled completely, consume within 3-4 days, or store them in an airtight container for up to a week at room temperature or 2 weeks in the refrigerator.