Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Jump to Recipe

Inspired by my grandma’s oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe, this classic oatmeal cookie is loaded with chocolate chips and rolled oats. Even better, each one bakes up with a crispy edge and chewy center for perfect oatmeal chocolate chip cookies to dunk in milk! This oatmeal cookie recipe uses baking soda rather than baking powder to ensure big 3″ cookies that spread nicely.

These are my favorite chocolate chip cookies (even over my classic chocolate chip cookies!) because of the rolled oats and extra brown sugar to make a softer, chewier interior. I have eaten two of these for breakfast with no shame (though something like my dark chocolate granola with yogurt and fruit may be a little more well-balanced to start your day).

One reader, Maggie, commented, “They are the best cookies I have ever made. Definitely have this recipe to thank for that. I did add walnuts to mine since I love them in chocolate chip cookies. They are crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.” ★★★★★

These classic oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are loaded with chocolate chips and rolled oats.

This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for helping to support The Floral Apron!

Ingredients for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

The key to the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies is the ratio of brown sugar to granulated sugar and the amount of oats. I use more brown sugar than granulated sugar and a lot of rolled oats to get that perfectly chewy center with crisp edges. See each ingredient listed below for common substitutions.

Salted butter. You may use unsalted butter if you prefer. I love the extra bit of salt to help round out the flavors myself.
Granulated and brown sugar. A mix of both sugars helps these cookies spread the right amount and keeps them moist on the inside.
Egg. The protein in the egg white and the fats in the yolk help the cookie dough hold together perfectly.
Vanilla extract. Vanilla extract works best in baked goods over vanilla bean paste to give a subtle vanilla flavor, but you can use either one.
All-purpose flour. Standard flour has the right amount of protein for cookies. To make these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies gluten free, I’d recommend using a 1:1 gluten-free flour, though I have not personally tested that adaptation.
Baking soda. Soda allows these oatmeal cookies to rise just a little for crisp edges and chewy centers. If you want a thick, bakery-style oatmeal cookie, try substituting baking powder instead.
Salt. Just a pinch helps to enhance all the flavors.
Rolled oats. Thick, rolled oats will give you the best texture, but you can also use quick oats.
Chocolate chips. I prefer using semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips with this oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe. The cookies themselves aren’t too sweet, so a sweeter chocolate chip is well-balanced here.

Ingredients for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies on a quartz counter. — You only need pantry staples to make oatmeal chocolate chip cookies!

How to Make the Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are not difficult to make, and they don’t require any fancy techniques. They can be made more quickly and with less effort if you have a stand mixer, but it’s totally possible to make these with just a hand mixer in a large bowl! You can watch a short video on how to make these oatmeal chip cookies on my YouTube channel below:

Creaming the Butter and Sugar

To get chewy and moist oatmeal cookies, it’s imperative to cream the butter and sugar together for a few minutes first. This incorporates air into the dough and helps the cookies hold their shape while baking.

Beat the butter and sugars on medium speed for about three minutes, until the mixture is pale in color and very fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all ingredients have been evenly incorporated.

Sugar is poured into a stand mixer bowl with butter and brown sugar. — Cream the butter and sugars together on medium speed until pale and fluffy.

Creamed sugar and butter in a stand mixer bowl. — Cream the butter and sugars together on medium speed until pale and fluffy.

Next, add the egg and your vanilla extract. Beat until the mixture is even fluffier—another two to three minutes. When properly mixed, it will resemble thick cake batter!

Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl once more to make sure that you don’t have a rogue patch of sugar hiding somewhere.

Pro-tip: If it’s warm outside and your butter was really soft to start, I like to add in a cold egg. It’s just enough of a decrease in temperature to help firm the dough without causing it to split or harden too much. If your butter was only just barely softened, I recommend using an egg that is room temperature!

Two hands crack an egg into a stand mixer bowl with creamed sugar. — Add the egg and vanilla, and cream until the mixture is even fluffier.

Fully beaten chocolate chip cookie dough in a stand mixer bowl. — Add the egg and vanilla, and cream until the mixture is even fluffier.

