The recipe for Salted Oatmeal Cookies is actually from Cook’s Illustrated, but I found it years ago on Smitten Kitchen where Deb added white chocolate. Obviously, that was a brilliant idea. However, over the years I have found these to be among the best oatmeal cookies with or without the white chocolate.
Cook’s Illustrated uses 5 oz flour per cup, so keep that in mind if you weigh your ingredients like I do. If you’re a scooper, proceed as usual.
Use the best salt you have for finishing, but if all you have is kosher salt, go ahead and use it. I used fancy, expensive salt and while the cookies were phenomenal, I am certain they would still be excellent when finished with regular (preferably Kosher) salt. It’s the salty white chocolate butter combo that makes these cookies so good and the crispy, delicate texture that makes these cookies so good, so give them a try.
Recipe
Salted Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (140 grams)
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool
- 1 cup sugar (200 grams)
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar (50 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ teapoon flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula, then add egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Scrape down bowl again. Add flour mixture gradually and mix until just incorporated and smooth. Gradually add oats and mix until well incorporated.
- Divide dough into 24 equal portions, each about 2 tablespoons. Arrange on two baking sheets, spacing about 2 ½ inches apart, then press down slightly. Alternatively, you can divide and shape the dough, but put the unbaked dough portions on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for 2 hours until ready to bake.
- Sprinkle a flake or two of sea salt on each cookie
- Bake 13 to 16 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through if needed. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then carefully transfer cookies to a cooling rack.
melissa@the hungry artist says
Hi Anna,
I made these cookies to bring to a play date and they were SO good. I took your advice and used good salt (instead of just kosher salt, which I might have done or skipped the salt altogether -- thank goodness I didn't)! The only difference is that I had very coarse sea salt. So before sprinkling I ground it with a meat tenderizer (I don't have a mortar and pestle which would have worked well) on a paper towel. It made the grains much smaller and worked well for sprinkling! My mother in law would love these, so I plan to make a half batch at the end of this week. It's funny because they taste like they have coconut in them, which they don't! Weird, but in a good way. 🙂
Jen says
I made these last night. They are really good and the recipe worked out exactly as written (timing, yield, etc.). I love when that happens! Mine are crispy but still a bit chewy on the inside. I might try making these with different add ins, maybe some coconut and dried pineapple?
Claire says
I was also inspired by Smitten Kitchen to make these cookies, and got great results. Mine didn't come out super crispy, though, more on the chewy side, which I like better, but am still curious how yours came out crispy? Also, I decreased the white chocolate to 3.5 oz because I find it a little sweet, and added 3/4 c. of raisins. I also sprinkled my salt on pretty generously. This is a great cookie site, I'm excited to explore it more.
You can see my results at:
http://foodjunta.wordpress.com/2008/06/26/salted-oatmeal-raisin-white-chocolate-cookies-yes-salted/
dgeevanson says
I have made these twice now. The first time with unsalted butter and pieces of Ghirardelli white chocolate bar. The second time with salted butter and no white chocolate. The second batch flattened a bit more than the first but I liked them better without the white chocolate. It just made them a bit too sweet for my tastes. They are just a delicious oatmeal cookie.
Robin says
These look perfect, gotta try 'em!
Sue says
I made these cookies today because I had wanted to make them ever since I saw them in Cooks Illustrated. They are fabulous cookies! I took some over to my neighbors and they love them as well. I don't think I used enough salt on top. I was a little timid with it, but it was still good and not distracting from the cookies which I was grateful for. I seperated out part of the dough before adding the white chocolate, and put 60% Cacao Ghiradelli chips in a few just so we could try that combination too, and I may like those even better. My son definitely likes those better but he still likes your Easy and Good Oatmeal Raisin cookies better.
Ghislaine says
They look delicious! I gotta try these! Especially since my current favorite oatmeal cookie is the Chewy Oatmeal Cookie from C.I. (the chocolate chip version in which I keep the nutmeg btw). It's actually referred to in our house as "The Cookie".
Valerie says
I need to add one thing...
I agree that the delicate crispness does set these cookies a step above the average crisp/chewy oatmeal cookie!
Valerie says
these are really good! but mine aren't at all thick and shattery, as sk's were. mine looked like yours. they were crispy with an element of chewy-ness. certainlly not hollow and shattery. they aren't thin, but definitely not "thick" as described. mine are and average thickness as yours seem to be.
