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Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies made with brown sugar, cinnamon, along with chunks of dried cherries and dark chocolate chips. A delicious take on the classic oatmeal raisin cookies recipe with chunks of melted chocolate.
What makes an oatmeal cookie chewy?
Brown sugar is the key ingredient for a softer chewier cookie! The high moisture content provided by the dark brown sugar paired with a shorter baking time, will give you fabulous chewy texture for these chewy chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.
Key Ingredients & Test Notes
- European Style Butter is what I HIGHLY recommend for rich bakery-style flavor. European butter (also known as cultured with 82% butterfat) adds so much more depth to your cookie.
- Look for brands such as Plugra, Vermont Creamery, Kerrygold or Cabot which state 82% butterfat. If you can’t get your hands on some, it’s OK to substitute with standard unsalted butter (the texture may not be quite as tender with standard butter).
- Dark Chocolate or Semi-Sweet Chocolate will work for these cookies. Dark chocolate is the bitter contrast needed for the cookie dough’s sugary sweetness. I prefer to chop quality dark chocolate bars into small chunks as it disperses little chocolate flecks throughout the dough. Baking chocolate chips will also work too.
- Raisins or Dried Cherries for a bite of chewy fruit. Try replacing raisins to create a new flavor profile that tastes a little like chocolate covered cherries.
- Dark Brown Sugar makes a softer chewier texture while adding subtle caramel and toffee notes from the added molasses.
- Granulated Sugar gives structure and sweetness. By using a blend of two kinds of sugar the final cookie will hold its shape while baking.
- All Purpose Flour at 11% protein creates a lovely tender cookie crumb.
- Vanilla Bean or Pure Vanilla Extract to enhance the cookie dough flavor with classic vanilla notes.
- Pure Almond Extract gives a subtle sweet nutty flavor that brings this cookie to life.
- Cinnamon and Nutmeg spice blend creates the perfect nostalgic oatmeal cookie flavor.
Helpful Tips
- Dark Brown Sugar and Light Brown Sugar can be swapped interchangeably.
- Maple Syrup can be swapped for honey or molasses.
- Use room temperature unsalted butter. If you’re in a hurry, simply microwave 2 sticks of butter for about 15 seconds.
- Cookie dough can be made the day before and stored in the fridge.
- Store baked cookies in an air tight container for up to 1 week.
- Freeze cookie dough balls in air tight freezer safe container for up to three months. Frozen cookie dough balls may take a couple extra minutes to bake in the oven.
Oatmeal Cookie Mix-Ins
If you love different flavors of oatmeal cookies try swapping the mix-ins for your favorite toppings. I sometimes use golden raisins and leave out the chocolate, or mix in pecan and butterscotch. Make sure the total measurement of extra goodies equals to 1 cup. Below are some ideas!
- Dried Apricots
- Golden Raisins
- Thompson Raisins
- Dried Cherres
- Dried Cranberries
- Chocolate Chips or Chunks
- White Chocolate Chips
- Butterscotch chips
- Chopped Walnuts, Pecans, Peanuts
Adjusting the Spices
Swap out the cinnamon for pumpkin spice. Or add in a little extra cinnamon with a teaspoon of nutmeg and a 1/4 teaspoon cloves. Play with the flavors to fit your personal tastes.
Why do you Chill Cookie Dough before Baking?
Chilling cookie dough before baking helps to solidify the fat, aka the butter in this recipe. With the butter being cold and firmer, it keeps the cookies from spreading out too much while baking. The sugars in the dough gradually absorb the liquid of the fat as it melts. If the cookie dough is room temperature right before baking, the cookies will be flat and thin.
★★★★★ Please leave a star rating and review below if you make this recipe! THANK YOU!!
Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 250 grams (2 cups) all purpose flour
- 240 grams (3 cups) old fashioned whole oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 220 grams (1 cup) dark brown sugar, packed
- 100 grams (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 227 grams (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (1 cup) dried cherries, chopped
- 1/2 cup 70% dark chocolate bar or chips, chopped
Instructions
- In a medium bowl hand whisk together flour, oats, salt, baking soda, cinnamon nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.250 grams all purpose flour, 240 grams old fashioned whole oats, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat together softened butter and sugars.220 grams dark brown sugar, 100 grams granulated sugar, 227 grams unsalted butter
- Add vanilla, maple syrup. and eggs one at a time. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl as needed.1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 2 large eggs
- Slowly spoon in flour and oats until dough is formed.
- Take a small spatula and scrape dough from paddle.
- Add in cherries and chocolate, then mix on low a couple spins to spread throughout cookie dough (or by stirring in with spoon).1/2 cup dried cherries, 1/2 cup 70% dark chocolate bar or chips
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set in fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat Oven to 375℉ (190℃) and line a rimmed cookie sheet with two layers of parchment paper.
- Using a cookie dough scoop or 2 Tbsp Scoop to measure out cookie dough. (dough will be thick and sticky)
- Scoop cookie dough balls and place on baking sheets 2 inches apart.
- Bake on the middle oven rack for 10-12 minutes. Edges should be brown and center still soft. Cookie will firm as they cool. Don't over bake them!
- Let cookies cool on pan for 3-4 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Tips
- Dark Brown Sugar and Light Brown Sugar can be swapped interchangeably.
- Maple Syrup can be swapped for honey or molasses.
- Use room temperature unsalted butter. If you’re in a hurry, simply microwave 2 sticks of butter for about 15 seconds.
- Cookie dough can be made the day before and stored in the fridge.
- Store baked cookies in an air tight container for up to 1 week.
- Freeze cookie dough balls in air tight freezer safe container for up to three months. Frozen cookie dough balls may take a couple extra minutes to bake in the oven.
Hello! I only have quick cooking oats. Would that still work here? These look delicious! Especially with cherries
For the flour… it says 2 cups (150 grams). Two cups is coming out to around 190 grams, and 150 grams is coming out to 1 1/2 cup. Which measurement should i go with? Thank you!
Hi Nicole! Please use the grams measurement of 250 grams. Are you scooping your flour or spooning into the measuring cup and then leveling off with a knife? Sometimes if you scoop directly from the bag it will packing extra flour, making it weigh more. Hope this helps, Jenn
Loved these cookies – and so did my entire family! We will definitely be making them again!
One of my favorite cookies too!!! Glad you and your family enjoyed the recipe:)