Christina Tosi’s Milk Bar: Grandma’s Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

These aren’t your typical oatmeal cookies. To start, there are no raisins. Hallelujah!

These oatmeal cookies prioritize flavor over being oat-forward. They have the perfect balance of sweetness, a crackly exterior, and a soft, chewy center. After a batch comes out of the oven, you won’t have any left — except for that full bag of raisins tucked in the pantry.

PS: This recipe is adapted from Christina Tosi’s Milk Bar Life cookbook. Her inventive approach to familiar ingredients makes treats fun and unforgettable, and these cookies are no exception.

An important detail: the recipe uses a secret ingredient that you won’t taste directly but that significantly improves texture, height, and chew.

The secret ingredient is sweetened shredded coconut. Trust me — even coconut skeptics won’t notice it, but they’ll definitely notice how much better the cookie turns out.

Disclosure: I sometimes include links to products I use and recommend. If you purchase through those links I may earn a small commission.

If you’re not familiar with Christina Tosi and Milk Bar, check out the Chef’s Table episode featuring her on Netflix — it’s a great introduction to her playful, ingredient-forward style.

Tosi’s baking is approachable and creative: ordinary pantry items are used in new ways to lift classics like cookies and cakes into something special. One signature idea is using cereal milk — the milk left after soaking cereal — to add nostalgic flavor to desserts.

I recently attended a class at Milk Bar in Brooklyn, which was inspiring. We assembled cakes and truffles and learned tricks for turning leftovers into treats, like making white chocolate–dipped malt truffles from leftover cake crumbs bound with Ovaltine milk. Simple, clever, and delicious.

After the class I felt motivated to try more of Tosi’s recipes, including these oatmeal cookies.

What makes this oatmeal cookie recipe so good:

• No raisins — just pure cookie bliss.
• Fast and straightforward to make.
• Cookies bake up thick and chewy with a crackled exterior.
• The secret ingredient (sweetened shredded coconut) creates the ideal texture and is easy to find.

The secret ingredient is…

Christina lists sweetened shredded coconut as optional, but I tested the recipe both ways. The difference is clear: cookies with coconut are thicker and chewier, while those without are flatter and crisper. If you prefer a substantial, chewy cookie, include the coconut — it transforms the texture.

Now bake a batch — with or without coconut (but seriously, try it with). Then settle in with Netflix’s Chef’s Table episode on Christina Tosi and enjoy a stack of warm oatmeal cookies. You won’t regret it.

Looking for more cookie recipes? Try these:

My Grandma’s Oatmeal Cookies from Christina Tosi’s Milk Bar Life

These aren’t your typical oatmeal cookies. No raisins (woo hoo!), just the right level of sweetness, and crackly on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. There will be not a single leftover (except for your full bag of raisins) after baking up a batch. PS This recipe comes from Christina Tosi’s Milk Bar Life cookbook of amazingness.

Print Recipe
Pin Recipe
Rate Recipe

Prep Time:
10 minutes

Cook Time:
10 minutes

Total Time:
20 minutes

Course: All Recipes, Dessert, Snacks

Cuisine: American

Servings: 18 servings

Calories: 247kcal

Author: Kimberlee Ho

Ingredients

• 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 ¼ cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut (optional but recommended)
• ½ cup powdered sugar (for coating)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.
• Beat on high until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated, about 1 minute.
• Add the flour, oats, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and coconut (if using). Mix until just combined, about 30 seconds.
• Place the powdered sugar in a small bowl.
• Scoop golf-ball-sized portions of dough and roll between your palms into smooth balls.
• Toss each ball in the powdered sugar until fully coated. Arrange cookies 2–3 inches apart on the lined baking sheets.
• Bake for 9–10 minutes, until golden brown and crackled.
• Allow cookies to cool completely on the pans.

Notes

• Recipe adapted from Milk Bar Life by Christina Tosi.

Nutrition

Calories: 247 kcal |
Carbohydrates: 32.4 g |
Protein: 3.4 g |
Fat: 11.1 g

Did you make this recipe?
Tag @kickassbaker on Instagram so I can see!

Pin this recipe for later!