Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thick and Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are just perfect with a cool tall glass of milk. Classic, especially if you like to dunk your cookies. 

It took a lot of research, a lot of trial and error, a lot of adjusting, a lot of tasting and a lot of dark chocolate chips, but we’ve finally done it: created the recipe for the perfect Thick and Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies from scratch. 

A Google search for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies provides millions of recipes -about 15,400,000! But out of all of those, this is the one and we are so excited to share it with all of you!

Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside – perfection.

You will notice that I said, “we.” I enlisted the help of my daughter and the taste buds of her classmates for this recipe!

My daughter helped me make endless varieties; her classmates chose their favorite out of the two varieties my daughter eventually brought in.

What you have here today is the winning cookie!

If you have a minute, I would like to share what I learned about making oatmeal chocolate chip cookies…

Instructions

It all begins with butter and sugar. That seems easy enough, right? But let’s take a closer look at these two essential ingredients.

Softened Room Temperature Butter is crucial when baking.

According to all that I have read (and remember from a food science course I took over 30 years ago 😮  ), when room temperature butter and sugar are whipped together, they form tiny air bubbles trapped in the mixture (also referred to as an emulsion).

When incorporated with the rest of the ingredients (also at room temperature) and eventually baked, these well-distributed air bubbles will result in a uniform texture that is light and airy.

A lighter version of these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies can easily be achieved by replacing half of the butter with 1/3 cup of applesauce (I like to use my chunky applesauce).

A peanut butter version can also be achieved by replacing half of the butter with peanut butter.

The perfect degree of chewiness is achieved by using the right proportion of white to brown sugar. Brown sugar has molasses (20% for dark brown sugar and 10% for the light one) and, as a result, provides extra moisture compared to white sugar. Extra moisture means a chewy texture. So play around with the proportions of white and brown sugar to create cookies that have the perfect texture for you. We liked our oatmeal chocolate chip cookies to be chewy.

Once the butter and sugars have been whipped together, add the room temperature eggs, one at a time. Make sure to beat well after each addition. Add just 1 tablespoon of milk and a drop of vanilla.

We will then add some of the dry ingredients to this wet mixture, followed by the oats.

A whole wheat version can easily be achieved by replacing up to half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour.

Finally, we add the dark chocolate chips.

For the oats to become hydrated, refrigerate this mixture for at least 30 minutes.

The only thing left to do is to use a medium-sized disher to portion your cookie dough and bake for approximately 8-9 minutes.

There is no need to flatten the dough before it goes in the oven -the heat from the oven will take care of everything.

Remember, we are looking for thick and chewy cookies.

So when the edges are golden light brown, remove them from the oven. 

Yes, I know the center will be a little soft, but let them cool on the baking sheet and your patience will be rewarded. If, on the other hand, you prefer a crisp cookie, keep it in the oven a few minutes longer.

At the risk of repeating myself, these cookies come out thick, soft, and chewy every single time.

That’s what makes them my favorite.

Thicker cookies also have the power to support a lot of add-ons (a feebler cookie would lose its structure and fall apart if you tried putting too many extras). Which is so important for oatmeal cookies!!

One of the best things about oatmeal cookies is how customizable they are.

I make these chocolate chip oatmeal cookies with – surprise! – dark chocolate chips, but they would work just as well with nearly any other kind of add-on.

Variations

• Any dried fruit, like raisins, dried cherries, and dried cranberries.
• Nearly any kind of nut, especially walnuts and pistachios. Make sure to toast them beforehand.
• Different types of chocolate chips. For example, using dark chocolate chips versus milk chocolate chips will yield a very different final product.

It’s easy to associate oatmeal with warm, comforting breakfasts on cold and frigid days. You will find that these oatmeal cookies with a glass of milk carry that same sentiment and sense of warmth and comfort.

How to enjoy freshly baked cookies

• Use a disher (ice cream scooper) to portion the raw cookie dough on a baking sheet that fits in your freezer.
• Place the baking sheet with the balls of cookie dough in the freezer.
• Once frozen, transfer the frozen balls of dough to a freezable container or bag—label with the date.
• When you feel the urge to have freshly baked cookies, preheat the oven and place your frozen ball of cookie dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Bake as per directions and enjoy! 

Simple cookie recipes we love

• Oat Bran Cookies
• Pets de Soeur
• S Cookies
• Witch Finger Cookies
• Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies (Gluten-Free) 

 

Recipe inspiration

When I was a teenager, I never really bought my meals at the school cafeteria; I always brought in a lunch from home filled with tasty leftovers from the day before.

But there was one cafeteria food that I could never resist… those giant soft oatmeal cookies, about as big as my entire hand. Do you know the ones I’m talking about?

They came individually wrapped in cling wrap, and they were just perfect. 

I haven’t had a cookie like that in years – decades! Not since I graduated from high school. The quest for that cookie has been on and off over the last few decades – with no success. Recently, I was overcome with a craving for them and started my oatmeal cookie bakeoff (again) in search of that elusive cookie. I started my experiment with this recipe. 

Well, I am happy to report that this quest is over, and I have the perfect recipe to show for it. 

Customize them, make them your own, and enjoy them with your family and loved ones.

THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.

Ciao for now,

Maria 

★★★★★ If you have made this Chocolate Chip Cookie, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!