These thick, soft and chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are made with brown sugar, old fashioned oats, chopped walnuts & lots of chocolate chips for the perfect bakery-style cookie. You’ll love how easy they are to make!
I’ve shared my favorite Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and these delectable Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies – so I figured it was time to combine the best of both worlds & make Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Now, I realize some people have an aversion to oatmeal cookies. And if that’s you – I recommend getting your priorities are in order. Because oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are just plain delicious.
They’re full of texture, infused with cinnamon and vanilla, ridiculously large, and dotted with melted chocolate chips.
Seriously, you can’t go wrong when you fill a cookie with oatmeal, chocolate chips and walnuts.
So what makes these soft and chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies perfect?
- We’re using melted butter to make them extra soft
- A higher ratio of brown sugar to white sugar creates a caramel undertone
- Adding a little honey to the batter is a secret ingredient for super chewy cookies
- We’re using lots of vanilla and cinnamon for flavor
- Using old-fashioned oats adds tons of texture
- Chilling our cookie dough creates extra thick cookies
- And adding chopped walnuts & tons of chocolate chips is just plain delicious
Now, even though these cookies are just as fantastic as the ones from your favorite bakery or coffee shop – the recipe is straight forward.
How to Make Soft Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
First, we’ll beat together the melted butter, sugars, honey, vanilla & egg – then the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt are mixed in. Finally, we’ll stir in our key ingredients: old-fashioned oats, chocolate chips & walnuts.
The cookie dough comes together in less than 15 minutes and then it’s time to chill the dough. Because we’re making very soft, very chewy, ginormous cookies – it’s 100% necessary to chill our cookie dough prior to baking. Otherwise the cookies spread too thin and loose their chewiness.
I like to use a 1/4 cup dry measuring cup or an extra-large cookie scoop to form the dough into balls, then set the cookies on a plate, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 2 hours prior to baking.
After chilling the dough, the cookies are baked for about 12 minutes. Then for the final touch, I like to dot the tops of my cookies with a few extra chocolate chip for a professional look and cookies that just scream “EAT ME”.
Now – for some common questions about these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies:
Why did my oatmeal cookies spread too thin? Usually it’s one of a few things. Either not quite enough flour, too much butter, not chilling the dough for long enough, placing the cookies in an oven that’s not fully preheated, or not lining the cookie sheets.
Why did my oatmeal chocolate chip cookies turn out dry and crumbly? This is usually caused by too much flour. Before measure, whisk the flour. Then spoon it into the dry measuring cup and level off the top.
Can I use quick oats in oatmeal cookies? For this recipe quick oats are ok – but since quick oats behave a bit more like flour, I recommend using 2 cups quick oats instead of 2 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats (like is written in the recipe).
Can I use instant oats in oatmeal cookies? I don’t recommend using instant oats because they’re too fine. Therefore you don’t get the chewy texture of oatmeal cookies and they can turn out dry.
Can I use steel cut oats in oatmeal cookies? Steel cut oats are much harder than rolled oats. You won’t get that chewy oatmeal cookie texture, but instead will have little hard bits in the cookies. I therefore don’t recommend using steel cut oats in this recipe.
Can I use margarine instead of butter? I don’t recommend it. Margarine doesn’t have as much flavor and typically the cookies spread too much.
Seriously – if you love thick, super chewy, extra soft, cookies that are full of flavor – don’t miss out on these! And make sure to watch the video showing you exactly how I make these delicious oatmeal chocolate chip cookies:
- 1 and 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon ,to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter ,melted and cooled to room temperature
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 large egg
- 2 and 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 and 1/4 cup chocolate chips , your favorite kind
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts , optional but recommended
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda & salt.
In a separate bowl beat together the melted butter and sugars using an electric mixer. Add in the honey, vanilla and egg and continue beating until combined.
- Turn the mixer down to low and beat in the flour mixer until almost combined.
Add in the oats and beat on medium speed until combined.
- Then turn off the mixer and stir in 1 cup of the chocolate chips and the chopped walnuts.
Form the dough into balls of about 1/4 cup . Flatten slightly, set on a plate and cover with clingfilm. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and place the cookies at least 2 inches apart.
Bake for 12-14 minutes until the tops of the cookies look almost set.
Remove from the oven and dot the tops of the cookies with the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips.
- Allow to cool on the cookie tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to continue cooling.
If you love these soft & chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, make sure to check out these other favorites too:
These look amazing!
Thanks so much Becca! 🙂
Will chilling then for 1 hour be ok?
That would be fine – they just may end up a little thinner 🙂
These were deliscious. I ended up needing a little more flour, and then added shaved coconut for grins.
So glad you liked the recipe! I’ll need to try with coconut next time I make them. 🙂
These are amazing! I made a batch and my boyfriend devoured them in two days! Had to make more to share with my coworkers. Chilling the dough is an awesome tip! ☺️
So glad you loved the cookies! My boyfriend can’t be trusted with cookies either…. But it’s a great excuse to bake extra treats 😉
do you use unsalted butter?
Yes, I used unsalted butter.
Amazing recipe. Its really tasty and full of flavor. I do have a question: I ended up baking these for a little long than you suggested. Though these were perfect but still I felt these should have flattened / spreaded more. What say? Please do reply.
I’m glad you enjoyed the cookies! If you’d like them to flatten more, I’d recommend flattening the cookie dough balls with your palms before baking, or removing 1 or 2 tablespoons of flour.
I strongly suggest not skipping the honey, making sure you’re using large eggs, and following the instructions for refrigerating the dough. Learn from my mistakes. I ended up with a dough so dry that it was difficult to form the cookies because nothing wanted to stick together. I ended up adding two more eggs and the honey into the dough when I had about 1/3rd of my original dough remaining (I had doubled the recipe), and those are in the oven now. The finished product from my first few batches are delicious and appear to be edible (as in I don’t think they’re going to fall apart when my husband’s friends bite into them) … I just wish I hadn’t been in a time crunch – it’s so much easier working with refrigerated dough.
Can I substitute all oats for the flour so they are gluten free?
I haven’t tried substituting the flour for oats, so I’m not sure of the results. I think they’d be too dry. You could try using oat flour (just ground your oats in the food processor) or potato flour instead, but since I haven’t tried them myself – I’m not sure.
Can you use quick-oats? as that is all I have and I really,really want to make these but don’t have the money right now to buy the Old Fashioned oats. Thanks for a reply.
You should be able to substitute quick oats instead of old-fashioned oats, however the cookies won’t have as much texture or be quite as chewy. I wouldn’t use instant oats however. Hope you like the cookies!
Thank you for this AMAZING recipe!! I love baking, and these are LEGIT the best cookies I have ever made!! My boys loved them! YOU ROCK!! :).
I’m so glad you and your boys loved the cookies! You made my night 🙂
Can the dough stay in the fridge overnight? Thanks!
Yup – that would be fine! I’d maybe just flatten down the balls a little bit before you put them in the fridge or before you bake them since they’ll be a little colder when they go in the oven.
Thank you! It worked fine, the dough was a bit hard but manageable. The cookies are delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I just mixed up these cookies, letting them chill now. I followed the measurements as far as making the dough into balls with the 1/4 cup and I got just enough to make a dozen.
I hope they turn out
Hi i followed the exact recipe except used quick rolled oats instead. the cookie dough doesnt seem to flatten out at all so far. they been in the oven for 14 mins so far. what am i doing wrong
Hi Sandeep,
If your cookies don’t flatten, that would likely be because there was a bit too much flour and oats. Quick oats tend to pack down more when you measure them compared to old-fashioned oats, so I’m guessing there was a little too much.
Sitting here eating some of these now! Best oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve come across lately. The cinnamon and vanilla flavors really come through nicely. This will be my go-to from now on. I followed the recipe to the letter, refrigerated the dough for 2 hours, and baked for 14 minutes and they came out perfect. Thanks!
Yay!!!! I wish I was eating one right now too!
Thank you so much for this recipe! They turned out soooo amazing and are now my family’s favorite!
I’m so glad your family loved the cookies!
If I were to make smaller cookies (like half the size) about how much would I decrease the baking time? Cookies are so good. Loved them
If you made them about 2 tablespoons in size, they’d need about 8-10 minutes baking. I’d start checking around 7 just to be sure. 🙂
Just made them tonight, super easy and fun to make 🙂 plus they taste amazing, especially dunked in cold milk. instead of adding more chocolate chip cookies on top after they were done, I put half a piece of dark ghana chocolate on top and they melted and made the cookie taste divine. First time using oatmeal for chocolate chip cookies and it was a success! Thanks
Hi! If I don’t have honey can I just leave it out or replace with something else?
You could replace it with a tablespoon of molasses or maple syrup, or add 1 extra tablespoon sugar and a teaspoon of water. 🙂
Can I freeze these?
For sure! After forming them into balls, you can freeze them in a ziploc bag. Then bake the cookies from frozen (they’ll probably need about 1 extra minute)
I can’t survive without these cookies anymore! They are also quite forgiving with baking! I make them by using an ice cream scoop and I don’t squish them at all so I get extra large and thick soft cookies every time!
Follow this recipe all the way and only adjust oven time based on your batch yield!
I’m on my 4th batch in 3 weeks! Thank you!
I’m so glad you love the cookies! 4 batches in 3 weeks – I’m jealous!
Made these last night for our weekly pizza/dessert night. WOW. They are incredible. Doubled them and we have lots of leftovers. For which I am exceedingly grateful today! 🙂
Best cookie recipe to date!
