Mom's Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
This is my mom's recipe for the most amazing chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies! They have crisp edges, chewy middles, are loaded with semisweet chocolate and get finished with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar - her signature - which makes them taste warm, homey and extra special.
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I have a lot of cookie recipes on this website, but these chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies hold a special place in my heart.
I lost my mom in 2007 to ALS, but her memory lives on through these cookies and other treasured recipes like her fish chowder and eggplant parm.
For more cookie recipes, try my Italian pignoli cookies, brown butter chocolate chip cookies, or this chocolate chip skillet cookie for two.
Why This Recipe Works
- Easy and beginner friendly - anyone can make these!
- Using all brown sugar and no granulated sugar creates soft, chewy middles and perfectly crisp edges with a rich, caramel flavor.
- Sprinkling the cookies with cinnamon sugar right before baking adds a warm, homey flavor and a delightfully crunchy texture.
- Can be made with quick oats or rolled oats.
Ingredient Notes
Chocolate Chips - Use the best you can find (I like Ghiradelli). The recipe calls for semi-sweet, but you can use bittersweet or milk chocolate if you prefer.
Brown Sugar - Dark brown sugar gives a more caramel-ly flavor and slightly chewier texture, but light brown sugar will still work if it's what you have on hand.
Baking Soda - Make sure it's fresh! Check the expiration date - If it's expired, it might not be active and your cookies wont rise.
*Find the full ingredient list in the recipe card below!
Helpful Equipment
How to Make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Use an electric mixer to cream together the butter, brown sugar and salt until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract, then beat on medium speed until fully incorporated, about 1 minute.
- Add the flour and baking soda and mix until just barely combined.
- Add the oats and mix for a few seconds, then add the chocolate chips and mix until fully combined.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, then mix together the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto parchment lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
- Sprinkle each ball of dough with cinnamon sugar.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Less time will give you a chewier cookie and more time will result in a crispier cookie. Ovens vary, so be sure to keep an eye on them.
Pro Tip: Pan banging is optional, but it gives cookies a rippled look with chewy centers and crisp edges. After 7 minutes of baking, firmly bang the pan on the oven rack, bake 2 minutes, repeat once, then finish baking until done.
- Allow cookies to cool right on the baking sheet, then serve while they're still warm.
Tips for Success
- Make sure you take the time to really cream the butter and sugar before proceeding. It should look like fluffy buttercream.
- Spoon the flour into your measuring cups rather than scooping it, and use a butter knife to level out the top. This ensures the most accurate amount of flour is used.
- For an even better texture and flavor, chill the dough for anywhere from 3-48 hours before baking.
FAQs
Yes! It's best to freeze the dough in balls and then bake them off right from the freezer whenever you want. Add 2-3 minutes to the bake time.
Yes! You can substitute with oat flour or a 1-1 gluten free all purpose flour blend. My favorite is Cup4Cup brand.
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Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1¼ cups dark brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2¼ cups rolled oats
- 2 cup semisweet chocolate chips or bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1½ tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Use an electric mixer to cream together the butter, brown sugar and salt until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla, then beat on medium speed until fully incorporated, about 1 minute.
- Add the flour and baking soda and mix until just barely combined.
- Add the oats and mix for a few seconds, then add the chocolate chips and mix until fully combined.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉, then mix together the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto parchment lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
- Use your thumb to gently press down on the middle of each ball of dough to create a small divot, then sprinkle each with cinnamon sugar.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Less time will give you a chewier cookie and more time will result in a crispier cookie. Ovens vary, so be sure to keep an eye on them.
- Allow cookies to cool right on the baking sheet, then serve while they're still warm.
Notes
- I originally called for sifting together the flour and baking soda (as per the video), but no longer find it necessary.
- Make sure you take the time to really cream the butter and sugar before proceeding. It should look like fluffy buttercream.
- Spoon the flour into your measuring cups rather than scooping it, and use a butter knife to level out the top. This ensures the most accurate amount of flour is used.
- For an even better texture and flavor, chill the dough for anywhere from 3-48 hours (overnight is best) before baking.
- While pan banging is not essential, taking this extra step gives the cookies a rippled appearance and better texture. It creates thinner cookies with gooey, chewy middles.
- After about 7 minutes of baking, take the pan and firmly bang it on the oven rack, then resume baking for 2 minutes and do it again, then bake for another 2-3 minutes or until done.
- Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. These cookies are best when fresh so I recommend freezing the dough in balls and baking them straight from frozen when ready. Add 2-3 minutes to the baking time when baking from frozen.
I can’t express how good these cookies are. I made them a lot last winter and they never lasted long. Got a hankering today on this cold morning so I’m making them again!
Nothing better! <3
The greatest oatmeal chocolate chip cookies of all time! The cinnamon sugar on top makes them so unique.
Thank you so much! Mom would be so happy <3
Just baked and these cookies are a hit! I didnt have Finlandia butter so I used regular unsalted butter. Dough was crumbly but I let it chill overnight and it came together. First batch of 18 on two cookie sheets didnt seem done at 12 minutes so baked longer and they really crisped up on cookie sheet after 18 minutes. The second batch I baked for 15 minutes and they came out perfect. Chewy in the center and lightly crispy on the edges with a light cinnamon/sugar top. Thanks, Nicole for sharing your Mom's cookie recipe.
Fantastic! SO glad you loved them. <3
Those make me feel the love, Coley! Raisins have ruined many a cookie. I'll think of your Mamma when I sprinkle that cinnamon sugar on top. I'm passing it along to Toby's sister is in central Mass. I hope she gets to see you on tv!