Classic Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
This recipe for classic oatmeal chocolate chip cookies is simply the best. Soft and chewy, it is a tried-and-true favorite!
There is truly nothing better any given day than a warm oatmeal chocolate chip cookie.
The hearty chewiness of this classic cookie makes regular chocolate chip cookies look, well, positively wimpy.
A Tried-and-True Recipe
After over a decade, these are still one of the cookie recipes I make the most (I almost always have them baked and ready to go in the freezer).
They really are the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies ever. Soft and chewy, loaded with chocolate chips (i.e. no raisins in sight…nope, not for me!), and perfectly puffy.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
The dough for these cookie is super straightforward (and kind of irresistible):
- butter
- brown sugar + granulated sugar
- eggs + vanilla
- basic dry ingredients (oatmeal, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt)
- chocolate chips
You can use either old-fashioned rolled oats or quick oats for the cookies.
Pro Tip: for the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookie texture, use both old-fashioned rolled oats AND quick oats!
Freezable Cookies
I almost always have these cookie waiting in the freezer for just the right craving or moment.
The cookies can be baked, cooled and frozen.
OR, you can freeze the cookie dough balls and bake from frozen.
To bake from frozen, place the cookie dough balls a couple inches apart on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 12-13 minutes (adding time as needed).
Rave Reviews
I’m not the only one completely head over heels for these cookies.
Kat writes: Mel. These cookies are perfection. Perfection! One bite, and I threw away my family favorite recipe. Seriously. No regrets. They are soft and delicious even the next day. Did I mention they are perfect? This is now the standard, and I doubt it will ever be topped. I can’t think of anything I’d change to make it better. Texture, flavor, saltiness, sweetness, chocolate to cookie ratio, you absolutely nailed it! Thank you Mel!!
Katie B. commented: I have made these several times over the last few months and I absolutely love them!! A perfect cookie in my opinion! Thanks for a great go-to recipe everyone loves!
Leia says: I loved the texture of these cookies and of course the flavor was amazing, even a few days later!
Classic Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (212 g) packed light brown sugar (see note)
- 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar (see note)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (284 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups (250 g) old-fashioned rolled oats (see note)
- 2 cups (340 g) chocolate chips or chocolate chunks (butterscotch chips are delicious, too)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, silicone liners or lightly grease with cooking spray.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until creamy and well-combined, 1-2 minutes. Add baking soda, baking powder, salt and mix well. Add flour, oatmeal and chocolate chips. Mix until no dry streaks remain (don’t go crazy; just mix until evenly combined).
- Scoop the cookies into balls (about 2 tablespoons each) and place a couple inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Recipe originally posted August 2009; updated with new photos, recipe notes, commentary.
Made these today to put away for Eagle Scout project day next weekend. They may not make it to the freezer! Super yummy!
I made these about a week ago. They turned out great… delicious, soft and chewy. I used a mix of 2/3 chocolate chips and 1/3 butterscotch chips. I wish
I hadn’t given so many away. I might have to make another batch soon.
I’m not a huge fan of oatmeal cookies because they are usually too oatmeal-y for my liking. However, these were great! They stayed soft and chewy and we’re even better the second day. I followed your tips on less sugar and using quick oats too.
Honestly I was disappointed in these cookies. I love your recipes so I thought these would be perfect. They were super flat. We changed the temperature like you suggested and no change. I like a thicker, chunkier cookie.
Sorry to hear that, Lisa!
Classic Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
You said if the cookie spreads to much to increase oven temp. to 375 degrees or in a convention oven try 325 degrees. Does this temperature change, change the baking time? I haven’t tried the recipe yet.
I usually keep the baking time the same, but each oven will vary so keep a close eye on the cookies and take them out a minute early if needed
Out.of.this.world! I would give these a six out of five if I could! I added Ghirardelli caramel flavored baking chips instead of chocolate chips and added some sweetened, shredded coconut to the second half of the batter. Just wonderful..
I used the lesser amount of sugars and added coconut. These are really yummy and easy to diversify.
Just finished making these… they turned out perfect!! I followed the recipe exactly. They did take a bit longer in my oven… closer to 15 minutes. Yum yum yum.
I love the flavor, but mine were flat. I tried different temperatures . What do I do wrong? Most of my chocolate chip cookies are flat unless I use crisco or more flour.
It might just be a difference in how the flour is measured. Try adding a few tablespoons more flour…and see how that goes.
We made these cookies, and followed the recipe exactly, but they weren’t soft, and were a bit dry. I have been making cookies for about fifty years, and couldn’t believe they weren’t as you predicted. I think I may need a new oven. (My oven is only three years old), not nearly as old as I am.
