Honey Sweetened Oatmeal Cookies – Soft, Chewy, and Comforting

These cookies hit that cozy sweet spot without being too sugary. Honey brings a warm, floral sweetness and helps keep the cookies soft for days. You’ll get chewy centers, lightly crisp edges, and lots of oat texture in every bite.

They’re simple enough for a weekday treat and special enough to share. If you like cookies that taste like home, this recipe is for you.

Honey Sweetened Oatmeal Cookies - Soft, Chewy, and Comforting

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Servings 24 servings

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup (65 g) coconut oil or more butter, softened (for extra moisture)
• 1/2 cup (170 g) honey (mild or wildflower)
• 1/3 cup (70 g) light brown sugar or coconut sugar (optional but helps texture and browning)
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups (160 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional but recommended)
• 2 cups (200 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 3/4 cup (120 g) mix-ins: raisins, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or shredded coconut

Instructions

 

• Prep the basics: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment. Set butter, coconut oil, and egg out to warm slightly if cold.
• Cream fats and sweeteners: In a large bowl, beat butter and coconut oil until smooth. Add honey and brown sugar, then beat until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
• Add egg and vanilla: Mix in the egg and vanilla until fully combined. Scrape the bowl so everything is even.
• Whisk dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
• Combine: Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Stir just until you no longer see streaks of flour.
• Fold in oats and mix-ins: Stir in the rolled oats and your chosen add-ins until evenly distributed. The dough will be sticky.
• Chill briefly: Refrigerate the dough for 20–30 minutes. This helps prevent spreading and gives thicker, chewier cookies.
• Portion: Scoop 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough per cookie (a medium cookie scoop works well). Space 2 inches apart on the sheets.
• Bake: Bake 9–12 minutes, until edges are set and lightly golden but centers still look soft.
• Cool: Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. They will firm up as they cool.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

• Sweetened with honey: No refined white sugar here—just natural sweetness and moisture from honey.
• Chewy texture: Oats and honey create a soft, bendy center with light crispness on the edges.
• One-bowl friendly: The dough comes together quickly with pantry staples.
• Flexible mix-ins: Raisins, chocolate chips, nuts, or coconut all work beautifully.
• Great for storing and sharing: They stay tender for days and freeze well.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup (65 g) coconut oil or more butter, softened (for extra moisture)
• 1/2 cup (170 g) honey (mild or wildflower)
• 1/3 cup (70 g) light brown sugar or coconut sugar (optional but helps texture and browning)
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups (160 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional but recommended)
• 2 cups (200 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 3/4 cup (120 g) mix-ins: raisins, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or shredded coconut

Instructions

1. Prep the basics: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment.

   Set butter, coconut oil, and egg out to warm slightly if cold.

2. Cream fats and sweeteners: In a large bowl, beat butter and coconut oil until smooth. Add honey and brown sugar, then beat until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
3. Add egg and vanilla: Mix in the egg and vanilla until fully combined. Scrape the bowl so everything is even.
4. Whisk dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
5. Combine: Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture.

   Stir just until you no longer see streaks of flour.

6. Fold in oats and mix-ins: Stir in the rolled oats and your chosen add-ins until evenly distributed. The dough will be sticky.
7. Chill briefly: Refrigerate the dough for 20–30 minutes. This helps prevent spreading and gives thicker, chewier cookies.
8. Portion: Scoop 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough per cookie (a medium cookie scoop works well). Space 2 inches apart on the sheets.
9. Bake: Bake 9–12 minutes, until edges are set and lightly golden but centers still look soft.
10. Cool: Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

    They will firm up as they cool.

Storage Instructions

• Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for 3–4 days. A slice of bread in the container helps maintain softness.
• Refrigerator: Keep up to 1 week. Let them come to room temp before serving for best texture.
• Freezer (baked cookies): Freeze in a single layer, then transfer to a bag for up to 2 months.

  Thaw at room temp.

• Freezer (dough balls): Scoop and freeze raw dough balls on a sheet, then bag. Bake from frozen at 350°F (175°C) for 11–13 minutes.

Health Benefits

• Whole grains from oats: Oats provide fiber, especially beta-glucan, which supports heart health and steady energy.
• Honey over white sugar: Honey offers antioxidants and natural enzymes, and it adds moisture, which can mean lower total sugar per cookie for the same sweetness.
• Healthy fats option: Using part coconut oil or nuts adds satisfying fats that help with fullness.
• Customizable sweetness: You can reduce the brown sugar or skip it entirely if you prefer a lighter sweetness.

Pitfalls to Watch Out For

• Over-spreading: Honey can make cookies spread. Chilling the dough and using rolled oats (not quick oats) helps maintain shape.
• Overbaking: Pull them when the edges are set but centers look slightly underdone.

  They continue cooking on the sheet.

• Too much flour: Spoon and level your flour. Packed flour leads to dry, cakey cookies.
• Skipping salt: Salt balances the sweetness and brings out the honey flavor. Don’t leave it out.
• Using runny hot honey: If your honey is very thin or warm, the dough will be looser.

  Chill longer or add 1–2 tablespoons more oats.

Variations You Can Try

• Honey-pecan raisin: Add 1/2 cup chopped pecans and 1/2 cup raisins. A pinch of nutmeg is nice.
• Chocolate chunk: Stir in 3/4 cup dark chocolate chunks and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top after baking.
• Tropical oat: Mix 1/2 cup shredded coconut and 1/2 cup chopped dried pineapple or mango.
• Apple-cinnamon: Fold in 1/2 cup finely diced dried apples and an extra 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.
• Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and certified gluten-free oats. Chill well before baking.
• Dairy-free: Replace butter with all coconut oil or a plant-based butter.

  Texture will be slightly crisper at the edges.

• Less sweet: Reduce honey to 6 tablespoons and skip the brown sugar. Add 1–2 tablespoons milk if the dough feels too stiff.

FAQ

Can I make these without brown sugar?

Yes. Use only honey and expect a slightly softer cookie with less browning.

To keep structure, chill the dough and consider adding 1–2 tablespoons more oats.

What kind of oats should I use?

Old-fashioned rolled oats are best. Quick oats make the cookies more uniform and can spread more, while steel-cut oats won’t soften properly.

How do I prevent the cookies from being too cakey?

Measure flour carefully and don’t overmix after adding the dry ingredients. Bake just until the edges set, and avoid overbaking.

Can I reduce the honey?

You can, but honey affects moisture and spread.

If you reduce it, add a tablespoon or two of milk or use a small splash of maple syrup to keep the dough hydrated.

Why chill the dough?

Chilling firms the fats and lets the oats hydrate. This leads to thicker, chewier cookies with better shape and flavor.

Can I use all butter instead of butter and coconut oil?

Absolutely. Use 3/4 cup butter total.

The cookies may be slightly richer and a bit softer in the center.

How do I make them crispier?

Flatten the scooped dough slightly and bake 1–2 minutes longer. You can also reduce oats by 2 tablespoons for a thinner, crisper cookie.

Wrapping Up

Honey Sweetened Oatmeal Cookies give you all the comfort of a classic oat cookie with a gentler sweetness and a chewy, tender bite. The recipe is flexible, forgiving, and easy to adapt with your favorite mix-ins.

Keep a batch of dough in the freezer, and you’re always minutes away from warm, homemade cookies that taste like a hug.