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!
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
Even with overnight chilling these cookies are pancake thin. Never had this happen with any other recipes. Needs more flour or less butter!
You did something way wrong. Mine are not thin and are very fluffy… quite good. Perhaps you missed a step or didn’t follow the directions properly. Room temp butter and eggs, correct measurements. Fluffy and soft with just the right amount of well baked on the edge.
BEST oatmeal cc cookies !! Exactly as described .
HI, i am about to start these cookies. I prefer to use metric measurements. when I weighed the oats 240grams came to 2 cups whole oats (not 3 cups). That made me think hmmm, maybe that was the problem for Wendi L.
I looked up the King Auther Flour conversion table and it states one cup of Whole or Quick oats weighs 89grams/cup, not the 80grams/cup this recipe calls for. I then weighed the quick oats, they at 240grams came to 2 1/2 cups. I am using 270grams whole oats. I hope this is what Sally had in mind.
I followed the recipe but mixed my hand with a wooden spoon, these are seee good and turned put perfectly just like the picture. I squashed the ball together very tightly.
You must have done something wrong. These turned out perfect. I even mixed by hand.
I agree there is something a bit off with this recipe. My first batch was also flat. Second batch I decided to let it chill a bit more and freeze chill for 10 minutes before baking. That worked out much better and wasn’t flat.
I live at 8500’ so made these mods:
Reduced butter to 14 Tbsp
Reduced white sugar to 1/3 cup
Increased flour to 1 2/3 cup
Added 2 tsp water
Reduced baking soda to 2/3 tsp
Reduced salt to 1/2 tsp (used salted butter as well)
Omitted molasses b/c I didn’t have any!
Kept everything else the same altho my eggs were straight from the fridge.
I baked them at 375 for maybe 10-13 minutes—until they started to brown with very soft centers, and they’re PERFECT! Chewy but round, like the photos above. Really tasty
Val I also live at 8500 ft so this is really helpful! I am used to reducing sugar/oils and increasing flour and oven temp slightly in my recipes. Fingers crossed!
Mine were exactly like the picture
You definitely did something wrong!!
I did not chill mine at all and still turned out really fluffy. Added a cup and a half of pecans, no molasses because I didn’t have any, and I left out the white sugar because I like a little less sugar
Mine had weighed ingredients and chilled for 1 hour and came out very thin.
These are fabulous!! I always love Sally’s recipes and even trust them for an event on a blind bake. These were no exception! Left out molasses since I didn’t have any. I used einkorn AP flour since I had some on hand and it is easier to digest for my gluten sensitive boys. I always use a kitchen scale for flour when baking to achieve consistent results. Knowing that einkorn doesn’t absorb liquid as well as reg AP flour I added a 1/4 cup of ground flax. Decided to cut down chocolate chips and sub in dried cranberries. I made the dough this morning and left it in the fridge to chill while we were out. It is a very important step so don’t skip it if you want them to turn out perfect. This will continue to be my go-to oatmeal cookie base. Next time I am definitely adding pecans. Wonderful texture; chewy, soft, with a crispy crust and amazing flavor. This is the perfect oatmeal cookie. Bake them now!!
3.5 these spread out to an almost florentine (lace) cookie. Spear so thin. I threw the dough back into fridge. Cookies are very tasty! I always have issues like this with my cookies. I forgot I usually add about 1/4 cup more of flour.
I normally love Sally’s but this recipe was a huge disappointment. The cookies spread out paperthin very much stuck to the parchment which almost never happens to me, even after peeling them off the taste was bland and the texture is just awful
Another great recipe from Sally! I used a (mixed) cup of large and small bittersweet chocolate chips, 1/2 of (raisin medley) raisins, and about a heaping 1/3 cup of chopped walnuts. I also used molasses and dark brown sugar. Chilling the dough is key to allow the flavors to meld. Yielded 22 cookies exactly and I baked them for 14 minutes. These are a keeper for sure! Yummy and the aroma coming out of my kitchen as they baked was amazing!
Hi, has anyone tried to make these with almond flour? I have a friend with a gluten allergy. Thanks!
Hi Lizzy, we don’t recommend using almond flour in this recipe. It has very different baking properties than all-purpose flour and would require a bit of recipe testing in order to guarantee results. Many of our readers have had success using all-purpose gluten-free flour blends like Bob’s Red Mill and Cup4Cup — let us know if you give it a try! Or, you might enjoy these Flourless Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies instead.
These are amazing!!! I made them when my granddad and step grandmother were coming over. I added a touch of almond extract, which was a bit strong but faded slightly after a day. I also added shredded coconut and omited the chocolate from half of the cookie dough, because my brother doesn’t like chocolate. They were chewy, soft and awesome. 5 stars!
I don’t even like oatmeal cookies, but I’m trying to eat a little better so I decided to give it a try… I don’t regret at all! Delicious and easy.
Absolutely loved these! My boyfriend who isn’t a big fan of cookies said these are his new favourite! My favourite as well. I did not add the molasses though. They’re perfect!
No cambia la textura de la masa si cambio la harina todo uso por harina integral o de amaranto, sustituir el azúcar por splenda y la mantequilla por i cant velieve no is butter. Estos es para hacerla menos calórica. Gracias ☺️
is it 240 g of oatmeal or 3 cups?