We made these yesterday and added in half of a bag of the bits o’ brickle heath candies along with the chocolate chips. They are so very yummy!
These are great!
These are my very very favorite…but I save out a little dough and and put raisins in instead of chocolate chips…so very delish…I make the rest with the chocolate chips to keep my family happy!
I make this exact recipe except I only do 1/2 tsp salt and add 1 1/2cups coconut and 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts. I need the texture. It’s the very very VERY best oatmeal chocolate chip cookie there is. And you know me and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies go waaaaaay back.
Haha, yes, I DO know how you feel about oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. 🙂
Yay for oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips! Once I saw a saying that said, “never put a raisin where a chocolate chip could go.” Truth! These look amazing!
This recipe is my family’s very favorite oatmeal chocolate chip cookie!! It’s perfect texture, flavor and awesomeness! The one change we’ve made through the years is we do half white whole wheat flour, and it still works perfectly. We love these!!
Thanks, Meg!
Hi there~ Love your posts. What altitude are you baking at and are you adjusting all recipes or just this one or do you usually say on your recipe if you are adjusting? 🙂 Thanks – at 6,700 ft and usually need to know 😉
Hi Sharon – I live at about 2,500 feet elevation.
These are my go to cookies!! I only use 2 cups oats with chocolate and peanut butter chips. I can’t seem to get any other cookie to come out as yummy as these. My girls request them over cake for their birthday!
Make these all the time. They’re a big hit with everyone.
Made these tonight and they were the best!!! Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are definitely my weakness and they were exactly what I was hoping they’d be! I sent some over to new neighbors that just moved in. I’m sure they enjoyed them! They’re delicious!
Made these today! Good cookie but just a little too sweet for us. Will try again with less sugar. I used the quick oats rolled each cookie into a ball & flatten slightly and they were a perfect cookie shape.
Super yummy! I put 1 tsp of cinnamon in – it was delicious!
These cookies are the best when they’re warm! But they now are my husband and I’s favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe!! Also, I was wondering, do you know how I could modify this recipe into a 10inch skillet pizookie? They make great birthday “cakes”. Thank you!
I don’t know about the pizookie, Alena – you’d probably have to experiment a bit. Good luck!
Put the dough in the pan (sprayed with pam or greased) and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
Finally I found a crowd pleaser! This recipe is so good, it even convinced my youngest to enjoy an oatmeal cookie. I now have kids that ask for something I bake. ( this has never happened before)Thanks for making me have crowd pleasing recipe and making me into this kind of Mom. Love it!!
Thanks! So glad the cookies were a hit.
Best Cookies EVER. Thanks for a great recipe. I added 1/4 flour for a high altitude. Perfect.
These are so great! I did the quick oats method, and yes definitely use 2 1/4 Cups rather than 2 3/4 Cups for the old fashioned.
So I’ve read a time or two about you snatching cookies from the freezer… maybe this will help curb my need to have “just one more”! So after you bake and cool them, you just throw them into the freezer?!!! This is a game changer. How long do they last in the freezer? P.s. This is the only chocolate chip cookie I make anymore. It is so stinking good, although every now and then I think “I really should try the coconut one too”, but I just can’t bring myself to do it. We LOVE these cookies here.
Haha, well promise me you’ll try the coconut one soon because they are my FAVORITES! Yep, I just bake the cookies, let them cool and then pop the in a freezer bag or a flat-ish Tupperware and freeze. I literally always have cookies in my freezer. It’s a dangerous thing.
Ok, you talked me into it. (Wasn’t hard, was it ;-D) I’ll try the coconut ones too. Coconut and chocolate are a match made in heaven.
These are my go-to and I always have frozen balls in the freezer! I hadn’t tried baking and then freezing yet. I LOVE these and that I can make however many I want at almost any given time because I just keep them stocked! Yummy!
So yummy! The texture was good and the cookies were a nice thickness. I used my medium cookie scoop and got exactly 4 dozen.
Ok – these just changed my life… and added 10 lbs to my waist line. 😉
I am making these for a picnic potluck. Pregnant lady needs her fix! One quick note, and you are busy so I get it if it’s a piddly thing and you can’t get back about it. I have tried sending you an email several times on chrome and explorer. For some reason it keeps telling the message fails to send. Is there a limit on characters in the message? I feel dumb and pregnant. Pregnant dumb is the worst!!!!
Bummer about the contact form, Jess! You aren’t the only one having issues. I’ll look into it.
