Delicious Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies with a slightly crisp exterior and a soft and chewy center with the most incredible sweet, nutty flavor and that wonderful texture of oatmeal in every bite. An easy, irresistible treat that will have everyone coming back for seconds!

Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies stacked on parchment paper.

This recipe for Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies is made with oats, butter, brown sugar, and chocolate and are incredibly thick, soft and chewy with perfect crisp edges. They taste so good, you can even use this oatmeal cookie recipe as the base for other add-ins such as raisins, dried cranberries, and nuts. Perfect for a weekend snack, a lunchbox treat or your holiday cookie exchange!

Why this recipe is a favorite

  • It makes cookies with the best texture and full of the best flavors!
  • Making it is quick & simple with minimal dough chilling!
  • Everyone loves it, from your kids to your grandparents!
  • It’s super versatile – you can replace any mix-ins with your favorites, like using chopped walnuts or pecans instead of (or with) the chocolate chips!
  • Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are great anytime and around the holiday season, just like my peanut butter oatmeal cookies and brownie cookies!

Okay, these cookies are amazing! This is the best recipe for oatmeal cookies that I have ever tried! I did add in about 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts! Perfect! Thank you!

— Jane
Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies on parchment paper with a glass of milk.

Ingredients needed

The ingredient list is very simple and includes all of the ingredients that you’d expect to find. It’s the ratio of ingredients that’s important! Here’s everything you’ll need:

  • Butter. Use unsalted butter to control the amount of salt in the recipe. Also, be sure your butter is softened to room temperature, so that it combines properly with the sugars.
  • Sugars. We’re using a mix of brown sugar and granulated sugar to yield a softer, more flavorful cookie. The granulated sugar is necessary for spreading.
  • Eggs. Two eggs will add structure, stability, and richness.
  • Vanilla. Do NOT forget the vanilla. And use pure vanilla extract, not imitation. It’s worth it!
  • Flour. All-purpose flour gives these a tenderness that you just won’t find when using other types of flour. We have not tried making these with a gluten-free flour.
  • Baking soda. For the perfect rise and chewy texture. No baking powder needed!
  • Salt. A small amount of salt is VERY important for proper baking and to balance the sweetness of baked goods.
  • Quick oats. Oats provide a wonderful chewy texture and we’re using 3 whopping cups here. Use quick, not old-fashioned oats for best results in this particular recipe.
  • Chocolate chips. The quality of your chocolate truly matters. For maximum flavor, we recommend splurging on a quality brand like Ghirardelli chocolate chips. We love semi-sweet mini morsels, but feel free to use your favorite baking chips. Mini chips disperse best throughout the cookie dough for melty chocolate in every bite!

Recipe tip

Room temperature butter is still cool to the touch (about 65°F) and should indent slightly when pressed with your finger. Take butter and eggs out of the refrigerator about 1 hour before beginning your recipe. Here’s a guide on how to soften butter quickly if you forget to take it out of the fridge. For room temperature eggs, place in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for 10-15 minutes.

How to make this recipe

  1. Cream butter and sugars. In a large bowl, use a stand mixer or a hand mixer with a paddle attachment and beat the softened butter and sugars on medium speed until combined and creamy, about 2 minutes.
  2. Add eggs, vanilla, oats and salt. Add the eggs and vanilla extract; mix on high until fully combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, as needed. Add the oats and salt and mix on low until just combined.
  3. Combine dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda so there are no lumps.
  4. Add the flour. On low speed gradually add the flour mixture to the dough without over-mixing.
  1. Mix in the chocolate chips. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed and fold in the chocolate chips until they are evenly disbursed. At this point, you can chill the dough for about 30 minutes, so it isn’t so sticky.
  2. Scoop dough balls. Use a large spoon or cookie scoop to make dough balls. Place them onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. The cookies, pictured, are about 2 tablespoons of dough. This will make approximately 37 medium-sized cookies.
  1. Bake. Place in the oven and bake for about 10-13 minutes. Remove from the oven right when edges start looking set and golden. The centers may look slightly undercooked, but they will continue to cook even after they are removed from the oven.
  2. Cool. While the cookies are still warm, press a few extra chocolate chips into the tops for presentation. Let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to continue to cool.
  3. Enjoy! Serve while still warm and gooey. Or enjoy them after they’ve completely cooled. We love them even more after they’ve cooled. This is when the edges get a little crispy and the inside is super soft and chewy. Either way… yum!

Chilling the dough

This oatmeal cookie dough doesn’t necessarily need to be chilled before baking. As long as your butter is not too soft and your kitchen is not too warm, these will bake up just fine without being chilled.

We have baked these cookies without chilling the dough, chilling the dough for 30 minutes and chilling the dough several hours. They turned out wonderful all three ways! However, the ones that chilled for several hours were thicker, chewier, and overall just better. Here’s a whole guide on why it’s best to chill cookie dough.

You can chill the dough before scooping out dough balls or after you’ve placed the dough balls on the baking sheet. Refrigerate dough for approximately 30 minutes to 3 hours and up to 3-4 days. If you are going to chill dough any longer than 3 hours, transfer it to an airtight container for storage.

Customize this recipe 

This oatmeal cookie recipe is the perfect base for any fun add-in ingredient that you’re craving. Honestly, these are absolutely perfect as-is, but feel free to get creative and experiment with your favorite ingredients! Here’s some options:

  • Baking chips. Try using white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, toffee chips, mint chips, caramel bits, or any other fun baking add-ins.
  • Nuts. I think adding in about 1 cup of chopped pecans would be amazing in these. You can also try adding walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pistachios, and/or macadamia nuts.
  • Dried fruit. Try adding about 1 cup raisins, dried cherries, cranberries, chopped apricots, or chopped dates for an extra pizzaz of flavor.
  • Sprinkles or M&M’s. Add in a handful of colored sprinkles or about 1 cup miniature or regular M&M’s, if you’d like to make these extra fun!

