Small batch oatmeal chocolate chip cookies--the perfect recipe for a half dozen of the softest and best small batch chewy oatmeal cookies around!

The BEST Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Well, friends, I've come full circle. My attempts to get my daughter to eat oats has ended here--with these small batch oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
If you're new here, I have a Homemade Baby Food section on my site, and just one quick glance will tell you that I over-did it in the fruit and oatmeal purees category when my daughter was little. Now, as a toddler, I can't get her to touch oatmeal.
Sure, I make these vegan protein bars with oatmeal that she eats happily (only because of the chocolate chips on top), and this mixed berry baked oatmeal on Saturday mornings. However, she eats these things exactly one time, which leaves my husband and I with the leftovers (not a bad deal, but I really wish she would eat more).
But, the truth is, she'd rather have anything without oats. So, I decided it was time.
Time to stir oats into my small batch chocolate chip cookies recipe, and see how she likes it.
If all else fails, I can always make her my small batch sugar cookies as a back-up.
This recipe for small batch oatmeal chocolate chip cookies makes just 6 cookies. They're medium-sized cookies, and I love how chewy they are! I used chocolate chips, but chopped chocolate would be great here, as it melts more and forms a gooey center.
Don't let a lack of chocolate stop you from making these cookies--chop up a chocolate bar and proceed!
Why You'll Love this Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe!
These cookies are chewy in the centers and lightly crisp around the edges. They’re packed with oats and chocolate chips (and never raisins!), and you can double the recipe to make 1 dozen cookies, or even triple it. When doubling, use 2 egg yolks, not one whole egg. Similarly, when tripping, use 3 egg yolks and no egg whites.
I love the chewiness of these cookies, and I love that you can store them in an air-tight container for up to 3 days without any change in texture. As if 6 cookies makes it 3 days in my house, though!
Actually, these cookies did last a few days in my house, but only because I bake several things at a time, and my kitchen counter is like a dessert smorgasbord most days. Wanna move in?
I'm happy to report that these cookies receive a resounding 'more please!' request from my toddler, and they are happily gobbled up by adults, too.
They're soft and chewy with caramelized cookie edges, just the way they should be. It's a good thing this recipe only makes 6 cookies, because I could eat more than a half batch of these cookies!
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies Ingredients
- Butter. We need 6 tablespoons (slightly less than 1 stick) of unsalted butter that has been softened on the counter for at least an hour. To double this recipe, use 12 tablespoons.
- Brown Sugar. This keeps our cookies chewy, thanks to the molasses in the brown sugar. You can use light to dark brown sugar interchangeably here.
- Sugar. A small portion of white granulated sugar.
- Egg Yolk. To make 6 cookies, we need 1 egg yolk. Do not use the egg white; save it for another recipe. To double the recipe and get 1 dozen cookies, use 2 egg yolks, never the egg whites. To triple the recipe to make 18 cookies, use 3 egg yolks. etc. Keeping the egg whites out of our cookies keeps them very dense and chewy, just how we like it!
- Vanilla. I always recommend real pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Flour. All-purpose flour that has been fluffed and scooped into a measuring cup and leveled off with a knife.
- Oats. I use rolled oats in this recipe, also labeled Old Fashioned Oats. You can use quick oats, if you like.
- Salt. Please don’t skip the salt in this recipe, it really balances the sweetness!
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder. To make our cookies spread and puff up slightly.
- Chocolate Chips. You can use dark chocolate chips, semisweet or even milk chocolate chips here. If you love white chocolate like me, try using those too!
Recommended tools for making these small batch oatmeal chocolate chip cookies:
-the absolute perfect cookie scoop that will help you get 6 evenly-sized cookies!
-a silpat. I love my silicone baking mat because it's reusable and slightly limits cookie spreading in my experiments!
How to Make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 375. Line a light-colored metal baking sheet with a silicone mat or a piece of parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 20 seconds.
- Add the sugars, and beat for 60 seconds. The mixture will turn a pale color and be fluffy.
- Next, add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat until just combined.
- Whisk together the flour, oats, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a separate bowl.
- Sprinkle the flour on top of the butter mixture, and beat just until combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop the dough into 6 large dough balls, and space them evenly on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes, removing the cookies from the oven when the edges just start to turn golden brown.
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 1 minute before moving them to a wire rack to cool.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe Variations
- Oats - You can use rolled oats or quick oats here, both work great. Do not use steel-cut oats, however.
- Chocolate - Use any type of chocolate chips you like (white, dark, semisweet or milk), or chop up a chocolate bar.
- Double the Recipe: To double the recipe, double all of the ingredients exactly, including the egg. So, two egg yolks, NOT one whole egg.
How to store Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
The best way to store these cookies is on the counter at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. You can refrigerate them to extend the life to about 5-6 days. You can freeze the raw dough (scoop it into balls first) for 3 months. Bake them straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes of baking time. You can also freeze already-baked cookies by laying them flat in a freezer-safe food storage bag. They will keep for up to 3 months if tightly wrapped. To defrost, simply leave at room temperature for a few hours.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip FAQs
If your cookies are hard, you over-baked them, I’m sorry! Try again, but remove them from the oven a few minutes early. I wonder if your oven has a hot spot and is cooking one side of the pan faster than the other. Use an oven thermometer to calibrate your oven. Also keep in mind that cookies continue to bake if left to rest on the cookie sheet after baking. Most recipe state to remove the cookies after a few minutes on the baking pan to prevent this.
