These Big and Chewy Oatmeal Cookies are everything you are looking for in a cookie – easy, chewy, extra big, and packed with delicious add-ins.
Via Golden Barrel
This recipe is pretty special to me. A friend from church was telling me about a cookie her mom used to make before she passed away and I decided I wanted to try to replicate that cookie for her. She told me what was in it including all the qualities that mattered. I got to work and after a couple tries it came out perfect. She said it was just like her mom used to make and that made me happy. I love that food can do that- bring back a memory or remind you of someone. Now she’ll be able to make these whenever she wants.
These cookies are not for the faint-of-heart. Each ball of dough is 1/3 cup and the whole batch only makes 8 cookies. They are huge and remind me of those specialty cookies you buy at bakeries. That’s not a bad thing! They make the perfect gift because they are so big and look very impressive. Good thing is, they are super easy to make!
One thing that can happen when making oatmeal cookies is that they can come out flat and thin. I know because it has happened to me many times! I played around with the measurements and also added a super helpful ingredient- cornstarch. I’ve used it in chocolate chip cookies to keep them thick so I figured it would also work in these and I was right. These cookies are super thick and so chewy- perfect!! Also, because of the cornstarch there is no need to refrigerate the dough- a step most cookie recipes call for.
A couple essential ingredients in creating the most chewy oatmeal cookie are brown sugar and molasses. I used Golden Barrel’s Organic Brown Sugar which keeps the cookie incredibly moist and soft. I also used a tablespoon of Golden Barrel Blackstrap Molasses – a little goes a long way and it gives great depth of flavor.
These cookies are loaded with tasty add-ins; dried cherries, chopped walnuts, and dark chocolate chips. That’s what my friends mom used in her oatmeal cookies, so that’s what I wanted to use. Of course you can go with the classic raisin – that’s definitely my favorite. I encourage you to try this combination too, though. All those flavors and textures work perfectly together and create one amazing cookie!
You will love these Big and Chewy Oatmeal Cookies because they are so thick, giant, soft, and easy to make. A classic made bigger and better.
Update: definitely use unsalted butter (original recipe doesn’t specify), and try ¼ cup + 2 tbsp of white sugar (original recipe calls for just a quarter cup, but it was still a hint too salty; we tried upping to a half cup, but that was too sweet).
Big and Chewy Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar (plus 2 tbsp)
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp molasses
- ¾ all purpose flour
- 1.5 cup rolled oats
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- ¾ cup dried cherries (or raisins, or cranberries)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350° and line 2 sheet trays with parchment paper.
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In a small bowl, combine flour, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and cornstarch. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, white sugar, egg and molasses. Stir until completely smooth. Add in the dry mixture and stir until evenly mixed. Add in the cherries, walnuts, and chocolate chips and mix in.
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Portion cookie dough into 1/3 cup balls and roll in between palms to make round. It will make exactly 8 cookies.
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Cook 4 on a tray, but only 1 tray at a time. Space evenly and bake for 15 minutes. Press down lightly on the cookies and bake for another 3-5 minutes. Let cool and store in an airtight container.