Description
Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies combine warm holiday spices with chewy oats for a comforting and festive treat. Easy to customize with add-ins like nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips, these cookies offer a perfectly soft texture and rich gingerbread flavor. Perfect for holiday celebrations or year-round enjoyment, they come together quickly using simple pantry staples.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour blend for gluten-free version)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (or coconut oil for vegan version)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg (or 1 tbsp flaxseed meal mixed with 3 tbsp water, soaked for 5 mins for vegan version)
- 1/4 cup molasses (preferably unsulfured)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prep Your Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour), baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Stir in the old-fashioned oats until evenly distributed.
- Cream the Butter and Sugars: Using a mixer or by hand, cream the softened butter with brown sugar until fluffy and light, ensuring a tender cookie texture.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract one at a time until the mixture is smooth and well combined, imparting the signature gingerbread flavor.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring just until incorporated to avoid overmixing and keep cookies soft.
- Chill the Dough: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes to prevent spreading and deepen flavors.
- Bake the Cookies: Drop spoonfuls of dough onto a lined baking sheet, leaving space between each cookie. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are firm but centers remain soft.
- Cool and Enjoy: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely, preserving their chewy texture.
Notes
- Use old-fashioned oats for better texture than quick oats.
- Don’t skip chilling the dough to solidify fats and preserve spices’ aromas.
- Measure flour by spooning and leveling to avoid dense cookies.
- Watch baking time closely; underbake slightly for a soft center.
- Use unsulfured molasses for the best flavor; avoid blackstrap molasses.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg