Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

The classic oatmeal chocolate chip cookies – a delightful treat combining the hearty wholesomeness of oats with the indulgent sweetness of chocolate chips. We’ll explore this amazing cookie in depth. Delving into the roles of its ingredients, and providing practical tips for preparation, storage, and more.

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies hold a special place in the hearts of many. They straddle the line between a comforting, rustic treat and a sweet indulgence. The combination of chewy oats and melting chocolate chips in every bite makes these cookies irresistibly appealing. Whether you’re enjoying them as a quick breakfast (yes, I eat cookies for breakfast), a snack, or a dessert, these cookies never disappoint.

What Makes Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Soft and Chewy?

The texture of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies is a result of the perfect balance between ingredients. The oats contribute to the chewiness, while the brown sugar adds moisture and a softer texture compared to white sugar. The eggs bind the ingredients, providing structure and richness.

Can You Substitute Quick Oats for Rolled Oats in the Recipe?

While rolled oats are preferred for their texture and ability to maintain integrity during baking, quick oats can be used in a pinch. Quick oats will result in a slightly less chewy texture, but will still produce delicious cookies.

How Do You Ensure the Cookies Don’t Spread Too Much While Baking?

Chilling the dough is crucial to prevent excessive spreading. The fat in the butter solidifies, which helps maintain the cookie’s shape during the initial stages of baking. Additionally, make sure not to over mix the dough as this can lead to tougher cookies that spread more.

Why Is It Important to Use Both Brown and Granulated Sugar?

Brown sugar adds moisture and a rich, caramel-like flavor due to its molasses content. It also gives your cookies a longer shelf life, staying softer for a longer period of time. While granulated sugar provides sweetness and assists in spreading as it melts into a liquid under the heat of the oven. The combination of these two types of sugar creates a balanced texture and flavor.

What is in Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies?

Unsalted butter

It is always important to use unsalted butter when baking. If you use salted butter, you have no way of knowing how much salt you are adding to your dough and it will result in an over salted treat.

Butter adds fats to your dough which helps with moistness, flavor & texture. Butter melts at body temperature, which creates a ‘melt in your mouth’ sensation.

When baking with butter the temperature is important. If the butter is too warm your cookies will melt down too fast and spread too much in the oven leaving you with a greasy, flat cookie. If butter is too cold it will have the opposite problem and not melt down enough, leaving your cookies too thick.

Brown sugar

Brown sugar is granulated sugar with a little molasses mixed in. Molasses is a more bitter natural sweetener which actually makes the sugar a bit sweeter than plain granulated sugar. Brown sugar draws more moister into your treat and is more acidic, that means it will help make baking soda react.

Granulated sugar

Adds sweetness, provides a caramelized flavor and crisp texture. Sugar assists with rising when creamed with butter & sugar. It helps add moisture to your cookie and helps it evenly spread as it melts into a liquid in the heat of the oven. Sugar also helps with naturally preserving your baked treat.

Eggs

Adds both protein (egg whites) and fat (egg yolks). The egg whites help with rising because when foamed, little air pockets get trapped inside the mixture. The water content in egg whites encourages steam while baking which helps with gluten formation, resulting in nice and thick cookies. Egg yolks have emulsifying properties that bring batters together and help your dough from collapsing.

Vanilla extract

When using pure vanilla extract, it will add the deep rich flavor everybody wants in a treat.

All-purpose flour

Flour builds structure as it absorbs liquids and expands. All-purpose flour falls in the middle of bread flour (high in gluten) and cake flour (low in gluten). It is exactly what it is named, all-purpose, the most universal flour that can be used in most baked goods. 

Oats

Provides some fiber, absorbs liquid in the dough making a chewy texture, and adds a slight nutty flavor. It also adds a layer of nutritional value, making baked treats slightly more wholesome.

Cinnamon

A seasoning that adds a nice spice to your cookies

Baking soda

Elevates the pH level of your batter. It increases the spread in cookies and gives the crispy outside, soft inside texture everyone loves. Baking soda needs both an acid and a liquid to react. Things that will make baking soda react are: vinegar, fruit juice, molasses, brown sugar, tartar, buttermilk, sour cream. Baking soda only reacts once, right when its mixed into your batter it will create little air bubbles all throughout your treat. When the air bubbles get heated up in the oven, they expand.

Fine sea salt

Enhances flavor, adds balance, masks any bitter flavors. Salt is the most powerful and oldest preservative. Always make sure to use fine sea salt so that it melts down at the right speed in the heat of the oven. If you use larger granule salt it will not melt down fully when baked and will leave salt crystals throughout your cookie, making it crunch like you dropped it into sand.

Chocolate chips

Is a form of milk chocolate. Chocolate chips are not pure chocolate, they are typically made up of cocoa, sugar, emulsifier and vanilla.

3 Tips for Making Perfect Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

• Uniform Scooping: For evenly baked cookies, use a cookie scoop or measure each portion with a spoon.
• Baking Sheet Prep: Use a light metal cookie sheet lined with parchment paper for even baking and easy removal.
• Don’t Over bake: Remove the cookies from the oven when they’re just set for a softer texture. If you are watching the cookies, as soon as they look a little dull, remove them from the oven. They will continue to cook on the hot baking sheet.

Storage and Freezing

Keep in an airtight container for up to a week. You can freeze the dough balls for up to 3 months. Bake straight from the freezer, adding a couple of minutes if necessary to the baking time.

Equipment Recommendations

• A good quality standing mixer or hand mixer.
• Light metal cookie sheets for even baking.
• Parchment paper for non-stick baking and easy cleanup.
• A cookie scoop for uniform size.
• Don’t forget to grab a cute serving dish from The Rosy Nook

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• Oatmeal Apple Cinnamon Cookies
• Oatmeal Candy Bar Cookie
• Sugar Cookie Fruit Tart