Old-fashioned oatmeal cookies are as comforting as a warm hug. This sweet, chewy cookie recipe, with the added benefit of chocolate chips, is here to hug you.

I love a good oatmeal cookie, especially one that is chewy, slightly crisp on the edges, with a nice balance of sweet and savory. I also find them incredibly versatile, an ideal cookie to personalize to your own tastes. The most obvious addition to a plain oatmeal cookie would be plump, juicy raisins…but I know plenty of folks who won’t even be in the same room with a raisin. For those, I’d throw in some chocolate chips—my favorite embellishment. This recipe is my go-to, and as you can see, I’ve included the chocolate chips. But for the rest of you, if this doesn’t make your heart sing, I offer plenty of variations:

For plain oatmeal cookies, leave out the chocolate chips (seems obvious, right?).
For oatmeal-raisin cookies, swap out the chocolate chips for 1 cup raisins or dried currants.
For oatmeal-cranberry-white chocolate cookies, swap out the chocolate chips for 1 cup white chocolate chips and 1 cup dried cranberries.
For spiced oatmeal cookies, omit the chocolate chips and add 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon and 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg.
For oatmeal-chocolate chip-nut cookies, add 1/2 to 1 cup toasted chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds to the dough when adding the chocolate chips.

Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies (Wendy Goodfriend)

Recipe: Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 (12-oz) bag bittersweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, both sugars, and salt on medium speed until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until combined, then beat in the vanilla.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, both sugars, and salt on medium speed until creamy. (Wendy Goodfriend)

Add the eggs one at a time, beating until combined. (Wendy Goodfriend)

Then beat in the vanilla. (Wendy Goodfriend)

In another bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. Turn off the mixer, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then beat on low until combined. Stir in the oatmeal and chocolate chips.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. (Wendy Goodfriend)

Turn off the mixer, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then beat on low until combined. (Wendy Goodfriend)

Stir in the chocolate chips. (Wendy Goodfriend)

Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about an inch apart. Bake until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies directly to wire racks to cool.

Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about an inch apart. (Wendy Goodfriend)

Bake until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies directly to wire racks to cool. (Wendy Goodfriend)

Serve the Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies (Wendy Goodfriend)

oatmealoatmeal

Recipe: Sweet and Chewy Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies

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