The only State Fair category for oatmeal cookies is “Oatmeal cookies with no mix-ins.” Which seems crazy to me! Oatmeal cookies are all about the mix-ins! It’s always oatmeal raisin, and then having oatmeal chocolate chip seems so next level. But without mix-ins, you do really need to think about that dough. So, naturally… I browned the butter and added cinnamon. I’m a simple girl. I know what’s gonna taste good.
And these really did taste good! Would they be even better with chocolate or butterscotch chips mixed in? Yes. But, I think these are as good a base oatmeal cookies as you can get!
I had a few last-minute bakes that I didn’t have time to practice before baking them for the Fair, and… this was one of them. But, I was pretty confident they would work out. Brown butter, cinnamon, and oatmeal don’t let me down. Some bets are pretty safe ones to make.
All the baking I did on Friday did leave me pooped though. I feel like I don’t have much to say on these! They’re good!
Finding the perfect cookies was really just a duel between Joy the Baker and Sally’s Baking Addiction. I settled on something in the middle, and put my own twist on it with the brown butter and cinnamon.
I’m thinking these will need to be revisited in October, and I will need to add pumpkin pie spice and loads of mix-ins to it. These will be the perfect fall cookie.
In the meantime, I’ve pawned off most of the leftover dough on to other people. There’s a lot of leftover baked goods in this house!
Print
Print
PinIngredients
- 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1/2 packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1/2 tbsp molasses
- 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- optional: flaky sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Brown your butter and then transfer to a heat-proof bowl and allow to cool on the counter for 15 minutes. Once cooled slightly, put in the fridge until firm again.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the browned butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until combined and creamed, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, molasses, and vanilla and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
- Add the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt, and mix on low speed until combined. Beat in the oats. Dough will be thick and sticky.
- Scoop dough into balls on a baking sheet (they don’t need to be spaced out yet), then cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 45 minutes, or up to 4 days.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Space out your dough balls 3 inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake for 13–14 minutes or until lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look very soft.
- Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. While the cookies are still warm, you can sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if desired.
- Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction