Name: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 13 min
Total time: 58 min
Ingredients: 1¼ cups (156g) all purpose flour (weighed or spooned and leveled); ⅓ cup (67g) granulated sugar; ⅔ cup (150g) dark brown sugar (packed); ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon (42g) old fashioned oats; ½ teaspoon baking soda; ¼ teaspoon salt; ½ cup (113g) chilled salted butter (cut into cubes); 1 cup (145g) chocolate chips or chunks (divided); ⅓ cup (33g) finely chopped walnuts (optional); 1 large egg; 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract; flaky sea salt (optional, for topping)

If you love a cookie with texture, depth of flavor, and plenty of chocolate, these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies deliver! They have crisp, caramelized edges, soft centers, and an irresistible combination of chewy oats and melty chocolate in every bite.

Closeup of an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie topped with melted chocolate bits and flaky sea salt.

What sets this recipe apart

Texture: These cookies have incredible texture. The edges are crisp and buttery, the centers are soft and slightly gooey, and there is a chewiness all throughout from the oats. If you’re looking for a puffy, cakey oatmeal cookie this is not it.

Technique: This cookie dough is made with the reverse cream method (more on this below) which creates a flatter texture and crisp edges.

Oven temp: Baking these cookies at a slightly higher temperature helps create caramelized edges.

Stack of four oatmeal chocolate chip cookies on a piece of parchment paper.

Visual recipe overview

*Full recipe below in recipe card*

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough in a metal bowl.

Make the cookie dough using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough balls on a white plate.

Chill dough balls

Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon balls and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes.

A spoon pressing into the outer edge of a cookie on a baking sheet.

Bake and shape

Bake at 375°F for 11-15 minutes. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, use a spoon to shape the edges.

Key technique: reverse creaming

Instead of creaming softened butter into the sugars, this cookie dough is made with cold cubed butter. The cold butter gets worked into the dry ingredients until it resembles loose sand and the butter is broken down into small pieces. The egg and vanilla is added at the end which brings it together into a cohesive dough.

Collage of four photos showing oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough in a metal bowl.

What reverse creaming does

Crisp edges: By not creaming the butter, the cookies spread more, creating thin, crispy edges, and a chewy center.
Tender texture: This method minimizes gluten development, leading to a delicate, tender texture.
Thin cookies: Reverse cream method is excellent for creating flat, thin cookies.

Stack of three oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with bits of melted chocolate.

My recipe testing tips and notes

Stand mixer: This dough comes together best when using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. In a pinch you can use a hand mixer, but I find that the hand mixer doesn’t break down the cold butter as well.

Salted butter: In order to keep these cookies from being bland or overly sweet, I find that salted butter adds a balanced flavor.

Chill time: For the best texture, pop these dough balls in the freezer for 30 minutes before baking. Alternatively, you can chill the dough balls in the refrigerator for 2 hours or up to overnight.

Higher temp: These cookies are baked at 375°F instead of the usual 350°F. This higher temp helps to create caramelized edges.

Shaping: These cookies will spread quite a bit. Immediately after baking, use a spoon to push the edges of the cookies inward, creating a uniformed round shape.