Oatmeal-Date Smash Cookies
Oatmeal-Date Smash Cookies

Oatmeal-Date Smash Cookies

Recipe by Sarah Jampel
56 Reviews 4.9 out of 5 stars

King Arthur 2020 Recipe of the Year

Watch out, oatmeal raisin — there’s a new favorite oatmeal cookie in town. The texture of these oatmeal-date cookies was inspired by the “Smash Cookies” in Zoë Francois’s cookbook, Zoë Bakes Cookies. To achieve large cookies with crisp outsides and cookie-doughy centers, Zoë bakes the dough in big balls at a relatively high temperature, then presses them down with a flat spatula (smashes them) when they come out of the oven. Packed with hearty oats and pocketed with dates, this version makes slightly smaller cookies that rely on a similar smashing technique for golden-brown exteriors and soft, bendy centers. (Thanks for the idea, Zoë!)

This recipe was one of our Bake of the Week features for February 2025.

Prep
10 mins
Bake
13 to 16 mins
Total
1 hr 30 mins
Yield
8 large (3 1/2" to 4”) cookies
Oatmeal-Date Smash Cookies - select to zoom
Oatmeal-Date Smash Cookies - select to zoom
Oatmeal-Date Smash Cookies - select to zoom
Oatmeal-Date Smash Cookies - select to zoom

Instructions

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  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

  2. In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla until smooth and homogeneous. Add the egg and whisk until fully combined and creamy. Add the dry ingredients and use a flexible spatula to stir until almost no flour is visible. Add the dates and stir until completely combined.

  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Scoop the dough into eight 2" balls (about 80g each; a level scone and muffin scoop works well here) and place on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

  4. Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the upper third. Shape the dough mounds into neater balls by rolling between the palms of your hands. Return to the baking sheet, spacing them evenly.

  5. Bake the cookies for 13 to 16 minutes, until puffed, with golden-brown exteriors. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and immediately use a flat spatula to press each cookie flat, eliminating any puffing.

  6. Return the cookies to the oven, turn the oven off, and leave inside for 4 to 5 minutes, until the cookies are slightly darker and have puffed back up.

  7. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, press the cookies flat again, then sprinkle with flaky salt. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet before serving.

  8. Store oatmeal-date cookies airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days; freeze for longer storage. 

Tips from our Bakers

  • For a heartier, chewier cookie, increase the amount of oats, using up to 1 cup (113g) King Arthur Rolled Oats or 1 cup (89g) old-fashioned rolled oats. 

  • The cookie dough needs to chill for at least 1 hour to prevent overspreading. The longer the cookie dough is refrigerated, the less the dough will spread: The cookies will be slightly thicker, browner, and smaller in diameter. 

  • For a chocolate chip version of these cookies, replace the dates with 1/2 cup (86g) semisweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks. To omit the oats, use 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour.

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