With a rich, chewy texture and a hint of cinnamon, Kitchen Sink Cookies can handle anything you want to add to them. Chocolate chips, dried cherries, coconut, toasted nuts —this easy oatmeal cookie recipe is the start of something delicious.
If your family is anything like mine, everyone has their fav cookie. My husband's — hands down his mom’s sugar cookie recipe. These Lemon Drops are my son's favorite. My oldest daughter counts on these Coconut Macaroons at Christmas and my youngest - she loves a good Snickerdoodle (got a good recipe? I’d love to try it!). And me - I love oatmeal chocolate chip cookies - but I like them chock full of stuff. Enter the Kitchen Sink Oatmeal Cookie.
This oatmeal cookie has as much of the good stuff as you can handle adding. All while being not “too oatmealy” or too much like a chocolate chip cookie.
What’s a kitchen sink cookie?
A kitchen sink cookie is one that you goes you can put everything in it but the kitchen sink. Certainly, I’ve dated myself by calling it that. And to quote The Holiday, “I like corny.” Although I've heard Panera has one so maybe I'm not that corny.
So the cookie (because that’s why you’re here)...
It’s got all the usual cookie ingredients like butter, sugar (two kinds), flour and such. But it benefits from a few extras:
- oatmeal
- peanut butter
- cinnamon
- mix-ins like chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, dark cherries, coconut, toasted pecans or walnuts, hazelnuts, chopped candy bars - the combos are only limited by your Willy Wonka imagination.
First things first. Let’s talk oatmeal.
The different types of oats
Saunter down the cereal aisle and be prepared to be overcome with the oatmeal possibilities. For this ultimate oatmeal cookie recipe, you are looking for “old fashioned oats”.
Brush past any container called “quick cooking oats” or “steel cut oats”. Now is not the time to save time or get too fancy. We are making an old fashioned oatmeal cookie that happens to have a tich of fancy.
Old fashioned oats (or rolled oats) take a little longer to cook (about 30 minutes) but it’s the chewy texture and nutty flavor they offer that help distinguish this cookie. Old fashioned oats are larger in size than a quick or instant oat and that is what we’re after.
Need more oatmeal know-how? This article on the differences between the three kinds of oatmeal (steel cut, old fashioned oats, and quick/instant) will totally get you up to speed.
Step-by-step instructions
- Figure out what goodies you want to add. You’re going to need about 2 ½ cups of whatever you want to put in. I usually do upwards of 3 with chocolate being on the heavier side (1 ½ cups) and the rest between nuts and something else. Unless I’m not the only one eating them - because somebody doesn’t like nuts in his cookies. The things we do for the people we love.
- Gather up all your ingredients together. Have those room temperature butter and eggs ready to go and your non-sugar dry ingredients incorporated in a bowl.
- Whip up your butter and sugars together- with either a stand or hand mixer - until they’re all nice and friendly. I like using the paddle attachment if you’re using a stand mixer.
- Introduce your eggs to the sugar/butter combo and once everything is well-mixed, start adding your oatmeal and flour and baking powder/soda.
Add in the mixins. If 2 ½ cups looks a little stingy, add some more. You’re can’t mess these beauties up!
Favorite mix-in combos
- dark chocolate chips, coconut, and toasted pecans
- dried blueberries and white chocolate chips
- hazelnuts and milk chocolate chips
- peanut butter chips, coconut and toffee
Scoop out a healthy tablespoon of dough onto either a parchment lined baking sheet. Because why make a mess! No parchment? Use a cooking spray to help release the cookies after baking as I did here. Btw - this is the best cookie scooper in the world.
Also feel free to press some extra ingredients on top. Plus, it looks pretty.
FAQ’s
Some oatmeal cookie recipes call for the dough to be refrigerated to hydrate the oats. We’ve got lots of moisture in this recipe from the eggs, brown sugar, and butter that it’s not necessary. I will tell you that refrigerating any cookie dough does help develop flavor as well as shape (see the next question) but it's certainly not required..
Don't melt your butter. Once the butter hits the heat of the oven, your cookies will spread as the butter melts. If it's already melted, there's nothing for the dry ingredients to hang on to.
Instant oats or quick oats are actually steamed a bit first and also are thinner in size both which contribute to cooking faster. Of course, if it’s all you have - go for it! With instant oats, your dough might cook a little faster so watch the time
The finished cookie also might be a tad on the thinner side and not as chewy.
Tips
For a crew: Two of these kitchen sink oatmeal cookies would be a great base for ice cream sandwiches. Make them up using a measured scoop and press around your favorite ice cream. Wrap individually in plastic wrap and freeze until firm for about 4 hours.
For a few: These cookies will keep for about four days but since they make about 36 cookies, freeze the rest in smaller batches for when the craving hits. And I promise you... it will hit!
📖 Recipe
Kitchen Sink Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cup old-fashioned, rolled oats, see notes below
- 2 large eggs
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup peanut butter, I use Skippy
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix-Ins
- 2 ½ cups TOTAL of chocolate chips, dried fruit, toasted nuts, coconut, etc., see note below
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients minus the oats together (so just the first five ingredients).
- Crack the eggs into a small bowl and set aside.
- Using either a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter and both sugars together until whipped and lightened, about two minutes.
- Add the peanut butter and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds-1 minute.
- Pour out one egg into the mixer bowl and beat for about 30 seconds until mixed. Repeat with the second egg. Add the vanilla extract and mix until incorporated.
- Turn off the mixer and add the flour mixture to the bowl. Starting on low, mix in the dry ingredients for about 30 seconds until well mixed. Use a spatula to scrape the bottom of the bowl and make sure everything is added.
- To add the oats, repeat the same process as you just did for the flour.
- Add in your mixins on low until incorporated. You can also add them in by hand with a wooden spoon. Make sure everything is well mixed.
- Using a measured scoop (I use a med one that's approx 2 T), scoop out dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet in four rows of three across.
- Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Do not overbake.
- Cool on the cookie sheet for about five minutes before removing to a cooling rack until completely cooled.
- Store in an airtight container for up to four days. Can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Notes
Mixin Ideas:
2 ½ cups worth (I sometimes go over!)- chocolate chips
- dried cherries or blueberries
- toffee chips
- coconut
- chopped up candy bars
- chopped toasted pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts
- dark chocolate chips, coconut, and toasted pecans
- dried blueberries and white chocolate chips
- hazelnuts and milk chocolate chips
- peanut butter chips, coconut and toffee
I made these cookies today using walnuts, peanut butter cups, and chocolate chunks as my mix-ins. Such a fabulous cookie recipe! This one is a keeper 🙂 Thank you!
You made my day Jessica!💃🏻 That sounds like a combo I have to try - it's so fun to hear everyone's fav mix ins! Enjoy!
Hello
How much is 1stick of butter in GM's.
Thanks
Rina
Hi Rina - thanks for asking - 1 stick of butter =113.4 g. Hoping to have conversions soon!
These sound so great, and so versitile! I could see these becoming my go to cookie for sure!
Thanks so much! I love any cookie that isn't fussy and accepts all the goodies I want to mix in!