🥜🍪 My Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are lightly crisp around the edges, soft, chewy, and LOADED with nutty flavor and rich chocolate chips in every bite! Why choose between oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, or soft chocolate chip cookies when you can have them all?
Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
A personal favorite of mine, these cookies combine elements from all my favorite cookies. The recipe is adapted from and very similar to the Peanut Butter Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookie recipe, making it virtually foolproof.
- All you need is one bowl and a spoon, and these cookies are ready to eat in about 30 minutes.
- The higher ratio of brown to white sugar and egg yolk to egg white results in a super soft centers and a chewy texture.
- There’s no chilling required, and one batch makes 13 large cookies, making it the perfect treat for all your cookie cravings. I’d go ahead and make an extra batch before you find yourself snacking. They’re seriously addicting!
Ingredients You’ll Need
There’s a LOT of flavor packed into every bite of these cookies, all thanks to just a handful of simple ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need for this chocolate chip peanut butter oatmeal cookie recipe:
- Butter – I recommend using unsalted butter and letting it come to room temperature for easy mixing. Feel free to use margarine or a vegan butter for dairy-free cookies
- Sugar – The combination of brown sugar (light or dark) and granulated sugar sweetens the dough, adds a touch of molasses flavor, and contributes to the chewy texture
- Peanut Butter – Use creamy peanut butter. I recommend a brand like Jif or Skippy. Natural peanut butter tends to separate and cause greasy cookies. I also don’t recommend crunchy peanut butter, because it won’t incorporat into the dough evenly. Have leftover peanut butter? Check out my peanut butter cookbook to put it to good use!
- Eggs – For vegan cookies, substitute a flax egg
- Vanilla Extract
- Flour – I use all-purpose flour. If you need gluten-free cookies, substitute a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour. Then, make sure to double-check the nutrition label on the rest of the ingredients
- Oats – Make sure to use old-fashioned oats. Quick oats and steel-cut oats will NOT work for this recipe! For gluten-free cookies, make sure to use certified gluten-free oats
- Baking Soda
- Mix-Ins – I use semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can use milk chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips. Or, experiment with mix-ins like peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, toffee bits, raisins, nuts, seeds, etc. I don’t recommend adding more than 1/2 cup, or your cookies will just be way too packed
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Melt the peanut butter and butter in the microwave in a large mixing bowl. Then, stir in the remaining wet ingredients. Wait a few minutes before combining ingredients to avoid scrambling the eggs! There’s no need for an electric mixer or stand mixer!
- Add the oats, followed by the remaining dry ingredients. Fold in the chocolate chips or mix-ins of choice.
- Portion the dough, and chill it in the fridge.
- Arrange the cookie dough balls on a silpat mat or parchment paper lined baking sheet, leaving space between each cookie. Bake until the edges and tops are just set. (I like very underdone and soft cookies, so I baked mine for 10 minutes) The cookies will look pretty raw even at 12 minutes, and that’s ok. Take them out and let them sit and cool well before eating.
- Cool on the pan. There’s no need for a wire rack!
Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- 1 Large, Microwave-Safe Bowl
- 1 Cookie Sheet
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, discard extra white or save for another use
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup old-fashioned whole rolled oats, not instant or quick cook
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup peanut butter chips, white chocolate or butterscotch chips may be substituted
Instructions
- To a large, microwave-safe bowl add the butter, peanut butter, and heat on high power to melt, about 1 minute. Stop to check and stir. Heat in 15-second increments until mixture can be stirred smooth.
- Wait momentarily before adding the egg and yolk so you don’t scramble them. Add the egg, sugars, vanilla, and whisk until combined. It’s okay if mixture is slightly granular.
- Add the oats and stir to combine.
- Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and stir to combine; don’t overmix. Dough is fairly thick.
- Add the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and stir to incorporate.
- Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form approximately 13 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. Dough is a bit on the oily side before chilling and becomes less oily as it chills.
