Old Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies

Published December 3, 2023. Updated December 5, 2023

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Iced Oatmeal Cookies – Warmly spiced, chewy, oaty cookies covered with a sweet icing to finish. They’re an absolute treat and these nostalgic cookies will likely remind you of the old fashioned cookies from childhood.

Iced oatmeal cookies stacked together on serving plate.

Tempting Oatmeal Cookies Cookies with Icing

These are a cookie people won’t forget! Like Mother’s Iced Oatmeal Cookies but a far better homemade version.

They have a deliciously oaty flavor, a tempting texture, a fair amount of those inviting warm spices, and the crisp icing that finish over the top that makes a crowning highlight.

The soft and chewy texture of these frosted oatmeal cookies comes from brown sugar and partially ground oats, it’s key to these delectable, homestyle cookies.

These iced oatmeal cookies can be baked up more chewy or more crisp, whichever you prefer. If you’d like them to be more soft and chewy, then bake them near the lesser amount of time, and for a crispier cookie bake them for the greater amount of time.

Oatmeal cookies with vanilla icing on a turquoise plate.

Iced Oatmeal Cookies Recipe Ingredients

These old fashioned oatmeal cookies use staple ingredients. Here’s what you need for this easy oatmeal cookie recipe:

  • Old-fashioned oats: These add texture and build up the structure of the cookie.
  • All-purpose flour: The base of the cookie.
  • Baking powder and baking soda: Leaveners add lift to the cookie.
  • Salt: Balances flavor.
  • Ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg: Spices that add sweet holiday flavor.
  • Butter: Plenty of fat is critical to the cookie to keep it moist and rich.
  • Brown sugar: Brown sugar adds sweetness and keeps the cookies soft.
  • Eggs: These bind the ingredients and add lift.
  • Vanilla extract: Add sweet background flavor.
  • Powdered sugar: This very fine sugar is used for a smooth, non-gritty icing.
  • Milk: This thins out the icing while adding light flavor.

Ingredients used to make homemade iced oatmeal cookies.

How to Make Iced Oatmeal Cookies

  1. Pulse oats in a food processor until partially ground.
  2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground oats.
  3. In a separate bowl, whip the butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy.
  4. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
  5. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
  6. Let cookie dough rest at in the fridge.
  7. Scoop dough onto cookie sheet and bake.
  8. Whisk together powdered sugar and milk. Dip tops of cooled cookies in the icing.

Steps for making iced oatmeal cookie dough in a stand mixer bowl. Steps for shaping, baking and icing oatmeal cookies.

Do I Have to Use Old-Fashioned Oats?

Yes, old-fashioned oats are a must for this oatmeal cookie recipe. You should not use steel cut or instant oats for this recipe.

What Type of Milk is Best for the Icing?

You can use any milk you have on hand to make the vanilla icing. Even non-dairy milk with vanilla flavor or lightly sweetened is fine.

What if I Don’t Have a Food Processor?

You could also blend the oats in a high speed blender or place them in a gallon size resealable bag and smash with a rolling pin to break them up into small bits.

Close up oatmeal cookies.

How to Store Cookies

  • Once the icing is fully set on these frosted oatmeal cookies, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
  • For longer shelf life store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
  • Thaw and bring to room temperature before serving.

Tips for the Best Iced Oatmeal Cookies

  • Let the cookies cool completely before icing them. If you ice them warm, the icing will slide off the cookie.
  • The butter should be room temperature before you whip it with the sugar. Let it rest at room temperature before about 1 to 2 hours before you use it.
  • Let the cookie dough rest for 30 minutes in the fridge before scooping it into balls. This helps the oats soak up some of the fat while also the chilling makes the dough spread less.
  • Use butter not shortening as a substitute. The flavor won’t be right nor the way the cookies spread.

Iced oatmeal cookies on a wire rack.

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Oatmeal cookies with vanilla icing on a turquoise plate.
4.80 from 5 votes

Iced Oatmeal Cookies

These sweetly spiced, chewy oatmeal cookies are covered with a sweet vanilla glaze. They're an absolute treat and they'll may remind you of those cookies from childhood.
Servings: 30
Prep25 minutes
Cook30 minutes
Chill time30 minutes
Ready in: 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

Icing

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour oats into a food processor and pulse until partially ground, about thirty 1-second blitzes.
  • In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground oats, for 30 seconds.
  • In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment cream together butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down bowl.
  • Add in eggs one at a time, mixing until combined after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Scrape down bowl.
  • Add in dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Fold dough with a spatula to ensure it's evenly incorporated. Let cookie dough chill 30 to 60 minutes in the fridge.
  • Scoop dough out about 2 Tbsp at a time (using a slightly heaped #40 cookie scoop) and drop onto a silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven 11 - 15 minutes. Allow cookies to rest on baking sheet 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • In a mixing bowl whisk together powdered sugar and milk (if needed thicken with a little more powdered sugar, or thin with a little more milk). Dip just the tops of cooled cookies in icing and allow excess to run off or alternately spread icing over cookies.
  • Return to wire rack and allow icing to set. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

  • If you'd like these iced oatmeal cookies to be more soft and chewy, then bake them near the lesser amount of time, and for a crispier cookie bake them for the greater amount of time.
Nutrition Facts
Iced Oatmeal Cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 168 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Trans Fat 0.2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 27mg9%
Sodium 75mg3%
Potassium 63mg2%
Carbohydrates 25g8%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 14g16%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 206IU4%
Vitamin C 0.01mg0%
Calcium 23mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.
Recipe adapted from Novice Chef.