You can’t beat a classic like these soft and chewy chocolate chip oatmeal cookies! Made with butter, brown sugar, old-fashioned rolled oats, cinnamon and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

chocolate chip oatmeal cookies on a plate

Cookies don’t get much more perfect than this— buttery flavor, soft and chewy texture, a hint of cinnamon, plenty of rolled oats, and loads of semi-sweet chocolate chips.

These are simply my famous best oatmeal cookie recipe with chocolate chips, and I know you’ll love them as much as my family does! I love to make a batch, bake a few off right away, and then store the rest in the freezer for easy baking whenever the cookie craving hits!

Ingredients you’ll need

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Ingredients

Have fun with other mix-ins (if you want!)

These cookies don’t need anything extra to be special, but if you do want to add more fun add-ins, feel free! Substitute the semi-sweet chocolate chips with any of the following, or add up to 1 additional cup of:

  • Chopped nuts such as walnuts and pecans
  • Other chips such as milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips or peanut butter chips
  • Dried fruits like dried cranberries or raisins
chocolate chip oatmeal cookie dough in mixer bowl

How to make these chocolate chip oatmeal cookies

This is a classic “drop cookie” recipe—it doesn’t get much easier than this! They’re made using the creaming method:

  1. “Cream” butter and sugars. Beating them together until smooth and creamy incorporates air into the mixture, which affects rise, texture and structure (so the cookies hold their shape and not spread too much). More info on the science behind this here.
  2. Add eggs and vanilla. Adding these individually ensures we don’t overwhelm the butter mixture with too much wet ingredients all at once, and everything mixes evenly.
  3. Add dry ingredients. Finally we add flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and rolled oats. Mix only until dough is uniform, don’t overmix!
  4. Bake. I like to bake larger cookies (portioned with #20 3 Tbsp cookie scoop). Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes (8-10 minutes for smaller 1.5 Tbsp cookies).
chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, before and after baking

How to bake pretty, picture-perfect cookies

Oatmeal cookies are notoriously dull-looking, even though they taste fantastic. But we also “eat with our eyes”, don’t we? So here’s a few tips to help these cookies look their best:

  1. Only mix half of the chocolate chips called for in a recipe in with the dough.
  2. Portion the dough with a cookie scoop, then roll into balls by hand.
  3. Give them plenty of space. I only bake 6-8 cookie dough balls at a time on a baking sheet pan, depending on size.
  4. Before baking, strategically place and press the remaining half of the chocolate chips into the tops of the dough balls.
  5. As soon as the cookies are pulled from the oven, and while they are still hot and pliable, use a spatula to push any uneven edges back into a perfect circle.
  6. Let them cool completely before packaging or storing.
baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookies on a pan
  • Butter should be soft enough that a pressed finger will leave an indent, but not soft enough that your finger can press all the way through. Butter should not be shiny or melty at all. Are your cookies spreading too much? This could be why!
  • You can use either salted or unsalted butter in these cookies, but I love the additional flavor that comes from using salted butter.
  • Be sure to measure flour correctly! All of my recipes are tested using the spoon and level method (more info through that link). Are your cookies dry and cakey? This could be why!
  • This recipe was only tested with old-fashioned rolled oats, quick-cooking oats should not be used for this recipe.
  • These pre-cut parchment sheets are perfect for cookie baking.
  • For show-stopping cookies like you see in this post, I like to make them big and use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoon). More traditional sized cookies can be shaped with a medium cookie scoop (1½ tablespoon).
  • Cookie dough freezes really well. I like to keep a stash of portioned cookie dough balls in the freezer for fresh-baked cookies on demand.
  • These cookies will keep at room temperature for about a week, but are best within a few days of baking.
closeup of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

More oatmeal cookies you’re sure to love

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This recipe was originally published April 2017

baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookies on a pan
4.84 from 6 reviews

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Servings: 24 cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
You can't beat a classic like these soft and chewy chocolate chip oatmeal cookies! Made with butter, brown sugar, old-fashioned rolled oats, cinnamon and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup butter , at room temperature (226 grams, 2 sticks)
  • 1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar (213 grams)
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (200 grams)
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼-½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (per your preference)
  • 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats , not quick cooking (297 grams)
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (170 grams)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line sheet pan with parchment paper.
  • In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, or in large bowl with hand-held mixer, beat butter, brown sugar and sugar until creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Add vanilla and mix until well combined.
  • In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and oats. Add to butter mixture all at once and mix on low until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
  • Use a medium (1½ tablespoon) or large cookie scoop (3 tablespoon) to portion dough and arrange a few inches apart on sheet pans lined with parchment paper.
  • Bake until edges just begin to turn golden, about 8-10 minutes for smaller cookies, 10-12 minutes for larger cookies.
  • Repeat with remaining cookie dough.
  • Let cookies cool on the sheet pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy within a few days!
Calories: 150kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 24mg, Sodium: 103mg, Potassium: 62mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 138IU, Calcium: 17mg, Iron: 1mg
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Author: Annalise
Have you tried this recipe?I’d love to hear about it! Leave a rating and review below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram @completelydelicious with #completelydelicious.