Thick, soft, and chewy, these are the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies! Stir together a batch of the old-fashioned favorites and share a simple treat with your loved ones.
Table of Contents
- The Best Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies!
- What to Know Before You Get Started
- How to make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies from Scratch
- How to Store Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
- How to Keep Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies Chewy And Fresh Even Longer
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Variations
While a classic oatmeal raisin cookie will always have my heart, my boys are all about these big, fat, chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies! They’re absolutely perfect for every occasion — from packed lunchboxes to after-school snacks, easy bake sale treats, and afternoon activities with the kids.
My new favorite cookie! Our family loves them!
– Cindy
The Best Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies!
I cannot even count how many different batches of cookies I baked in my attempt to land on the perfect simple oatmeal cookie recipe! It seems like such an easy task, but this particular treat proved to be quite the baking challenge. I wanted a thick, chewy cookie with a crispy edge and a soft, buttery inside.
By tweaking the types of oats that I used, the salt, the different types of sugar, the ratio of oats to flour, and the chilled versus room temperature dough — the options are endless! I can confidently say, though — the messy kitchen and the time (and frustration) spent toiling was worth the effort…because this old-fashioned oatmeal chocolate chip cookies recipe is absolutely the BEST!
What to Know Before You Get Started
- The Best Oats for Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies: I recommend using Quaker Old-Fashioned Oats (also called “rolled oats”) in this recipe, which gives the cookies a nice texture and chew. Quick oats will also work, but they will yield a slightly less chewy cookie. I do not recommend using steel cut oats.
- Using more brown sugar than granulated sugar adds moisture and keeps the cookies soft and chewy.
- How to Keep the Cookies Soft and Chewy: Remove the cookies from the oven when they’re just slightly browned (but still look a bit soft in the middle). They will firm up as they cool, but they will remain soft and chewy. If you want a crispy oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, bake these longer than the recommended 10-12 minutes. Finally, it’s important that you don’t over-mix the dough once you add the dry ingredients (which can result in tough, dry cookies).
- Why do Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies go Flat? There are a variety of reasons that cookies become flat when baking. It can be an issue with the recipe itself (for instance, a higher butter-to-flour ratio will yield a flatter cookie). It’s also important to chill the dough before baking, because the cold dough will not spread as much as room temperature dough when baked. Remember to make sure that your oven temperature is accurate, and use cool baking sheets (never put dough on a warm baking sheet).
How to make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies from Scratch
These soft and chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are slightly adapted from a little cookbook called Table Talk, which was written by the owner of a cute little bakery and café on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. They come together with a handful of basic pantry staples, so you can stir together the dough any time a craving strikes! You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview.
- Mix the dough using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer. Make sure that the butter and egg are at room temperature so that they blend together smoothly.
- Chill the dough for at least 1-2 hours (or up to 2 days). This helps to avoid spreading and keeps the cookies thick, soft, and chewy.
- Drop the dough onto parchment or silicone-lined baking sheets using a cookie scoop.
- Bake the cookies in a 350°F oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. The key to maintaining those decadent, soft centers in your oatmeal chocolate chip cookies is not overbaking. Remove the cookies from the oven just as the edges are starting to brown. The centers will still look soft and under-baked, but the cookies will continue to firm up as they cool. If you prefer crispy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, leave them in the oven for a few extra minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack.
How to Store Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
- Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will last on the counter for about 3 days.
- To extend the life of your cookies, wrap them tightly and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- How to Freeze Cookie Dough: This dough freezes best if you portion it into dough balls before freezing. Arrange the cookie dough balls on baking sheets, freeze, and then wrap tightly in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. When ready to bake, just pull a couple of frozen dough balls from the oven and bake in a 350°F oven. You’ll need to add about 1-2 more minutes to the baking time since you’re starting with frozen dough.
How to Keep Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies Chewy And Fresh Even Longer
To keep the cookies chewy and fresh for even longer, place a slice of sandwich bread inside the container! If you like a soft and warm oatmeal cookie with gooey, melty chocolate chips, just pop a couple of cookies in the microwave for a few seconds before enjoying with a cold glass of milk.
Loved this recipe! I normally don’t have much luck with cookies but these turned out delicious and have become a new family favorite.
– Shelly
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened at room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until well combined. Mix in the vanilla extract and milk. Gradually add the oats; mix until well incorporated. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the oat mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Cover and the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 1-2 hours, or up to 2 days. If the dough is too firm to scoop when you take it out of the fridge, leave it on the counter to sit at room temperature until it softens slightly. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Using a 4-teaspoon spring-loaded scoop, drop dough onto prepared pans. Place the cookie dough about 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies until they're lightly browned on the edges, but still soft in the center, about 10 to 12 minutes. Let them cool on the pans for 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
- Make sure that the butter and egg are at room temperature so that they mix together smoothly.
- Chill the dough before baking to avoid spreading and to keep the cookies thick, soft and chewy.
- The key to maintaining those decadent, soft, centers in your oatmeal chocolate chip cookies is not overbaking. Remove the cookies from the oven just as the edges are starting to brown. The centers will still look soft and under-baked, but the cookies will continue to firm up as they cool.
Nutrition
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Variations
- For an ultra-chewy texture, add an extra egg yolk to the dough. You can also swap out half of the all-purpose flour for bread flour, which has a higher protein content and therefore creates a chewier bite.
- If you prefer crispy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, replace some of the brown sugar with extra granulated sugar. Bake the cookies for a few extra minutes.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips are the classic addition to oatmeal chocolate chip cookies; however, you can substitute with any chocolate chips that you like. My kids prefer milk chocolate chips, while dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, or coarsely-chopped chocolate bars are all great options as well.
- Make oatmeal raisin cookies by swapping out the chocolate chips and replacing them with 2 cups of raisins. I like to add some cinnamon to my oatmeal raisin cookies, too.
- Stir in about ½ cup – 1 cup chopped nuts for added crunch.
More Oatmeal Cookie Recipes
Kitchen Sink Cookie Recipe (Park Ranger Cookies)
2 hours hrs 32 minutes mins
Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
1 hour hr 27 minutes mins
Easy Oatmeal Cookies with Ginger and Molasses
54 minutes mins
This recipe was originally published in August, 2020. It was updated in December, 2024.
Easy and delicious recipe! I tried it using half bread flour and they were a hit!! It always takes me a couple tries for the timing but 13 minutes seems to be the key for me.
I will make them again!
Thank you for the feedback, Holly! We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
No need for parchment paper or silicone mat. The cookies slide off the cookie sheet.
Delicious! I just used 1 cup brown sugar and no white sugar. Thanks!!
Thanks, Deborah. I’m so glad to hear that!
Perfection!!!
Thank you, Kay!
This recipe made the most perfect oatmeal chocolate chip cookies! I highly recommend it!
Thank you so much, Kelsey! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.
These were so flat!! I tried twice and followed the recipe exactly. Waste of butter
We’re sorry to hear this, Kathy! There are a variety of reasons that cookies become flat when baking.
It can be an issue with the recipe itself (for instance, a higher butter-to-flour ratio will yield a flatter cookie). It’s also important to chill the dough before baking, because the cold dough will not spread as much as room temperature dough when baked. Remember to make sure that your oven temperature is accurate, and use cool baking sheets (never put dough on a warm baking sheet). Altitude can also impact results. We’re happy to help troubleshoot if you ever want to try again and hope you continue to enjoy other recipes on the site!
I made these cookies and chilled the dough for just about 2 hours and they turned out completely flat 🙁