These tasty chocolate chip oatmeal cookies are made with steel cut oats for a uniquely chewy texture. Give these delicious cookies a try!

Steel Cut Oatmeal Cookies
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I love oatmeal chocolate chip cookies but sometimes I only have steel cut oats in my pantry. I started wondering if I could make oatmeal cookies with steel cut oats and it turns out, you can! They’re quite delicious but there are a few tricks to these cookies. I also love that it’s easy to add a little nutritional boost to a tasty dessert. I wouldn’t necessarily say these cookies are healthy, but they’re great for a treat!

What Are Steel Cut Oats?

The oats you get at the store start as oat kernels that have their tough outer shell removed. From there, oats are split into categories based on how much they’ve been processed. Steel cut oats are the least processed version of oats. They have a firm, hearty texture and they take the longest to cook. These oats are also called pinhead oats, coarse oatmeal, or Irish oatmeal.

Rolled oats, also known as old-fashioned oats, have been steamed or flattened ahead of time. This allows them to cook faster compared to steel cut oats. Quick oats or instant oats are rolled oats that have been processed even further so they’ll cook more quickly. Steel cut oats, on the other hand, are neither steamed nor flattened ahead of time. The advantage of using steel cut oats is that they retain the most nutritional value!

Where to Find Steel Cut Oats

Steel cut oats are usually sold near the rolled oats at the grocery store. Keep in mind that these oats can go by different names like Irish oatmeal, Irish oats, or pinhead oats. If you can’t find steel cut oats at your grocery store, you can get them on Amazon.

How to Use Steel Cut Oats in Cookies

To add steel-cut oats to our cookies, it’s important to cook them to help soften the oats. I cooked them in the microwave so they’re ready in less than 10 minutes. If you don’t cook the oats before adding them to the cookies, they’re really crunchy, and not in a good way.

How to Make Steel Cut Oat Cookies

Add the oats and 2 cups of water to a large microwave-safe bow. Microwave on 70% power for 9 minutes until the oats soften. Let the oats cool.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla until combined.
Stir in the cooked oats.
Gradually add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Add in the chocolate chips and/or nuts.
The dough will be sticky, so I recommend using a cookie scoop or spoon to drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the baking sheet and press down on each cookie to flatten.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown.

Tips for Perfect Cookies

  • I recommend baking these cookies on the top/middle rack, as the bottoms tend to brown quickly, and this ensures that the cookies bake evenly.
  • The dough will be very sticky, so using a cookie scoop like this one will make it easier to place the dough on the tray. This also helps ensure evenly sized cookies.
  • I recommend flattening the cookies before baking so they are slightly more crispy and less cakey. They won’t spread much on their own.

Variations

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steel cut oatmeal cookies

Steel Cut Oatmeal Cookies

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  • Author: Liz Thomson
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 24 cookies 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian
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Description

These tasty chocolate chip oatmeal cookies are made with steel cut oats for a uniquely chewy texture. Give these delicious cookies a try!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 cup steel-cut oats
  • 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Add the oats and 2 cups of water to a large microwave-safe bowl. (The oats will bubble while cooking so be sure to use a bowl that is at least 2 quarts). Microwave on 70% power for 9 minutes until the oats have begun to soften. Let the oats cool. (Be sure the oats cool, otherwise they’ll melt the chocolate chips.)

  2. Move your oven rack to the upper middle position (so it’s in the top 1/3 of the oven) then preheat your oven to 350°F. Use a non-stick baking sheet or line your baking sheets with parchment paper.

  3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla until combined. Stir in the cooked and cooled oats.

  5. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.

  6. Stir in the chocolate chips. 

  7. The dough will be sticky, so I recommend using a cookie scoop to drop rounded tablespoons of cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheet and press down on each cookie to flatten. (I do this with a silicone spatula so the dough doesn’t stick when flattening.)

  8. Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown.

  9. Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

I recommend baking on the top/middle rack, as the bottoms tend to brown quickly, and this ensures that the cookies bake evenly.

The dough will be very sticky, so using a cookie scoop like this one will make it easier to place the dough on the tray.

I recommend flattening the cookies before baking so they are slightly more crispy and less cakey. (They won’t spread much on their own.)