The Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies — Soft, chewy, loaded with chocolate, and they turn out perfectly every time! Totally irresistible!!
Table of Contents
- The BEST Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients
- Can Raisins Be Added?
- Can I Add Other Mix-Ins?
- How to Make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Do I Have to Chill the Cookie Dough?
- What’s the Best Type of Oatmeal for Oatmeal Cookies?
- Why Didn’t My Cookies Spread in the Oven?
- Do I Really Have to Add 1 Tablespoon of Vanilla?
- Storage Instructions
- Recipe Variations to Try
- The Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
- More Oatmeal Cookie Recipes:
The BEST Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
I have so many oatmeal cookie recipes. And chocolate chip cookie recipes.
But didn’t have ‘my perfect’ good old-fashioned oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe until now.
These are the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies I’ve had, and I’m super picky about oatmeal cookies.
Oatmeal cookies, when done right — and by that I mean soft, chewy, and not over-baked — are some of my favorites. The chewiness, the perfectly hearty texture, the nuttiness of the oats, and all the chocolate made these a new favorite twist on a classic.
I adapted my Oatmeal Scotchies recipe and used chocolate chips instead of butterscotch.
I like that the recipe only makes 11-12 medium/large cookies, perfect if you don’t need too much of a good thing laying around. Double it if you have a big family or an amazing metabolism.
I love this base because the cookies are soft, chewy, and hearty without feeling like I need to take them on a mountain hike. Sometimes oatmeal cookies get a little too oaty and hearty. I want a cookie, not a granola bar.
But if there aren’t enough oats used, I find myself wanting more texture and chewiness.
The cookies are thick enough, but not too thick. Overly thick thick oatmeal cookies can turn dry or cakey, a total deal-breaker. Conversely, they’re not too thin, which is good because there’s nothing more unsatisfying than biting into a paper thin cookie.
I dare you to try to keep your hands out of the cookie jar.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients
To make these chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, all you’ll need is:
- Egg
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Old-fashioned oats
- All-purpose flour
- Cinnamon
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
Can Raisins Be Added?
If you like raisins or nuts in your oatmeal cookies, feel free to add a handful of either. But for anyone who dislikes oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies, your wishes have been granted. Just loads of melty chocolate in these babies.
Can I Add Other Mix-Ins?
Absolutely! I’ve provided some mix-in options just above the recipe card (scroll to the bottom of this post to see). M&M’s, chopped nuts, raisins, etc. would all work.
How to Make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
This is such a simple chocolate chip oatmeal cookies recipe. I saw no reason to complicate a classic!
Here are the basic steps to making truly the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies:
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. This will take about 4 minutes.
- Then, add in the oats, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips last.
- Use a 1/4 cup measure (or a large cookie scoop) to scoop the dough into balls.
- Place the cookie dough balls on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Once the cookie dough has had time to chill, bake until the edges have set and the tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center. You do NOT want to over bake these cookies!
Do I Have to Chill the Cookie Dough?
Yes! You can NOT bake with unchilled dough. The cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
What’s the Best Type of Oatmeal for Oatmeal Cookies?
To make perfectly chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, I recommend using old-fashioned oats (sometimes called rolled oats).
Instant oats are more finely ground and can act like a flour, which results in drier cookies. And steel cut oats
Why Didn’t My Cookies Spread in the Oven?
When cookies don’t spread it’s usually a result of an over-floured dough. If you used a heavier hand when measuring the oats, flour, or both, your cookies may not spread properly.
When measuring out the flour, scoop it out of the bag with a spoon rather than dip the entire measuring cup into it.
Do I Really Have to Add 1 Tablespoon of Vanilla?
Yes, you need to add 1 TABLESPOON of vanilla extract to the dough, not 1 teaspoon. I always add more vanilla to my baked goods because I really want the flavor to pop!
Storage Instructions
You can prepare the cookie dough up to five days in advance. As long as it’s stored in an airtight container or is tightly covered in plastic wrap, you can leave it in the fridge.
After five days, the cookie dough needs to be frozen. You can bake the dough straight from the freezer, just add a minute or two to the bake time.
Note that the baked cookies can also be frozen for up to three months.
Recipe Variations to Try
I think this recipe makes the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies as written, but there are a couple variations you can try if desired.
- Add cinnamon: Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the dough.
- Add raisins: You can add up to 1/2 cup raisins to the recipe as written.
- Add nuts: Chopped nuts of any kind will work. You can add up to 1/2 cup.
- Add M&M’s: Use a mixture of M&M’s and chocolate chips in the dough.
- Use mini chocolate chips: Use 1 cup. Just note that the chocolate distribution will differ from what you see in the photos above.
Note that you can add up to 1 1/2 cups mix-ins TOTAL to the oatmeal cookie dough. So if you want to add raisins and / or nuts, you can only add 1/2 cup total to the 1 cup of chocolate chips in the dough.
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The Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temp (1 stick)
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups old-fashioned whole rolled oats, not instant or quick cook
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ to 1 teaspoon cinnamon, added to taste
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- 1 heaping cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup raisins or nuts, optional and to taste
Instructions
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) combine the egg, butter, sugars, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 4 minutes.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the oats, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the chocolate chips, optional raisins or nuts, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
- Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form approximately 11 equal-sized mounds of dough, roll into balls, and flatten slightly. Tip – Strategically place a few chocolate chips on top of each mound of dough by taking chips from the underside and adding them on top.
- Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 5 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
- Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet).
- Bake for about 11 minutes (for super soft cookies, longer for more well-done cookies), or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center; don’t overbake. Cookies firm up as they cool.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don’t use a rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Oatmeal Cookie Recipes:
I have many oatmeal cookie dough bases, as well as countless other cookie recipes that use oatmeal, but my favorites are below.
Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies — No butter and no mixer used in these easy cookies dripping with chocolate!
Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Scotchies Cookies — My favorite classic oatmeal cookie base loaded with sweet butterscotch chips! A classic cookie that you’ve just got to try!
Chewy Oatmeal Coconut Brown Sugar Cookies {Anzac Biscuits} — Soft, chewy, easy, no-mixer, no-egg cookies!
Originally published November 6, 2014 and Republished with updated text May 19, 2021.
The texture of these turned out perfect. I think I would skip the cinnamon next time and maybe use salted butter just due to personal taste. I would expect to find this cookie at a high end deli or caterer.
Thanks for letting me know that you would expect to find these cookies at a high end deli or caterer – that’s great to hear! And yes you can always skip the cinnamon and use salted butter (or add ore salt to the batter) if you prefer for next time.
Truly a marvelous cookie. My friends, who also bake, loved them.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad you loved these cookies, Jeanne!
These sound amazing and can’t wait to try them. Should I bake on bottom rack or middle? Where do you usually cook casseroles?
Your family is sooo lucky to have you. What wonderful meals they get to enjoy. I know my own cooking has changed for the better since following you.
Thank you for saying they’re lucky to have me :)
Always always always bake cookies on the middle rack, rotate the pan once midway through baking is highly recommended, and if you can I suggest baking 1 sheet of cookies at a time because if you do 2 at a time, the sheet underneath never tends to bake quite as nicely.
I just realized you were asking about casseroles, also middle rack, rotate once halfway through if you can. This is standard for almost any oven-baked recipe on my site.
These were amazing!!! Thanks for the recipe! Will be my go to for these cookies!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am so glad they were amazing and that this will be a go to recipe for you for cookies!
I’ve made these a few times, with a without pecans. They are easy to make, use few utensils and bowls and taste amazing. I make 3 batches at a time and freeze them so I can cook a few at a time for fresh baked cookies.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad you have made these cookies quite a bit and find them easy, little to clean up, and that they turn out amazing. That’s wonderful to hear!
I don’t think that salt should be optional if you’re using unsalted butter! Salt is super important for flavor, it will be bland without it.
This was tasty. It took 15 minutes at 350 after chilling for four hours. I added 1 teaspoon of diamond crystal kosher salt. Very chewy and tasty.
I don’t think that salt should be optional if you’re using unsalted butter! Salt is super important for flavor, it will be bland without it.
This was tasty. It took 15 minutes at 350 after chilling for four hours. I added 1 teaspoon of diamond crystal kosher salt. Very chewy and tasty.
I agree with you about salt. However, some people get very finicky (and vocal) about salt when it has to do with desserts which is why in recipes that I wrote 5+ years ago, I was more wishy-washy on salt and I would say ‘optional’. However, I have gotten more direct in my recipes as the years have gone by and I do recommend it for flavor. I am glad you enjoyed the cookies!
These are fan-friggin-tastic! I’m gonna make them with butterscotch chips next. Husband approved.
These are fan-friggin-tastic! I’m gonna make them with butterscotch chips next. Husband approved.
I am glad you loved them! I love butterscotch chips.
Try these if you love butterscotch https://www.averiecooks.com/butterscotch-graham-cracker-cheesecake-bars/
I made the chocolate chip oatmeal cookies exactly by the recipe. Sooo good! Everyone raved about how good they were.
I made the chocolate chip oatmeal cookies exactly by the recipe. Sooo good! Everyone raved about how good they were.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad these got rave reviews!
I made these GF with 1/2 cup GF all purpose flour, and 1/4 cup almond flour. They turned out great.
A delicious and easy cookie to make. I made them gluten free by using 1/2 cup of Namaste all purpose flour, and a 1/4 cup almond flour. I’m going to make these for a Sunday funday dinner. Great that I can make the dough ahead and pop them in the oven on Sunday.
A delicious and easy cookie to make. I made them gluten free by using 1/2 cup of Namaste all purpose flour, and a 1/4 cup almond flour. I’m going to make these for a Sunday funday dinner. Great that I can make the dough ahead and pop them in the oven on Sunday.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad they turned out great with the GF and almond flour swap you made! And yes, you can definitely make the dough in advance for really any of my cookie recipes (by a 3-5 days) and then pop in oven the day of and bake!
My favorite cookie recipe! I’ve been making these for a couple of years now. Curious if you’ve ever tried to make them gluten free?
My favorite cookie recipe! I’ve been making these for a couple of years now. Curious if you’ve ever tried to make them gluten free?
I’m glad these are your favorite cookies!
I have never tried to make them GF although you can easily buy certified GF oats (like Quaker) in the grocery store. And I would use a flour like this intended for baking https://amzn.to/3Pqaqc1
I made these GF with 1/2 cup GF all purpose flour, and 1/4 cup almond flour. They turned out great.