The Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies — Soft, chewy, loaded with chocolate, and they turn out perfectly every time! Totally irresistible!!
Table of Contents
- The BEST Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients
- Can Raisins Be Added?
- Can I Add Other Mix-Ins?
- How to Make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Do I Have to Chill the Cookie Dough?
- What’s the Best Type of Oatmeal for Oatmeal Cookies?
- Why Didn’t My Cookies Spread in the Oven?
- Do I Really Have to Add 1 Tablespoon of Vanilla?
- Storage Instructions
- Recipe Variations to Try
- The Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
- More Oatmeal Cookie Recipes:
The BEST Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
I have so many oatmeal cookie recipes. And chocolate chip cookie recipes.
But didn’t have ‘my perfect’ good old-fashioned oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe until now.
These are the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies I’ve had, and I’m super picky about oatmeal cookies.
Oatmeal cookies, when done right — and by that I mean soft, chewy, and not over-baked — are some of my favorites. The chewiness, the perfectly hearty texture, the nuttiness of the oats, and all the chocolate made these a new favorite twist on a classic.
I adapted my Oatmeal Scotchies recipe and used chocolate chips instead of butterscotch.
I like that the recipe only makes 11-12 medium/large cookies, perfect if you don’t need too much of a good thing laying around. Double it if you have a big family or an amazing metabolism.
I love this base because the cookies are soft, chewy, and hearty without feeling like I need to take them on a mountain hike. Sometimes oatmeal cookies get a little too oaty and hearty. I want a cookie, not a granola bar.
But if there aren’t enough oats used, I find myself wanting more texture and chewiness.
The cookies are thick enough, but not too thick. Overly thick thick oatmeal cookies can turn dry or cakey, a total deal-breaker. Conversely, they’re not too thin, which is good because there’s nothing more unsatisfying than biting into a paper thin cookie.
I dare you to try to keep your hands out of the cookie jar.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients
To make these chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, all you’ll need is:
- Egg
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Old-fashioned oats
- All-purpose flour
- Cinnamon
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
Can Raisins Be Added?
If you like raisins or nuts in your oatmeal cookies, feel free to add a handful of either. But for anyone who dislikes oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies, your wishes have been granted. Just loads of melty chocolate in these babies.
Can I Add Other Mix-Ins?
Absolutely! I’ve provided some mix-in options just above the recipe card (scroll to the bottom of this post to see). M&M’s, chopped nuts, raisins, etc. would all work.
How to Make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
This is such a simple chocolate chip oatmeal cookies recipe. I saw no reason to complicate a classic!
Here are the basic steps to making truly the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies:
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. This will take about 4 minutes.
- Then, add in the oats, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips last.
- Use a 1/4 cup measure (or a large cookie scoop) to scoop the dough into balls.
- Place the cookie dough balls on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Once the cookie dough has had time to chill, bake until the edges have set and the tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center. You do NOT want to over bake these cookies!
Do I Have to Chill the Cookie Dough?
Yes! You can NOT bake with unchilled dough. The cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
What’s the Best Type of Oatmeal for Oatmeal Cookies?
To make perfectly chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, I recommend using old-fashioned oats (sometimes called rolled oats).
Instant oats are more finely ground and can act like a flour, which results in drier cookies. And steel cut oats
Why Didn’t My Cookies Spread in the Oven?
When cookies don’t spread it’s usually a result of an over-floured dough. If you used a heavier hand when measuring the oats, flour, or both, your cookies may not spread properly.
When measuring out the flour, scoop it out of the bag with a spoon rather than dip the entire measuring cup into it.
Do I Really Have to Add 1 Tablespoon of Vanilla?
Yes, you need to add 1 TABLESPOON of vanilla extract to the dough, not 1 teaspoon. I always add more vanilla to my baked goods because I really want the flavor to pop!
Storage Instructions
You can prepare the cookie dough up to five days in advance. As long as it’s stored in an airtight container or is tightly covered in plastic wrap, you can leave it in the fridge.
