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. They’re an easy dessert recipe that disappears fast!
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, or afternoon activities with the kids.
Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
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 that would be slightly crisp on the edges, but soft and buttery on the 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!
How to make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies from Scratch
These soft and chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are just a slightly tweaked version of my classic oatmeal raisin cookies recipe. They come together with a handful of basic pantry staples, so you can stir together the dough any time a craving strikes!
Ingredients
- Butter: I use salted butter for added flavor.
- Brown sugar: not only does the brown sugar sweeten the cookies, but it also adds moisture.
- Egg: for structure.
- Vanilla extract and salt: to enhance the flavors in the cookies.
- All-purpose flour: make sure that it's properly measured (see my tips below).
- Baking powder and baking soda: the leavening agents that help the cookies puff up and rise.
- Old-fashioned oats: give the cookies a classic chewy texture.
- Chocolate chips: pick your favorite variety! My boys love milk chocolate chips, but semi-sweet chocolate chips are a more traditional choice.
Which type of 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.
Step 1: Mix Dough
This is a really basic cookie dough, which starts with creaming together the butter and the brown sugar in a stand mixer. Beat in the egg and vanilla, and then gradually add the dry ingredients.
Step 2: Chill Dough
Cover the bowl and chill the dough for about 1 hour. Waiting is the hardest part, but it’s worth it! The cold dough doesn't spread as easily in the oven, so your cookies will stay thick, soft and chewy!
Step 3: Bake
Use a scoop to drop the dough onto baking sheets. I like to use a 4-teaspoon spring-loaded scoop to make sure that my cookies are all the same size (and therefore bake in the same amount of time). You can make larger, big fat chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies using a bigger scoop -- you'll just need to increase the baking time by a couple of minutes.
How Long to Bake Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Bake the cookies in a 350° F oven for about 10-12 minutes, or just until they’re lightly browned. You want the cookies to look soft and puffy in the center. As they cool, they will firm up a bit but will still stay soft and chewy. If you prefer crispy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, leave them in the oven for a few extra minutes.
Why do Oatmeal Chocolate Chip 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 Store Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will last on the counter for about 3 days.
Tip: 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!
Can you freeze Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies?
To extend the life of your cookies, wrap them tightly and freeze them for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the cookie dough before baking. This dough freezes best if you portion it into dough balls before freezing. Arrange the 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 Make 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).
Are these cookies healthy?
Each cookie has 129 calories and about 5 grams of fat. While I would not consider these “healthy” food, they can absolutely fit within a healthy diet. This cookie recipe is not Keto, high in fiber, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free or heart healthy.
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 half of the brown sugar with granulated sugar and bake the cookies for a few extra minutes.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips are the classic addition to 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.
Tips for the Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
- Properly measure the flour to avoid overly-dry dough. Measuring the flour by weight on a digital scale is most accurate, or you can spoon the flour into a measuring cup and then level it off with a knife. Avoid scooping the flour with the measuring cup straight from the bag, because that will pack way too much flour into the measuring cup and result in a dry, crumbly dough.
- 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.
More simple oatmeal cookie recipes that you might enjoy:
- Great Grandmother's Crispy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Oatmeal Cream Pies
- Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Easy Oatmeal Cookies with Ginger and Molasses
- Blueberry Muffin Easy Oatmeal Cookies
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (6.375 ounces or 180 grams) all-purpose flour, properly measured (see my tip below to make sure that you measure the flour correctly)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar at medium speed until fluffy (about 3-4 minutes), scraping the sides of the bowl periodically. Add egg and vanilla extract; beat well.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- While the mixer is on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture just until combined. Fold in the oats and chocolate chips. The dough will be very thick, so use your muscles to incorporate those extra goodies! Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
- Using a 4-teaspoon spring-loaded scoop, drop dough onto prepared pans. The dough will be thick and very firm, so if it's too difficult to scoop, let it sit on the counter for a few minutes to soften slightly. Place the cookie dough about 2 inches apart.
- Bake until cookies are lightly browned on the edges, but still soft in the center (about 10-12 minutes). Let cool on pans for 3 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool completely on wire racks.
Notes
- Properly measure the flour to avoid overly-dry dough. Measuring the flour by weight on a digital scale is most accurate, or you can spoon the flour into a measuring cup and then level it off with a knife. Avoid scooping the flour with the measuring cup straight from the bag, because that will pack way too much flour into the measuring cup and result in a dry, crumbly dough.
- 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.
- To extend the life of your cookies, wrap them tightly and freeze them for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the cookie dough before baking. This dough freezes best if you portion it into dough balls before freezing. Arrange the 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 degree F oven. You’ll need to add about 1-2 more minutes to the baking time since you’re starting with frozen dough.
My new favorite cookie! Our family loves them!
Yay! Thanks, Cindy!
Hi, Kayla! No, I don't necessarily think it's a dry dough. It's a lot like a classic chocolate chip cookie dough. Did you maybe measure too much flour by accident? Or did you use the more finely-ground quick oats, which have a different consistency than old-fashioned oats? It's hard for me to know if you did anything wrong from this end, but hopefully not. Hopefully they'll turn out perfectly!?! 🙂
Just delicious! New favourite at our house as well! Thank you 🙂
Yay! Thanks, Maria!