- 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 to 12 minutes (for very 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
- Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Cookie Recipes:
Edited to add the following related cookie recipes – November 2012
Chocolate Chip and Chunk Cookies – This is my new favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe for straight up chocolate chip cookies, without oats or peanut butter added. They are soft, chewy, tender, moist, a snap to make, and have two kinds of chocolate in every bite. They are my new go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe
New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies (from Jacques Torres) – I learned many valuable lessons when making these cookies, from loving bread flour in cookies to detesting cake flour in them; to baking cookies bigger to stuffing in extra chocolate. The cookies are very good, and I loved them on the first day, and I wrote extensively about my thoughts overall on them.
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Skillet Cookie – This cookie combines three of my favorite cookies into one – chocolate chip, peanut butter, and oatmeal. The edges bake up crispy and chewy, and sweetened condensed milk is baked into the cookie, keeping the interior a literal hot, sweet, and gooey mess.
My friend made these and they were delicious! I wanted to make them myself… I have my salt ready but it doesn’t list it as an ingredient. So, these don’t use salt?
I just made these tonight after being torn between peanut butter chocolate chip cookies or oatmeal scotchies. I love them but definitely think they’re just a touch sweet for me. I did use 1 cup of semisweet chips and 1/2 cup butterscotch chips. My fiancé loves them with a glass milk, so as long as you’re a milk+cookies fan the sweetness is probably okay.
Also, the texture of these is perfection! Chewy, soft, just a little crumbly…. Yum. Thanks for the recipe! I’ll definitely make them again, but will probably use a little less sugar. :)
Yes they’re sweet, but aren’t all cookies :) Funny that your screenname is eatdessertfordinner and you find them too sweet…oh the irony :) Part of it too could be that you used butterscotch chips. They tend to have an ultra-sweet pop, whereas all semi-sweet would be more muted. Sounds like you loved them anyway though and that the texture is perfect!
Omg! These cookies are chewy bites of heaven!
I wanted to bake something with my 2 yr old to keep her occupied while potty-training so we made these cookies! It was so much fun! And so easy! My daughter had a blast mixing the batter and after they came out of the oven, we just sat and devoured (I won’t say the amount!) them with glasses of cold milk!
Thanks Averie for yet another winner recipe and for making our day more manageable! And fun!
The fact that you spent your day potty-learning with your daughter, oh my. You deserve WAY more than cookies. I remember those days! You’re trapped to the house and just about the time you think you can leave and do, BAM…floodgates open. Lol
Glad you loved these cookies. They’re an oldie but goodie from my archives and I love that they’re no-mixer cookies. So easy!
Wow! These are sooo good! I substituted biscoff spread for the peanut butter, and they were wonderful! Thank you for posting this recipe!
I’m so glad you liked them and your idea with Biscoff sounds wonderful! I have plenty of cookie butter/biscoff on hand – I should try that :)
Avery!!! Please advise!!…WHICH technique do you prefer whilst concocting the definitive peanut butter/oatmeal cookie with white chocolate chips or toffee bits?..Here, I see you using the creaming technique…yet on the other pb/oatmeal cookie recipe you melt the butter…Is one superior in your …much respected …opinion???..
You are the master…and I will be an all-listening appreciative student!
Could you substitute honey for the sugars in this recipe to make it healthier?
No you cannot. It’s runny and it will make the cookies spread. I suggest treating it as dessert and not trying to healthify it; just enjoy.
Thanks so much for these awesome recipes! I’m a baking novice , and am slowly learning my way through baking some of your recipes :-)
Quick question on the Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies — I just made my batter (it’s hanging out in the fridge right now), and noticed that your recipe doesn’t call for salt, whereas most other recipes for similar cookies do use 1/2 tsp of salt. Just curious why you decided to omit the salt (since i read that it brings out the sweetness and encourages browning)? Thanks!
Peanut butter is already salted but if you’d like to add a pinch of salt, go for it. Personal preference. Enjoy the cookies & LMK how they turn out! You can always sprinkle with coarse sea salt at the end as a salty-and-sweet sort of ‘trendy’ food thing to do, too. Or just skip it. Whatever you like.