Adding the Dry Ingredients

Stir the baking soda and salt into the flour, then dump the mixture into the bowl with the cookie dough so far. I like to beat the flour into the dough first and then add in the rolled oats, but you can add them both at the same time—it doesn’t make that big of a difference.

Beat on low speed to prevent a cloud of flour making its way out of the mixer bowl until the ingredients are just combined. Again, scrape down the sides of the bowl, if needed.

Flour is dumped into a stand mixer bowl with cookie dough. — Add flour and rolled oats to the cookie dough mixture so far, then beat on low to incorporate.

Oats are added to mixed cookie dough in a stand mixer bowl. — Add flour and rolled oats to the cookie dough mixture so far, then beat on low to incorporate.

I’ve had the best results with semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips. I used a new kind of dark chocolate here, and while the chips themselves were good, the cookies would have benefitted from a little extra sweetness.

Add your preferred chocolate chips, then stir together by hand. (If your chocolate chips are small, you may be able to do this with your mixer. Larger chips tend to be a little harder to mix in mechanically.)

Chocolate chips are poured into a stand mixer bowl with cookie dough. — Add in semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips to the oatmeal cookie dough, then stir together by hand for chocolate chip oatmeal cookie dough!

A spatula mixes chocolate chips into oatmeal cookie dough by hand. — Add in semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips to the oatmeal cookie dough, then stir together by hand for chocolate chip oatmeal cookie dough!

Scooping and Baking the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I use a #24 cookie scoop (the middle one in this set) to make fairly large oatmeal cookies, about 3″ wide (8 cm).

That’s my preferred size, but you are welcome to bake smaller cookies if you so choose! Keep in mind that the bake time will vary depending on the size of your cookie, and smaller cookies will not need to bake for quite as long.

I always recommend baking cookies in the center rack of your oven and with light-colored aluminum pans. Dark pans tend to bake the bottoms faster than the tops, and we want an even bake.

Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for at least half an hour after removing them from the oven. The residual heat from the pan will continue to bake the cookies.

A hand uses a cookie scoop to scoop dough onto a lined baking sheet. — Once scooped onto lined trays, the cookies take about 10 minutes to bake and another 30 minutes to cool and properly set.

Fully baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookies on a lined baked sheet. — Once scooped onto lined trays, the cookies take about 10 minutes to bake and another 30 minutes to cool and properly set.

FAQs about Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Can these oatmeal cookies be made gluten-free?

Yes, a 1:1 gluten-free flour substitute should work nicely, though I have not personally tested it!

Do rolled oats or quick oats work better in oatmeal chocolate chip cookies?

I prefer the texture of rolled oats for that hearty chew in every bite.

Do you need to chill oatmeal cookie dough?

I don’t! My grandma doesn’t when she makes these, so I don’t either. You definitely can if you’d like to prepare a little in advance, though.

Other Recipes You May Enjoy

If you’re also a classic cookie fiend, try my dark chocolate chunk cookies. Or, if you want to experiment with new flavors, my floral chocolate chip cookies are made with lavender for a delicate and unexpected twist.

Love anything with rolled oats? My protein granola bars have 20 grams of protein per bar and are made with rolled oats and protein powder.

My granola recipes made with butter and rolled oats are also a big hit around here—vanilla almond granola, dark chocolate walnut granola, and honey pecan granola are all breakfast pantry staples!

A stack of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies on a kitchen counter.

Dish Cleanup: Not Too Bad

I rate my recipe cleanups on a scale of 1 to 5. 1 is only a handful of dishes, and 5 is everything including the kitchen sink.

These oatmeal chocolate chip cookies have a cleanup rating of a 2 if you use parchment paper rather than silicone mats (like I did here). There’s just the mixing bowl, a few ingredient bowls, and a couple of spoons/spatulas—no crazy cleanup for these cookies here!

Dishes used to make oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. — If you use parchment paper, you’ll have an even easier cleanup than the dishes shown in this photo!

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

Thanks so much for stopping by!
If you make this classic oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe and love it, please don’t forget to rate the recipe five stars.

Yield: 14 large cookies