These oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are made with oats, butter, and brown sugar and are the softest, chewiest oatmeal cookies to come out of my kitchen. Use this perfect oatmeal cookie as the base for other add-ins such as raisins, dried cranberries, and nuts. Cinnamon and a touch of molasses add that little something extra.
I originally published this recipe in 2017 and have since added new photos and helpful success tips.
Today we’re mixing big chewy oats with the flavors of butter, brown sugar, a touch of molasses, a dash of cinnamon, and a mountain of chocolate chips.
One reader, Kelly commented: “These are hands down the best oatmeal choco chip cookies I’ve ever made! Soft and chewy, I followed the recipe exactly except for adding 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Perfection. ★★★★★“
And another, Valerie, commented: “More compliments than I have ever heard from my family and friends, and I bake a lot! ★★★★★“
My Favorite Base Oatmeal Cookie Recipe
These soft & chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies start from my base oatmeal cookie recipe and it makes quite a few appearances in my cookbook, Sally’s Cookie Addiction. I’m a firm believer in having a handful of base recipes from which you can develop virtually hundreds of variations. For example: my standard muffin recipe. This chocolate cookie dough and this peanut butter cookie dough have both inspired quite a few spin offs as well.
The cookies have a slightly crisp edge with a soft center and enough chew that the cookie won’t immediately break when you bend it. A “slow bend cookie” as I like to call them—and this is the key difference between a regular oatmeal cookie and a really great oatmeal cookie.
They’re also:
- Supremely soft, buttery, and flavorful. Using more brown sugar than white helps guarantee a flavorful base.
- Super chewy thanks to old-fashioned oats. Thick whole rolled oats, not quick oats, guarantee a chewier cookie. Quick oats are finer; you simply don’t get the same texture.
- Loaded with chocolate chips. Lots of chocolate in every single bite. And for my fellow raisin lovers: try subbing in half raisins. The dough is pretty similar to my oatmeal raisin cookies.
- Taste just like grandma’s. I find the 1 Tablespoon of molasses is what makes these taste like grandma’s old-fashioned oatmeal cookies. I strongly encourage adding it.
About the molasses, one reader, Hannah, commented: “These cookies are FANTASTIC! I’ll admit, I was a little skeptical about adding the molasses, but it added a depth to the cookies that I wasn’t expecting. Bookmarking to use again for sure! ★★★★★“
Key Ingredients You Need & Why:
- Baking Soda: Baking soda helps the cookies rise and spread.
- Butter: Butter is the base of any delicious cookie recipe. Make sure you are using room-temperature butter.
- Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar: Sugar is not only used for sweetness, but also for providing structure and tenderness. I like to use more brown sugar than white sugar because (1) it has incredible flavor and (2) it contains more moisture than white, which produces a softer cookie.
- Molasses: Molasses is my secret ingredient! 1 scant Tablespoon enhances all the wonderful flavors of these buttery, cinnamon-sweet cookies.
- Vanilla Extract, Cinnamon, & Salt: Each provide flavor. You can also top the cookies with a little flaky sea salt for more flavor.
- Oats: Oats provide a chewy texture, and there is no shortage in this dough! I use and recommend old fashioned whole oats here—just like I do for flourless peanut butter oatmeal cookies and big giant monster cookies.
How to Make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
I especially love this recipe because the process is quick & simple—with minimal dough chilling.
Whisk the dry ingredients together. Just the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt—you’ll add the oats later. Use an electric mixer for the wet ingredients, then add the dry ingredients and mix in the oats and chocolate chips.
The dough will be thick and sticky:
Chill the cookie dough. I recommend at least 45 minutes in the refrigerator, which helps prevent the cookies from overspreading.
How Large Do I Make the Cookies?
These are drop-style cookies, so scoop the dough and drop it onto the baking sheets. 1.5 Tablespoons (30g) for regular-size cookies, 2 T. (40g) for large cookies (pictured), or 3 T. (60g) for XL cookies!
Success Tip: Use a cookie scoop. Oatmeal cookie dough is super chunky and soft, and this one can get pretty sticky. A cookie scoop not only prevents a mess, it also helps ensure all cookies are the same size and shape.
The cookies are done when the edges are set and the centers still look soft. After baking, I like to lightly press a few more chocolate chips into the tops of the cookies while they’re still warm. This is optional and just for looks. I also add a light sprinkling of flaky sea salt, which, again, is optional.
Here are the 3 characteristics we should look for in oatmeal cookies: Slow bend, chewy goodness, and ultra soft. Check, check, check! Today’s cookies have it all.
