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
Cookies came out delicious. My cookies were 1.7 oz each prior to cooking and required 15-16 mins to cook
These cookies are sooo good, this recipe has joined the ranks of ones I use regularly. I will say that they’re quite sweet straight out of the oven, but the flavours are much more balanced once the cookies have cooled down
I followed this recipe to the T….. cookies spread super thin …. taste good but looking for a new recipe
Hi EK, thank you for giving these cookies a try. If you’re interested in trying again, these 10 tips to prevent cookies from spreading will be a helpful resource!
I followed your recipe but I also added some cranberries raisins and pecans. The molasses and cinnamon gave the cookies an awesome flavor! My husband said they were the best oatmeal cookies he’s ever ate.
Wonderful cookies!
I used freshly milled whole wheat flour and they turned out great.
I also decreased both types of sugar by 1/4 cup each. They were still sweet enough
Absolutely delicious! The Molasses and cinnamon elevate this to a whole new taste from standard Oatmeal cookies. Will definitely make again
Tried this recipe for the first time. Delish!!
Worlds best cookie right here. Thank you!!
This is a fabulous recipe which quite a few of my family members bake. Today I am mixing up 2 batches for a funeral. I am wondering if anyone has baked the recipe as bars (would save quite a bit of time today.I do not want to jeopardize taste but would like to bake one batch as bars.
Hi Gma, You can definitely use this cookie dough for cookie bars. A 9×13 inch pan would be best. We’re unsure of the exact bake time. Hope this helps!
So Delicious! Cookies contain just the right amount of everything.
These are really good.
I made these and absolutely love them. I only left out the cinnamon per a reviewer stated they would taste more like the oatmeal raisin. I am not a fan of that oatmeal raisin cookies. These are perfect. Thank you so much!
The flavor on these was awesome, I used almond flour instead of regular flour and wondering if that could be the reason they cooked flat and ran into each other. Any ideas how to fix before I make the next batch!!! And yes there will be another batch!
Hi Tami! Almond flour could definitely be the culprit. It has very different baking properties than all-purpose flour and isn’t always a 1:1 swap. For best taste and texture (and so you don’t waste your time trying to adapt this recipe since it may not work properly), it may be more useful to find a recipe that is specifically formulated for almond flour. Thank you for giving these cookies a try!
Made these today and they’re incredible. I love chocolate, but honestly these don’t even need the chocolate chips.
I did panic because mine got pretty brown on the edges. But even after they cooled they stayed so chewy and delicious.
I needed the full 14 minutes for the centers to get done enough. They did look a tiny bit raw as I pulled them from the oven but they finished baking on the baking sheet.
So good!!!
I made these cookies using your recipe and instructions but substituting a few ingredients to make them gluten-free, dairy free, and egg free because my son has allergies.
They turned out amazing!!!
Thank you
This is an addendum to my comment from February 19th. Woke up in the wee hours this morning kicking myself because my mom is more into oatmeal raisin so Mom these are for you and my oh my they are the best dunked in my morning coffee. Freaking amazing if I’m allowed to use such language on here.
Can I use margarine instead of butter or will it change the texture of the cookie
Hi Nicky, it’s really best to stick with butter.
Wow! These are amazing! I included the molasses but not the cinnamon.
Great flavor, but if you’re looking to break out of the oatmeal raisin mold I’d ditch the cinnamon! Also, mine turned out too baked through to be chewy, but they are perfectly dunkable.
Oh my God follow this recipe to the letter you won’t be disappointed you may be over the moon like we were.
Slightly crispy edges ooey gooey centers. I might have slipped in an extra heat of a cup of sea salt caramel chips (by mistake of course). All they managed to do was add an extra layer
Of decadence
Sally is my go to for ANY BAKING !
I have baked these cookies about 4 times. My family loves them
I appreciate the tips that help make a recipe great. This cookie is delicious and chewy. I was tempted to reduce the regular sugar by 1/4 and wish I did. It’s a little bit on the sweet side for me. I’ll try it with less sugar next time.
I made these for my boyfriend for Valentine’s Day as he requested chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. So delicious and perfectly chewy. Followed the recipe exactly, aside from leaving out the optional molasses. Personally I’d recommend only 1 to 1-1/3 cup of chocolate chips if you don’t prefer a heavy chocolate flavor but that’s just our preference! Will definitely be making these again, just adjusting the chocolate amount. This was my first batch of homemade cookies in years and I’m glad I chose this recipe.
These cookies are the best cookies ever
My kids rate these number one next to the Nestle toll house
Then peanut butter third place
This is my signature cookies. I’m eleven, and I make these cookies every few weeks! I love them so much!
This recipe is kinda addictive
These cookies are delicious! I added 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and omitted the molasses. Definitely making these again.
2 cups of flour solves the problem. The cookies are very moist. You do not have to refrigerate dough. You don’t need parchment paper. Cookies come right up out of oven onto Bounty for cooling. These turn out much better than original recipe.
I love this recipe, I make it all the time. My family often asks for cookie dough. Is there any way to make this without the egg so I don’t have to worry about them getting sick after eating the dough?
Hi Madeline! Our cookie dough cupcakes recipe includes a safe-to-eat cookie dough recipe using heat-treated flour and pasteurize egg whites.
Can you substitute unsalted butter for salted butter and not use the 3/4 tsp salt or do you find it makes a difference?
Hi Julie, you can use salted butter if needed and reduce the salt to 1/4 teaspoon. Enjoy!