When Nate and I first got married, I wanted to bake him things, but there were some issues. I did not have many tried and true recipes or a lot of baking experience. I would attempt some new found recipes while he was at work and if I had success, I would present my masterpiece that evening. If they did not turn out, they were quietly disposed of – never to be mentioned again. It was a good system.
One of the recipes that I tried was the one that used to be printed inside the lid of Quaker Oats. It was a simple recipe, so I felt confident try it out. Once the first batch was finished, they didn’t look very special, but they tasted so good… like the best oatmeal cookies I have ever tasted. So I set them on a plate and waited for Nate to come home…
Now I will preface this by saying that Nate is a lover of all sweets, but the look on his face when he tasted those cookies was one that I will never forget. Since then, I have adjusted the recipe ever so slightly and feel that they are now officially perfect. I have made these cookies for countless people and I can honestly say that every single one of them has raved about them. If you are looking for an oatmeal cookie recipe that is chewy, flavorful and consistently delicious then you have found it my friend.
Let’s get started…
Begin by combining 12 tablespoons of room temperature butter with 3/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, 2 large eggs and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract in a large bowl and whisk until everything is completely combined.
Note: Some cookie recipes are pretty dependent on butter being room temperature, but this one is a little flexible. So, if you want to make them now, but haven’t set butter out, do not fear! You can place the 12 tablespoons of butter in a microwave safe bowl and soften it slightly for 15-20 seconds. You definitely do not want to melt the butter, but as soon as it begins to feel softened to the touch, you are good to proceed with this recipe. Yet another reason I love these cookies!
Now, add 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and mix until just combined. We still have to mix in the oats and chocolate, so as long as most of the flour is incorporated, you’re good to move on.
Fold in 3 1/4 cups of old fashioned oats and then mix in your chocolate. You can use chopped chocolate or chocolate chips and whatever you love or have on hand. Dark chocolate works great in these cookies, but so does milk chocolate and semi-sweet.
Only mix until the chocolate is evenly distributed. As with most cookie recipes, over mixing can create tough cookies and nobody wants that.
Drop mounded tablespoons of cookie dough onto a non-stick or parchment lined baking sheet leaving about 2 inches between each portion.
Bake the cookies in a 350 degree oven for about 12 minutes. Watch the edges of the cookies and when they begin to get just a little bit brown, the cookies are done. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
The cookies will be pretty soft when you first pull them out of the oven, so they need some time to set up a bit on the baking sheet. Once of my best tips for getting a great chewy texture in these cookies is to pull them out when they are about 90% baked and let them finish baking while they rest on the hot baking sheet.
Once they are firm enough to transfer off of the baking sheet, transfer them onto a cooling rack and let them continue firming up.
I feel that now would be a good time to tell you that if you are not a fan of your standard oatmeal cookies, you need to try these ones. They are nothing like your typical dry, raisin filled oatmeal cookie. They are soft, chewy and full of chocolate chips, sort of like a fabulous hybrid between a chewy oatmeal cookie and a soft chocolate chip cookie… they are absolutely fabulous.
These cookies are just so good. Keep the leftovers at room temperature in an airtight container and they stay soft for days. They make a great breakfast treat, mid day pick-me-up or midnight snack. I also love baking these cookies for friends or adding them into a holiday cookie box.
Make a big batch and keep them on hand. They will turn any day into a good day…
Oatmeal Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoon of butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup of brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 3 1/4 cups of old fashioned oats
- 1 cup of chocolate chips (milk, semi-sweet or dark chocolate)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
- In a large bowl, mix 12 tablespoons of room temperature butter with 3/4 cup of brown sugar and 1/2 cup of sugar until light and fluffy
- Add 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and mix until creamy
- Add 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and mix until combined
- Add 3 1/4 cups of oats in three parts (about 1 cup at a time) and mix until the oats are just combined
- Add 1 cup of chocolate chips and mix only until they are evenly distributed
- Place 2 tablespoons of dough onto non-stick or parchment lined baking sheets
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes
- As soon as you see the edges begin to brown, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes
- Transfer the cookies onto a cooling rack to cool fully
- Store leftovers at room temperature in an air tight container
