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
Used half the oats, half the chocolate chips, half the sugar, 1/4 the flour, half the vanilla, 2/3 the cinnamon, no salt, added 3 Tbps black pepper. Didn’t refrigerate dough. Came out runny and flat. Didn’t taste right. I don’t know what I did wrong. Wouldn’t bake again, sorry.
Seriously people, they’re oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I’m T1 diabetic and I made them as is and they were amazing. Bizarre comment section
Thank you so much for trying the recipe as written and leaving a review for it. It’s helpful for other readers and myself!
Yeah, I’ve made them a few different times – with chocolate chips, raisins, and half and half (my favorite) – and they’re my go-to oatmeal cookie recipe now. A lot of oatmeal cookie recipes only use a token amount of actual oats, for some reason, but these are the real deal! I wouldn’t change a thing and I’ve already recommended the recipe to friends and family. Kudos on a great cookie, Sally!
They came out perfect I use one stick of butter because I just didn’t want to overdo it with the butter I added a little olive oil and they cut the regular sugar down to one cup everything else was the same they came out perfect soft and chewy and would be a great base to add anyKind of extra additives like M&Ms or not so they serve dried fruit they came out perfect this will be my go to oatmeal recipe
These are wonderful and easy to make. They are a staple in my home. I always make them exactly how the recipe says to and they turn out great. Thanks for a great recipe!
Mine turned out flat as tortilla shells with chocolate lumps again. Do I need more flour or what, I made your chocolate chip cookies & they turned out great.
Hi Claudia! So sorry to hear you’ve been having troubles with your cookies. It sounds like your butter was perhaps too soft, which is usually the culprit for overspreading cookies. Here is more on what room temperature butter really means, and here are 5 tips to improve your next batch of cookies — see #2 there for more on how to prevent excess spreading. Let us know if we can help troubleshoot further, and we appreciate you giving these a try!
what salt do i use for this? kosher? iodized? thanks!
Hi Jas, we use table salt in our recipes unless otherwise noted.
Hi! Do you think I could use 1:1 gluten free flour instead? I believe 1:1 means it’s a direct substitute ration but not sure. Thanks!
Hi Lisa, we haven’t tested a gluten-free version of these cookies, but let us know if you do!
I made some changes: half the sugar, half the butter, half the chocolate chips, regular oats mixed with spelt, 2 tbsp fancy molasses, 1 cup almond flour plus only 1 cup flour. I did not refrigerate. I baked them with the batter at room temperature on a cool 21C day. They were perfect.
I made these cookies the other night and I had people telling me the were the best cookies ever. The extra chocolate chips after baking is a game changer. I did a 1.5tblsp scoop to make more but I will tonight be making another batch as we had no left overs and the kids got none
My daughter loves these cookies. She wants a cookie cake for her birthday. Is there an easy way to make this a cookie cake?
Yes, definitely! I’m unsure of the exact bake time it will need but you can use this chocolate chip cookie cake as a guide. Hope she has a great birthday!
The taste was great however it was really runny, it hardens right away.. I will have to change the flour and sugar ratio
I reduced the sugar by cutting the brown sugar in half (so used 1/2 c each of dark brown and granulated sugars). Also reduced salt and vanilla by half. Did not use cinnamon or chocolate chips, but instead used 1 cup rice crispies and 1 cup toffee bits. And because we prefer smaller cookies, I used a smaller scoop and baked for 10-12 minutes. The molasses was a nice addition and the texture was exactly what I was hoping for. I have another recipe I like for chocolate chip-oatmeal cookies and so was looking for a good, chewy, basic oatmeal cookie and this combination really worked!
Absolutely excellent base oatmeal cookie recipe. My modifications were: added about a teaspoon of cinnamon and a 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, using dark chocolate chips, adding 3/4 cup chips plus . . . added 3/4 cup pecan pieces (walnut pieces would also work), and finally added 3/4 cup Traverse City’s famous Berry Cherry Blend. The Berry Cherry Blend is dried cherries, blueberries and cranberries. You can find them online at https://www.cherrycentral.com/commercial-buyer/our-products-list/#list
Look for the line item listing that states: 6/2 pound Dried Cherry Berry Blend Red Tart Cherry.