After five days, the cookie dough needs to be frozen. You can bake the dough straight from the freezer, just add a minute or two to the bake time.
Note that the baked cookies can also be frozen for up to three months.
Recipe Variations to Try
I think this recipe makes the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies as written, but there are a couple variations you can try if desired.
- Add cinnamon: Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the dough.
- Add raisins: You can add up to 1/2 cup raisins to the recipe as written.
- Add nuts: Chopped nuts of any kind will work. You can add up to 1/2 cup.
- Add M&M’s: Use a mixture of M&M’s and chocolate chips in the dough.
- Use mini chocolate chips: Use 1 cup. Just note that the chocolate distribution will differ from what you see in the photos above.
Note that you can add up to 1 1/2 cups mix-ins TOTAL to the oatmeal cookie dough. So if you want to add raisins and / or nuts, you can only add 1/2 cup total to the 1 cup of chocolate chips in the dough.
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The Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temp (1 stick)
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups old-fashioned whole rolled oats, not instant or quick cook
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ to 1 teaspoon cinnamon, added to taste
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- 1 heaping cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup raisins or nuts, optional and to taste
Instructions
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) combine the egg, butter, sugars, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 4 minutes.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the oats, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the chocolate chips, optional raisins or nuts, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
- Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form approximately 11 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.
- 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 minutes (for super 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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
©averiecooks.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
More Oatmeal Cookie Recipes:
I have many oatmeal cookie dough bases, as well as countless other cookie recipes that use oatmeal, but my favorites are below.
Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies — No butter and no mixer used in these easy cookies dripping with chocolate!
Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Scotchies Cookies — My favorite classic oatmeal cookie base loaded with sweet butterscotch chips! A classic cookie that you’ve just got to try!
Chewy Oatmeal Coconut Brown Sugar Cookies {Anzac Biscuits} — Soft, chewy, easy, no-mixer, no-egg cookies!
Originally published November 6, 2014 and Republished with updated text May 19, 2021.
These cookies are delicious! I made them and love them! I added butterscotch chips, coconut and chopped pecans to mine to half the batch and they were incredible!! This will be my oatmeal cookie base from now on. Thank you so much for sharing it!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! The butterscotch chips, coconut and chopped pecans sound like great additions! With the oats, so much texture and flavor I bet!
Glad this will be your oatmeal cookie base from now on!
Hi there! I made these cookies today, and they came out incredibly delicious! Our family of 4 devoured all of these cookies in no time. I made some adjustments though: instead of chilling the cookie dough first, I immediately baked them but they turned out exactly as you described – chewy, fluffy, and not flat. Also, since I had no baking soda on hand, I just used a double amount of baking powder. And instead of using old-fashioned oats which I can’t find in supermarkets near me, I just used my instant oats and I was surprised these cookies came out just as good. This is a definite keeper for me. Thanks for the recipe! :)
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you – even with all the tweaks! With the oats, I just use Quaker Old-Fashioned Oats. They’re a staple in pretty much every grocery store in America but I’m not sure where you live.
The reason that baking powder worked without you having to chill the dough is that it acts differently than baking soda and does tend to give cookies more rise and lift even without chilling, but the downside is that it can make things turn cakey-tasting which many people don’t like in cookies and prefer chewiness. But sounds like everything worked out great for you!
Hi Averie! These look delicious! I’m planning to bake them tomorrow as a congratulations for my newly pregnant friend! :)
Just a quick question – I have steel cut oats at home, and not old fashioned rolled oats. I did a quick google search to find out that “steel-cut” means they’re not as soft and take a little longer to cook than the rolled oats. Would that be an issue in your recipe?
I would prefer to use what I have but if you think rolled would turn out much better, I can make a trip to the store. Thanks in advance!
I haven’t tried steel cut in these so not sure if they will be too tough or not soft enough…the only way to know is to try them out.
Delicious!! I just popped them in the freezer while my oven was preheating and they weren’t flat at all. Perfect! Thanks!
