Chewy gingerbread oatmeal cookies with visible rolled-oat texture and semi-sweet chocolate chips throughout, without icing.
Partly chopped rolled oats give the molasses dough visible texture while chocolate chips add pockets of sweetness. A short chill allows the oats to hydrate before scooping. Keep the portions even so each tray finishes with tender centers and set edges.
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Gingerbread Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Per tray: 12–13 minutes · 3 trays of 11–12 cookies on 13 × 18-inch pans
Allow 129 minutes: 25 hands-on, 45 chilling, 39 for all baking trays, 20 cooling. Cooling includes the pan rest. Optional decoration, ingredient warm-up and extra trays add time.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- Food processor for a brief oat pulse
- Electric mixer and bowls
- 1 1/2-tablespoon scoop
- Two 13 × 18-inch baking sheets and parchment
- Cooling rack
- US measures and scale
Ingredients
Cookie dough
Spice blend
Chocolate add-in
Scale ingredients and US equivalents, including eggs. Keep cookie size, thickness, oven temperature and baking time per tray unchanged. More trays add time; weigh beaten egg for fractional batches.
Instructions
Prepare oats and dough
- Pulse old-fashioned rolled oats 10–12 short times in a food processor, leaving many visible flakes with a little fine oat flour. Whisk with flour, soda, salt and spices. Cream butter and both sugars 3 minutes, then beat in egg and molasses. Mix in dry ingredients just until combined, then fold in chocolate chips.
Hydrate the oats
- Cover and chill 45 minutes until scoopable. A longer overnight chill requires extra time to soften enough for portioning.
Portion the cookies
- Heat to 350°F (175°C) conventional or 325°F (165°C) fan. Scoop 34 portions of about 32 g, roughly 1 1/2 tablespoons each. Place 3 inches apart on lined pans.
Keep the centers tender
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) conventional or 325°F (165°C) fan for 12–13 minutes until edges are lightly brown and centers still soft. Use cooled pans between trays.
Set the oat-rich dough
- Rest 5 minutes on the pan, then 15 minutes on a rack. Serve without icing.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Pulse rather than powder
Visible oat flakes give texture while a little oat flour helps bind the dough.
Fold chips last
Mix them in only after the flour disappears to avoid unnecessary mixing.
Keep centers soft
Edges set first; the oat-rich centers firm during cooling.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | 3–4 days | Cool completely, then store airtight in a cool room. |
| Refrigeration | Raw dough: up to 2 days | Wrap dough tightly. Plain baked cookies do not need refrigeration. |
| Raw freezing | Up to 2 months | Freeze portions airtight; thaw covered in the refrigerator before baking. |
| Baked freezing | Up to 2 months | Freeze cooled cookies airtight. Thaw covered at room temperature. |
| Restoring | Before serving | Warm undecorated cookies briefly at 300°F for 3–5 minutes if desired; cool before decorating. |
Notes
- Use old-fashioned rolled oats pulsed briefly into a mix of flakes and finer pieces; do not grind entirely to flour. Semi-sweet chips are folded into the dough, and there is no icing. A 45-minute chill helps the oats absorb moisture. Contains wheat, milk and egg.
Nutrition
Estimated nutrition per serving; brands and portion sizes vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use steel-cut oats?
No. They will not soften properly during this short cookie bake.
Are the chocolate chips a topping?
They are folded into the dough so each cookie has chocolate throughout.
Do these need the original oatmeal icing?
No. Chocolate chips provide the finish in this version.
Browse more cookie ideas in the Gingerbread Cookies Ideas collection.
