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Home » Cookies » High Altitude Oatmeal Cookies

High Altitude Oatmeal Cookies

Published: Apr 30, 2022 · Modified: Apr 30, 2022 by Mara · This post may contain affiliate links - as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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These High Altitude Oatmeal Cookies are soft and chewy and perfectly spiced. Add in your favorite mix ins and satisfy those oatmeal cookie cravings!

High Altitude oatmeal cookies on stacked on a copper wire trivet with milk and a jar of butterscotch chips in the background

You’ll love all the textures in these High Altitude Oatmeal Cookies! They're rich and buttery with lots of spice flavor. They’re just one of those classic cookies everyone will love and there are endless topping choices. My favorite add-in are butterscotch chips, but these cookies work with normal chocolate chips, raisins, peanut butter chips or even white chocolate chip, orange zest and dried cranberries for the holidays. These cookies are the best warm from the oven with a glass of cold milk!

If you love cookies, you have to try some of my other high altitude cookies recipes! I have all sorts of recipes including classic chocolate chip, funfetti, peanut butter, just to name a few.

Why You'll Love this Recipe

  • These cookies are full of spice and butterscotch (or topping of your choice)
  • Easily customizable based on your favorite oatmeal cookies
  • Thick, chewy cookies with soft centers and slightly crisp edges
  • This recipe is easy and straight forward! Chilling is completely optional for an even softer and more melt in the mouth cookies

Ingredients

High Altitude Oatmeal Cookie Ingredients on a white marble background. Each ingredient is labeled with a red box with white text inside in all caps

Ingredient Notes

  • Unsalted Butter: I use unsalted so we can control the amount of salt. The butter adds richness and results in a delicious buttery cookie.
  • Sugar: I use dark brown and granulated sugar to give us just the right amount of sweetness and chewiness. I like dark brown sugar for its robust taste and it also reacts with the baking soda.
  • Egg: A whole egg to bind the cookie dough, add moisture, and adds richness. 
  • Flour: I always use all-purpose flour. Just make sure to measure the flour correctly.
  • Old Fashioned Oats: Don't use quick oats as the texture won't be the same.
  • Salt: I prefer to use kosher or fine sea salt in my recipes.
  • Cinnamon: If you’d like additional spice flavor add in ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ground ginger and ground clove too.
  • Vanilla Extract: I recommend using a nice vanilla extract. You can also use vanilla bean paste. 
  • Baking Soda: it's our only leavening agent in these cookies. It reacts with the acidic molasses in the dark brown sugar. Which can result in a higher rise than using a light brown sugar.
  • Butterscotch Chips: has a delicious deep caramel like flavor. Can be swapped out for chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, M&Ms, Heath bar bits, raisins, craisins, nuts, just about anything!

Step-by-Step Instructions

Side by side photos. In the upper left corner is a number with corresponds with the step in the recipe in red. The left '1' has butter and sugar beaten in a mixing bowl. The right 2' has a cookie dough in a mixing bowl.
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large mixing bowl, beat room temperature butter, both sugars and ground cinnamon until completely creamed together ~ 2-3 minutes on low - low medium speed.
  2. Add in the egg and vanilla extract, beat until combined together.
Side by side photos. In the upper left corner is a number with corresponds with the step in the recipe in red. The left '3' shows an oatmeal cookie dough in a mixing bowl. The right '4' shows the cookie dough with butterscotch chips added and mixed in.
  1. Add in kosher salt, baking soda, all purpose flour, cinnamon and old fashioned eats.. Mix by hand using a silicone spatula. It's okay if there are a few streaks of flour.
  2. Add in butterscotch chips and use a silicone spatula to fold the butterscotch chips (or mix-in of your choice) into the batter until they are evenly distributed in the batter.
Side by side photos. In the upper left corner is a number with corresponds with the step in the recipe. The right white '5' shows cookie dough scooped onto a baking sheet. The right red '6' shows cookie dough scooped onto a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper and covered with plastic wrap.
  1. Scoop cookie dough using a 2.8 Tbsp/ 1.4 oz tablespoon scoop (medium/red scoop) onto a silicone mat lined on a baking sheet. Leave about an 3-4 inches between each cookie.
  2. Optionally, you can scoop dough onto a lined tray, cover with plastic wrap and rest in the fridge for up to a day.
Side by side photos. In the upper left corner is a number with corresponds with the step in the recipe in white. The left '7' shows baked oatmeal cookies on a cookie sheet lined with a silicone mat. The right '8' shows cookies on small white square plates and cookies on a small wire trivet.
  1. Bake for 12-13 minutes in a pre-heated oven until edges are a golden brown (add a minute or a few minutes if use refrigerated or frozen dough). Cool cookies on a baking sheet for 5 minutes.
  2. Enjoy cookies warm or move the cookies to a cooling rack to cool using a spatula until room temperature.

Variations

There are so many ways to switch up this simple High Altitude Oatmeal Cookie recipe! It really depends on what you like the most, season, etc. If you're not a fan of butterscotch chips, try some of these variations:

  • peanut butter chips + ground ginger + ground clove + ground cinnamon + ground nutmeg
  • white chocolate chips + dried cranberries + orange zest

Or just replace butterscotch chips with any of these add-ins: raisins, dried cherries, chocolate chips, m&ms, etc.

