Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies

There’s nothing like a classic chocolate chip cookie, but this recipe includes ground oats that make the cookies extra chewy with more texture and a nutty flavour! They’re so delicious and if you like your cookies hearty and a little chunky, these are the ones for you. Super easy to make, minimum dough chilling required so I hope you’ll try these today!

There’s some debate about how this recipe came about because urban legend says these were first introduced by the store Neiman Marcus and a customer who loved them was apparently charged $250 for the recipe. Since then, Neiman Marcus actually released their own recipe, refuted this story and if you look online, there is much controversy about the whole thing! In fact, their recipe doesn’t even contain oats but all that really matters, is a chocolate chip cookie with oats is very, very good.

Oats make these cookies super chewy but also be sure not to over-bake them, because they will dry out faster as oats absorb moisture quickly. Baking them until still pale and puffy on top is how you make sure they remain soft and buttery in the center for a few days at least. I do recommend rolled oats here because even once ground up, they have more texture than quick-cooking oats (I tried this recipe both ways). I based these off a recipe I found on Barbara Bakes but the first time I made them, I accidentally used less oats than I was supposed to. Even with that reduced quantity of oats, I felt the cookies were still a bit drier and crispier than I wanted so the next time, after measuring the oats correctly, I actually added more butter as well. The result was perfeccccct and I’m so glad I made the mistake the first time around! I also reduced the temperature from 190C to 175C, as that seemed too high for cookies, especially as homemade oat cookies should be soft and chewy.

You can add chopped nuts to the dough as well, I just went the classic way because I felt like it in the moment, but a nutty, chunky oat cookie is never a bad thing! Many versions of this cookie also use shaved chocolate but I didn’t feel the need, simply using more chocolate chips took care of everything.

The addition of oats is certainly very very enjoyable and makes the cookies even more flavourful than regular ones. I hope you love them!

Please read the recipe notes before beginning.

Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies

Chewy, buttery chocolate chip cookies with the addition of ground rolled oats!

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Makes: 24 cookies

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Ingredients

  

• 1 and 1/4 cups rolled oats (115 gms; see notes)
• 150 gms butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup caster sugar (95 gms)
• 1/2 cup soft brown sugar (105 gms; light or dark)
• 1 egg, at room temperature (see notes)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (120 gms)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt if using unsalted butter
• 1 and 1/2 cups dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips (255 gms)

Instructions

• First, grind the oats in a blender or food processor until they form a coarse powder. A few bigger pieces of oats here and there are fine (see photo below). Set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugars with a hand mixer on medium speed until creamy and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on low speed to combine.
• Now add the ground oats, then sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt (if using.) Use a spatula to fold the dry ingredients in gently, then add the chocolate chips (reserve two tablespoons of the chips to decorate the cookies later). Stir again to form a thick, sticky dough.
• Cover the bowl with clingfilm and chill for 20 to 30 minutes (I find this is the perfect amount of chilling time to make sure the cookies don't flatten completely in the oven, but also don't remain super thick with very little spread. If chilling for longer than this, you may need to let the dough sit at room temperature for a few minutes until you can scoop it.)
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 175 C. Line a baking tray with a silicone mat or non-stick baking paper.
• Use a medium cookie scoop (1.5 tablespoons) or spoon to form equal portions of the dough and place them two inches apart on the tray. I bake 9 cookies at a time in my oven.
• Bake for 10 minutes, until the cookies have spread out, turned golden-brown around the edges, but are still pale and soft on the top. If they seem a bit puffy, gently but firmly bang the tray down on the edge of your kitchen counter to help them flatten.
• Press a few of the reserved chocolate chips onto the tops of the cookies while they're still hot, then let them cool for 10 minutes on the tray. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. They will firm up and become drier as they cool.
• Repeat with the remaining dough. If it's very hot on the day you're baking these, keep the rest of the dough chilled while a batch is in the oven.
• Once completely cool, store in an airtight tin for 4 to 5 days or freeze for longer. All cookies dry out the longer they're stored, but I find these were soft in the center for about four days for sure. Happy baking!

Notes

*Rolled oats are best here for texture and flavour. I tried this recipe with ground quick-cooking oats and it wasn't as oat-y ! Store-bought oat flour is not recommended as it's too fine to produce a textured cookie.

*I have not made these cookies without the egg but you can try this eggless chocolate chip recipe instead. I have not made that version with ground oats, but if you want to, I'd start with swapping one-third of the flour and see how the texture is.

*Prep time does not include chilling and cooling time. Cook time is per batch.

*Adapted from Barbara Bakes

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