I just reordered a case, six 2lb bags, for just over $56.00 including shipping. Granted my location is only about 60 miles away, so shipping may vary. You can contact:
Tom Pluister
Cherry Central
Logistics Specialist
#231 929 5940
tpluister@cherrycentral.com
I love Sally’s recipe idea of popping more chips into the warm cookie top after pulling from the oven. I tried another option as I love hazelnut spread. Aldi’s has one with cocoa and skim milk that can sit out unrefrigerated. After pulling the baked cookies, I press each with a fork leaving a nice channel to spread warmed up hazelnut spread. One of these cookies using all my extras ends up becoming a wonderful protein ‘bar’ that can pass as breakfast or that all in important in-between snack.
Amazing recipe 12/10 recommend
Always add a pinch more salt
Add walnuts if you’d like
Cinnamon is important
this recipe is awesome. tried it twice, the ist one using steel cut oats and the 2nd one using instant oats with less sugar, both turned out great and are able to retain it’s shape. used maple syrup instead of molasses coz that’s all i got, They came out chewy and soft. My son loves this recipe so much thats why im making another batch.
Love this recipe! It’s crispy and soft and chewy all together. I have used the same Quaker recipe for ever, but this one is better and my new go to. I made it exactly how it is written.
Another Sally recipe, another smashing success at my house. These cookies came out PERFECT. Followed instructions to a T.
I’ve made these a few times and had to come back to leave a review. I think it’s the perfect recipe. I absolutely suck at making cookies, but still managed to get one of the best tasting cookies ever.
I followed every detail, I watched your video on how to properly soften butter, I baked at 335 oven for 13 minutes. Removed them from the oven when the edges Turned brown and let sit for 5 minutes before removing from pan. OMG THESE ARE THE BEST COOKIES EVER! Thank you for all your baking tips!
These are delicious! You can even throw the oats in a food processor to give the cookies a nice texture without the whole oats. I love oat cookies like this.
Hi Sally,
These cookies are great and easy to make, but for some reason they never flatten or spread out. I followed all the steps exactly. What can be the reason?
most amazing cookies … OMG! Love: saved and shared! Cheers! Donna
Hi Sally!
First off, I’d like to say that these cookies are absolutely stunning. I didn’t have molasses on hand (and quite frankly, was far too lazy to venture out to get some, LOL), but they were still incredible. I think they are even better the next day!! And, the family agrees-a home run!
I do have a question, though! I found that these cookies spread quite a bit in the oven. I was curious to know what might have been the reason. I let them chill for a little over 45 minutes. I also used (what looked like) more finer cut oatmeal. I’m guessing it was either the type of oatmeal used, lack of additional chilling, or that I made the scoops a little too large?? Either way, they are phenomenal, and are still so soft and chewy!
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
Thank you so much!
Best,
Julian
Hi Julian, we’re so glad you enjoyed these cookies! As for the spreading, was your butter perhaps a bit warmer than room temperature? That is often the culprit for overspreading cookies. Chilling for longer will also help. We share all about ways to prevent cookies from spreading in this blog post on 5 Ways to Improve Your Next Batch of Cookies — hopefully you find these tips helpful for next time!
These are amazing. I will make them many times I am sure! So flavorful and chewy.
Yummy!
Family said these are the best oatmeal cookies they’ve ever had! Amazing recipe and instructions are detailed and thorough. We’ve done several versions with chocolate chips, raisins, and dried cranberries and all were fantastic. I love being able to make the cookie dough and refrigerate and then freshly bake a portion when we’re ready for them. Thank you!
Ok, so I’m giving this a 5 star because these are DELICIOUS!! I need to double the batch next time. We ended up putting butterscotch chips in because that is my family’s favorite. My only thing is… I can not make a fluffy cookie if my life depended on it (and never have been able to). WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?! I live at about 850ft elevation. I followed this recipe to a T and they turned out flat. SOMEONE HELP!!! I really want a fluffy cookie! They were still devoured so I’m making a second batch tonight because the 4 cookies I ate yesterday just weren’t enough!!
Hi Sashby, here’s some tips for keeping cookies from spreading and cookie baking tips that should be helpful for you. Thank you so much for making these cookies!
Good but the molasses made them a little bitter. Seemed like it needed fewer oats, perhaps 2.5 cups.
I just created a batch of your cookie recipe and they’re epic. Super delicious, chewy on the inside and crispy around the edges.
I liked them very much. Taking them to friends tomorrow. Hope they will enjoy them, too!
Amazing cookies! They really hit the spot.
I use regular Quaker oatmeal and it is perfect! (My kids don’t like the texture of whole oats) not dry at all.
Very good and so easy to make
The first batch was SO good!! Absolutely amazing!! But then I tried them again and the came out all flat and very thin! Please help! I would love to make them again!
Hi Emily! These tips should help for next time. Thank you so much for making these cookies!