Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

This is NOT your average chocolate chip cookie. They are hands down the best Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies.

Calling them the best chocolate chip cookie is a big deal. That is a statement I don’t make lightly, but they are certainly the best I have ever made. When I first came across this recipe named, “I Want to Marry You Cookies.” I laughed, the name reminded me of “Marry Me Chicken”. We’ve been calling these “Marry Me Cookies” for years now.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

When I finally had the chance to make these cookies with his mouthful of cookies my husband declared that yes he would have likely proposed sooner if I had made him these cookies.

There are several variations of this cookie. I finally had the perfect opportunity to try them one weekend while we were at the cabin. Pretty sure this recipe is where the phrase, “Bet you can’t eat just one” came from.

When making these I stayed as close to the original recipe as possible, in an effort to see what the fuss is all about. (As far as I can tell, the source below is the original author of this recipe.)

The thing that sets these cookies apart from every other chocolate chip cookie I’ve made is the melted butter. Such a small thing, but it has an enormous impact on the flavor. The best part of making these? Everything happens in a single pot. Easy cleanup makes this girl very happy.

I feel like I should clarify that these are chocolate chip cookies with oatmeal, a different kind of cookie from these classic Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. The oatmeal flavor in Marry Me Cookies is very very subtle.

I shared these with a self-proclaimed oatmeal hater years ago and he reluctantly agreed that while he still HATES oatmeal, these cookies are delicious and “the oatmeal doesn’t ruin them.” That’s a WIN, my friends!

How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies Chewy

The warm butter is blended together with the sugars and it creates a rich toffee flavor that I have never before tasted in a chocolate chip cookie. The cookies positively melt in your mouth.

I will caution you not to skip the step of chilling the cookie dough before adding the chocolate chips. If you add the chocolate too soon, it will melt into the dough, leaving you with cookies that are tasty, but nothing at all like the original.

This is the BEST second-day cookie I have ever made. They taste phenomenal warm from the oven and they taste even better the next day. I froze several of them to see how they would handle it and they were excellent as soon as they thawed.

I’m not going to bother saying that these are the best chocolate chip cookies in the world, because everyone has their own opinion on what that would be. However, these are truly some of the best cookies that I have ever made. I can hardly wait to try a whole wheat variation.

Marry Me Cookies

• butter
• dark brown sugar
• granulated sugar
• egg
• egg yolk
• vanilla
• all-purpose flour
• old-fashioned rolled oats
• baking soda
• kosher salt
• cinnamon
• semi-sweet chocolate chips

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Oatmeal

1. In a large saucepan (I used a 6 quart pot), melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, remove from the heat and add the sugars. Stir until the sugars are well-incorporated and mostly smooth. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
2. While the mixture is chilling, mix together the dry ingredients and set aside. Remove the pot from the refrigerator and stir in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add the chocolate chips and use your hands to make sure they are evenly distributed.
3. Roll by hand into 24 medium size balls or 50-60 smaller ones. Chill for at least 30 minutes. (I simply rolled them into balls and placed them on a couple of plates. Then I stacked the plates in the fridge until I was ready to bake them.)
4. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Remove the cookie dough balls from the refrigerator and place them onto a large baking sheet a dozen at a time. Bake for 10-12 minutes, larger cookies will require an extra minute or two in the oven. Remove from the baking sheet immediately and cool on a wire rack.

Note: This recipe is slightly adapted from and with thanks to Melissa Stadler via The Cooking Channel. She calls her cookies “I Want To Marry You Cookies” and I have to agree that they’re absolutely fantastic. While I can’t guarantee marriage proposals, these are certain to get rave reviews!

Oatmeal Cookie Recipes

I pretty much always have oatmeal cookies on hand – remember those growing boys? Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies have become one of my family’s top 5 favorite cookies. 

Chewy, thick, Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with chocolate chips are a treat that we’ve enjoyed for a lot of years now.

These are Orange Spice Oatmeal Cookies are soft, chewy oatmeal cookies with a fantastic orange flavor and a scent that is unforgettable, with a gluten-free version.

{originally published 11/1/11 – recipe notes and photos updated 10/13/22}