Expert Tips

  • Don't Overbake The Cookies! Take the cookies out of the oven when the edges are lightly golden at the bottom, the center might look undercooked but the cookies will firm up while they’re resting on the cookie sheet. Baking the cookies until centers are golden will result in a hard crispy cookie.
  • Properly Measure Flour: If you just dip your measuring cup into a bag of flour, chances are you have way too much flour due to packing. I keep a small digital scale to accurately measure flour BUT you can also you the spoon and level method too if you don't have a scale. To do this, use a spoon to fluff up the flour within your flour bag or container. Then use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and finally us the straight edge of a knife to level the flour across the measuring cup.
  • Room Temp Ingredients are Key: room temperature eggs and butter form an emulsion and traps air and blend/combine together very easily since they are warmer creating a seamless batter. Cold ingredients don't incorporate together easily and can result in dense puffy cookies and also seize up the batter.
  • Carefully transfer cookies! Use a cookie spatula to transfer the cookies from the baking sheet to the cooling rack. They will still be very soft and can break easily!
High Altitude Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies on a copper wire trivet. More cookies are on small white square plates.

Recipe FAQs

Do I need to refrigerate/rest my cookie dough?

I found that refrigerating your cookie dough at least overnight - 24 hours resulted in a softer cookies with a more developed spice flavor. This step isn't required but is recommended. However, I have skipped this step if I need to get my cookie fix right away and that results in a more chewy but still soft cookie.

What altitude were these cookies baked at? How do I adjust for my altitude? 

I baked these cookies at 5,280 ft! Check out this high altitude resource to adjust these cookies for your altitude.

Storage

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days.

You Might Also Like

  • High Altitude M&M Cookies
  • High Altitude Funfetti Sugar Cookies
  • High Altitude Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • High Altitude Peanut Butter Cookies

PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page? I always appreciate feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.

High Altitude oatmeal cookies on stacked on a copper wire trivet with milk and a jar of butterscotch chips in the background

High Altitude Oatmeal Cookies

Mara
My favorite high altitude oatmeal cookie recipe! Soft and chewy, perfectly spiced, dotted with lots of buttersctoch chips (or mix-ins of your choice). These are sure to satisfy those cookie cravings.
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 12 mins
Resting Time 5 mins
Total Time 27 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 13 cookies
Calories 235 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 stick unsalted butter room temperature
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup dark brown sugar packed
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 egg, large room temperature
  • 1 & ¼ cups all-purpose flour (150 grams)
  • 1 cup whole old fashioned oats (80 grams)
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup butterscotch chips

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large mixing bowl, beat room temperature butter, both sugars and ground cinnamon until completely creamed together ~ 2-3 minutes on low - low medium speed.
  • Add in the egg and vanilla extract, beat until combined together.
  • Add in kosher salt, baking soda, all purpose flour, cinnamon and old fashioned eats. Mix by hand using a silicone spatula. It's okay if there are a few streaks of flour.
  • Add in butterscotch chips and use a silicone spatula to fold the butterscotch chips (or mix-in of your choice) into the batter until they are evenly distributed in the batter.
  • Scoop cookie dough using a 2.8 Tbsp/ 1.4 oz tablespoon scoop (medium/red scoop) onto a silicone mat lined on a baking sheet. Leave about an 3-4 inches between each cookie.
  • Optionally, you can scoop dough onto a lined tray, cover with plastic wrap and rest in the fridge for up to a day.
  • Bake for 12-13 minutes in a pre-heated oven until edges are a golden brown (add a minute or a few minutes if use refrigerated or frozen dough). Cool cookies on a baking sheet for 5 minutes.
  • Enjoy cookies warm or move the cookies to a cooling rack to cool using a spatula until room temperature.

Notes

Don't Overbake The Cookies! Take the cookies out of the oven when the edges are lightly golden at the bottom, the center might look undercooked but the cookies will firm up while they’re resting on the cookie sheet. Baking the cookies until centers are golden will result in a hard crispy cookie.
Properly Measure Flour: If you just dip your measuring cup into a bag of flour, chances are you have way too much flour due to packing. I keep a small digital scale to accurately measure flour BUT you can also you the spoon and level method too if you don't have a scale. To do this, use a spoon to fluff up the flour within your flour bag or container. Then use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and finally us the straight edge of a knife to level the flour across the measuring cup.
Do I need to refrigerate/rest my cookie dough? I found that refrigerating your cookie dough at least overnight - 24 hours resulted in a softer cookies with a more developed spice flavor. This step isn't required but is recommended. However, I have skipped this step if I need to get my cookie fix right away and that results in a more chewy but still soft cookie.
What altitude were these cookies baked at? How do I adjust for my altitude? I baked these cookies at 5,280 ft! Check out this high altitude resource to adjust these cookies for your altitude.
 
Nutritional information for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. Please calculate your own nutritional information if you want it exact to what you make and use my calculations as a guide only.

Nutrition

Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 145mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 249IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Tag me on Instagram @makewithmara or hashtag #makewithmara

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Susu says

    December 03, 2022 at 9:38 pm

    This is a keeper. Tastey and a perfect mix of soft and crispy.
    I’m at 4,500 elevation and new at high elevation baking.
    I followed recipe as written only subbing butterscotch chips for raisins. Yum!

    Reply
    • Mara says

      December 04, 2022 at 4:35 am

      Hi Susu! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment! I am so glad you loved the recipe!!

      Reply

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Hi, I’m Mara! The home baker and cook behind Make With Mara. This is where I share my love of recipe testing, plating, and all things tasty. Let’s crEATe something delicious together! More about me →

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