These oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are soft, chewy, and filled with plenty of oats and chocolate chips. They have a comforting homemade texture, with crisp edges, a tender center, and just the right balance of sweetness. If you enjoy classic oatmeal cookies but want something a little more chocolatey, this easy oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe is a wonderful choice.
This recipe is adapted from a simple oatmeal cookie method and uses everyday ingredients such as flour, oats, butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and chocolate chips. The dough comes together easily, and the cookies bake in just 10 to 12 minutes. You can make them with old-fashioned rolled oats for a heartier texture or quick-cooking oats for a softer, more even cookie.
Ingredients
- Plain flour: 130 g or 1 cup
- Oats, old-fashioned rolled oats or quick-cooking oats: 150 g or 1 and 1/2 cups
- Chocolate chips: 150 g or 1 cup
- Brown sugar: 100 g or 1/2 cup
- White granulated sugar: 50 g or 1/4 cup
- Unsalted butter, softened: 115 g or 1/2 cup
- Egg, at room temperature: 1
- Baking soda: 1/2 tsp
- Salt: 1/4 tsp
- Vanilla extract: 1 tsp
How to Make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
You can make these soft and chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies in five simple steps. The key is to mix the dough gently, use properly softened butter, and bake the cookies only until the edges are lightly golden.
1. Combine the Dry Ingredients in a Bowl
- In a mixing bowl, combine the plain flour, salt, baking soda, oats, and chocolate chips. Stir until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Mixing the dry ingredients separately helps the baking soda and salt spread evenly through the dough. This gives the cookies a better texture and helps every cookie bake consistently.
2. Beat the Wet Ingredients in a Bowl
- Beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until the mixture looks light and creamy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract, then beat again until smooth and well combined.
Use room temperature butter. Do not melt or soften the butter in the microwave. Let it sit on the counter until it is soft enough to press with your finger, but not so soft that it becomes greasy or runny.
Cream the butter and sugar properly. This step is important for soft oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. When butter and sugar are beaten together, tiny air pockets form in the mixture. These air pockets help the cookies puff slightly in the oven and give them a tender texture. Beat the butter and sugar until the mixture is light, fluffy, and creamy.
3. Mix the Dry and Wet Ingredients Together to Form Cookie Dough
- Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients and mix gently until a thick cookie dough forms.
You do not need to use a hand mixer for this step. A spoon or spatula works best. Mix only until the flour disappears and the dough comes together. Overmixing can develop gluten in the flour, which may make the cookies tough instead of soft and chewy.
4. Shape the Cookies
Once the dough is ready, scoop small portions of dough using a spoon or ice cream scoop. Each portion should be about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons, or around 38 to 40 g. Place the dough balls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, or use a non-stick baking tray.
Gently press each dough ball with your hand to flatten it slightly. Do not flatten the cookies completely; they only need a light press so they bake evenly.
Leave some space between each cookie dough ball because the cookies will spread a little as they bake. This recipe makes about 18 medium-sized oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
5. Bake the Cookies
Bake the cookies in a preheated oven at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes.
How Long to Bake Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Bake the cookies at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown and the tops look set. The centers may look slightly underbaked when you remove them from the oven, but that is exactly what helps keep the cookies soft and chewy.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 3 to 4 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. They will be very soft at first, but they will firm up as they cool completely.
Why Are My Oatmeal Cookies Flat?
This oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough is thick, and the balance of flour, sugar, butter, and oats helps the cookies keep their shape. However, cookies can spread too much if the butter is too warm or if the dough becomes very soft before baking.
Butter adds tenderness to cookies, but when it is too soft or warm, it melts quickly in the oven. If the dough starts melting before it has time to set, the cookies may spread and become flat. A warm kitchen can also make the dough softer than expected.
How Can I Prevent My Cookies from Spreading?
If the cookie dough feels too soft or warm, place it in the refrigerator for up to 30 minutes before baking. Chilling the dough helps solidify the butter, so it melts more slowly in the oven. This can help the cookies spread less and bake with a thicker, softer center.
Can You Freeze Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies?
Yes. Baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookies can be frozen in an airtight container for 3 to 4 months. Let the cookies cool completely before freezing them. When you are ready to enjoy them, thaw the cookies at room temperature.
Do You Need to Chill the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough?
This is a thick cookie dough, so chilling is not required before baking. You can scoop and bake the cookies right away.
If you prefer thicker cookies, you can chill the dough for about 30 minutes. Chilled dough spreads a little less in the oven, which helps create a thicker cookie with a softer center.
- Chilling the dough helps the cookies bake up thicker because the butter melts more slowly.
- Chilling also gives the oats a little time to soften, which can make the finished cookies slightly softer.
- If you do not chill the dough, the cookies will still bake well, but they may have a little more texture and chew.
What Kind of Oats Should I Use to Make Oatmeal Cookies?
You can use either old-fashioned rolled oats or quick-cooking oats in this oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe. Both work well, but they give slightly different textures.
Old-fashioned rolled oats create a more rustic-looking cookie with a heartier chew. Quick-cooking oats are smaller and create a more uniform texture. Choose the oats based on the type of cookie texture you prefer.
What Is the Difference Between Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies and Quick Oats Cookies?
Oatmeal cookies made with old-fashioned oats usually look more rustic because the oat flakes are larger and more visible. They also have a chewier texture.
Cookies made with quick oats often look smoother because the oats are smaller and blend more evenly into the dough. The flavor is very similar, but the texture is slightly softer and more uniform.
How to Make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Ahead of Time
1. Refrigerate the dough: You can keep the cookie dough covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Let it soften slightly at room temperature before scooping and baking.
2. Freeze the shaped dough: You can also shape the cookie dough into portions and freeze them. This is a convenient way to have freshly baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookies whenever you want.
Place the scooped dough balls on a parchment-lined tray and freeze until firm. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag or airtight container. The shaped cookie dough can be kept in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.
To bake from frozen, take out the number of cookie dough balls you need and let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes while the oven preheats. Then bake as directed.
Watch the Video to See How Easy It Is to Make Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies: Printable Recipe
Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 130 g plain flour, or 1 cup
- 150 g oats, or 1 and 1/2 cups, old-fashioned rolled oats or quick-cooking oats
- 150 g chocolate chips, or 1 cup
- 100 g brown sugar, or 1/2 cup
- 50 g white granulated sugar, or 1/4 cup
- 115 g unsalted butter, softened, or 1/2 cup
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Combine the Dry Ingredients
- In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, oats, and chocolate chips. Mix until evenly combined.
2. Combine the Wet Ingredients
- Cream the softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract, then mix until smooth and creamy.
3. Make the Cookie Dough
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir gently until a thick dough forms. Do not overmix.
4. Shape the Cookies
- Scoop portions of dough, about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons each, and place them on a parchment-lined baking tray.
- Gently flatten each dough ball slightly and leave space between them.
5. Bake the Cookies
- Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown.
- Cool on the baking tray for 3 to 4 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
If You Want to Add Raisins Instead of Chocolate Chips
If you prefer raisins, you can replace the chocolate chips with raisins to make delicious oatmeal raisin cookies. The same soft and chewy oatmeal cookie base works well with either chocolate chips or raisins.
