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
I made these cookies in my Air Fryer. They had the perfect chewy crispiness and only had to cook for about 4 minutes. If you just want to make a couple of cookies for dessert take 3 scoops and air fry them. Great recipe, thanks for sharing.
I did this recipe, used walnuts and added raisins! So chewy and yummy!
Great texture and flavor. Thick. Soft. Chewy. I used milk chocolate chips. Chopped pecans and dried cherries.
What will happen if I by mistake added baking powder to the recipe of chocolate oatmeal cookies ? I then added the baking soda ! Boboo!
JoAnn
Hi JoAnn, we’re unsure exactly how the cookies will turn out with this addition, but they may have much more rise / expansion than intended. It’s worth giving it a shot, though. Let us know how it goes!
Best cookies ever I’ve tried several different recipes including the one that comes with and these by four and made me look like a real baker LOL thanks so much for the recipe it will be my go to always!! I added some white chocolate chips , walnuts and cranberries and they came out delicious!
These cookies are AMAZING! Recipe is wonderful, exactly as is, but you can modify it 100 ways and they are still great. I wanted to mention, I now make a double or triple batches, and after 45 minutes of chilling, I fill cookie sheets with globs of dough, and freeze them. Once frozen I fill a gallon ziplock with them, and write “Sally’s Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies, bake at 350 for 16 minutes” on the bag. So nice to have fresh homemade cookies that I can throw in the oven on a whim! I can put 6 in the toaster oven, or a dozen in the regular oven. I’m going to have a freezer full of them by winter! Thanks so much for this recipe!
These are amazing. Used recipe as stated and people couldn’t eat enough of them and asked for more the next day.
Made them for the first time and they were amazing. I decided that I wanted to reduce the amount of fat in them, so I replaced 1/2 with apple butter. Oh wow! They were over the top. The funniest part was how many people commented on how “buttery” they were.
Made exactly as recipe and really one of the best cookies I’ve ever made!
We made them this evening, really good but next time I’ll lessen the molasses as that seemed overwhelming to me. Other then that they turned out great!!
Can you substitute the molasses for sorghum? I made them with regular molasses this time since I wasn’t sure what the substitution would do and I wanted cookies, but I have some locally made super good sorghum I got as a gift and would love to try using it.
These cookies are amazing and very chewy yet firm. The molasses really added the right amount of “what is that”.
My family loved it!! But may I ask if how many calories per cookie does this recipe have? Thank you!!
We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp Glad your family enjoyed these cookies!
I didn’t have enough vanilla so I added 1/4 teaspoon almond extract along with vanilla. Yummy.
amazing soft and chewy cookies that my family love!
I just feel compelled to comment about all of the replies describing how they changed the recipe. As far as I am concerned it is rude and unnecessary. To those who do it just stop. If you think your recipe is better, publish it by itself and then accept when people change it as you do. Do you go to restaurants and tell the chefs how they should make their recipes? Give us a break. Be polite and If you must, comment on what you like about the recipe.
Just tried this recipe and it’s awesome! This will be my go-to recipe now. Thank you!
The recipe I swear on! I’ve been using and twisting it for over 5 years! They always come out perfect!
The only thing I’ve never followed on the recipe is the 3 Tbs per cookie! Lol.
I substituted gluten free flour (King Arthur’s Measure for Measure). Otherwise, made the recipe exactly as written, including the addition of the 1 tsp. of cinnamon. They came out perfectly and taste delicious. No one would ever know they are gluten free if not told. That was the only ingredient I substituted. I am not a believer in drastically changing ingredients only to have a mediocre result. Seems like a waste of time and expense.
These are keepers, for sure!!
Can I add walnuts to the recipe
Hi Linda, 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 for a total of 1 and 3/4 cups. Enjoy!
I just made these and they are amazing. I’ve had the same oatmeal cookie recipe for ages but was looking to try something different. I had a bag of cinnamon chips in the pantry and thought a big chewy oatmeal cookie would be a perfect use of them. I didn’t have any molasses so that, the cinnamon chip substitute and a cup of chopped pecans are the only changes. My 3yo was impatient so I baked one tray after only chilling for 10 minutes and they spread a lot but were still delicious with crispy edges and chewy centers. The rest of the dough chilled longer and had less spread. They’re a big hit with the family. Thank you!
This has become my all time favorite go to cookie recipe! I follow it exactly and ONLY thing I do differently is that I usually double the recipe (I love these cookies THAT much) and occasionally add chopped walnuts to the batter (approx 1 cup added to the recipe as is, approx 2 cups walnuts when I double it). I find all these reviews hilarious where people are majorly changing the ingredient amounts or doing substitutions and then complaining when the finished product has issues! Not to be rude, but DUH! If you go all cuisine cowboy with a recipe don’t be surprised if you get less than stellar results, it’s just common sense!
the best cookies I ever made!
These were absolutely delicious! Nice and gooey if not cooked for long, and the dough caramelises if left in the oven for longer. Definitely will use again!
Another home run from Sally! I used 1 cup chocolate chips and 3/4 cup of Craisins, and they turned out fabulously. This is a perfect recipe if you’re looking for soft and chewy oatmeal cookies.
Hi Mary, we haven’t tested this recipe with any egg substitutes. If you give anything a try, we’d love to know how it goes for you.
WOW these are SOOO GOOD!! I only had white chocolate chips so I used that instead of regular. Not sure if they’re a little sweeter because of that.
Also made way more than 22 cookies – I think I have 3 dozen plus 1 giant cookie (wouldn’t want to waste the dough!). My cookie scooper is 2T but I made them heaping. Guess not enough! They are the perfect size though.
Curious, all 3 dozen turned out just a little different. I found the best looking batch was the third batch, which had been in the fridge the longest – maybe an hour, hour fifteen or so. It’s a hot day so maybe that’s why. They were a bit puffier than their predecessors.
These are my absolute favourite cookies. Before I started my diet I made a batch a few times a month, it was a problem. As someone who isn’t necessarily great at baking, they always turned out amazing. Will always be one of my favourite recipes. But speaking of diet..I was wondering if anyone knows approximately how many calories per cookie? I’ve been craving them so bad and would like to make them but I want to know how many calories to set aside so I can enjoy a few. Thank you sally!
Hi Rebecca, we’re so glad these cookies are a favorite for you! We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
I made these exactly as written (except I didn’t chill the dough because I didn’t notice to ) and they are amazing! I did a cup of pecans, too. Thank you so much; they were loved by all!
Delicious. As is. Didn’t have molasses so left off per the instructions and was still stellar. Will definitely make again.
Great recipe, easy to follow. I didn’t have the molasses, but went ahead and otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Big hit! I will definitely add molasses next time and perhaps decrease cinnamon slightly, as for my taste, a little cinnamon goes a long way. The finished cookies looked exactly like the pictures on this site, and I (and my guests) were super happy. Thanks!
I followed the recipe exactly and added a cup of chopped pecans. Family and friends are every last one!! Absolutely perfect and my new favorite chocolate chip cookie!