Oatmeal Cookies from Instant Oatmeal

Have tons of instant oatmeal at home? Try making oatmeal cookies. These cookies are light, satisfying, and delicious. They don’t consist of a thousand ingredients, and you can mix almost any desserts ingredients into the dough. Some recipes even consist of no-bake cookies and vegan cookies.

You can use any instant oatmeal to make oatmeal cookies. The ubiquitous Quaker Oats is cheap, easy to find, and has perfect consistency for cookies.

Where Did Oatmeal Cookies Come From?

If you love oat cookies, you should thank Scotland. These cookies originated from Scottish oatcakes, staples in Scotland during Roman conquest in the first century. The early forms were more like rough pancakes, unlike crunchy cookies we are familiar with.

Oatmeal cookies started to become popular in the US in the early 20^th century. People ate them due to the promised health benefits. When Quaker Oats became popular among health enthusiasts, the cookies also rose in popularity, with the recipes being printed on the product containers.

Basic Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

You can mix any favorite ingredients in these cookies, such as chocolate, raisins, or peanut butter. However, learn how to nail the basic recipe first before experimenting. Here is one of the easiest basic oatmeal cookie recipes to try.

Ingredients

1 ½ cup of flour (all-purpose or whole wheat)

1 ½ cup of instant oatmeal

1 egg

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 ¼ cup of brown sugar

½ cup of plain butter (softened)

½ teaspoon of baking soda

¼ teaspoon of salt

¼ cup of canola or olive oil

Tools

2 bowls

Wooden spoon and spatula

Mixer

Baking tray and parchment

Wire rack

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (around 190 degrees Celsius).
2. Mix oatmeal, flour (sifted), baking soda, and salt in one bowl.
3. Cream butter in the other bowl. Add brown sugar, oil, and vanilla, mix properly. Add egg and beat again until smooth.
4. Pour wet ingredient to the dry one while stirring it slowly with wooden spoon.
5. Use an ice cream scoop to place several dough balls to the parchment-layered tray. Press until the dough becomes flat, around ¾-inch thick (2 cm).
6. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies look slightly brown.

This recipe creates crisp and slightly chewy oatmeal cookies. You can replace the brown sugar with palm sugar or honey. You can also try replacing oil with applesauce for a slightly fruity vibe.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe

Oatmeal raisin cookies are divisive treats. Some love these cookies; others wish they never exist. Regardless, you cannot deny the delightful combination of oatmeal and tart-sweet raisins. Here is a basic recipe to try.

Ingredients

1 ¼ cup of flour

2 ¾ cup of instant oatmeal

2 eggs

1 cup of raisins

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon of baking soda

¾ cup of brown sugar

¾ cup of white sugar

¾ cup of butter

¾ teaspoon of cinnamon powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius)
2. Cream butter and all the sugar in a bowl. When smooth, add the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat again.
3. In a different bowl, add flour, cinnamon powder, salt, and baking soda. Beat until properly mixed.
4. Pour the butter and sugar mixture. Beat with low mixer speed until smooth. Add raisins and oats. Beat until every ingredient is mixed
5. Scoop the dough with ice cream scoop onto the tray. Flatten each dough ball to form oatmeal cookies (about 2 inches thick).
6. Bake for 10 minutes or until brown.

If you want chewy cookies, bake only in a short time, enough to make the cookies soft on the inside. When the cookies look brown (especially on the edges), they have a crispy texture.

How to Store Oatmeal Cookies

Forget regular “cookie jar” that does not have an airtight lid. Use the real, airtight jars to store your cookies. If the jars are made of glass, place them in a dark, dry spot. Place a piece of bread in the jar to prevent moisture from ruining the cookie texture. Replace the bread every two days.

Storing oatmeal cookies in a fridge will make them last longer. Store them in an airtight jar before placing it in the fridge. This way, your cookies will last for four to five months. Storing cookies in an airtight jar also prevents the cookies from having changes in aroma and flavor.

What if you want to make freshly-baked cookies anytime? Store the dough instead. Scoop the dough to a baking tray with ice cream scoop and freeze the tray afterwards. Place the raw cookies into freezer bags and store in your fridge. Take out the cookies and let them sit until reaching room temperature before baking them.

Conclusion

Instant oatmeal is a versatile product. Storing it at home will give you instant access to healthy breakfast and delicious cookies. Try experimenting by adding chocolate powder, coffee, or chocolate chips into your dough. Oatmeal cookies are easy, delicious, and perfect as a simple baking project at home or class.

Tags: cookies, cookies recipes, oat, oatmeal, oatmeal cookies, recipes