While daydreaming about all of the wonderful autumn flavors the other day, an idea came to mind: I love spiced wafers and I love oatmeal cookies…why not combine the two? Oh heck yes! These Spiced Wafer Oatmeal Cookies are the magical combination of our pillowy oatmeal cookies with coarsely crushed spiced wafers added to the cookie dough. The oatmeal cookies provide a soft, buttery base while the spiced wafers add texture and that spiced wafer goodness we all love. Yum!
Even though this is more of a “fall” cookie, they are excellent all year long! They are delicious warm out of the oven but taste just as good days later after being stored in an airtight container. They can even be enjoyed months later if stored in the freezer.
Spiced Wafer Oatmeal Cookie Key Ingredients
Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients that make up this delicious cookie.
Butter
I prefer to use salted butter in most of my recipes but if you are using unsalted, you may need to increase the amount of salt in the recipe a little.
Sugars
We use both brown sugar and granulated in this cookie. Each plays a different role with regard to both flavor and texture. Granulated sugar, when creamed with butter, aerates the dough creating a light, puffy cookie. Meanwhile, brown sugar contains molasses which helps to make the cookie soft and chewy.
Eggs
Eggs give your cookie structure and serve as a binder.
Vanilla Extract
Vanilla extract acts as a flavor enhancer. I always use pure vanilla extract in my baking. It really elevates the quality of your baked goods.
Flour
I use King Arthur flour for all of my baking needs. (Not an affiliate – just really like their flour!) This specific all-purpose flour has a higher protein percentage (11.7%) than most other brands. A higher protein percentage equates to a stronger flour. All-purpose flour serves a wide variety of baking needs from cakes to pies to some breads.
Cornstarch
Cornstarch helps the cookies to not spread as much and creates a tender crumb.
Baking Soda
Baking soda helps to leaven the cookie by releasing carbon dioxide. This is a chemical reaction that occurs when the baking soda mixes with brown sugar.
Salt
Salt acts to enhance the flavor of the cookie, balancing the sweetness.
Cinnamon
Ground cinnamon adds spice and warmth to the cookies.
Oats
I prefer to use old-fashioned rolled oats when making oatmeal cookies. Specifically, I use the gluten-free version as they are my favorite! Old-fashioned rolled oats are thicker and heartier than quick oats, providing a chewy texture and nutty flavor.
Spiced Wafers
Typically, I use either Ivins Spiced Wafers or Sweetzels Spiced Wafers. However, if you cannot find either, Ginger Snaps may work too (I have not tried using them yet).
How To Crush Cookies Without a Food Processor?
Normally, I would recommend using a food processor to easily crush cookies for a recipe. However, the first time I made these, that is what I did and I did not like the results. Some of the cookies turned to dust while the others were barely broken at all. Therefore, I resorted to the good old-fashioned cookie crushing method of using a plastic food storage bag and rolling pin. Please see below for instructions.
- Place cookies in the bag and close bag.
- Whack cookies inside the bag with a rolling pin until crushed into small pieces.
How Do I Store Spiced Wafer Oatmeal Cookies?
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer up to 3 months.
Tips
- Measure correctly – I highly recommend using a kitchen scale when baking. Because baking measurements need to be exact, using a scale helps to measure as precisely as possible. It quite honestly was a complete game changer for me when I first started using one! I would be lost without it now.
- Room temperature is important! When certain ingredients (eggs, cream cheese, butter, etc.) are listed as room temperature, there are scientific reasons behind this. At room temperature, these ingredients blend together better and result in a smoother batter. Ultimately, you will end up with a better final product!
- To soften butter quickly, slice into small pieces and let sit on the counter while you gather the rest of your ingredients. Room temperature butter may be cooler than you think. You will know it is ready when you press your finger into it, it leaves an indent but does not sink into the butter.
- Chill dough – I recommend chilling the dough prior to forming cookies so that the dough is easier to work with as you are forming the balls. You may also chill the formed cookies prior to baking for extra lift.
My Preferred Tools
You may already have many of these items in your kitchen. I recommend the following for this recipe:
- Kitchen Scale – precisely measure ingredients
- Baker’s Half Sheet – to bake cookies
- Rolling Pin – to crush Spiced Wafers
- Cooling Racks – to cool cookies and dishwasher friendly!!
- Stand Mixer – to mix dough
If you like this recipe, try our
- Butter Pecan Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Apricot Walnut Oatmeal Cookies
Spiced Wafer Oatmeal Cookies
Spiced Wafer Oatmeal Cookies are the magical combination of our pillowy oatmeal cookies with coarsely crushed spiced wafers added to the cookie dough. The oatmeal cookies provide a soft, buttery base while the spiced wafers add texture and that spiced wafer goodness we all love. Yum!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
- 1 cup (213 g) brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (99 g) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, room temp
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 ½ cups (223 g) old-fashioned oats
- 1 ¼ cups spiced wafers (about 20-25 wafers), coarsely crushed
Directions
- Step 1 PREP: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Step 2 COOKIES: Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat butter for a few seconds until creamy. Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl as necessary. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
- Step 3 In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add to wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Scrape down bowl again and then mix in oats and crushed spiced wafers. (Crush spiced wafers using a plastic food storage bag and rolling pin. See post above for details.) Chill dough in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes. (Continue to refrigerate dough as you bake cookies if dough seems sticky.)
- Step 4 BAKE: Drop cookies by rounded tablespoon onto prepared cookie sheets and bake for 11-13 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. (The centers may still seem soft and that is ok. You can chill cookie dough between batches as well. I like to form dough into tablespoon-sized balls and place in freezer for 10 minutes or so before baking.) Let cookies cool on cookie sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.
- Step 5 STORAGE: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer up to 3 months.
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Have a wonderful day!
What is Spiced Wafer ?
Hi Mary, Spiced wafers are very similar to ginger snaps. They are a crunchy, molasses type cookie sold in stores; however, they may not be available everywhere unfortunately. You might be able to find them online if not in your local store. There are a few links to several brands I use in the “Key Ingredients” section above if that helps. Thank you so much for visiting!