I also have to take exception to the comment that 99.9% of oatmeal cookies are thin and lacy or thick and chewy. I have had plenty of oatmeal cookies that have this general texture (medium thickness and crisp/chewy).
anyway, the taste/texture of these cookies is great, so that is all that counts. I'd defintiely make them again. love the white chocolate and salt addition.
Katrina says
Randi--the Walmart (Sam's Choice) white choc. chips are the same ones I used. They aren't bad--at least not like all the vanilla/white chips out there. These are actually white chocolate.
Randi says
I could not find that ghiradelli bar anywhere today( in MI). I did buy a white choc. Lindt bar but it has coconut in it. I also bought white choc. chips from Wal*Mart. Cocoa butter is the first ingredient and they were only 1.58. I made white choc. macadamia blondies yesterday and they worked well( tasted good too) so I bought another bag today.
laura says
Salt and sugar and butter--how can anything not be good with that combination!
Anna says
Katrina, thanks for testing with the white chips. Some white chips are better than others, that's for sure. I should check and see if the ones I use have cocoa butter. I've been using Ghirardellie.
Adare, my grocery store had this one and a slightly less expensive fleur de sel. I picked the most expensive because everyone knows that more expensive means better, right? Just kidding. But really, I had just deposited a tax refund.
Mariah, maybe your white chocolate melted a little more because it had more cocoa butter or was a higher grade? I used Ghirardelli and it melted a little, but not a whole lot.
mariah says
I made these today and O-M-G are they good. I used a "by the pound" white chocolate from our fancy grocery store. What I found so interesting about these is that the chocolate almost melts into the dough/batter so that there aren't huge chunks of white chocolate (which is NOT my go to chocolate) lending just a very subtle "Hmmm, what IS that" taste to the cookie.
I cannot WAIT to make these for my husband when he comes home in a few months. He will LOVE them, but I am afraid these wouldn't ship well, esp to that hot a temperature.
Adare says
I have that salt!! My parents brought it back from France last year. That alone is reason enough to make these cookies. However, I love great oatmeal cookies, so I'm doubly happy - thanks!
Katrina says
I made these today and they are great! I only had quick oats and they seem to have worked just fine. I made half without and half with some white chocolate chips--yes, they were chips, but the 1st ingredient is cocoa butter and they aren't too bad. I actually liked the ones with the chips better as they just added another subtle flavor that I liked.
I also liked the salt. (just used kosher)
Anna says
7 tablespoons. I just cut everything in half.
Randi says
How much butter did you use?
Anna says
I used a bar of Ghirardelli.
BTW. I made a half batch and used 1 1/2 tablespoons egg.
Randi says
I saw these over there and want to make them too. What kind of white choc. did you use?
Hendria says
they look really good... I will try them...for sure... 🙂
bakingblonde says
I LOVE oatmeal cookies and will be making these very very soon! Yours look so mouth watering!
kimberleyblue says
Wow, I've gotta try these...I love salty/sweet combos; this sounds perfect!
Katrina says
I've been craving a perfect oatmeal cookie (after Levain's being disappointing) and can't wait to try these. I'm not crazy about white chocolate, so I think I'll try them without it. Wish I had time right now!
Glad you had a good time in LV.
Melissa says
I made these and they were incredibly yummy. I've also made a fat, chewy version of salted oatmeal cookies that I saw in the Washington Post in June 2007. If you like this version you should really give the other version a try. 🙂
Emiline says
Ohhh...they look so good.
Valerie says
can't wait to try! thanks for the review.
Anna says
VG, I agree.
Joe, salty oatmeal cookies have been on my radar for quite sometimes, but it was the white chocolate that pushed me over the edge.
I think there's another salty cookie that calls for rice flour -- an ingredient I never have around.
Janet, these are different. They're richer and sweeter and crispier.
Janet says
Are these as good as your Best Ever Oatmeal Raisin Walnut cookies? I still am getting raves from my friends about those!!! Thanks and welcome back from Vegas! Belated Happy Mother's Day too!
Joe says
We've done a "Salty Oatmeal Cookie" before and the white chocolate addition sounds like a great way to change them up!
VeggieGirl says
The recipes over at Smitten Kitchen ALWAYS sound fabulous; and those oatmeal cookies definitely LOOK fabulous!