Gooey Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 25 cookies.

Step 1

Set 1 stick of butter out to soften at room temp. Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Step 2

Once butter is soft, cream together: 1 stick of butter, 1 cup of brown sugar

This is the consistency of “creamed butter and sugar”. No lumps. Much easier with room temp butter.

Step 3

Add (in no particular order): 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla extract, ¹⁄₂ tsp baking soda, ¹⁄₂ tsp baking powder, ¹⁄₂ tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, ¹⁄₄ tsp nutmeg, 1 tbsp molasses (optional, but recommended)

Step 4

Mix well, then add remaining ingredients: 1 cup flour, 1.5 cups instant oatmeal

Optional: Add 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Step 5: For Gooey Cookies

Place cookie dough in the refrigerator or freezer to cool for 15–20 minutes.

Step 6

Once cooled, spoon tablespoons of dough onto cookie sheets, about 1 inch apart.

Step 7

Bake for 9–12 minutes at 350°F, or until desired texture is achieved. Cookies will puff up in the oven and collapse slightly when cooled.

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Let’s talk about the chill step

One key to really gooey cookies (any cookies, not just these) is chilling the dough before baking. Having the dough start at a lower temperature creates a bigger temperature differential from the outside of the cookie to the inside as the cookie bakes. That does a few things for us:

1. The outside bakes and solidifies before the inside of the cookie can, creating a crispy shell that prevents the inside from expanding as much.

2. The dough is firmer to start, so it doesn’t flatten out immediately when placed in the oven. This helps the core of the cookie stay cooler longer.

3. With the cookie core at a lower temperature, it bakes/solidifies later than the outside (or not at all), creating a soft gooey center.