Oatmeal Pecan Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Spoiler alert: this is not diet food.
It is, however, the most dynamic cookie recipe EVER. So whether you like your cookies thin and crispy, soft and chewy, or both, this dough gets the job done.
To me, this is the perfect fall cookie. Sweet, cozy, crunchy, and exploding with texture, it’s like a piece of comfort right in the palm of your hand. For the record I have eaten six in one sitting, a “sitting” qualifying as ten minutes. These are admittedly dangerous, I know, but totally, completely, worth it.
So without further adieu, let’s dive in.
On face value this is a pretty standard cookie recipe — butter, sugar, flour, chocolate. But the ratio of sugar + flour is equal, I use brown AND white sugars, and the extras? Old fashioned oats + chopped pecans! These little particulars take this cookie recipe from basic to badass, and best of all? No extra time required!
This comes together in your stand mixer in barely 10 minutes.
The key to this doughs versatility is a combination of scooping-style + cooking time. To keep things simple, here’s how it goes:
For THIN & CRISPY: place golf ball-sized rounds of dough onto your greased baking sheet, then flatten almost completely with your finger tips. Cook at 350F for 10 – 11 minutes.
For SOFT & CHEWY: place just larger than golf ball-sized rounds of dough onto your greased baking sheet, leaving each ball untouched. Cook at 350F for 13 minutes.
For CRISPY EDGES + CHEWY CENTERS: place golf ball-sized rounds of dough onto your greased baking sheet, then flatten the tops slightly with your finger tips. Cook at 350F for 12 – 13 minutes.
Get it? Got it? GOOD.
Let’s bake.
In general one of my biggest cookie baking tips is to make sure your cookies pop out of the oven slightly underbaked. Then let them continue to bake on the warm baking sheet for about 5 minutes, and finally transfer to a wire rack to cool. THIS is the secret, so carry it with you always. And remember that this recipe is the absolute best.
As for taste? The pics speak for themselves. Crunchy, chewy, crispy, buttery, chocolatey, nutty… it has it ALL. And so will you, in about 30 minutes. Xo
Oatmeal Pecan Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
- 1 tsp baking soda
- a pinch of salt
- 3 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 1/4 cups crushed pecan bits
- 12 oz milk chocolate, chopped
- shortening to grease
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 350F. Amply grease several baking sheets with shortening
- In the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter and sugars on medium-low speed until creamy and fluffy. Next add the eggs, one at a time, again incorporating on medium-low speed. Continue to mix in the vanilla, flour, baking soda, and salt. Then lastly incorporate the oats, pecan bits, and milk chocolate until the dough completely takes shape.
- Scoop golf ball-sized rounds onto the baking sheet, then flatten the tops slightly with your finger tips. Bake on oven middle rack for 12 – 13 minutes until the edges are set and the color is lightly browned, with the center still a bit soft. Rest cookies on baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to completely cool. Repeat as necessary. Modifications to produce crispier or softer cookies can be found below.
For THIN & CRISPY: place golf ball-sized rounds of dough onto your greased baking sheet, then flatten almost completely with your finger tips. Cook at 350F for 10 – 11 minutes.
For SOFT & CHEWY: place just larger than golf ball-sized rounds of dough onto your greased baking sheet, leaving each ball untouched. Cook at 350F for 13 minutes.
