Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies {Soft & Chewy!} - The Seasoned Mom (2024)

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Thick, soft and chewy, these are the best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies! Stir together a batch of the old-fashioned favorites and share a simple treat with your loved ones. They’re an easy dessert recipe that disappears fast!

While a classic oatmeal raisin cookie will always have my heart, my boys are all about these big, fat, chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies! They’re absolutely perfect for every occasion — from packed lunchboxes to after-school snacks, easy bake sale treats, or afternoon activities with the kids.

Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

I cannot even count how many different batches of cookies I baked in my attempt to land on the perfectsimple oatmeal cookie recipe!It seems like such an easy task, but this particular treat proved to be quite the baking challenge. I wanted athick, chewy cookie that would be slightly crisp on the edges, but soft and buttery on the inside.

By tweaking the types of oats that I used, the salt, the different types of sugar, the ratio of oats to flour, and the chilled versus room temperature dough — the options are endless! I can confidently say, though — the messy kitchen and the time (and frustration) spent toiling was worth the effort…becausethis old-fashioned oatmeal chocolate chip cookies recipe is absolutely the BEST!

Ingredients

This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a batch of old fashioned oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.

• Butter: I use salted butter for added flavor.
• Brown sugar and granulated sugar: to sweeten the dough. Using more brown sugar than granulated sugar adds moisture and keeps the cookies soft and chewy.
• Eggs: for structure.
• Vanilla extract and salt: to enhance the flavors in the cookies.
• Milk: for a little bit of moisture to bring the dough together.
• All-purpose flour: the base of the dough.
• Baking soda: the leavening agent that helps the cookies rise.
• Old-fashioned oats: give the cookies a classic chewy texture.
• Chocolate chips: pick your favorite variety! My boys love milk chocolate chips, but semi-sweet chocolate chips are a more traditional choice.

Which type of oats for chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies?

I recommend usingQuaker Old-Fashioned Oats (also called “rolled oats”)in this recipe, which gives the cookies a nice texture and chew. Quick oats will also work, but they will yield a slightly less chewy cookie. I donotrecommend using steel cut oats.

How to make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies from Scratch

These soft and chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are slightly adapted from a little cookbook called Table Talk, which was written by the owner of a cute little bakery and café on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. They come together with a handful of basic pantry staples, so you can stir together the dough any time a craving strikes!

1. Mix the dough.
2. Chill the dough for at least 1-2 hours (or up to 2 days).
3. Drop the dough onto parchment or silicone-lined baking sheets.
4. Bake the cookies in a 350° F oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. They should still look soft and puffy in the center. As they cool, they will firm up a bit but will still stay soft and chewy. If you prefer crispy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, leave them in the oven for a few extra minutes.

Why do Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies go flat?

There are a variety of reasons that cookies become flat when baking. It can be an issue with the recipe itself (for instance, a higher butter-to-flour ratio will yield a flatter cookie). It’s also important tochill the doughbefore baking, because the cold dough will not spread as much as room temperature dough when baked. Remember to make sure that youroven temperature is accurate, anduse cool baking sheets(never put dough on a warm baking sheet).

How to Store Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.They will last on the counter for about 3 days.

Tip: to keep the cookies chewy and fresh for even longer, place a slice of sandwich bread inside the container! If you like a soft and warm oatmeal cookie with gooey, melty chocolate chips, just pop a couple of cookies in the microwave for a few seconds before enjoying with a cold glass of milk!

Can you freeze Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies?

To extend the life of your cookies, wrap them tightly andfreeze them for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the cookie dough before baking. This dough freezes best if you portion it into dough balls before freezing. Arrange the dough balls on baking sheets, freeze, and then wrap tightly in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. When ready to bake, just pull a couple of frozen dough balls from the oven and bake in a 350° F oven. You’ll need to add about 1-2 more minutes to the baking time since you’re starting with frozen dough.

How to Make the Cookies Soft and Chewy

Remove the cookies from the oven when they’re just slightly browned (but still look a bit soft in the middle). They will firm up as they cool, but they will remain soft and chewy. If you want acrispy oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, bake these longer than the recommended 10-12 minutes. Finally, it’s important that youdon’t over-mix the doughonce you add the dry ingredients (which can result in tough, dry cookies).

Are these cookies healthy?

Each cookie has about132 calories and about 6 grams of fat. While I would not consider these “healthy” food, they can absolutely fit within a healthy diet.This cookie recipe isnotKeto, high in fiber, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free or heart healthy.

Recipe Variations

• For an ultra-chewy texture, add an extra egg yolk to the dough. You can also swap out half of the all-purpose flour for bread flour, which has a higher protein content and therefore creates a chewier bite.
• If you prefer crispy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, replace some of the brown sugar with extra granulated sugar. Bake the cookies for a few extra minutes.
• Semi-sweet chocolate chipsare the classic addition to oatmeal chocolate chip cookies; however, you can substitute with any chocolate chips that you like. My kids prefermilk chocolate chips, whiledark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, or coarsely-chopped chocolate barsare all great options as well.
• Make oatmeal raisin cookies by swapping out the chocolate chips and replacing them with 2 cups of raisins. I like to add some cinnamon to my oatmeal raisin cookies, too.
• Stir in about ½ cup – 1 cup chopped nuts for added crunch.

Tips for the Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

• Make sure that the butter and egg are at room temperature so that they mix together smoothly.
• Chill the dough before baking to avoid spreading and to keep the cookies thick, soft and chewy.
• The key to maintaining those decadent, soft, centers in your oatmeal chocolate chip cookies isnotoverbaking. Remove the cookies from the oven just as the edges are starting to brown. Thecenters will still look soft and under-baked, but the cookies will continue to firm up as they cool.