When your pantry’s overflowing with possibilities—or just a little random—these Everything in the Bowl Oatmeal Cookies bring it all together. Made with old-fashioned oats, mini chocolate chips, tart dried cherries, raisins, and buttery pine nuts, they strike the perfect balance between sweet, tangy, chewy, and crunchy. A quick 30-minute chill helps the flavors meld together.
Why You’ll Love These Cookies
- Sweet, tart, chewy, and crunchy all in one – Dried cherries and raisins bring the chew, while pine nuts add a subtle richness and crunch.
- Chocolate in every bite – Mini chips melt just enough to give that nostalgic oatmeal-chocolate comfort.
- Pantry-friendly and flexible – Don’t have cherries or pine nuts? Swap in what you love and have on hand.
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Make These Cookies Your Own
Think of this recipe as a base camp—you decide where to go next! Swap out the mix-ins based on what you love or what’s in your pantry. Here are a few easy ideas:
- No dried cherries? Try dried cranberries, chopped apricots, or golden raisins.
- Not into raisins? Leave them out or replace with chopped dates or figs.
- Out of pine nuts? Toasted pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, or no nuts at all work just as well.
- Want more chocolate? Mix in dark chocolate chunks, white chocolate chips, or peanut butter chips.
- Add a little crunch: Pretzel pieces, toasted coconut flakes, or crushed potato chips add fun texture.
Just keep the total amount of mix-ins to a max of 2½ cups so the dough holds together well.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Sugar white
- Light brown sugar
- Butter unsalted
- Egg
- Egg yolk
- Vanilla Extract
- Old fashion oats or Quick oats
- Kosher Salt
- Ground cinnamon
- Dried tart cherries
- Raisins
- Pine nuts
- Mini chocolate chips
Ingredients Notes
- Old fashion oats vs. Quick Oats - Old-fashioned oats are larger, thicker, and chewier when baked. Quick oats are smaller and soften more during baking. Either will work, but the texture will differ depending on the type you choose.
- 1 egg + 1 yolk vs 2 whole eggs - From Serious Eats: "It provided a hearty flavor and texture that would stand up to any chunky or moist ingredients that might turn a denser dough to mush. Think: chopped chocolate, toffee, or other candy pieces." That’s why I used 1 egg + 1 yolk.
Making Everything in the Bowl Oatmeal Cookies
There is not much to prepping these cookies after you decide what mix-ins you want.
Prepping
In a mixing bowl, weigh or measure the white sugar. Add the light brown sugar and set the bowl aside. In another bowl, weigh or measure the flour and add baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to combine. Weigh or measure the oats into a separate bowl. Ready to mix!
Mixing the Kitchen Sink Cookies
1. Cube the room-temperature butter into a mixer bowl.
2. Cream the butter on medium speed until soft peaks form.
3. Add the sugars and mix for 3 to 4 minutes on medium. There’s more sugar than butter, so it won’t fully incorporate and will appear grainy.
4. Add vanilla extract, then crack an egg into a small bowl to check for shells. Add the egg, mix, then add the yolk and mix again.
5. Scrape down the sides and mix in the flour mixture on low speed, adding about a third at a time. Use a spatula to make sure all the flour is mixed in.
6. Add the oats, dried tart cherries, pine nuts, mini chocolate chips, and raisins. The dough will be thick, so mix on low for about 10–15 seconds, just until the mix-ins are mostly distributed.
7. Use a spatula or your hands to make sure the mix-ins are spread evenly throughout the dough. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Baking You Pantry Cleanout Cookies
8. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165–170°C) and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
I use a small cookie scoop—medium makes a cookie that's a little too big for me.
This dough will spread a bit, so don’t crowd the baking sheet.
9. Bake for 12–14 minutes. Start checking at 12 minutes. If they’re still soft in the center, let them rest on the baking sheet for a minute, then transfer to a cooling rack.
Once cooled, they’re ready to enjoy and share!
FAQ's
I store them in an airtight container. Oatmeal tends to dry out cookies quickly, so to help keep them soft, I add a slice of bread to the container on day two. They should stay fresh this way for 5–6 days.
I like to chill the dough so the oats have time to absorb some of the liquid. I think it makes for softer, chewier oats.
Love Oatmeal Cookies?
Recipe
Everything in the Bowl Oatmeal Cookies
Barbara HallWould you like to save this recipe?
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Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) Butter unsalted room temperature
- 1 cup (198 g) Sugar white
- 1 cup (213 g) Light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 ½ cups (195 g) All-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon Baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon Baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 2 cups (198 g) Old fashion oats
- 1 cup (138 g) Dried tart cherries
- ½ cup (72.5 g) Raisins
- ½ cup (67.5 g) Pine nuts
- ½ cup (90 g) Mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Weigh or measure the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, then whisk to blend. In a separate bowl, weigh or measure the white sugar and light brown sugar and set aside. I also weigh out the oats, but you can measure them if you prefer—just place them in another bowl and set that aside as well.
- Cube the butter and add it to your mixer bowl. Cream the butter on medium speed until soft peaks form. Add the sugars and mix on medium speed for 3–4 minutes—the mixture will look slightly grainy. Add the egg, then add the egg yolk, mixing after each addition. Pour in the vanilla extract and mix until fully incorporated.
- With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture. Avoid overmixing—just mix until the flour is mostly combined. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then mix for another 30 seconds to ensure everything is fully blended.
- Add the oats, cherries, raisins, pine nuts, and mini chocolate chips, then turn the mixer to low speed. You want to gently incorporate everything into the dough. It will be stiff—oatmeal cookie dough always is!If your mixer struggles (mine did, even on the lowest setting), bump up the speed slightly or finish mixing by hand to get everything evenly distributed.
- Cover the bowl loosely and refrigerate for 30 minutes. I usually preheat the oven to 325°F (165–170°C) during this time and line two cookie pans with parchment paper.
- After chilling, remove the dough from the refrigerator and scoop 12 mounds onto a prepared pan. You can drop them by spoonful, but I prefer using the OXO Good Grips Small Cookie Scoop for consistent size.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes at 325°F (165–170°C). Start checking around the 12-minute mark—they should look lightly golden around the edges.Remove from the oven and let them rest on the pan for a minute, then transfer to a cooling rack to finish setting up.
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NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.
Dana Heller says
These are some of the best cookies I ever made. I put English toffee bits, Craisins pecans and chocolate chips. I did the recipe exactly as it stated.
Barbara says
Hi Dana, I see you got the humor of the title! Everything in the bowl!!!! These cookies are the best when you add the things you love to the cookie. It has one of those base cookie doughs that will work with almost anything you throw in. I am so glad you like them. - Barbara
Ann says
These cookies are the bomb and very easy to make in a KitchenAid standup mixer. I made a few modifications: put in 2 eggs instead of 1 egg and 1 yolk (I don't got time for that!). I did different add ins too: 3/4 cup Trader Joe's dried unsweetened cranberries, and 1/2 cup each: white chocolate chips, TJ's salad caramel chips, raisins, and toasted pecan pieces. I made these as Xmas cookies. They're soooo good!
Barbara says
Hi Ann, I know, right? Just dump all the fixings that you like into the bowl and make it the cookie you need right now. I am so glad you mixed the cranberries and white chocolate chips it screams Holiday cookie. I wish I had a Trader Joe where I live, but I am hoping sometime one will come here. Hope you have a very Happy Holiday!!!