Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- By Amy Dong
- Updated Mar. 30, 2026
After weeks of recipe testing, I’m happy to announce that these ultra-chewy and thick oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are the only ones I’ll make from this day forward. These oatmeal cookies stay chewy for days and have the perfect bakery-style texture.
Amy’s Notes
Nobody in my family and circle of friends complains when I go into cookie-recipe-testing mode. After dozens of modifications, we all agreed these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are the winner, hands-down. We love:
- The Texture: Crispy edges merge with a chewy center and a generous amount of melty chocolate chips.
- No Chilling Required: these cookies go straight from just-made dough to cookie sheet.
- Super Versatile: Swap chocolate chips for raisins, nuts, caramel bits, toffee bits, M&M’s, and basically whatever you’re craving! I hope you love these as much as we do!
Key Ingredients
- Old Fashioned Rolled Oats: Provides the best chew compared to quick oats.
- Brown Sugar: We use just as much brown sugar as granulated sugar, as it lends a deeper flavor and creates a chewier cookie.
- Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg combine to create an amazing flavor profile.
- Salted Butter: I often use salted butter, as that extra bit of salt makes cookies that much better. You can opt for unsalted if you prefer.
- Plenty of Chocolate: I love the generous amount of semi-sweet chocolate chips in these cookies. You can also use dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or a combination.
For full list of ingredients, see recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations
- Mix-Ins: Swap or combine various chocolate chip flavors such as white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, or dark chocolate.
- Additions: Add chopped pecans, raising, dried cranberries, roughly chopped pretzels, or toasted shredded coconut to the dough.
- Sugar: Try dark brown sugar instead of light brown, for a deeper molasses flavor.
- Butter: Feel free to use unsalted butter. Add another 1/8 teaspoon of table salt if using unsalted butter.
- Oats: You can also use quick oats in place of old fashioned, for a more delicate texture.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Whisk dry ingredients together.
- Mix butter and sugars for a full 3 minutes; no short-cutting.
- Add eggs and vanilla.
- Add chocolate chips and oats.
- Slightly flatten dough balls on a lined cookie sheet.
- Bake just until edges are golden brown; don’t over-bake.
For full list of instructions, see recipe card below.
Pro Tips
- Measure Flour Correctly: Use the “spoon and level” method so the cookies aren’t dry.
- Don’t Over-bake: Cookies should look golden brown at the edges and bottoms, but seem slightly under-baked in the middle when you pull them out; they’ll set nicely as they cool.
- The Secret to Round Cookies: Once the hot cookies come out of oven, use a rubber spatula to gently coax edges of cookies into perfectly round cookies.
- Press Extra Chocolate On Top: It’s optional, but I love pressing some extra chocolate chips on top of just-baked cookies, while they’re still hot.
Thick ‘n Chewy Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Cookies
These cookies are super thick and chewy. They are chock full of old fashioned oats and dark chocolate, satisfying every oatmeal-chocolate lover. They don't spread much during baking, so free free to flatten them a bit before popping them into the oven.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 16 tablespoons salted butter, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus extra for topping, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F with rack on lower middle position. Line baking sheets with parchment and set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg to fully incorporate.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment set to medium speed, beat together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, a full 3 minutes.
- Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Reduce speed to medium-low and add dry ingredients just until combined, scraping down sides as needed; don't over mix. Reduce to low speed and gently mix in the oats and chocolate just until combined.
- Roll dough into 2 TB sized balls and place 2 inches apart on lined baking sheets. Gently flatten each ball into a disk shape. Bake 11-13 minutes or just until edges are golden and bottoms are browned.
- If desired, gently press in some extra chocolate chips on top of cookies while they're still hot. Let cookies cool a few minutes on baking sheet before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Bake Time: Bake less time for a softer, chewier cookie. Bake longer for a crispier cookie.
- Variations: Feel free to mix and match various flavors of chocolate chips, raisins, caramel bits, toffee bits, or whatever you’d like to try.
- Storage: Baked cookies can be stored airtight at moderate room temperature for 3 days. Baked cookies or unbaked dough can be wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 2 months.
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Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 79mg | Potassium: 57mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 256IU | Vitamin C: 0.002mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg
Frequently Asked Questions
Why didn’t my cookies spread in the oven?
These cookies are thick and heart and may not spread as much as regular cookies during baking. For the best shape, gently flatten each dough ball into a circle shape before baking.
Can I use quick oats instead of old fashioned?
You can substitute them 1 for 1, but the texture will be more delicate and less hearty/chewy when using quick oats.
How do I keep oatmeal cookies from drying out?
Always use the “spoon and level” method of measuring dry ingredients such as flour, sugar, and oats. Most importantly, slightly under-bake the cookies for a chewy texture. Do not over-bake.
Can I freeze the cookie dough?
Absolutely. This dough freezes beautifully. You can freeze flattened dough rounds or entire dough ball airtight for up to 2 months.
Do I really need to beat the butter and sugars for 3 whole minutes?
Yes! This step is called “creaming” and effectively incorporates air into the dough. It’s what helps cookies bake up thick and chewy, verses dense and heavy,
More to Bake and Eat
- Perfect Oatmeal Cookies – these are no-frill, classic oatmeal cookies that let the oats shine,.
- Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies – these are a delicious twist to oatmeal cookies that are guaranteed to disappear.
- Apple Cookies (With Caramel) – try these in fall or anytime of year. So good!
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies – these are my absolute favorite raisin cookies in the world.