The first time I turned on my oven in 2020 was to bake Vanilla Oatmeal Cookies, and they were the perfect way to kick off a new year of baking.
And, it just so happens that these delicious cookies pair perfectly with my recent book review of Finding the Gift.
Finding the Gift is about many things, but it’s mostly about focusing on the little, happy moments that make life worth living. Finding the “gifts,” so to speak, in everyday life.
Remember how excited I was when I stumbled across my grandma’s recipe for Pecan Snowball Cookies?
Well, it just so happens that her recipe box also contained her sister’s –- my great-aunt’s –- recipe for Vanilla Oatmeal Cookies.
Like with the Pecan Snowball Cookies, I thought that once my great-aunt had passed, I would never again taste her signature oatmeal cookies, which are decidedly different from any other oatmeal cookie I’ve had.
So, it truly was a gift to find the recipe for Vanilla Oatmeal Cookies tucked snugly among my grandma’s recipes.
Just what’s so special about Vanilla Oatmeal Cookies, you ask?
For one thing, they’re super simple to make. We’re talking six ingredients here. Seven, if you want to add sprinkles. (You do.)
And, you’re guaranteed to have all of the ingredients on hand at any given time. Which means, Vanilla Oatmeal Cookies are perfect for when you need to bake cookies in a jiffy.
Like, when you find out that your kid’s bake sale is coming up…in two hours.
I think the simplicity of these cookies is what truly makes them shine. You get a hit of pure butter, sugar, and vanilla with each bite.
I mean, is there really a better flavor combo? Nope, didn’t think so.
A lot of oatmeal cookies use brown sugar, which I absolutely love in most cookies, but Vanilla Oatmeal Cookies use regular ol’ granulated (white) sugar. I think this makes a huge difference in the taste.
These babies start out small and spread in the oven into a thin, delicate, almost lacy cookies.
They have crispy edges and slightly chewy centers.
The flavor of pure, rich vanilla lingers on your taste buds as the buttery crumb melts in your mouth.
Sprinkle colored sanding sugar over the Vanilla Oatmeal Cookies before you bake them. I wouldn’t recommend using a heavier type of sprinkle since it might weigh down these light and airy cookies.
Plus, the sanding sugar just looks puuurty.
I followed my great-aunt’s instructions exactly, which means this recipe makes near-bite-size cookies. You can scoop them larger, of course, but I prefer keeping them small. Keeps ’em lookin’ dainty.
Also, smaller cookies = I can eat more of them.
That’s how that works right?
Just go with it.
Vanilla Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Colored sanding sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Add the flour and oatmeal to a medium bowl. Stir to combine, then set aside.
- Fill a small bowl with water and get a fork ready. Set aside.
- Use an electric handmixer to cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, then beat until completely blended.
- Pour the flour and oat mixture into the creamed mixture all at once. Beat with electric handmixer until all ingredients are combined, but do not overmix.
- Drop rounded ½ teaspoons** of dough onto the prepared baking sheets. You should be able to fit 8 cookies comfortably on a baking sheet – keep in mind that they will spread a little in the oven.
- Then, dip the fork in water and lightly flatten each ball of dough with the back of the wet fork. Sprinkle on sanding sugar, if desired.
- Bake cookies at 350F for 9-10 minutes, until lightly brown on the edges.
- Remove cookies from oven and let rest on the baking sheet for one minute, then carefully transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies will still be very soft at this stage, but they will cool and harden quickly.
- Store in an airtight container. These also freeze really well.
