The classic old-fashioned iced oatmeal cookie just got a spicy makeover. These Chinese Five Spice Iced Oatmeal Cookies are crunchy on the edges, chewy in the middle, and warmed up with cinnamon, star anise, clove, fennel, and pepper. A sweet layer of icing keeps the spice in check, so every bite tastes like the holidays. Tuck them into cookie boxes, bring them to a cookie swap, or stash the dough in the freezer so you’re always just minutes away from a warm batch.
Jump to:
- These Chinese Five Spice Iced Oatmeal Cookies bring warmth and flavor
- More chewy cookie recipes
- What are the spices in Chinese Five Spice?
- For a softer warmth, look for white pepper instead of Szechuan
- How to get that ultra chewy texture
- A sweet icing balances the spice in these Chinese Five Spice Iced Oatmeal Cookies
- Recipe
- Comments
These Chinese Five Spice Iced Oatmeal Cookies bring warmth and flavor
I've had a small bottle of Chinese Five Spice
sitting in my cupboard since I first made homemade Pho a while back. I have never used it for anything other than pho, ever. It's weird how we do that. We only think of something in one insular way.
Kind of like when you were a kid and you couldn't imagine your teachers having lives outside of the classroom – as if they only lived and breathed for their precious pupils and never went on dates, had families, or shopped at Target. Our tiny, underdeveloped brains just couldn't process that kind of information. If, God forbid, you ever actually ran into a teacher while she was out with friends drinking beers at the local pizza parlor, you were instantly mortified and simultaneously fascinated. There is an unspoken rule, teachers can't have lives. That's just the way it is.
of milk for Santa.Thankfully my badass, super talented blogging and baking buddy Rebecca Firth of displacedhousewife.com, opened my eyes to a whole new world of holiday spices in the November | December issue of Bake From Scratch magazine
. Her Cranberry Streusel Bundt Cake graces the cover, and hidden inside is a magical untapped world of spice variety. This drop-dead gorgeous cake is all spiced up with an unexpected twist, Chinese Five Spice powder. She's got 4 more recipes that rely on that Chinese Five Spice for full on flavor. This brilliant move has awakened my spicy senses to exciting new ways to play with spice.
More chewy cookie recipes
What are the spices in Chinese Five Spice?
When you stop and think about it, this blend of spices lends itself perfectly to the baking world. Warmth, depth and intrigue. What a perfect way to snazz up simple Iced Oatmeal Cookies! The warm spices of cinnamon, fennel, clove, star anise and pepper combine in pre-mixed Chinese Five Spice powder. The pepper may be black or white pepper or its hotter cousin, Szechuan pepper.
For a softer warmth, look for white pepper instead of Szechuan
I found a blend that uses white pepper and adds just enough heat to the mix, without overpowering the cookies. Be sure to check the label before you decide which direction you want to take these cookies. You could get spicy with it and try the Szechuan pepper blend, if you're wanting more warmth. Or, you can make your own blend, dialed into your personal taste.
I took a cue from Becky's recipe playbook and incorporated this lesser-used baking spice blend in this cookie recipe. They're a whole lot like those classic iced oatmeal cookies from back in the day, but with a grown up hit of spicy warmth.
How to get that ultra chewy texture
Nothing comforts quite like a soft and chewy oatmeal cookie. The goal was an ultra chewy texture for these Five Spice Oatmeal Cookies, so we whiz the oats in a food processor for a few seconds. This results in a more consistent texture, allowing the little oat bits to snuggle in tight, bringing extra chewiness to the oatmeal cookies. I use this same technique in my Iced Orange Currant Oatmeal Cookies and they too have an undeniably chewy texture.
A sweet icing balances the spice in these Chinese Five Spice Iced Oatmeal Cookies
The Five Spice mix has a subtle yet surprising punch of spice that hits you right where you never knew you wanted it! To balance out all of that spice, the Chinese Five Spice Oatmeal Cookies get all iced up with a glossy sweet icing. The icing is a simple mix made from powdered sugar
and whole milk. And it's as easy as can be. Adding a nostalgic nod to those classic old-fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies.
A big thank you to Becky for the inspiration to try something new and unexpected in my baking repertoire. It's such a simple change to a basic cookie recipe but these Chinese Five Spice Iced Oatmeal Cookies are now a family favorite.
And, a shout out to all of my grade school teachers out there. Kids can be weirdos. Sorry for not being able to handle the fact that you had actual lives. If I saw you out now, I'd buy you a beer instead of cowering behind the pinball machine. Can I offer you a batch of these Chinese Five Spice Iced Oatmeal Cookies as a consolation prize, Mrs. Steele?
Recipe
Chinese Five Spice Iced Oatmeal Cookies
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 30-36 cookies 1x
Description
The classic old-fashioned iced oatmeal cookie just got a spicy makeover. These Chinese Five Spice Iced Oatmeal Cookies are crunchy on the edges, chewy in the middle, and warmed up with cinnamon, star anise, clove, fennel, and pepper. A sweet layer of icing keeps the spice in check, so every bite tastes like the holidays. Tuck them into cookie boxes, bring them to a cookie swap, or stash the dough in the freezer so you’re always just minutes away from a warm batch.
Ingredients
CHINESE FIVE SPICE ICED OATMEAL COOKIES
- 2 cups extra-thick rolled oats
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons Chinese Five Spice powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
ICING
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
Oatmeal Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Pulse the oats in a food processor for 10 to 20 seconds, until coarsely chopped. In a medium bowl, whisk together the chopped oats, flour, Five Spice Powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for 4-5 minutes, scraping down the bowl a few times, until light and fluffy.
- With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients, scraping down the bowl as needed, and mix until combined.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to portion the dough into balls about the size of a ping-pong ball. Place them on the prepared sheets a couple of inches apart and gently press each one into a disk.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the edges start to brown and the centers look slightly underdone. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets. They'll keep baking a little as they cool, leaving crunchy edges and a chewy center.
Icing
- Whisk the powdered sugar and milk until smooth and the icing flows from the whisk in a smooth ribbon.
- Spoon the icing onto the cooled cookies and spread it toward the edges. Let it set before serving or stacking.
Notes
Chill for more flavor: If you have time, cover the shaped cookies and chill them in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to overnight before baking. Resting lets the warm Five Spice and brown sugar flavors deepen and meld. The chilled dough also spreads less in the oven, for thicker, chewier cookies.
Make ahead: Scoop the dough into balls, press them into disks, and freeze them on a lined baking sheet until firm. Then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or airtight container. They'll keep for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding a minute or two to the bake time.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
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