Chewy Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies
These Oreo chocolate chip cookies pack crunchy Oreo pieces and pools of melted chocolate into a soft, chewy cookie that bakes up thick every time.
They come together in one bowl without a mixer, so you can have a tray of warm cookies on the counter on a random Tuesday night and not even break a sweat.
Why These Cookies Are a Keeper
The dough leans heavy on brown sugar, which keeps the centers tender for a few days and gives the edges that faint toffee chew. Every bite delivers two kinds of chocolate: deep melted chips and crisp cookie bits that don’t go soggy during baking.
The hands-off mixing is a real help when you just want cookies without pulling out the stand mixer. A sturdy spatula and a big bowl do all the work, and the dough comes together fast enough that the oven is still preheating.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, very soft: pull it out about an hour before you start so it creams easily
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar: dark brown works too, for a deeper caramel note
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg: cold from the fridge is fine
- 2 tsp vanilla extract: real vanilla makes a difference here
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour: spoon and level to avoid dense cookies
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt: if using table salt, use a scant 1/4 tsp
- 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips: a chopped bar of chocolate works just as well
- 8 Oreo cookies, roughly chopped: keep the cream filling intact, the chunks should be uneven for texture
Variations / Substitutions
- White chocolate chips: swap them in for the semi-sweet chips for a sweeter, creamier bite
- Gluten-free flour: a 1 to 1 all-purpose gluten-free blend works, but the cookies will spread a bit more
- Different Oreo flavors: mint, golden, or peanut butter Oreos all bring a new personality to the cookie
- Dairy-free butter: stick-style dairy-free butter can replace the unsalted butter, though the chew will tighten slightly
For something with zero baking time, try Oreo truffles in the food processor.
How to Make Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies
Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugars
Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the 1/2 cup soft butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Beat them together with a spatula or a wooden spoon until the mixture turns pale and looks fluffy, about 1 minute of vigorous mixing.
The butter needs to be genuinely soft, not just room temperature, so it blends into a smooth paste without leaving any yellow streaks. If your butter is still cool, microwave it in 5-second bursts until it gives easily when you press it.
Step 2: Add the Egg and Vanilla
Crack the egg into the bowl and pour in the 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Stir everything until the dough turns glossy and the egg is fully absorbed, about 30 seconds.
The mixture will look a little loose at this stage, that’s normal. If it appears curdled, keep stirring for another few seconds until it tightens up again.
Step 3: Stir in the Dry Ingredients
Sprinkle the 1 1/4 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt over the wet mixture. Fold everything together just until no dry pockets of flour remain.
Stop mixing the moment the dough comes together. Overworking the flour at this point will make the cookies tough, and you still have to fold in the chunky mix-ins, so err on the side of a few faint streaks of flour.
Step 4: Fold in the Oreos and Chocolate Chips
Dump the 3/4 cup chocolate chips and the chopped Oreos into the bowl. Use your spatula to fold them through the dough in a few broad turns.
The dough will be thick and a little stiff, with big jagged pieces of Oreo peeking out. Chop the Oreos into chunks that are about dime-sized, some larger, some smaller, so you get crumbly bits and full sandwich bites in the same cookie.
Step 5: Scoop and Bake the Cookies
Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon mounds and space them 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers look just underdone.
The cookies will puff up slightly and then settle as they cool. At the 10-minute mark, peek in: the tops should no longer look wet, and the Oreo cream might be peeking out in small dots.
Step 6: Cool and Serve
Pull the sheet from the oven and let the cookies rest on the tray for 5 minutes so they firm up without breaking. Use a thin spatula to move them to a cooling rack.
Serve the cookies warm, while the chocolate chips are still gooey and the Oreo chunks have that satisfying crunch. If you wait until they cool completely, the chew will be even denser.
Tips for Thick, Chewy Cookies
- Softer butter, thicker cookie: Butter that’s too cold won’t cream properly and the cookies spread more. Let it sit out until you can press a deep fingerprint into it.
- Chill the dough if you have time: Scoop the dough onto a plate, cover it, and refrigerate for 30 minutes before baking. The cookies will bake up taller and the centers will stay softer longer.
- Use a cookie scoop for even baking: A #40 scoop (about 2 tablespoons) makes every mound the same size, so they all finish at the same time and look like a bakery batch.
- Watch the edges, not the tops: These cookies can look underbaked in the middle when they’re actually done. Pull them as soon as the edges are golden and set.
Bake times by cookie size:
| Cookie size | Bake time | Texture |
|---|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon | 8-10 minutes | thin, crispy edges |
| 2 tablespoons | 10-12 minutes | thick, chewy throughout |
| 1/4 cup | 12-14 minutes | dense center, crisp rim |
Storing and Freezing Cookies
- Countertop: Keep baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Slip a piece of bread in the container to keep them soft.
- Freeze dough: Scoop raw dough balls onto a parchment-lined sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer to a zip-top bag. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time.
- Reheating: Microwave a cookie for 10 to 15 seconds to remelt the chocolate chips and warm the Oreo cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted?
Yes. Cut the added salt in half, to 1/8 teaspoon, so the cookies don’t end up too salty.
Why did my cookies turn out flat?
Warm butter that’s nearly melted will cause spreading. Make sure it’s soft but still holds its shape, and chill the dough for 30 minutes if your kitchen is warm.
Do I need a stand mixer for these?
No, a spatula and a bit of elbow grease do the job just fine. If you prefer a mixer, use the paddle attachment on low speed and stop as soon as the flour is mixed in to avoid tough cookies.
Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment. In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with a spatula until pale and fluffy.
- Stir in the egg and vanilla until the mixture turns glossy and smooth.
- Sprinkle the flour, baking soda, and salt over the wet mixture. Fold just until no dry spots remain.
- Add the chocolate chips and chopped Oreos, folding a few times to distribute them.
- Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon mounds, place them 2 inches apart on the sheet, and bake 10 to 12 minutes until edges set and centers look slightly underdone.
- Let the cookies rest on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
