Even though chocolate chip cookies seem to be the favorite of most people, the humble oatmeal cookie is still pretty popular. It’s a cookie that has been enjoyed by cookie lovers for at least 200 years. Oatmeal cookies aren’t just a sweet treat, however. They also contain oats—an ingredient that can lower cholesterol. It’s for these reasons alone that everyone should mark National Oatmeal Cookie Day on their calendar. It’s a holiday that falls on April 30th annually and is a holiday that’s worth celebrating.

The History of Oatmeal Cookies

Even though most sources cite the 19th century as when the oatmeal cookie was first invented, it was actually invented a long time before that date. During the Middle Ages, bakers often made Scottish oatcakes. These oatcakes had many of the same ingredients as modern oatmeal cookies, but they were baked in such a way that made them a lot crispier than modern cookies. We guess people could argue that this made them more like crackers than cookies, but we still feel that they fall into the cookie category.

Of course, the first recorded recipe for oatmeal cookies was published in the U.S. by Fannie Merritt Farmer in 1896. She put the recipe in her cookbook The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book. This cookie would become so popular that Quaker Oats would list their own recipe for an oatmeal cookie on the back of every one of their oatmeal containers. They first did this in the early 1900s when they published their oatmeal raisin cookie recipe.

Facts About Oats and Oatmeal Cookies

During the course of our research, we’ve come across some cool facts about oatmeal and oatmeal cookies—facts that we just have to share right here, right now.

• Oats have been cultivated by mankind for over 9,000 years.
• Oats are the oldest cultivated cereal grain by humans.
• Three out of four American households have oatmeal in their cupboard.
• Oatmeal lowers cholesterol and can reduce the risk of heart disease.
• Cereal is the number one use for oatmeal; oatmeal cookies are the second most common use for it.
• Oatmeal is also widely used for making meatloaf and fruit crisps.
• The portrait of the Quaker man on Quaker Oats was created in 1877.
• The Quaker man portrait has been updated three times: in 1946, 1957, and 1972.

Observing National Oatmeal Cookie Day

Anyone looking to celebrate National Oatmeal Cookie Day can do so by enjoying one of the many oatmeal cookie variations. You can enjoy plain oatmeal cookies, glazed oatmeal cookies, or even oatmeal and raisin cookies. While you’re enjoying oatmeal cookies straight from the oven, you can take a picture of them and post them on social media using the hashtag #NationalOatmealCookieDay.