Thanks!
I”m so glad that everyone loved the cookies! Your pizza & dessert night sounds delicious 🙂
Are the walnuts essential to the recipe or can I leave them out? I work in a nut free environment and planned on bringing them into work 😊
They’re definitely optional! 🙂
OMG BEST OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES EVER! Thank you for sharing this recipe! I followed the instructions to a T and they turned out perfectly! I have to say they taste better cold than fresh out of the oven!
So glad you love them! I’ll definitely eat cookies ANY way – whether it’s fresh out of the oven, or cold from the fridge 🙂
Is there any egg substitute that I can use?
I haven’t tried, so I can’t be sure of the results. I know some people will use 3 tablespoons of mashed bananas as a substitute for eggs in baking, or 1 tablespoon flax seed meal mixed with 3 tablespoons of water.
I’m chilling mine now. Looking forward to trying them. 🍪
These cookies were amazing!!!!!! However I fell asleep while waiting for the two hours and ended up cooking them a whole day later and I must say these cookies were absolutely amazing! I also added a few raisins and almond shavings in my mix and they were so good me and my two boys ate them all as soon as they cooled!
Great recipe. I made them for my son because although they are not necessary “healthy,” they are definitely better than store-bought cookies. He loved them. I added an extra egg and omitted the honey.
Thanks for the recipe.
I just tried this recipe and it is fabulous. Really great flavor.
These are amazing!!’ This is the 3rd time making them and this batch I added coconut in addition to the chocolate chips and walnuts!!! My kids and husband love them!!!
I made these cookies and the flavor was amazing but they came out SUPER flat. I chilled the dough overnight and have messed with the oven temp but they are still very thin! What am I doing wrong?
Hmmmm… sometimes different brands of flour, oats or butter can react a bit differently. I’d recommend adding 1-2 more tablespoons of flour next time.
The recipe calls for a tablespoon of vanilla is that correct or is it a typo? I dont want to put too much vanilla in the cookies. Thanks!
1 tablespoon of vanilla is correct! If you prefer less, you can add 1 or 2 teaspoons instead 🙂
Can I use vanilla extract instead of vanilla?
Yup! For sure
Done this before and love It! However I have no butter today and was wondering if shortening could work?
I haven’t tried with shortening so I’m not 100% sure of the results. I think it would be fine, however the cookies wouldn’t have quite as much flavor.
Just made these a double batch and modified a few things first of all I didn’t melt the butter as every baking show or cook book I’ve ever read says not to do that so I didn’t – I let the butter get very soft and then I cut the amount of white sugar by about a quarter of a cup. I followed the rest of the recipe’s ingredients the same way however I didn’t form the balls and put them in the refrigerator for two hours as I just didn’t have that much time. I put the oven at 325 and used a small ice cream scoop didn’t flatten the cookies out and they turned out great – 14 minutes at 3:25 but I have an electric oven so just watch them beginning at 12 minutes and I always use parchment paper. They didn’t really flatten out – have a nice taste and not too sweet
Fluffiest cookies ever!!! I may have messed up the sugar amount because they aren’t that sweet. Or I just have a major sweet tooth, lol. I sprinkled a little sugar on top on the second tray going on. Also they took around 18 minutes for me but my fridge was on max cold so I think they were half frozen lol. Definitely making more tomorrow for Christmas!
So glad that you loved the cookies – I hope you had a wonderful Christmas
I’m so pleased with this cookie recipe! My cookies have never turned out this professional! I love that they are big, just like bakery cookies. The honey and cinnamon are lovely additions. Adding this to my recipe book now!
I made these tonight on Valentines Day and they were amazingly delicious. Halved the amount of choc chips though and added some seeds and craisins.
So glad that you loved the cookies! With craisins that would be delicious, and so perfect for Valentine’s day 🙂
Hello! Just wondering if you used dark or light brown sugar?? I only have dark so just wanted to make sure that would work as well.
I’ve used both before – using dark is just fine 🙂
Seriously the best cookies we’ve ever made…we even made them with butterscotch chips and with salted caramel chips – both times they tasted awesome. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
You definitely gave me an idea – need to try them with butterscotch and caramel next time! So glad you loved the recipe
These are so delicious. Just made them now. Thank you!
My girls baked these cookies last night as part of an assignment for school and we were having a hard time stopping “testing them”, , can you tell me how many calories does each cookie have?
If you end up with 20 cookies, my calculation made it as 226 calories each. That being said – depending on the brand of your ingredients it may be different. I usually calculate using My Fitness Pal
These are amazing!! I just made them and they turned out Awesome! My kids can’t keep their fingers off them. Lol. I put them in the fridge for an hour then baked. I put white and chocolate chips in them and they are so soft and chewy. I’ll be making them again.
Thanks so much Cheryl! I bet they were delicious with white chocolate chips too