Dishpan Cookies

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Dishpan cookies are the perfect cookie in my book! Soft and chewy with slightly crispy edges, they live up to their name, as you never know what kind of delicious texture and flavor surprise is hiding inside.

Broken dishpan cookie.

I suppose I’ve always had a soft spot when it comes to homemade cookies. As a girl, my mother made fresh homemade cookies like these dishpan cookies twice a week, every week!

Living up to their name, dishpan cookies contain all sorts of goodness and the batter is generally far too massive to fit into a bowl in order to mix. So, what does the cookie dough include? A delicious combination of brown and white sugar, with vanilla extract, flour, quick oats, and cornflakes. This cookie recipe makes a very old-fashioned-tasting cookie. This recipe reminds me of something I had in our lunchroom at school as a child. We’ve included several recipe variations below, so you can make your own version of kitchen sink cookies (that’s what they’re all about).

These are also GREAT cookies to give away. These dishpan cookies travel well, freeze well, stay fresh longer than most cookies just sealed in a jar on the counter, and they also mail well. Even better, if you like crisp cookies, just bake them two minutes or so longer and you’ll have them! If you like chewy, bake them just until done. 

Labeled recipe ingredients for dishpan cookies.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Light brown sugar
  • White sugar
  • Vanilla
  • Oil
  • Eggs
  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Quick oats
  • Cornflakes
Cream together the sugars, vanilla, eggs, and salt.

In a large bowl or dishpan, add sugars, vanilla, oil, and eggs. Cream well.

The ingredients when creamed together.

It will look like this.

In a different bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and baking soda.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix well.

Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and mix well.

Pour in oats and mix well.

Now pour in your oats and mix well.

Add cornflakes to cookie batter and mix well.

Now add your cornflakes and mix REALLY well!

A well-mixed dishpan cookie batter.

You can stop when the dish pan cookie dough is well mixed.

Drop large scoops onto cookie sheets.

Drop 1/4 cup-sized scoops of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet if you want them to be the size of mine. If you want smaller, just drop by tablespoons or slightly larger, your preference.

Baked dishpan cookies on wire rack.

Bake at 375 for 10 to 12 minutes. Add a few minutes more if you want them crispy. These will stay chewy and fresh for about two weeks, but folks have enjoyed them very much even after that!

Plate of dishpan cookies.

BEWARE OF COOKIE MONSTERS!

Take some to your neighbors, your kid’s teachers, your friends, or your Mama!

Storage

  • Store your dishpan cookies in an airtight container either at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
  • The cookies also freeze really well. You can either freeze the cookie dough or the baked cookies.

Hand holding a large dishpan cookie.

Recipe Notes

  • I like to make these cookies LARGE. I measure out 1/4 cup-sized balls and bake them to be extra-large. This cookie is sturdy enough to handle the larger size plus it is a nice little gift when you simply put one cookie in a cellophane gift bag and tie it with a curling ribbon, as I did this morning when I attached them to invitations for my daughter’s birthday.
  • Here are some fun dishpan cookie recipe variations. Mix and matching ingredients are the best part of baking dishpan cookies!
    • 2 cups of oats and 2 cups of sweetened coconut flakes to make coconut oatmeal dishpan cookies.
    • 1 cup of quick oats and 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips for a unique take on a chocolate chip cookie.
    • 1 1/2 cups of oats, 1 cup of chocolate chips, and 2 cups of Rice Krispies.
    • Add 1 cup of chopped nuts or raisins to our original recipe.

You might also enjoy these cookie recipes!

White Chocolate Chip Big Cookie

Iced Oatmeal Cookies

How to Make Snickerdoodle Cookies

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Stack of dishpan cookies.

Dishpan Cookies

Soft and chewy with slightly crispy edges, dishpan cookies live up to their name, as you never know what kind of delicious texture and flavor surprise is hiding inside.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cookies
Servings: 4
Calories: 206kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 cups light brown sugar
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 cups oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 4 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cups quick oats
  • 4 cups cornflakes

Instructions

  • In a very large bowl or dishpan, cream together the sugars, vanilla extract, oil, and eggs.
    2 cups light brown sugar, 1 cup white sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 2 cups oil, 4 eggs
  • In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and then fold in the oats and cornflakes.
    4 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 ½ cups quick oats, 4 cups cornflakes
  • Drop ¼ cup-sized dollops of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. This batter might be a little dry and you may have to smoosh it together with your hands to get it into a ball when you put it onto the pan.
  • Bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 375, or until edges are lightly browned. If you want them to be chewy, bake a little less. If you want them to be crispy, a little more. I always double this recipe and do half chewy, half crunchy. They keep really well and are great for breakfast.
  • This freezes well both as a dough and as a finished cookie.

Nutrition

Calories: 206kcal
Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!
 


“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, 
 

but their echoes are truly endless.”

~Mother Teresa

Submitted by Vickie. Thank you Vickie!

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251 Comments

  1. Hmmm… just thinking of making these, but using oatmeal, coconut, and some craisins. Probably will lose some of the crunchiness, but retain the flavors just fine. We shall see!

  2. WOW … I just made these cookies this afternoon and they are super yummy, the texture is really something different .. almost super coconut as they are very chewy, not super sweet .. but just the right amount. I will definitely be making this many more times .. next time I will try adding butterscotch chips .. I think that will take them to a whole new level. I got 26 very large cookies .. I’m pretty sure I could have had 3 or so more .. as I had a few that were pretty big and you would definitely get a boat load and a half if you made them regular size 🙂 Thanks for such a wonderful recipe Christy 🙂 <3

  3. These are almost identical to a recipe that my grandmother had! Hers included butterscotch chips and coconut. She only made them at Christmas and I’ve carried on that tradition! For some who are concerned about the sugar, I’ve made them several times with half white sugar and half Splenda, to cut down on calories. Also, I’ve used Splenda Brown sugar on occasion. Also, for those that are concerned about the cornflakes, I measure them out into a large, 4 cup measuring cup and then crush them with my fist down into the measuring cup. I find that it helps cut down on some of the flakes sticking out and then getting kinda stale later. My recipe makes 4 dozen and there were many years at Christmas that I had to make 2 batches to have enough to give away!

  4. Haven’t made them yet. All that sugai is kinda scary. I’m going to cut down on the white sugar.Maybr 3/4 of a cup instead a whole cup.Yes???

  5. Hi Christy! This recipe sounds a lot like the one my mom used to make for us as an after school snack. She called them “Ranger Cookies”, and probably got the recipe out of the local newspaper. The main difference in hers and yours, is hers calls for coconut and chopped pecans, and only makes about five dozen.
    I just made some a couple of weeks ago, and they were so good! I want to try yours, adding the coconut and pecans. I love that yours makes so many; plenty to share!
    I like to make some of the dough up in balls, freeze them on cookie sheets, then store them in freezer bags for later! That way, I can have warm, fresh cookies anytime in just a few minutes. Yum!

  6. Have these in the oven at the moment – the house smells amazing! I just made a single batch and I’m making them “normal” size….so far I have 6 dz scooped out and thats not even half the batter! Its a good thing I’m making them for my mom’s 80th birthday gathering – her brothers can’t eat enough cookies lol I tossed in some choc chips, toffee bits, raisins and since i didn’t have corn flakes so I used Special K – so far so good! These taste soo good – though I think next time I’ll only make a half batch, these should last me most of the summer!

  7. These were the last cookies my daughter, my mom and I made before my mom died 16 months ago. They were so good and I’m sure these will be just as good when my daughter and I make them tonight! Thanks for the recipe 🙂

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