There is no need to decide between oatmeal or chocolate chip cookies, with these Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. They're two great cookies in one!
These Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are one of my favourites. Not only are they delicious, they just hit all the right "cookie" notes for me.
If you generally class cookies as either "thin and crispy" or "thick and chewy", these are definitely in the thin in the crispy camp. Not crispy in the biscotti sense, but crispy in the wonderful way that butter and sugar caramelize into crispness way.
Add to the mix a bit of chocolate and you have a most memorable cookie.
These cookies are the love child of chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal cookies. They are crisp and buttery like chocolate chip cookies, but with the added texture and taste of of oatmeal.
These cookies keep well for days in a cookie jar. Not that they'll last that long :)
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Ingredient Notes: Details and Substitution Suggestions
Butter: As noted in the recipe, you can use salted or unsalted butter. If using salted butter, reduce the amount of added salt as specified in the recipe.
Oatmeal: This recipe calls for "large flake, old fashioned rolled oats". These are the long-cooking variety and will produce the best results with this recipe. Quick or Quick Cooking oats are cut into smaller pieces, to cook more quickly. While not ideal, quick oats can be substituted in cookies for the old fashioned, large flake oats. As the oat pieces are smaller, this may result in a thinner, less textured cookie. Instant Oats are too finely processed and not recommended for use in baking.
Chocolate Chips: You don't need anything fancy here. Just your standard, grocery store chocolate chips are fine.
White and Brown Sugar: The mix of white and brown sugar combines both great flavour, from the brown sugar and nice crispness, from the white sugar. If you don't have brown sugar, you can use all white sugar, in equal quantities, though your cookies will be more crisp and not quite as flavourful.
The Reverse Creaming Method
These cookies use a method known as the Reserve Creaming Method. Rather than creaming the softened butter with the sugars first, then adding liquids and dry ingredients, these cookies start by combining the dry ingredients, adding the liquids and finally adding the softened butter.
Baker's Notes: My best tips
Be sure you soften your butter just to room temperature. Don't leave the butter to soften too long. Over-softened butter will make for greasy cookies.
Rolling these cookies in sugar creates the most wonderful caramelized butter/sugar cookie coating. I wouldn't skip that part.
If you'd like your cookies to be extra pretty, press a couple extra chocolate chips on top of the sugared dough balls before baking. Try not to flatten the ball as you do it though. Tip! Press them in point side down. These creates finished cookies with visible chocolate chips on top. Not necessary, but nice.
Speaking of chocolate chips, I feel like you could sneak a few more chocolate chips into these cookies, if you like. You could probably easily put 1/2 cup in, but I wouldn't go much further than that, as too much melty chocolate spots might case these delicate cookies to fall apart too easily.
If you have experience baking chocolate chip cookies, you will find that these cookies bake up the same way. They are "done" when they just starting to turn are golden around the edges, but still a bit wet looking in the centre. If you are watching them towards the end of baking, you will notice that they puff, then collapse slightly. The point when they just start to collapse is the sweet spot.
If you prefer a really crisp cookie, leave them in the oven an extra minute or two longer.
These cookies will be soft as you transfer them to a cooling rack, so lift carefully. The cookies will firm up as they cool.
Many baking recipes specify unsalted butter. Unsalted butter is generally the best, freshest butter, since it has not salt (a preservative) to extend its shelf life. That said, even if a recipe specifies unsalted butter, you can use salted butter. Simply reduce the amount of salt in the recipe by 1/4 tsp. for every 1/2 cup of butter specified in the recipe.
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Recipe Card
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt (reduce to 1/4 tsp if using salted butter)
- 1/2 cup salted or unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 cup rolled oats (large-flake, old fashioned)
- 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
For topping:
- 1/3 cup white sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the butter, egg and vanilla and beat well until mixture comes together as a moist dough. Stir in the oatmeal until combined, then stir in the chocolate chips. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and pop into the fridge for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Remove dough from fridge and scoop out a rounded Tbsp of dough. Form into small balls. Dip ball into white sugar and place onto a large, ungreased cookie sheet sugar side up. Be sure to leave plenty of space between your balls (4 inches apart is best) and place them at least 2 inches in from the edge of the pan, as they will spread as they bake. If you have to bake several batches, pop the bowl with the dough back in the fridge while the first batch bakes. (I usually get 20-22 cookies)
- Bake in preheated oven for 13-15 minutes, or until golden around the edges, but paler and still moist looking in the middle. For really crispy cookies, leave in the oven a few minutes longer. Remove from oven and allow to sit on the baking sheet for 1 minute, then carefully (they will be soft) remove to a cooling rack. Cookies will firm up as they cool.
Delish says
Great! Nice and crispy texture when baked for 18 min.
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed them :) Thanks!
Dia says
This is a new favourite ❤️. The cookies are sooooo good!!! Although the texture isn't the greatest (reminds me of a stale crispy cookie) the flavours are unbelievably satisfying 😊.
