A recipe for tender, thick, soft, chewy oatmeal cookies (and how to achieve those three qualities!) perfect with chocolate chips, butterscotch morsels, raisins and/or nuts – just add what you like best!
JUMP TO RECIPEWhen it comes to oatmeal cookies, everyone has different preferences about texture. Thick or thin, cake-like or chewy, crispy or tender, and so on.
This is a recipe for what I like. And what I like in an oatmeal cookie is for it to be thick, soft and a little chewy. And this recipe is the BEST EVER if you’re looking for that combo!
If that’s not what you’re after, this might not be the recipe for you! Or it could be if you adjust a few things we’ll talk about below.
BUTTER, SHORTENING OR A COMBINATION OF BOTH?
Butter has a lower melting point than shortening so cookies made with all butter will spread farther in the pan yielding thinner, crispier, chewier cookies.
If you prefer thicker cookies, use a 50/50 combo of shortening and butter. I don’t recommend using all shortening for flavor’s sake.
If using a 50/50 combo, add an extra pinch of salt to the recipe (add two if you’re using unsalted butter).
OLD FASHIONED OR QUICK-COOKING OATS?
Either can be used for oatmeal cookies but I always use quick-cooking oats. Old Fashioned oats are more traditional but I like to use quick-cook oats because they will yield softer, thicker, more tender cookies.
When using quick-cook oats, it’s important not to over-mix them to prevent them from breaking up too much (you still want to see and feel the oat texture).
To achieve my preferred cookie texture, I use ALL butter and quick-cooking oats which means thicker, softer cookies that are still chewy.
Quick-Cooking Oats are also my preference in no-bake oatmeal cookies, like these:
Two other things that might catch your eye in my recipe are the amounts of salt and vanilla I use. Those are not typos!
I use a whole teaspoon of salt (and salted butter and salty baking soda). Salt is as important to sweet recipes as sugar is and recipes with too little salt taste flat and unbalanced.
Middle Baby has a recipe (that she found on one of those Gen Z social media platforms I don’t understand) that uses TWO tablespoons of vanilla in a relatively small batch for chocolate chip cookies. The first time she made them I was amazed at the flavor (because I totally thought it was SURELY a mistake!). I’ve been using two tablespoons in all my cookie recipes since because the flavor is delicious!
CHOCOLATE CHIPS, BUTTERSCOTCH, RAISINS OR NUTS?
Whatever floats your boat! I like all the things! All of one or a combination of everything together works for me! Just stick with about 2-2.5 cups total of whatever you’re adding (more than that and your cookies likely won’t hold together).
If using chocolate, I don’t add cinnamon but you certainly can if you want. When making classic oatmeal cookies with raisins I add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg.
For picture-perfect cookies, reserve about 3/4 cup chocolate chips or butterscotch morsels to place on top before baking (not raisins or nuts as they may burn).
Recipe for Thick, Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Cookies
Thick, Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (real, salted) at room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
- 2 cups chocolate chips (or whatever you like!)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or spray lightly with cooking spray.
- Cream butter with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer or handheld mixer until fluffy.
- Add white sugar then mix until well combined. Add brown sugar then mix well again.
- Add eggs, vanilla extract, baking soda and salt then mix well.
- Add flour then mix until well combined.
- Add oats and most of the chocolate chips then mix until just combined. Optional: Reserve about 3/4 cup of chips to place on top of each cookie (optional but very pretty!)
- Using a cookie scoop or two large spoons, portion dough (mounded, about 1.5 inch in diameter) onto prepared cookie sheets about two inches apart. Optional: Place 3-4 chocolate chips on top of each mound of dough, near the center (cookies will spread and so will the chips so place them pretty close together).
- Place dough in the refrigerator between batches. I cook mine all at once using the Convection Bake option on my oven (at 325 degrees) on two gigantic cookie sheets.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes or until just slightly browned at the bottom edges. Cookies should look slightly undercooked in the middle (that’s OK – they will continue cooking and set once removed from the oven). If using a light colored pan, the cookies will likely not brown on the bottom – do not overcook them.
- Cool for 15 minutes on the pan then move to another surface to cool completely. Once cool, store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
- See notes in article above regarding the use of Old Fashioned oats and options for mix-ins (chocolate chips, butterscotch, raisins and/or nuts)
- Be careful not to overcook these when using light-colored pans. The cookies don’t brown much on them. If your cookies haven’t started to brown after 10 minutes when using light-colored pans, look for the edges to be set then remove from the oven.
- Add cinnamon if desired! I add cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg when using raisins but not chocolate chips (that’s just my personal preference but you do you!)
- Yes, I really do mean two tablespoons of vanilla.
Thank you for letting us know that using all butter will cause the cookies to be thinner. That's what happened the last time I made cookies. Will use the 1/2 butter and 1/2 shortening next time.
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