Hi K A, when measured correctly, 3 cups of oats should weigh 240g. You can read more about measuring baking ingredients in this post!
depends on the website quoting the measurement 🙂 no problem, I measured it by cups rather than grams https://www.traditionaloven.com/conversions_of_measures/rolled_oats_measures_converter.html
This is a great recipe and my son requests it frequently – thanks!
Hi! I was thinking of adding cocoa powder to make it double chocolate. Do you have any suggestions for how much should I add? How about 1/2 c of cocoa powder? Do I reduce the flour the same amount of cocoa I added? Thank you so much.
Hi Risse, that would require a bit of recipe testing. Cocoa powder is a finicky ingredients and isn’t always a 1:1 swap with flour. If you decide to do any experimenting, we’d love to know how it goes for you!
Can I freeze the dough in balls for warm cookies each time? How would the temperature and cooking time adjust with that.
Hi Maddie, you sure can. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute (same temperature), no need to thaw.
These were the best chocolate cookies I’ve had in a very very long time. Thank you! Made them exactly as listed here, not a single change.
Great recipe. I used half the sugar and it was still sweet enough.
I was wondering if it was optional to put molasses in? Because I wanted too make these but I don’t have molasses on hand.
Hi Isabella, you can omit the molasses if needed.
Ok Thank you!
Loved this recipe! We left out the chocolate chips and added choped dried mangos, cranberries and pecans. AMAZING! Next time I think we will leave out the cinnamon too.
This is my new go-to recipe for oatmeal cookies, well…this and your oatmeal raisin recipe. I have made both for co-worker’s birthdays and they go FAST! So much flavor! Use the best ingredients you can afford, follow the recipe exactly, and you, too, will get bombarded by compliments.
Really important refrigerate cookie dough before scooping and baking.
Otherwise they will definitely spread.
These cookies are highly recommended Sally my friends super duper love it. Especially lactating moms which are friends of mine too. They’re asking for it all the time and you won’t get hungry all the time when you eat these yummy treats.
I left out the optional cinnamon and love the vanilla/dark brown sugar/molasses flavor. Though I used fresh baking soda, and refrigerated the dough for 18 hours, the cookies turned into a paper thin layer of dark brown caramel, studded with chocolate chips and oats. I brought the baking time down to 9, then 7, then 5 minutes, but got the same result. Either I have a bad box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda or I need much more soda and flour. The cookie base is so thin they flex with the parchment paper and don’t have enough substance to peel off the paper. I’m going to try again with another box of baking soda, but also feel I need way more flour, maybe less butter? Any other suggestions?
Hi John, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. It sounds like perhaps your butter is a bit too soft, which can cause cookies to spread. Here’s a bit more on what room temperature butter really means. Also, be sure to spoon and level (or weight measure) your flour to ensure there is the right amount to help soak up the wet ingredients and help the cookies to keep shape. Finally, make sure your baking soda is fresh (we find it loses it’s strength after about 3 months or so). Hope this helps for next time!
I made these and they were delicious but, like John, the cookies spread too much but I know it was too soft butter because it was a hot day and the butter was almost melting. But good to know about the soda too. To make the cookies consistent I weighed the dough. At around 50 grams each the size was perfect. I think it would be helpful to include weight for more accuracy. British bakers do everything by weight .
Hi John, not saying that you have, but may pay to check , as often when I am baking when measuring quantities in a 1 Cup measures, I sometimes lose track of how much . The flour was 1.5 cups and its so easy for me to forget the extra 1/2 Cup. Like wise when adding the oats . If I measure 3C in a 4c container all good , but by the time I measure 3 cup in a 1c contained , sometimes much easier to lose count . Just a thought and you may not be like me …
Don’t hesitate – just make them. That is all x
making these for about a year now ,some options to consider I substitute 1-2 tblspoons Raw Local Honey for the molasses , double the cinnamon, when Oats go in add 1-2 tablespoons half & half helps with mixing and moist chewy after baked ,the chocalate chips rolled in with diced walnuts or almonds . occasionally a little kosher or sea salt on top of a few .
Followed the recipe exactly as is, turned out amazing! One of my favorites. Next time will add nuts. Yum.
I made a half batch of these for my husband and decided to use the molasses and cinnamon. He really liked them, as did I. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I look forward to making it again.
Taste good but spread and fell apart. Added 1/4 cup flour like suggested and that helped a little for not spreading as much. But they still flattened out on me and stuck together in the zip lock bags. I did follow all the instructions to a T. Anyway my husband will still eat them but I won’t be sharing these like I usually do.
Why the need for chilling?
Grandmother does this recipe without refrigerating them first and they turn out good!
Fantastic! Such a great reliable recipe. Thank you.
I didn’t have mini chocolate chips so I just chopped up 1/2 cup of the regular ones. Came out pretty good! Molasses is very strong but the cookies are addicting once your mouth adjusts. I used an ice cream scoop, should have barley pushed down the tops of some. Makes 2 sheets of cookies so be sure to adjust your oven racks. Thank you!!
I just love your cookie recipes. I just make the chocolate Oatmeal two days ago and in the process of making them again tonight. Made your chocolate chip recipe several times—. Perfection.
I do add nuts to all my cookies and they turn out great. Understood and do refrigerate overnight or for several hours is critical. Big lesson! One question for you, why do eggs need to be room temperature?
I will look for your books……. Thank you so much.
B