The only oatmeal cookie recipe you will ever need! Soft and chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies loaded with oats and chocolate chips!

I’ll admit that oatmeal cookies are not usually high on my list of cookies. I usually prefer the traditional chocolate chip cookie, or peanut butter chocolate chip, or Nutella chocolate chip.
Do you see a pattern here?? I think we can agree chocolate chips make everything better.
But, the reason I generally stay away from oatmeal is the dreaded raisin.

You know what I’m talking about. You think you’re biting into a perfectly chewy and delicious oatmeal chocolate chip cookie and then you bit into a raisin.
It’s the worst. WORST.
Clearly I am not a raisin fan, never have been, likely never will be. I don’t mind the flavor so much as the texture. Why ruin a perfectly good cookie with chewy, gummy raisins??

I know some of you will vehemently disagree with my raisin aversion and insist that it’s not a true oatmeal cookie without the chewy suckers, but that’s ok.
Thankfully these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies can be made with either raisins or chocolate chips and be just as delicious. Heck go crazy and add some nuts while you’re at it!
I’ve remixed these cookies a few times already with pecans and dried cranberries (NOT the same as raisins), caramelized apples, and turned them into cookie cups.

The Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
These oatmeal chocolate chip cookies here though… they’re delicious.
Like, SO. GOOD. Perfectly soft and chewy, just the right amount of oats (they are quite loaded with oats, but that’s how I like them) and chocolate with some sea salt thrown in for good measure.
Using sea salt in cookies is my favorite thing to do!! Just swap out regular salt in your cookie recipe for flakey sea salt and prepare to be amazed.
It adds such a delicious kick to cookies and those salty bites only help to enhance the sweetness.

If you like really soft and chewy cookies, make sure not to over-bake them!
They’re done when the edges are lightly browned and the center still looks very unset. They will continue to cook and firm up once you take them out of the oven.

I can’t go through this post and not talk about the bloom on my chocolate chips. It has been HOT and HUMID here and in a west-facing, no a/c apartment, it’s practically unavoidable.
You’ve likely noticed this on chocolate at some point in your life. White streaks of either fat or sugar caused by heat and/or moisture. If you were to eat a piece of chocolate like this, you’d notice it had more of a grainy texture to it.
Not ideal and definitely not aesthetically pleasing, but thankfully the bloom has no effect on the flavor or texture of the chocolate chips once baked.
They are perfectly ok to use!