To make cookies super soft, use egg yolks instead of the whole egg in baking. Also, do not over-bake your cookies, nor let them cool completely on the cookie sheet (because they will continue to cook!). You can also add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to any cookie dough to make the cookies softer.
It depends on the recipe. This recipe for a small batch of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies does not require any chill time. However, you can chill it overnight, but let it rest at room temperature before scooping and baking. Or, bake from chilled but add 1-2 minutes of extra baking time.
Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Small batch oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for two.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk only recipes using leftover egg white here
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup rolled oats
- ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375. Line a light-colored baking sheet with a silicone mat.
- In a medium bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 20 seconds.
- Add the sugars, and beat for about 30 seconds. The mixture will turn a pale color and be fluffy.
- Next, add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat until just combined.
- Whisk together the flour, oats, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a separate bowl.
- Sprinkle the flour on top of the butter mixture, and beat just until combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop the dough into 6 large dough balls, and space them evenly on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes, removing the cookies from the oven when the edges just start to turn golden brown.
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 1 minute before moving them to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
You can double this recipe to make 1 dozen cookies by doubling the ingredients exactly. This means two egg yolks for a double bath, or 3 egg yolkds for a triple batch. Do not use the egg whites! This keeps are cookies thick and chewy.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 277Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 143mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 1gSugar: 19gProtein: 4g
Linda Molina says
Should I have used a pan without parchment paper
Linda Molina says
Please answer these cookies are awesome.
Renee says
Hey Linda, While you're waiting for a reply, I'd offer a couple suggestions. 1) Could it be that your baking soda or powder are old and nonreactive? I used *brand new* baking soda from Whole Foods this past Christmas, and all of my cookies that used it turned out literally paper thin and had to be rebaked. SUCH A PAIN. With new baking soda, they puffed up beautifully!! 2) I've noticed that most of the cookie recipes on this blog don't recommend chilling the dough prior to baking. I'd suggest making the dough and then chilling it in the fridge for at least an hour or two before baking the cookies. I made her small bath chocolate chip cookies last night and didn't chill the dough like I normally do prior to baking. They spread pretty significantly on baking. Hope that helps!
Linda Molina says
Is the temperature right for these cookies? I be done everything you said but they still spread.
Happy Baker says
I have made these three times now and they've come out amazing every time. Christina's directions are spot-on. They do spread quite a bit, but that's how you end up with giant cookies with crisp edges and super chewy centers. Make sure you space them far enough apart. I think the slightly higher temperature helps give these cookies that gooey caramel-y flavor. I use a silicone baking pad which does help to keep the cookies from sticking or spreading as much as they would directly on the pan. My first batch I took out a little early and the middle wasn't quite done. Still totally delicious of course. I love this recipe because you get that perfect chewy cookie!
Lexi H says
Hi Christina!
I LOVE you and your blog! I made these cookies and my family gives them two thumbs up! So delicious and the perfect amount! Thank you!
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says
I'm not a big oatmeal fan but I love oats in baking and these cookies are a perfect example!
Deborah says
For those of you who are having problems with the cookies spreading too much, try using bread flour. NONE of the tips for keeping chocolate chip cookies from spreading worked for me, including chilling the dough and using half butter and half shortening. With the exception of my Christmas cutout cookies, the ONLY thing that keeps all of my chocolate chip, oatmeal, peanut butter, and snickerdoodle cookies from spreading is using bread flour. You don't even have to make any adjustments to the amount. Just measure out whatever amount your recipe calls for. I do find that I have to SLIGHTLY flatten the cookie dough balls before baking, but that's it. Nice, thick, chewy cookies!
Whitney says
These spread thin for me as well. Followed directions, no alterations. I have a #40 cookie scoop and this recipe made 9 full scoops of cookie dough, not 6.
Sarah Petz says
My husband was craving something sweet after dinner and normally we let it subside. But with extra late work nights, I knew something would let him know they are all worth it. You’re my go to gal for smaller recipes! I made these tonight for my husband with cinnamon chips instead of chocolate chips. Delicious! Thank you for your small bakes. We love them! Love from Minnesota :)
Chris says
I love your recipes! And these cookies are delicious! I have had to make this recipe atleast 10x to get them right though... I don’t know what I am doing wrong and all the above suggestions didn’t help me. But I finally baked them at 350 for 9 min and they looked like yours! Crispy edge, chewy middle. Delish! My toddlers love them too :) thanks for all the great recipes, your site is my go-to!
Becky says
My cookies spread terribly as well. The butter/flour ratio seems a bit off. I would decrease the butter next time and see what happens.
Christina Lane says
More than likely, your butter is overly soft. Try chilling the dough for 20 minutes before scooping and baking. Good luck :)