Baking tips

There are tons of tips and tricks for baking cookies, but follow the suggestions below and you’re sure to have the BEST oatmeal chocolate chip cookies of your life!

  • Bake time + temp. Baking at 350ºF will guarantee your cookies melt at the perfect speed to get those crispy edges with a soft and chewy center. Bake for 10-13 minutes, depending how gooey you like the centers. Also, your bake time will vary depending on the size of your rolled dough.
  • Don’t over mix. If you over stir the ingredients in this recipe you may end up with flat cookies that don’t have the optimal tender crumb.
  • Don’t over bake. I recommend experimenting with a couple of cookies before baking an entire batch. This will help you find that sweet spot when it comes to bake time in your oven and your preferred gooeyness level. My daughter really likes these baked for only 10 minutes because she likes a more doughy center. I like a soft, but more set center, so 12 minutes was perfect for me.
  • Chill the dough. Not completely necessary, but we prefer the texture of these when the dough is chilled for approximately 2 hours. The chilling process ensures they are extra thick and chewy.
  • Bake on parchment or silicone. Parchment or a silicone baking mat for baking is recommended. Greasing the sheet pan creates an overly greasy cooking base, which can cause too much spreading. Silicone baking mats will grip onto the bottom to prevent this. The mats also promote even browning.

Measuring flour

Be sure to measure the flour correctly for best results. Use too little or too much flour and the texture will not be right. Using a food scale is the most precise method for measuring ingredients, especially flour. If you don’t have one, lightly spoon flour (don’t pack) into a measuring cup and without shaking the cup, use a straight edge to level the top.

Frequently asked questions

What is in cowboy cookies?

These are very similar to cowboy cookies! Cowboy cookies contain 4 signature ingredients – oats, chocolate chips, pecans and shredded coconut. Laura Bush’s cowboy cookies are probably the most popular recipe. To make your own, use this recipe and add 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients, and fold in 1 cup (180g) semisweet chocolate chips, ¾ cup (90g) sweetened coconut flakes and ¾ cup (90g) chopped pecans. 

Why are my oatmeal cookies hard?

The ratio of butter, eggs and brown sugar to the other ingredients help to keep these cookies moist and chewy. If your cookies turn out hard, it’s most likely due to baking them too long. Cookies continue to bake on the pan even after they’re removed from the oven, so try taking them out when they’re just lightly golden and still a bit soft in the middle. They’ll firm up as they cool, resulting in a chewier texture.

Are oatmeal chocolate chip cookies healthier than regular?

Even though oatmeal cookies have a high fiber content and contain extra minerals from the oats, they should not be considered healthy. Most oatmeal cookies contain a good amount of sugar, butter and flour, and should be enjoyed in moderation. See the nutrition facts for this recipe at the bottom of the recipe card.

Storage recommendations

  • Freezing the dough. Scoop out balls of dough. Flash freeze the balls on a pan for about 30 minutes and then place them in a freezer-safe baggie for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. 
  • Make ahead dough. If you are wanting to prep just several days ahead, you can keep batter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Freezing baked cookies. Store in a freezer-safe container or baggie, and freeze for up to 3 months.
  • Storing. Leftover cookies will keep in an airtight container or zip-top baggie for about 1 week, but I can’t imagine them lasting that long!
Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies with one bitten into.

If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.

Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies stacked on parchment paper.
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Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Delicious Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies with a slightly crisp exterior and a soft and chewy center with the most incredible sweet, nutty flavor and that wonderful texture of oatmeal in every bite. An easy, irresistible treat that will have everyone coming back for seconds!
Author: Kim

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (2 sticks; 230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup (200g) light or dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups (240g) quick oats
  • 1 1/2 cups (190g) all-purpose flour 
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups (250g) semi-sweet chocolate chips or semi-sweet mini morsels
  • optional: 1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, or macadamia nuts)

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, cream the softened butter and both sugars together on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla; mix on high until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
  • Add the salt and oats and mix on low until just combined.
  • In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk the flour and baking soda together so there are no lumps. Add this mixture to the dough and mix gently but don’t overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips (and nuts if using). Dough will be thick and sticky. You can chill for about 30 minutes, so it isn't so sticky or proceed with the recipe.
  • Scoop dough out using a 1/8 cup measuring cup or 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, and roll into balls. Lay six dough balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
  • Bake for 10-13 minutes or just until edges are set. Do not over bake! Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. While the cookies are still warm, you can press a few more chocolate chips into the tops for presentation!
  • For optimal chewiness, let cookies cool completely! If you’re less into chewiness and more into doughiness, then disregard my advice. I personally love them cooled and super chewy! Enjoy!

Notes

  • Freezing the dough. Scoop out balls of dough. Flash freeze the balls on a pan for about 30 minutes and then place them in a freezer-safe baggie for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. 
  • Make ahead dough. If you are wanting to prep just several days ahead, you can keep batter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Freezing baked cookies. Store in a freezer-safe container or baggie, and freeze for up to 3 months.
  • Storing. Leftover cookies will keep in an airtight container or zip-top baggie for about 1 week, but I can’t imagine them lasting that long!
 
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 166kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 22mg, Sodium: 84mg, Potassium: 83mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 170IU, Calcium: 16mg, Iron: 1mg

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