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!
Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you'll need for a batch of old fashioned oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Butter: I use salted butter for added flavor.
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar: to sweeten the dough. Using more brown sugar than granulated sugar adds moisture and keeps the cookies soft and chewy.
- Eggs: for structure.
- Vanilla extract and salt: to enhance the flavors in the cookies.
- Milk: for a little bit of moisture to bring the dough together.
- All-purpose flour: the base of the dough.
- Baking soda: the leavening agent that helps the cookies 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.
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!
- Mix the dough.
- Chill the dough for at least 1-2 hours (or up to 2 days).
- Drop the dough onto parchment or silicone-lined baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies in a 350° F oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. They should still 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 about 132 calories and about 6 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 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.
Tips for the Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
- 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 Oatmeal Cookie Recipes to Try
- 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
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened at room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 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 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 until cookies are lightly browned on the edges, but still soft in the center (about 10-12 minutes). Let cool on pans for 5 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool completely on wire racks.
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.
My new favorite cookie! Our family loves them!
Yay! Thanks, Cindy!
Just delicious! New favourite at our house as well! Thank you 🙂
Yay! Thanks, Maria!
I'm sorry to hear that, Charmaine! Is it possible that they baked for too long, or that the dough got over-mixed? We haven't had that problem, but again -- I'm sorry that you didn't love them. 🙁
Just made these cookies today with my granddaughter, and they were delicious! Will be adding this recipe to our family cookbook..Thank you..
I'm so glad to hear that, Zina. Thank you!