Oatmeal Chip Cookie

These oatmeal chocolate chip cookies keep things dead simple. One bowl, ten ingredients, and about 30 minutes from start to finish. The dough comes together fast with shortening, both white and brown sugar, and quick-cooking oats for a cookie that spreads thin with crispy edges and a chewy, oat-studded center.

Shortening instead of butter is the key to the texture here. It holds its shape less during baking, so you get flatter cookies with more surface area for those crispy bits. The brown sugar adds moisture and chew while the white sugar handles the crunch.

Drop them a full 2 inches apart on the sheet. These spread more than you’d expect, and crowded cookies bake into one giant oat pancake.

Chef Tips

• Use quick-cooking oats, not old-fashioned rolled oats. Quick oats absorb more moisture and blend into the dough for a smoother texture.
• Cool cookies on the pan for 2-3 minutes before transferring. They’re fragile straight from the oven and will break apart if you rush them.
• For uniform cookies, use a tablespoon measure instead of eyeballing. Even sizing means even baking.
• Store in an airtight container at room temp. The shortening keeps them soft for days.

Variations

• Swap chocolate chips for butterscotch chips for a caramel-sweet twist (as the original recipe suggests).
• Add ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans for a nutty crunch.
• Stir in ½ cup of dried cranberries alongside the chips for a tart contrast.