Salted Vanilla Oatmeal Cookies
Salted Vanilla Oatmeal Cookies are the most delicious sweet, salty and chewy oatmeal cookies packed with white chocolate chunks. They are easy to make and use ingredients you will probably have in your larder.
Why should I make Salted Vanilla Oatmeal Cookies?
Vanilla is a universally loved flavour. You will find vanilla in almost every kind of dessert and also in some savoury recipes. These Salted Vanilla Oat Cookies take a basic and delicious oat cookie to new heights of lusciousness with chunks of white chocolate and a sprinkle of sea salt.
What’s the difference between a cookie and a biscuit?
In the UK a cookie refers to a large, soft and chewy treat that is often loaded with chunky or chopped ingredients like chocolate chips, sweets (candies) or pretty much anything sweet! In contrast UK biscuits are firmer, flatter and they have a snap, like my Scottish Shortbread Biscuits.
In the US the term cookies covers both the firm snappy type and the soft chewy treat. And, of cousre US biscuits are a quick bread served with gravy.
What ingredients do I need to make Salted Vanilla Oatmeal Cookies?
All the ingredients for Salted Vanilla Oat Cookies are easily available and many of them may already be in your larder and fridge. Here is what you need:
- rolled oats
- plain (all-purpose) flour
- bicarbonate of soda
- salt
- butter
- pure vanilla extract
- sugar
- eggs
- white chocolate
A full list of the ingredients and the required quantities is found in the recipe card at the end of this article.
What are rolled oats?
Rolled oats are flat and flaky oats that are commonly used to make porridge. Rolled oats have been steam processed to make them quick and easy to cook. They add texture, a nutty flavour and help make the cookies soft and chewy. Instant oats are not suitable for this cookie recipe.
What kind of salt do I need?
I use two types of salt in this recipe. Use a fine salt in the cookie mixture so that it is evenly distributed throughout the cookies. Use sea salt flakes to sprinkle on the cookies before they are baked.
Do I have to add salt to the cookies?
You can make the cookies without the sprinkling of sea salt and they will still taste delicious. But there is something about the sweet-salty combination that really makes these cookies extra good.
What kind of butter should I use?
Use any kind of butter you have available. Unsalted butter is often recommended for sweet bakes but I rarely have it in my fridge. So I use slightly salted butter and reduce the salt in the recipe to a 1/2 teaspoon.
What is Vanilla?
Vanilla pods are the seed pods of a specific species of flowering orchids that grow close to the equator. The pods then go through a number of processes before being dried and conditioned.
What is Vanilla Extract?
Pure Vanilla Extract is made by soaking vanilla beans in alcohol. The liquid is then given time to age and mellow before bottling. Always check that you are buying pure vanilla extract and not anything that says imitation or vanilla flavouring.
Can I use Vanilla Bean paste?
Yes, vanilla bean paste contains pure vanilla including the seeds and will give a good flavour. Use the same quantity of vanilla bean paste as you would vanilla extract.
What kind of sugar do I need?
I use two kinds of sugar in Salted Vanilla Oat Cookies. Dark brown sugar gives a lovely treacly taste and is combined with granulated sugar so the dark sugar doesn’t overwhelm the delicate vanilla flavour.
What kind of white chocolate should I use for the oatmeal cookies?
I use supermarket brand white chocolate and buy a large 200 gram (7 oz) bar. I use a large kitchen knife to chop the chocolate into chunks. You can use ready-made chocolate chips or chunks but they are much smaller than the hand-cut chunks and the quality of the chocolate in chocolate chips is not always as good.
Do I need a stand mixer to make these cookies?
There is no doubt that it’s easier to make these cookies with a stand mixer. But you can use a hand held electric mixer to beat together the butter and sugar. Or if you have a strong arm, you can beat them together with a wooden spoon and then fold in the rest of the ingredients.
Can I make Salted Vanilla Oatmeal Cookies ahead of time?
These oat cookies will keep in an air tight container for a week to ten days, if you can keep them that long! Make sure they are completely cold before you store them or they will soften.
Can I freeze Salted Vanilla Oat Cookies?
It is possible to freeze these cookies once they have been baked. However, they can go a bit soft after they defrost. So it’s better to open freeze scoops of the cookie dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Once frozen you can store the cookie dough in a container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. You can bake the cookies from frozen just add a few more minutes to the baking time. This is a great way to ensure that you always have fresh cookies to hand and you only need to bake as many as you need.
Can I make a different quantity of Salted Vanilla Oat Cookies?
