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Old-Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

Old-Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies

Tender, cinnamon-scented oatmeal cookies are baked until their centers remain soft, then finished with a thick vanilla icing that sets into a classic crackly coating. This recipe yields about 4 dozen cookies.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cookie Ingredients
  • 1 cup (226 g) Unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (213 g) Packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) Granulated sugar
  • 2 Large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • 3 cups (about 270 g) Quick-cooking oats
  • 1 1/2 cups (about 190 g) All-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon Baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
Icing
  • 2 cups (about 227 g) Confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) Milk, preferably whole or 2%
  • 1/4 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Cream the softened butter, packed light brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and well blended.
  3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla extract.
  4. In a separate bowl, combine the quick-cooking oats, all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
  5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing only until combined.
  6. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.
  7. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned and the centers look set but still soft.
  8. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.
  9. Whisk the confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Adjust the consistency with a few drops of milk or a little extra confectioners’ sugar if needed.
  10. Dip the tops of the completely cooled cookies into the icing or drizzle the icing over them. Let the coating set before storing.

Notes

Do not overbake; the centers should remain slightly soft because the cookies firm as they cool. For a finer, more uniform texture, pulse the oats briefly in a food processor before mixing. For warmer spice, some versions add 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg.