You might seem skeptical but trust me this the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe. I have a perfect recipe for you that is a cinch to throw together because it uses melted butter. You can use quick oats or old fashioned- whichever you have on hand so the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies that rival your local bakery. These oatmeal cookies take about 10 minutes to prep, and no mixer is needed!
A lot of time, I hear that one of the main reasons you don’t bake from scratch is because you can’t seem to get the right texture and taste that is the same as your local bakery. So why bother, right? I don’t believe that you need a culinary degree or own a bakery to have perfect cookies. No way. So if you have attempted homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies in the past to find that lackluster, I promise you these cookies will change your mind.
These oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are big, soft, and perfectly chewy on the inside. Basically everything you crave in an oatmeal cookie.
It took me several attempts to get the texture of these cookies just right. But after about 4 batches, I finally got that soft, chewy texture I was going for. Now that I’ve gotten the base recipe down too, I can’t seem to stop coming up with some fun variations on this cookie – like White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, and my new favorite, Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies! But today we are sticking with the classic oatmeal chocolate.
And these are super easy to mix up to bake up too, because they use melted butter. Yay for not having to bust out my stand mixer! Hip Hip Hooray for that.
If you love oatmeal cookies try my oatmeal raisin cookie recipe!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Best Texture – These are soft, chewy, and have those wonderfully crisp edges.
- To Chill Or Not Too Chill – I like to chill, but I’ve made these without chilling and they are still fantastic. So chill for 24 hours if you can wait…but if you can’t (and I feel you) then by all means bake. Them. Now. I’ll show you the difference down below as to why though chilling this oatmeal cookie dough first is your new best friend.
- Melted Butter – That means no creaming. No mixers. Just a simple recipe that results in fantastic oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
Ingredients Needed
I based this oatmeal cookie recipe from my Ultimate Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe – so yes a lot of the ingredients are the same, with one big change. I think you know which ingredient I’m talking about!
- All purpose flour – I used all purpose flour for these cookies. I have used different flours for my cookies in the past. Like bread flour and cake flour in the New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, but for this one I kept it simple. Because I know you have all purpose flour in your cupboard. It has a great mid range protein content so you get great structure and texture. For more baking science, you can read all about the Types Of Flours here.
- Baking soda – Baking soda is what helps to give these cookies a bit of a lift. Baking powder is not the same thing so don’t use it interchangeably. You can read more about baking powder vs. baking soda here.
- Salt – Of course every recipe needs a little salt to balance out the sweetness. I prefer sea salt for best flavor but any salt will work.
- Butter – I used unsalted butter in this cookie recipe. Different brands of butter will use varying amounts of salt in their salted butter so it’s better to use unsalted so you can control the amount of salt in the dough. If you only have salted butter, reduce the salt by 1/2 teaspoon.
- Sugars – Both granulated and light brown sugar (but dark brown sugar will also work.)
- Eggs – Of course you need a couple large eggs to bring this dough together. Make sure that they are room temperature. Bring them to room temperature quickly by placing them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.
- Vanilla extract– Vanilla is always wonderful for flavor. Pure is best, but if all you have is imitation then by all means use it.
- Oats – You can use old fashioned or quick oats. I’ve used both. And both made GREAT cookies.
- Chocolate Chips – I like to use a combination of semi-sweet chocolate. Chunks, chips (both regular and small), chopped – it all works. But by combining some of these different types you really do get chocolate throughout the entire cookie. No bite is lacking. So use what you have, but mix it up if you got it!
How do you make these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies?
1. Combine dry ingredients.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine your flour, baking soda, and salt. Simply whisk and set aside.
Heather’s Baking Tip
Want perfect results every time? Measure your flour by using a kitchen scale! Not every baker will measure flour the same way using a measuring cup and that difference can result in a cakey cookie, one that is flat, or one that is perfect. If you don’t own a kitchen scale yet, make sure to then spoon the flour into the cup and level it off. Do NOT pack it down into the cup or scoop directly from the bag, which will result in too much flour.
2. Combine wet ingredients.
In a second bowl with a whisk combine your melted butter and sugars.
Then whisk them together until smooth and combined. Stir in the eggs and vanilla and just whisk them together.
3. Combine wet and dry.
Then just go ahead and combine the wet and dry ingredients together. Be careful at this point to not overmix. I stop mixing once I see the last of the flour has been mixed in.