I made these last week for my dad who loves oatmeal cookies, and they were absolutely delicious! I always uses raisinets in oatmeal cookies, and they were perfect with this recipe. Thanks so much!!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you with the Raisinetes! And I bet your dad was in his glory with these :)
I don’t have any old fashioned oats, but I have quick oats. Does it say not to use them because the cookies will be drier? If so, how could I modify to use quick oats?
The two are not interchangeable and for this recipe you do need old fashioned oats, no exceptions. You can get a huge container of Quaker for 3.99 or store brands are usually 1.99. Enjoy the cookies when you get old fashioned oats!
Made these on a whim tonight. Used whole wheat instead of all purpose flour because that is all I had on hand. They came out so incredibly fluffy and delicious. Like a oatmeal chocolate chip pillow! Yum!
Thanks for trying the recipe on a whim and I’m glad it came out great for you and that they’re fluffy (even with w.w. flour!) – wonderful news!
I’ve never made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies before, but these were amazing! Definitely the best I’ve ever tried. I was a fan of adding walnuts into them as well. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out amazing for you and that they were the best you’ve ever tried! Wonderful to hear that!
just stuck them in the oven.. i hope they turn out like yours!!!
these were delicious!!!
Awesome and glad you loved them!
I did just as directed and left in the fridge overnight. I did use a smaller cookie scoop. They turned out flat and lacy. Is this just because I made them smaller? The dough balls were still super sticky and soft when they came out of the fridge. Is it supposed to be more that 3/4 cup flour? Do I need to do high altitude adjustments? I even tried baking the second pan for a shorter time and they also went flat and lacy after they came out.
Read this post for cookie spreading issues and troubleshooting. https://www.averiecooks.com/2014/02/the-best-soft-and-chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies.html Are you baking on a Silpat with King Arthur flour? That will help! And I live in San Diego at sea level and there’s a great tutorial on the King Arthur site for altitude baking. I’m not an expert since I don’t do it, but sounds like you may need to tweak things.
Flat and lacy would indicate they probably do need more flour for YOUR situation but for me, the recipe is perfect as written and if you read over the comments, there are so many glowing reports that I know the recipe works; but for your situation you may need to do some experimenting.
Thanks for the post! I lost my old recipe and this one is almost close. I had to add additional amounts of some ingredients, but THANK YOU for having one close to my grandmas old one. All other recipes I searched for weren’t even close. I pull mine out right @ 11 minutes, they look not so done, but let them cool and they are perfecto! I follow your site a lot. Love your cookbooks. I gave a shout out to you on my blogs! Keep up the cookin!
Thanks for the compliments on my cookbooks and recipes! And so glad this recipe is close to your grandma’s old one that you lost and that it’s perfect for you! Thanks for the shoutout, too!
Freezing the extra (so I don’t feel obligated to eat a whole batch of cookies) is a great idea! Should I thaw them? How long? Or just leave them extra long in the oven? Thanks!
Freezing the extra dough (before baking into cookies)…then when you’re ready to bake it, you can just leave them sit out while you preheat the oven and you may need to bake 1-2 mins longer than usual but maybe not; but you don’t need to wait for them to thaw. Just bake straight from freezer and keep an eye on them.
OOOHHH these look amazing. All of that gooey chocolate! Pinned!
Thanks for pinning!
I actually used Quick Oats because well…that is all I had at the time and did not feel like going to out to get Old Fashioned Oats. They came out just fine! They actually text fantastic! Thanks for the recipe even though I had to substitute!
Glad they worked out great even with quick oats (and that you saved yourself a trip out!) A win-win!
SO, SO, SO delicious! I’m always on the hunt for the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe. And these are it! Have you had one at Potbelly’s (potbelly.com – it’s a sandwich shop)? This recipe is the closest I’ve found that tastes similar to theirs…but better! So soft and with a delicious touch of cinnamon. And it’s probably best this recipe makes ~11 cookies (mine made 13). :) Because I plan on eating them all!
You know I have heard of and seen that chain but we don’t have them in California. Glad to know my recipe is better and that you’re loving the cookies!