And if you’re looking for a peanut butter version, try my peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies next! Or try the sweater-weather, festive-feeling cousin recipe, these big fat dark chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies!
Print
Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Prep Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 24 minutes
- Yield: 32-35 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
With oats, butter, and mostly all brown sugar, you are guaranteed a soft and chewy oatmeal cookie. Use this perfect oatmeal cookie as the base for other add-ins such as raisins, dried cranberries, and nuts. Cinnamon and a touch of molasses add that little something extra. To prevent the cookies from over-spreading, don’t skip the brief dough refrigeration in step 4.
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) unsulphured or dark molasses (do not use blackstrap; I prefer Grandma’s brand)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups (255g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 1 and 3/4 cups (315g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- optional: flaky sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until combined and creamed, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, molasses, and vanilla and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. Beat in the oats and chocolate chips. Dough will be thick and sticky.
- Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 45 minutes in the refrigerator (and up to 4 days). If chilling for longer than a few hours, allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before rolling and baking because the dough will be quite firm.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough, about 2 Tablespoons (40g) of dough per cookie, which is a heaping cookie scoop-ful, and place 3 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 13–14 minutes or until lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look very soft.
- Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. While the cookies are still warm, I like to press a few more chocolate chips into the tops and sprinkle with flaky sea salt—both are optional!
- Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. See step 4. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Medium Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack
- Molasses: 1 Tablespoon of molasses helps give these cookies incredible flavor. Be sure to use unsulphured or dark molasses (do not use blackstrap; I prefer Grandma’s brand). If you don’t have any, simply leave it out. Do not replace with anything else. Likewise, cinnamon adds flavor as well. Not necessary, but it sure is tasty!
- Different Size Cookies: Use 1.5 Tablespoons (30g) for regular-size cookies, 2 T. (40g) for large cookies (what is pictured), or 3 T. (60g) for XL cookies. The bake time will be a minute or so shorter for regular-size and a minute or so longer for XL cookies.
- Can I Add Raisins or Chopped Nuts? Yes, you can add either. I recommend 1 cup (180g) chocolate chips and 3/4 cup either raisins (110g) or chopped walnuts or pecans (100g).
Reader Comments and Reviews
Great recipe, easy to follow and turned out very well. Very tasty even with 1/3 of the sugar removed. Added some banana and substituted 1/2 cup of buckwheat flour without any issue.
This is an amazing recipe! The cookies lasted only a few hours in my house! Thank you for making me look good 🙂 !
Love this recipe! Easy, and a crowd pleaser! I will definitely use this again.
Thanks for this recipe. This was my first cookie, which I made yesterday. I started baking not long ago.
Could anyone help me:
1) I found it a bit sweet, how do I reduce the sugar?
2) If I add dried cranberries or coconut flakes or walnuts, should I replace the 3/4 cups of chocolate chips with these? Or just straightly add in?
Also, how much of these add ons should I add?
Thanks!
Hi Heidi! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try. You can try to slightly reduce the sugar. However, keep in mind that it adds a lot of moisture to the cookies – so if you are using less it will likely change the amount the cookies spread and their structure and texture. We recommend keeping the total amount of add-ins to 1 and 3/4 cups. You could try 1 cup of chocolate chips and 3/4 walnuts, cranberries, coconut flakes or any other combination totaling 1 and 3/4 cups. Hope this is helpful!
Delicious cookies! I followed the recipe exactly except for molasses, I did not have. Will have some on hand for my next batch, will definitely be making these often!
My family’s favourite oatmeal chip cookie!! We make them more often than I care to admit 🙂
Made with butter flavor Crisco. OMG so good, starting a second batch now. I really think molasses is the secret ingredient to these tasty cookies. Just don’t overbake !
The cookies came out delicious! I used only 1/2 cup of light brown sugar and was perfect sweetness for me. I was supposed to leave the dough in the fridge for only 30 minutes and completely forgot about it for 2 days, oopsies! Thought for sure these will come out super hard but no they stilled turned out very soft and chewy, I did have to cook them for a few extra minutes to get them brown. Thanks for this great recipe! Will definitely make again!
So, first time trying these this morning. Followed recipe exactly, also added the molasses – these are incredible – I can’t stop eating them!
Was really hoping this would be my go-to recipe from now on, but alas. Followed this recipe to a T…the flavor was good but the cookies flattened out at the edges, were very dark brown and raw in the middle. Had I cooked them longer, the edges would have burned. Too much butter possibly as they were also oily. I refrigerators them for 1.5 hours. Flavor was fine but the overall result and bite was, sadly, very unsatisfying.
Love the recipe. I think the molasses gave it more flavor. I had to reduce the butter (a little bit) and sugar (by 1/3) to make it healthier but it still turned out really good. It’s a keeper!