Heather’s Baking Tip
Overmixing will cause gluten to form, which can result in a tough cookie. Gluten is the protein that forms when the flour becomes hydrated. The more you mix, the more gluten that will form. And although we need some gluten for structure, if we keep mixing too much forms and we end up with a tough, chewy cookie.
4. Add oats and chocolate chips.
Stir in your oats, and chocolate chips. Again be careful to not overmix. Just a few good stirs and you are all set.
5. Chill Your Dough.
Listen, if you want to bake them now I get it. But chilling your dough (even if it’s for 1 hour will help with less spreading and better flavor). I prefer to chill my dough for 24 hours.
Just simply cover your mixing bowl with plastic wrap or foil and pop in the fridge. The next day you may need to let it soften for at least 10 minutes before you can scoop it.
6. Scoop And Bake The Cookies.
When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350oF (177oC). For larger cookies scoop about 1/4 cup of dough (3 1/2 ounces each) and place only 6-8 onto a cookie sheet and flatten a little bit with your hand, or for smaller cookies (about 2 tablespoons of dough) – I like this medium sized scoop) then place 12 cookies on the cookie sheet.
For larger cookies bake: 15-18 minutes
For smaller cookie (“normal” sized) -10-12 minutes
Larger vs. Smaller Cookies
Are bigger cookies better than small ones? Ok, well yes they are for some obvious reasons. But, there is actually science behind it too. The larger cookie helps to give those perfect crispy edges and soft ooey, gooey, middle we all want. You could also measure out your cookie dough into 3 1/2 ounce balls of dough to ensure they are all the same perfect size or roughly measure out 1/4 cup of cookie dough if you don’t own a kitchen scale or large cookie scoop.
7. Cool Your Cookies
I know the hardest part. Well maybe the chilling was if you did that step. But after a couple minutes, I move my cookies over to a cooling rack to continue to cool.
Then. Simply. Eat. Enjoy. Repeat.
Chilling Vs. Not Chilling Your Dough
So I know I mentioned it above but it’s worth repeating, chilling your cookie dough really does result in a better cookie! You get less cookie spreading, but also time for the flavors to develop and the texture is much improved.
I tested some cookies out with chilling and not chilling and you can see the difference! A picture is a worth a thousand words isn’t it 🙂
For more cookie tips, read my 6 tips to bake perfect cookies
Recipe FAQ’s
Cookie spreading is a bummer. There 8 reasons that I can think of why your cookies may have spread. If your cookies do spread in the oven, you can try this little trick I picked up from Sally’s Baking Addiction, which is to take them out of the oven and take a spoon and press the edges of the cookie inward.
Yes and you should. You can freeze them baked or unbaked.Â
To freeze unbaked:Â Scoop the cookies onto a cookie sheet, and freeze solid. Then place into a sealable plastic bag. You can bake frozen, without thawing, but add on a few extra minutes of baking time.
To freeze baked:Â Allow the cookies to cool completely. Then when ready to eat, allow to thaw. I like to pop them into the microwave for about 20 seconds to bring them back to ooey gooey life.Â
Here is a complete tutorial on How To Freeze Cookie Dough
You don’t necessarily need to. Your cookies will spread more if you don’t. Â Chilling allows the butter to firm up, so they will spread less and intensifies the flavors of everything. It’s a game changer. I chilled my cookies for 24 hours for the perfect cookie. Make sure to chill the whole bowl, do not scoop first. This can dry out the dough. Then when ready to bake, let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before scooping.
Cover and store these cookies at room temperature for up to one week.
More cookie recipes
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Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup (213 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (99 g) granulated white sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (198 g) oats old fashioned or quick
- 1 1/2 cups (234 g) chocolate chips
Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk your flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar. In a second bowl or your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine your melted butter and sugars. Stir for 2-3 minutes. Add in your eggs and vanilla. Mix to combine.
- Combine wet and dry. Add in your dry ingredients, and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula to combine. Be careful to not overmix.
- Add oats and chocolate chips. Stir in your oats, and chocolate chips with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Cover the mixing bowl and refrigerate for 24 hours, up to 72 hours.
- Bake. When ready to bake, position a rack in the center of your oven and pre-heat your oven to 350oF (177oC). Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.For large cookies: Using a large scoop (or a 1/4 cup), scoop your cookies on to a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and flatten with your hand slightly until about 1/2-inch thickness. Place 6-8 on a cookie sheet spaced a couple inches apart. Bake for 15-17 minutes, until edges are set but middles are still puffy looking.For regular sized: Use a 1-inch (small) scoop (or about 2 tablespoons) and place about 2 inches apart onto a cookie sheet. Place 12 cookies on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake on the middle rack for 10-12 minutes. Cookies should have golden brown crispy looking edges, with softer middles.
- Cool cookies. Allow cookies to cool 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring the cookies to cool on a cooling rack.
Video
Notes
- Storage: Cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 4 days, covered.
- Make-ahead: Dough can be made up to 3 days ahead of time (I recommend not scooping the dough first as this can dry out the dough), and then when ready to bake, let the dough sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes or so, so you can easily scoop the dough.Â
- Freezing: You can freeze them baked or unbaked. Scoop the cookies onto a cookie sheet, and freeze solid. Then place into a sealable plastic bag. You can bake frozen, without thawing, but add on a few extra minutes of baking time.
To freeze baked cookies, allow the cookies to cool completely. Then when ready to eat, allow to thaw. I like to pop them into the microwave for about 20 seconds to bring them back to ooey gooey life. - Butter – I used unsalted butter in this cookie recipe. If you only have salted butter, reduce the salt by 1/2 teaspoon.
- Brown Sugar -Light or dark brown sugar will also work.
- Vanilla extract– Pure is best, but if all you have is imitation then by all means use it.Â
- Oats – I prefer old-fashioned for a heartier texture, but you can use old fashioned or quick oats.Â
- Chocolate Chips – I use semi-sweet chocolate chips, but chocolate bars chopped up, chocolate chunks, or a milk chocolate chip will also work.
Angela says
These turned out SO good! I had to improvise, as I only had about half a cup of mini chocolate chips on hand. I ended up adding pepitas, dried cranberries and then chopped a tablet of “Abuelita’s mexican hot chocolate”.
I also make a mistake in not reading the whole recipe(didn’t see the chilling time, until I realized the dough was pretty wet) To speed up the process I went ahead and scooped all the room temp dough onto a parchment lined sheet. I popped it into the freezer and froze all the little scoops. Then just spaced them and baked them as the recipe said(for frozen dough). I love this recipe AS written, but I also just love that even with my blunders they came out great! Pinned and printed for future reference!
Heather says
aw thank you Angela for such a kind review! And that you were able to adapt where needed…your cookie additions sounds delicious!!
Stephanie says
Excellent cookies… and I tried a second batch mixing up different choc chips… very popular! Thanks
Heather says
you’re welcome Stephanie glad you loved them 🙂
Jewels says
Such a beautiful cookie! They came out fabulous. I did not chill the dough for the first six cookies I baked as a test run. They are just as Nice looking as the second batch when I had chilled the dough for 20 minutes or so. I always break my eggs in a measuring cup and then scramble lightly before I add to my mixer. I also always try to add towards the end. That way I don’t have to beat the dough so much to combine well. Well, I almost forgot them all together on this recipe! When my dough was not coming together I realized my missing eggs. They were the last ingredient today but they still came out simply smashing. My husband is going to love these.
Heather says
aw that’s awesome to hear you loved them regardless of chilling 🙂 they’re my favorite! And great tip on the eggs ..and glad you didn’t forget the eggs!! haha
Lauren says
Great recipe! I love how the flavor of the molasses from the brown sugar shines through!
Alex says
Fantastic recipe! I’m not a huge chocolate fan so I reduced the amount of chips by half and cooked for about 15 minutes, but they came out wonderfully.
[email protected] says
Aw I’m so glad you loved these Alex! Yes you can definitely use less chips (or raisins or whatever you want!) I love cranberries and white chocolate too!
Ruth says
These cookies were so easy and delicious! I didn’t have chocolate chips on hand so I swapped in the same amount of raisins (soaked briefly in water and patted dry before using). They turned out wonderfully! The perfect amount of mix-ins and exactly the texture I look for in an oatmeal cookie. I’ll definitely be making these again and trying out the chocolate version, too!
[email protected] says
Aw I’m so glad you loved the cookies Ruth! Great tip on soaking the raisins first 🙂
Emily Leishman says
So good! Perfectly chewy, and so much chocolate! A simple and iconic oatmeal chocolate chip cookie!
[email protected] says
Aw so glad you liked them Emily!