Ok, thanks and good luck. 🙂 Cookies were delish, by the way. I think I ate my weight in them today. Tomorrow is a new day, right? 😉
These are my go to recipe whenever I am wanting a cookie! I usually am a miserable failure when it come to chocolate chip cookies (completely flat and crispy with no chew in them) but this always turn out just puffy enough and soft enough! My husband and I down a whole batch in 3 days tops!
Can I substitute coconut oil for the butter?
Usually that works pretty well, feel free to experiment!
This is the perfect cookie!
Hey! I’m wondering how many cookies this recipe yields.
I’m thinking of making it for an English summer camp in South Korea.
About 2-3 dozen depending on size.
We made these tonight for our family movie night and they are awesome! I’ve made others of your cookie recipes but somehow skipped over this one. So glad we tried them!! I’m about to have our fourth baby and I’m thinking I might need to stash some of these in the freezer for late night nursing snacks;)
Do you bake these on Silpat liners or parchment paper? I had different results with each and am trying to get the right bake time… Thanks!
Most of the time I use parchment paper.
Just got done baking these–I got 4 dozen with my Pampered Chef medium scoop. They are delish! I had to bake mine more like 14 minutes total. I froze half to keep in the freezer and/or give as new mom gifts.
Mel, if I had really hoped to lose all my baby weight by now, I would blame you 100% for these cookies being in existence 🙂 This is the second batch I’ve made in two weeks and it’s JUST my husband and I eating them. Mostly me. I even tried to freeze them which made me forget about them for about a day and a half. My 9 month old is having cleft lip and palate surgery this upcoming week so I thought I’d better have some comfort food on hand. So, so good and so so easy.
Oh my, Rachel – you certainly deserve a cookie (or five) in light of your baby’s upcoming surgery. I hope all goes well! My husband’s sister and brother both had cleft lips and palates (they are adults now) and it’s talked about a lot in the family so I can glimpse (a very, very small glimpse) of what you are managing. Good luck!
The absolute BEST oatmeal chocolate chip cookie I have EVER tasted!!!! My fiancee went absolutely nuts over them too. Making them for my family this weekend as we are having a tree planting party @ my sisters house. Thank you so much for this scrumptious recipe!
oh my goodness! these are so delicious…practically irresistible. my husband wanted a non-chocolate dessert, so I subbed in butterscotch chips & raisins-as suggested & added cinnamon. easiest cookie to remove from baking stone that I’ve ever made. run to the kitchen to make these; they’re that good~
Best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies EVER! I might eat them all right now. 😉
Hey, I was looking for just a traditional oatmeal cookie recipe and I want to try this one. Do you think instead of the cho chips I can do raisains instead? And, should I add cinnamon? Just wanting them to taste like a plain old fashioned oatmeal cookie. Thanks and love your site for dinners, desserts etc. Best!!
Sure! I think someone else in the comments did this – adding a teaspoon of cinnamon and using raisins. Good luck!
can I add pumpkin to this recipe?
Could definitely try!
I found these too sweet for my liking- next time I’ll try your other oatmeal cookie.
“I’ve made them thrice in the last two weeks. I guess the moral of this story is you just can’t have too many favorite cookies.”- Um.. do you mean twice?
I had discovered your chocolate chip cookie recipe quite awhile ago and it has become my go-to recipe for those, so when I felt like making oatmeal cookies where else would I look?
LOVE THESE! So delicious! Had to take most of them to work so I don’t eat them all myself. They disappeared very quickly!
thrice = three, twice = two
Therefore, she made this delicious recipe three times in the preceding two weeks.
I am about to make these right now!…probably just once though…for today…
Hi Mel! I forgot to ask you in my last post. Could these cookies be made with raisins instead of oatmeal? Would I just use one cup? The cookies themselves are great – I just thought I’d switch it up next time if you think the raisins would work with these cookies. Thanks!
Melissa – Definitely. I’d probably add a bit of cinnamon, too.
These are my favorite cookies ever! After making them for the hundredth time today, I felt I should tell you. Thanks for the awesomely amazing recipes!
Hi Mel! I am on a roll this week…I’ve made the pretzel buns, the roasted cauliflower soup with the pretzel bun croutons and I just pulled my first batch of classic oatmeal chocolate chip cookies out of the oven. Thank you for the fabulous recipes and I am also meal planning thanks to you so – again big Thanks! My question is, with my two year old it makes it hard to roll all the cookies at once (I am sure you can relate) so the dough is in the fridge…can I make the rest tomorrow? I have only made 12 and I know I have a ways to go. Thank you for your help.
Melissa – Yes, you can definitely bake them the next day.
oh, and i subbed coconut oil for the butter. perfect texture.