Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie

The best of both worlds: chocolate chip cookies meet oatmeal cookies in a chewy, hearty drop cookie that satisfies both cravings at once. Rolled oats add chew and a toasty, nutty flavor that plain flour cookies just don’t have.

Shortening instead of butter is an intentional choice here. Shortening has a higher melting point, which means the cookies spread less and stay thicker and chewier. Butter would give you more flavor but flatter, crispier cookies.

Beating the shortening with both sugars and eggs until light and fluffy is the step that determines your cookie’s texture. Good aeration at this stage gives you cookies that are soft in the center with slightly crisp edges.

Kitchen Tips

• Use old-fashioned rolled oats, not instant. Instant oats absorb too much moisture and make the cookies dry and crumbly.
• Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a full 2 minutes before moving them. They’re fragile right out of the oven and will break apart.
• Don’t flatten the dough before baking. Well-rounded teaspoonfuls bake into thick, pillowy cookies.
• Store in an airtight container. The oats tend to absorb moisture from the air and soften the cookies after a day or two.

Variations

• Add a cup of chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch.
• Swap half the chocolate chips for butterscotch chips for a sweet, caramel-y twist.
• Stir in a teaspoon of cinnamon for a spiced oatmeal chocolate chip cookie.