Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's the brown butter that takes these cookies over the top.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies in a basket lined with a linen cloth
Elise Bauer

Do you love chocolate chip cookies? How about oatmeal cookies?

My friends, this cookie is a thick and chewy oatmeal cookie with oats, chocolate chips, and pecans (because they go so well with chocolate). It is the best of an oatmeal cookie and chocolate chip cookie combined!

Every bite is filled with something wonderful. This cookie is like the plain Jane chocolate chip cookie who wanted something more with her life, and then went out and got it.

Brown Butter Makes Them Better

The secret ingredient? (Among so many, what to choose?) Brown butter. Have you ever made brown butter? Think of the most buttery taste imaginable, and then multiply it by ten. That's brown butter.

Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies in a basket lined with a tea towel
Elise Bauer

How to Make Brown Butter

Brown butter is easy to make! It takes about ten minutes on the stovetop over medium heat, and is so worth it. The butter foams up, browned bits start to form at the bottom, and it starts to give off a nutty aroma. You will taste the difference. Brown butter has a super buttery and nutty flavor from the browned bits.

Just watch it so the butter doesn't burn, or you'll have blackened butter, not browned butter, which you won't want to use in this recipe.

1:48

How to Make Brown Butter

What Kind of Oats Work in This Recipe?

We use Quaker Old Fashioned rolled oats for these cookies, but quick oats will work, too. Just don't use steel-cut or instant oats.

Mix Up the Add-Ins

The real variable in this oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe is the shredded coconut. It's just there for texture. If you add a cup of sweetened shredded coconut to the mix, the cookies will be chewier. You can easily leave it out. Or try some with it, and some without, to see which cookie you like better.

You can also add dried cranberries, raisins, or swap the pecans for walnuts.

Make-Ahead and Freeze

The dough can be prepped and stored in the fridge up to a day and a half before baking. Once baked, they will keep for 3-5 days in an airtight container.

To freeze dough, scoop out cookie-size portions on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Freeze until solid, remove from the sheet, and transfer to a freezer-safe zip-top bag until ready to bake. Just add on an extra minute or two to the bake time.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Servings 30 cookies

Brown the butter first, as the butter is cooling, prep the other ingredients. Never browned butter before? See our detailed how-to here: How to Brown Butter.

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup (8 ounces, 225g) unsalted butter

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed

  • 1/2 cup white granulated sugar

  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 2 tablespoons water

  • 1 1/2 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

  • 1 cup chopped pecans, optional

  • 1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut, optional

  • 3 cups rolled oats (old-fashioned or quick oats, do not use steel cut or instant)

Special Equipment

  • Stand mixer

Method

  1. Prep the oven and the baking sheets:

    Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter two large cookie sheets, or line them with silicone mats or parchment paper.

  2. Brown the butter:

    Place sticks of butter in a thick-bottomed medium sized stainless steel saucepan or other pan with a light, reflective interior. Otherwise you won't be able to see the butter browning.

    Heat on medium. Melt the butter, whisking so that the butter melts evenly.

    Continue to cook the butter. As it cooks, the butter will foam up, and then the foam will subside. Whisk frequently to check underneath the bubbly surface.

    At some point, browned bits will form at the bottom of the pan and the butter will begin to smell nutty. Watch carefully—it's easy for the butter to go from browned to burnt.

    When the browned bits begin to form, remove the pan from the heat. Pour the melted butter, with the browned bits, into a glass or metal bowl. Allow to cool a bit while you prepare the other ingredients.

    As the browned butter for the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies browns, foam will rise to the top
    Elise Bauer
    Once the butter for chocolate chip oatmeal cookies has browned, the butter solids will sink to the bottom and the butter will smell nutty
    Elise Bauer
  3. Mix the dry ingredients:

    Vigorously whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon together in a large bowl.

    Mix the dry ingredients for the oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough batter
    Elise Bauer
  4. Make the dough:

    Place the browned butter (along with the browned bits) in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the brown and white sugar. Beat on medium-high until smooth, about 3 minutes.

    Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat for 3 more minutes on medium speed until smooth and light.

    Mix the sugars and browned butter together for oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough batter
    Elise Bauer
    Mix the egg and vanilla into the oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough batter
    Elise Bauer
  5. Stir in flour mixture and some water:

    Using a wooden spoon, stir the flour mixture into the batter.

    Stir in 2 tablespoons of water (note that if you are using jumbo eggs, and not large eggs as the recipe calls for, you will probably not need this much extra liquid.)

    Add the flour to the oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough batter
    Elise Bauer
  6. Stir in chocolate chips and oats:

    Stir in the chocolate chips, and the pecans and shredded coconut (if using). Stir in the rolled oats.

    Up to this point you can make the dough up to a day and a half ahead and store in the refrigerator.

    Add the oats and chocolate chips to the oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough batter
    Elise Bauer
  7. Spoon cookie dough onto lined cookie sheets:

    Spoon out heaping tablespoons of cookie dough and lay them on lined cookie sheets. Make sure you have about 2" of space between each cookie, as they will flatten a little and spread on the cookie sheet as they bake.

  8. Bake:

    Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, or until they are just brown around the edges, but still soft in the center. They will firm up as they cool. (If you want them crispier, you can bake them from 12 to 14 minutes, but 10 minutes will yield a more chewy cookie.)

    Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies scooped onto a baking sheet
    Elise Bauer
    baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookies on a cookie sheet
    Elise Bauer
  9. Cool:

    Take the cookies out of the oven and let them cool for two or three minutes on the hot baking sheet. Then, using a metal spatula, carefully transfer the still-hot cookies to a wire rack to cool.

    They will continue to be soft until completely cooled. Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
191 Calories
10g Fat
25g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 30
Amount per serving
Calories 191
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 12%
Saturated Fat 6g 28%
Cholesterol 29mg 10%
Sodium 121mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 25g 9%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 14g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 18mg 1%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 83mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.