How can I adapt these Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies?
Next time I make these oatmeal cookies I think I’ll pass on the cinnamon. I’ve discovered that I don’t particularly like the combo of chocolate and cinnamon so I’d skip it and maybe add some walnuts or pecans for more flavor/texture.
If you prefer raisins in your oatmeal cookies, feel free to swap out the chocolate chips. You may want to start with 1 cup of raisins though, or if you’re a raisin fiend, go for the full 2 cups!
If you’re looking for a go-to oatmeal cookie recipe, this one is for you!
Notes & tips for the perfect chewy oatmeal cookies:
- I used a small (2 tsp) cookie scoop for these.
- If you like really soft and chewy cookies, make sure not to over bake them! They’re done when the edges are lightly browned and the center still looks very unset.
- If you prefer raisins, feel free to swap out the chocolate chips — you may want to start with 1 cup of raisins though, and adjust to your liking.
- I use sea salt in all my cookies. It’s a great contrast with the sweetness of the cookie. Feel free to use regular salt if you don’t have sea salt handy.
- Chopped nuts can be added as well if you like. Customize to your heart’s content!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon optional
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on med-high until pale and fluffy (approx. 3 minutes).
- Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition, and beat on high for 1 minute. Add vanilla.
- Turn mixer to low and add flour mixture, mix until combined.
- Add oats and chocolate chips. Mix until just combined.
- Chill dough in the fridge for an hour (optional, but yields better results).
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat.
- Using a small cookie scoop, place cookies on baking sheet 2″ apart. I did 11 cookies per sheet.
- Bake for 10mins or until edges are lightly browned but center is still soft and unset.
- Cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
Originally published March 2016
Beca says
What if I don’t want to make that many cookies? Would it be ok to cut the recipe in half? Should I change any of the other ingredients? Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Beca! Yes, you can easily reduce the recipe by adjusting the Servings amount. If you’d like to halve it, change the Servings to 22.
Stacy says
Delish! I opted out of adding the cinnamon. I did add sliced almonds and after they cooled, drizzled with white chocolate.
I think this is my new go to cookie recipe.
Olivia says
Hi Stacy! I skip the cinnamon these days too, love the almond addition! So happy you liked them 🙂
Jessica says
I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of the chocolate chips, which I only used half of. This was a delicious recipe and turned out just how I wanted. Thank you for sharing!
Olivia says
Hi Jessica! Yay! So glad you liked it 🙂
Marisa says
By far the best oatmeal chocolate chips cookies I have ever made or eaten! I bake often and came across this recipie… so glad I tried it out 🙂 I substituted margerine for butter and they came out perfect! I also used regular salt instead of sea salt. Thank you for sharing this recipie!
Olivia says
Hi Marisa! Glad to hear they came out fine with margarine! Thanks for your tips and feedback, I’m glad you liked them 🙂
Rebecca says
These cookies are amazing!! It has become a family tradition to make them Christmas Eve. Also, instead of butter I substituted with coconut oil which makes them sweeties and chewier. Thanks for sharing your awesome recipe !!
Olivia says
Hi Rebecca! So happy you love these and thanks for your tip! I’ll have to try them with coconut oil 🙂
Beatriz says
These cookies are perfection! It is a frequent request in my household!
Olivia says
Hi Beatriz! So glad to hear that. Thanks for the feedback! 🙂
chiky says
Hi!! We love your cookies!! it’s my favourite recipe and I’ve used since a long time now! I added peanuts once and they came out delicious! My question is…if I do half butter half coconut oil will the come out nice? which ratio should I do?
Thanks again
Olivia says
Hi Chiky! So glad you like these! For best results, I would stick with all butter, but since coconut oil is a solid at room temp it should work fine. I would try half and half and see if you like the consistency 🙂
Amy says
I make these all the time and change it up depending on what I have. The addition of pecans is my favorite! To keep the big family happy, I make half chocolate and half the dough I add raisins. Everyone loves them at our house! Thanks for the recipe!!
Olivia says
Hi Amy! So happy everyone loves them. Thanks for the feedback and your tips! 🙂
Rebekah says
I don’t have any eggs… Could I use applesauce or yogurt as a substitute or would that ruin the cookies?
Thank you!!!
Olivia says
Hi Rebekah! I would give it a try with the applesauce. I don’t think it will be a disaster 🙂 Use 1/4c of unsweetened applesauce in place of one egg. Let me know how they turn out!
Gina says
Hi I’m out of vanilla and just can’t get to a store what’s the worst that can happen if I make the cookies without the vanilla?
Olivia says
Hi Gina! The flavour will be very slightly different but that’s about it!
Ali says
I laughed out load when I read your post. I couldn’t agree more, raisins are the bain of my existence! Hahah, I can’t wait to try this recipe, it is exactly what I am looking for!
Olivia says
Hi Ali! I hope you love it as much as I do 🙂
Alicia says
I just made the dough and it’s very sticky. Is this normal? Should I add anything?
Olivia says
Hi Alicia! Did you make any adjustments to the recipe? And have you chilled the dough? It should not be sticky.
Alicia says
Hi Olivia!
I used margarine instead of butter but otherwise stuck to the recipe. After chilling the dough, it is a lot less sticky. I am baking the cookies now and think they will turn out fine.
Olivia says
Ahh ok, that would make a difference, let me know how they turn out! 🙂
DRi says
What if I only have salted butter? Will that be a problem?
Olivia says
Hi Dri! That will be fine, just omit the salt from the recipe.
Emmy says
I made these today while waiting for my bread to rise. These are delicious. I made and baked them as written. They were a great success.
Olivia says
Thanks so much Emmy! I’m happy you liked them 🙂
CHRISTINE says
Made these today. Used only 1/4 Cinnamon. Doubled the Recipe. I lowered the Temperature & Cooked a little longer to make crispy outside & chewy inside for some. I also used a Fork to press down for some. And did some to the T. And made some half the size. THEY ALL TURNED OUT GREAT! I WILL USE THIS RECIPE AGAIN & AGAIN! THANK YOU!
Olivia says
Hi Christine! Awesome, so glad you loved it! Thanks so much for your tips 🙂
Kayla says
Can i use margarine instead of butter?
Olivia says
Hi Kayla! I would use butter for best flavour and texture.
Margaret says
Made these tonight! Followed the ingredients to a T (except the cinnamon) and they turned out really well. The folks who have issues with hard cookies, flat cookies etc. must not be following the directions very carefully because I’m a very amateur baker and I did not screw these up lol. The ONLY thing I would change is perhaps to cut back on the chocolate chips a bit (found them a little overwhelming) and/or the sugar, probably the white sugar. It’s a very sweet cookie. I chilled the dough for about a half hour then used a heaping tablespoon sized scoop balled up and got 12 cookies to a sheet. I had to bake them for 12 minutes as I found 10 minutes left them a little too underdone. Once they cooled they were great! Firm but a little gooey in the centre. Next time I am going to try bigger scoops (maybe 2 tablespoons) for bigger cookies and see how that goes. I ended up with so much dough I could have easily made 36+ tablespoon sized cookies so I froze the rest in a roll for later. Thank you for a great recipe! From a fellow Canadian.
Olivia says
Hi Margaret! Always nice to meet a fellow Canadian 🙂 So happy you loved this recipe and thanks so much for all your tips!
Debbi says
I made a batch a week ago and only cooked half of them. They were great. The other half has been in the refrigerator now for a week. Are they still okay to bake?
Olivia says
Hi Debbi! Yes, that will be totally fine 🙂
Tiffany says
My all time favorite chocolate oatmeal cookie recipe!!
Olivia says
Thanks Tiffany! So happy you like it 🙂
Chanel says
I haven’t tried them but unfortunately they spread out flat! After chilling them for 24 hours :((( I followed the receipt to a T. I’m so sad, these are for work.
Olivia says
Hi Chanel! I’m sorry to hear that. Did you make any substitutions? If not, I think something might have been off with your measurements. Also, check and make sure your baking soda is not expired.
Nadine Quinn says
I love your oatmeal chocolate chip cookies!!!! If I leave out the chocolate chips would it be the same texture cookie with just oatmeal?
Olivia says
Hi Nadine! I’m so happy you love these. You can totally leave out the chocolate chips for plain oatmeal cookies 🙂
Nadine Quinn says
Thanks So Much for your quick reply!! These are THE BEST!!!!