I still can't put a firm finger on why the cookies have an odd texture. Maybe I over baked it, or maybe it's because I substituted some ingredients for the original - I used jaggery, whole wheat flour, and instant oats (struggles of being quarantined). Nonetheless, this recipe is definitely a keeper 😋
Jennifer says
Glad you enjoyed them. I have never found the texture odd, so I'm thinking maybe your substitutions might be part of your texture issue :)
Marissa says
What if I used "I can't believe it's not butter", would it come out nice and thin?
Jennifer says
I honestly have no idea Marissa. It's not a product I've used for baking, so I just don't know what it does. If you've used it for baking before (especially for cookies), that's the experience to rely on.
Cheryl Russell says
Just made these cookies again today. I substitute raisins for the chocolate chips , and don't roll in sugar. So best ever Raisin Oatmeal cookies!
Jennifer says
Yes, these are great with raisins, too, for sure! So glad you are enjoying them :)
Shawn says
I have made millions of cookies in my life and I just have to say that this one has rapidly become my favourite recipe. It's absolutely perfect. I have made them with and without the sugar topping. I have forgotten to refrigerate the dough and they still worked out beautifully. I usually add a few extra chocolate chips or a small handful of chopped walnuts. Thanks so much for such a great recipe!
Jennifer says
So glad you are enjoying these, Shawn! They are one of my favourites, too :) Thanks!
Kelsey Brown says
I don't normally post reviews, especially for recipes, but I've tried lots of different oatmeal chocolate chip recipes and never been satisfied until now! I followed the recipe exactly and cut the salt as instructed since I was using salted butter and they are perfect! This will definitely be my go-to recipe for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Tha j you for sharing!!
Jennifer Maloney says
So glad you enjoyed them Kelsey :) Thanks!
Carrie says
Hi Jennifer, the recipes looks great, is the rolling in sugar necessary for this cookies’ success? I am concerned that it will make them a bit too sweet.
Jennifer Maloney says
Hi Carrie, the sugar just adds a lovely crunch to the outside of the cookie and, in my opinion, doesn't make them too sweet. But your call. You can easily omit.
Lisa says
Hi!
Just wondering if i can use granulated sugar instead of brown sugar for these cookies? Also, will it affect the taste/texture?
Thanks
Jennifer Maloney says
Hi Lisa, you could, but the use of brown sugar would definitely change the taste, texture and appearance of the cookies. Is there a reason you don't want to use white sugar?
Diane says
Just wondering if it would be better to mix butter, sugar and then egg?
Also do you melt the butter?
Thank you.
Jennifer says
Hi Diane, No you don't melt the butter, but it should be at room temperature. And while the process does seem backwards, it does work nicely as written.
Roya says
I made these and they turned out perfect. I love the texture, they spread just the right amount.
Question: if I removed the oatmeal to make a plain chocolate chip cookie, would it yield the same results?
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed them, Roya! I don't think you would have great luck removing the oatmeal in this one. I think there would too much butter to flour. You'd be better off using a dedicated chocolate chip cookie recipe (I love the New York Times ones :)
Laura | Tutti Dolci says
There's nothing better than a chewy, oatmeal chocolate cookie. These look divine!
Jennifer says
Thanks Laura!
Linda says
Just made these cookies and they are delicious. For my oven, I baked the chewy ones for 12 minutes and the crispy ones for 13 minutes. Both are tasty and none lasted long!
Jennifer says
So glad to hear, Linda! Thanks :)
Elizabeth says
Made tis recipe yesterday for the first time. Three children and a husband gobbled the cookies up in no time. Quick, simple and tasty...a perfect combination.
Jennifer says
Thanks Elizabeth and glad to hear! They really hit the spot for me, so I come back to them over and over. They are just what I crave when I want a cookie :)
Gail Mullen says
This is a really different cookie recipe - no creaming the sugar and butter, no cinnamon. The directions are spot on - made 24 cookies and took 15 minutes for the softer ones and a bit longer for the crispy ones. We baked one pan of each - softer and crispier - and both types were a big hit and were consumed within minutes (actually, more like a couple of moments). We'll definitely make these again, and soon!
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed them! I kind of love how easy this cookie dough comes together and of course, the simply delicious results :) Thanks!
Milena says
Officially my favorite cookies. Not a single thing can be improved on this recipe! Pinned.
Jennifer says
Thanks Milena :)
sue | the view from great island says
These have always been my favorite cookie Jennifer, and because they have oatmeal in them I always think I'm being a little bit virtuous :) Love your recipe!
Jennifer says
Thanks Sue and yes, oatmeal always makes them seem better ;)
Chris Scheuer says
These look so crisp and delish, I know my grandkids will LOVE them (me too!)
Jennifer says
Thanks Chris :)
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Can never go wrong with oatmeal chocolate chip cookies! These look so crispy and buttery. I'd definitely be dunking a few of these in some milk :)
Jennifer says
Thanks Dawn and yes, a big glass of milk is perfect with these :)
Mary Ann| The Beach House Kitchen says
These are definitely pushing all my buttons Jennifer! Can't beat the added chocolate!
Jennifer says
Thanks Mary Ann :)
Tricia says
These look so delicious and crispy! We love the combination and it has been years since I've made a cookie like this. My cookie jar needs these new little friends!
Jennifer says
Thanks Tricia and yes, you cookie jar needs these :)