This recipe makes 36 cookies You can make half this quantity by halving the ingredients. You can make more but as this is already a lot of cookies, I’d recommend making one batch of 36 at a time.
You can make the cookies larger and you will get fewer, remember to leave plenty of room between the cookies.
Vegetarian
Salted Vanilla Oat Cookies are suitable for a vegetarian diet.
Gluten Free
This recipe contains wheat flour so is not suitable for a GF diet. Try this recipe for Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips from the Gluten Free Alchemist.
For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.
How should I serve Salted Vanilla Oatmeal Cookies?
These gorgeous cookies are great with a glass of milk, a cup of tea or coffee or just on their own as a sweet treat. Package up some cookies to give as a gift, they are always welcome.
More Cookie Recipes
Salted Vanilla Oatmeal Cookies
Equipment
- Stand Mixer or hand mixer
- Large bowl
- weighing scales
- Measuring spoons
- Sharp knife
- chopping board
- 2 Baking sheets
- reusable non-stick baking mats or baking parchment
- spatula
- Cooling tray
Ingredients
- 240 grams (2¾ cups) rolled oats
- 200 grams (1½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt fine
- 165 grams (¾ cups) butter at room temperature
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 140 grams (¾ cups) dark brown sugar
- 90 grams (¾ cups) granulated sugar
- 2 (2) large eggs at room temperature
- 200 grams (1 cups) white chocolate chopped
- 2 tbsp sea salt flakes
Instructions
- Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat oven to 180℃/160℃ Fan/350℉.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a large bowl, whisk 240 g (2¾ cup) rolled oats, 200 g (1½ cups) plain (all purpose) flour, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, and ¾ tsp salt in a large bowl until they are well blended.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 165 g (¾ cup) butter and 1 tbsp vanilla extract on medium high speed until blended and creamy.
- Add 140 g (¾ cup) dark brown sugar and 90 g (¾ cup) granulated white sugar to the mixer bowl.
- Beat until light and fluffly, for about 2 minutes.
- Beat in the 2 eggs, 1 at a time.
- Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add the oat mixture.
- Then add 200 g (1 cup) chopped white chocolate or chocolate chips.
- Scoop the batter, 2 tbsp at a time, onto prepared baking sheets, about 8 cookies to a sheet. I use my smallest ice cream scoop to scoop the batter onto the baking trays.
- Sprinkle a few sea salt flakes onto each cookie.
- Bake for 12 – 14 minutes until the cookies are golden around the edges but still a bit soft in a centre. Rotate the baking sheets from front to back and top to bottom half way through baking. Do not over bake.
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes and then use a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Wipe clean reusable baking mats or cover the baking sheets with new parchment paper and scoop the remaining dough onto them and bake as before.
- Serve the Salted Vanilla Oatmeal Cookies with a hot or cold drink as a tasty snack or a convenient dessert.
Nutrition
This recipe comes from Pure Vanilla by Shauna Sever, a comprehensive recipe book using Vanilla as the key ingredient.
Looks good, the cover photo of the cupcake is a killer but the oatmeal looks great too. I've seen this book on Amazon and was taking a peek. Can the bookcase withstand anther one? then there is always Santa. LOL
Sounds like a wonderful book and those cookies look fab. I really like Shauna's recipes on her blog so can imagine they are all as delicious!
I love the smell of vanilla – I DO think it's a sexy smell. OK, maybe I'm odd!
The oatmeal in a vacuum flask is interesting, I was talking to Karen about how I used to slow cook stews that way when I was a student. I might just try again, now I have some idea how to cook!
I love vanilla and tend to add it to almost any cake I bake.
Sounds like an interesting book. I like the idea of the oatmeal. I love vanilla and Christmas is coming…
I LOVE vanilla and think it is quite sexy actually Janice! 🙂 Great review and I remember talking to Fiona about the oatmeal and soups in a flask idea recently!
I've heard mixed reviews about this book … but I am still hoping Santa has some room on his sleigh for it ;0)
I absolutely love chocolate and salt together so I knew these would be for me. The texture from the oats is really great too – a fantastic cookie!
Thank you, so good to hear you enjoyed the cookies.
I love an oatmeal cookie and this recipe was perfect. I swapped the white chocolate chips for dark chocolate which I prefer, and they were delicious.
I must try making them with dark chocolate chips, I think the salt would really work with those too.
I’ve made plain oat cookies and I’ve made choc chip cookies but weirdly never thought to combine the two! The vanilla does add a really great note with the white chocolate – will be making again!
Well, chocolate does make everything taste better!