I made these oatmeal cc and they were delicious! I doubled the recipe, skipped molasses, used 50% of sugars rather than doubling(1 1/2 C brown 1C white).I also added 1/2 t baking powder to counter soda bad taste and give a little bounce. And added 1 C toasted walnuts 1/2 C unsweetened coconut. Very yummy.
It is a mystery to me how anyone, who follows the recipe exactly, could not adore these!! I truly do not get some of the comments! Made them three times now (batch in the oven as we speak) and the recipe is so easy to tinker with! They have been a crowdpleaser each time. Added raw cacao powder, ground flax and some dried cranberries tonight. Glorious!! Thank you for this gem! 🙂
These are the best cookies I’ve ever made! The perfect combination of all of the best parts of chocolate chip cookies (the gooey melty chocolate), oatmeal raisin cookies (the moist, chewy, texture), and gingerbread cookies (the molasses and cinnamon). Do NOT leave out the molasses if you bake them. That’s really what makes them and adds complexity to the flavor. I feel like a lot of the people who said they were too sweet substituted something for the molasses, but the molasses gives it a terrific old-timey flavor, like something grandma used to make.
The only thing I did differently was mixing it by hand instead of a mixer because we just don’t have one (young unmarried couple here– a mixer seems to be something everyone gets as a wedding gift). It’s harder to cream the butter and sugar together by hand, but unlike some cookie recipes I’ve tried, this one still turned out perfectly when mixed by hand. I am picky about cookie textures and I think this will be a hit with everyone!
I know they say measuring by weight is more accurate, but for this recipe I would use regular cup measurements, instead of using the grams noted in the recipe.
I made these using the scale measurements, and the cookies came out with great flavor but much too sweet, so I’m thinking there wasn’t enough flour for all that sugar and butter. (They also came out flat even though I chilled the dough, so that confirmed my suspicion.) I had been suspicious that the flour amount in grams only filled the cup about 3/4 of the way. (I’m pretty sure I zeroed out the scale with the cup measure on it before weighing the flour, so I don’t think I was off because of that.)
I also used the molasses, so that would’ve contributed to the sweetness, but I only did half of what it called for.
Great flavor, so I might try this again with the regular cup measurements and update my review!
These were delicious .. Thank you for sharing your recipe
Awesome base recipe. I substitute Lakanto Sugar for the sugars and only use 1 cup. Everyone loves them!!!!
I am obsessed with this recipe! As soon as I run out, I make a new batch, and I have to stop myself from eating more than 2 per day. I add shredded coconut to mine. Refrigerating the dough is key. I also found that flattening them slightly with a fork before putting in the oven yielded a better result.
Absolutely the best cookie I have ever made and I’ve made plenty! You are correct – do NOT substitute the old fashioned oats. My husband ordered a case of oats for our pantry so we can make these cookies often. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Thank you for this great recipe!!! I love the little touch of molasses. 🙂
Yummy
This is a great recipe! The cookies came out delicious, and my grown-up grandkids raved about them. I’ve made them with unsweetened cocoa chips and walnuts and also with dried cranberries, flaked coconut, and orange peel – all wonderful. This is my new go-to oatmeal cookie base. Thank you, Sally’s baking addiction!
Delicious!
These were delicious. I used Truvia brown sugar blend instead of regular brown sugar. I did add in the toasted walnuts and any kind of chips I had available. I had a small amount of chocolate chips, a few butterscotch leftover pieces and some white chocolate. I should call these my clean out the cabinet cookies. And still they were awesome.
Hi,
Just wondering if the metric measurements are correct because in cups there is less butter than flour but in grams there’s more.
These were delicious. Followed the recipe except to double all the ingredients. Then separated in half for plain and chocolate chips. I did not refrigerate and baked for 10 minutes exactly rotating half way thru. Both batches came out exactly as shown, chewy and yummy.
Too sweet next time I’ll do 1/2 sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar.
I was surprised I didn’t really like this recipe. They were rather bland and not sweet enough. The texture and chewiness was good!
Hands down, no joking, the best cookie we’ve ever made! Maybe that I’ve ever had! I didn’t have molasses and they still turned out PERFECT! Thank you for this easy to follow recipe!!!
These cookies were AMAZING. They make for a perfect breakfast or quick bite to eat if you have a little sugar crash.
Here’s the modifications I did on the recipe : 2 Tablespoon of ground flaxseed, 1/2 of brown sugar (instead of white), and 1 more egg (Because the batter was too thick).
Could we get the nutritional value for these cookies ? Thank you so much in advance ! {i love your recipes so much}