Just as good as the classic Toll House, these Oat Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies are all golden brown crispy edges and gooey soft centers. They’re gluten-free and whole grain as well thanks to the oat flour. This recipe is based on the chocolate chip cookies my mom always made for us growing up. And they’re every bit as good as my memory of them!
Did you grow up eating the classic chocolate chip cookies from Toll House? I sure did, and they’re still my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. They are the perfect combination of soft chewy-gooey interiors and crispy edges.
So over the years, I’ve made their recipe with gluten-free flour, and it’s pretty good. But I’ve recently started experimenting with oat flour, and it makes an incredible chocolate chip cookie!
I’ve tinkered around with the ratios to get the perfect texture for oat flour. But this recipe is 100% inspired by the classic Toll House recipe!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Butter – I don’t recommend subbing anything in for the salted butter for these particular cookies. However, I have heard from readers that they’re having success with vegan/dairy-free butter and coconut oil.
- Sugar – again I don’t recommend subbing in different sweeteners. Cane sugar combined with brown sugar will give you the best chewy results. I have made these with coconut sugar before, and they’re still good but different.
- Eggs – provide the perfect amount of binding and it helps to create a chewy texture.
- Oat flour – make a wonderful cookie with crispy edges and soft centers. It doesn’t substitute 1:1 like gluten-free flour so I’ve provided the ratio in the recipe notes for gluten-free flour as well. If you need your oat flour to be gluten-free, look for certified gluten-free on the package. I’ve used both Bob’s Red Mill and Anthony’s. I’ve only tested this recipe with store-bought oat flour not homemade. Homemade oat flour varies a lot in texture so I can’t be sure of the results you’ll get.
- Baking soda – is the best leavening for this recipe and creates the right texture, don’t sub in baking powder.
- Chocolate chips – I use the Enjoy Life brand because they’re free of the top allergens, but you can use any chocolate chip you love. I’ve used both dark and semi-sweet chocolate chips in these cookies. The semi-sweet chocolate chips are the classic flavor for these cookies, but the dark chocolate chips are a nice change as well. You can also use white chocolate chips with dried cranberries, peanut butter chips, or chocolate chunks in these cookies.
- Nuts – I don’t include nuts in my chocolate chip cookies, but chopped walnuts or pecans can also be added. The original Toll House has an optional 1 cup of chopped nuts listed.
How to make this recipe step by step
Step 1: Start by creaming the butter and sugars together in an electric stand mixer.
Scrape down the sides as necessary to completely combine.
Step 2: Next add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until light and fluffy.
Step 3: Add the dry ingredients to a medium bowl and mix. Then add the oat flour mixture to the stand mixer and mix just enough to combine. Then stir in the chocolate chips.
Important: next let the cookie batter sit covered for 30 minutes so the oat flour can absorb some liquid. This is crucial for the best texture in these cookies! Oat flour can be slightly gritty if you skip this step.
You can also let the cookie dough rest covered and in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. But the cooking time does vary slightly sometimes needing another minute.
Step 4: After the cookie dough has rested for 30 minutes, portion it out onto a baking sheet with parchment paper. I use a cookie scoop (size 40), but you can also use two spoons and portion out 1.5 tablespoons.
Bake until crispy and golden brown on the edges, but soft and a little gooey in the centers.
Step 5: Let the cookies cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. Oat flour cookies are slightly more delicate so it’s important to give them a minute or two to set up first.
I also find using a thin metal spatula works really well to transfer these cookies.
Ways to serve this
- Serve these the classic way dunked in milk, or my favorite dunked in half and half.
- These chocolate chip cookies are so good with my Best Vanilla Ice Cream or Homemade Coconut Ice Cream. You can also make ice cream sandwiches with these.
- These cookies freeze well and can be kept at room temperature for a few days without drying out. This makes them great to add to holiday cookie boxes.
FAQ’s
Yes, you can sub oat flour in for all-purpose but the ratios are not 1:1 when measured in cups. If you don’t have a lot of experience baking to know what the texture should be like, I recommend using a recipe that is already tested for oat flour to be sure it will turn out. So far I have found that I’ve always needed more oat flour than all-purpose when I’m converting a recipe.
Oat flour browns a bit more and adds more flavor to your baked goods. It also produces a crumblier texture than all-purpose flour because of the lack of gluten. It works well in cookies making incredibly crispy edges with soft centers.
Storing leftovers
- To store – place the cooled cookies in an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to 4 days. I freeze most of my batch right away to keep them as fresh as possible. It just depends on how quickly you’ll go through them in your house!
- Make ahead – these cookies can be made ahead and frozen 1 month ahead of time.
- Reheating – you can serve these warm by reheating in the oven at 150ºF until warmed through.
- To freeze – place the chocolate chip cookies in an airtight sealed container and freeze for 1 month. They may keep longer, but they never have lasted more than 1 month in the freezer in our house because they ‘disappear’ for some reason!
Tips & Tricks
- Not all oat flour is gluten-free, so be sure to check the labels! I’ve tested these cookies with both Bob’s Red Mill Oat Flour and Anthony’s Oat Flour. Anthony’s is a little bit more expensive, but it’s also organic and non-irradiated as well as being gluten-free.
- For best results I wouldn’t sub in much, these cookies are the best just as they are. If you’re looking for more treats with natural sweeteners, (no cane sugar) check out my dessert recipes where you’ll find lots of options.
- Use the dip and sweep method of measuring oat flour where you ‘dip’ the measuring cup into the flour without packing it, and ‘sweep’ it level on the top with the back of a butter knife. Too much flour ruins the texture of these cookies, so be careful not to ‘pack’ your measuring cup.
- Don’t skip the 30-minute resting time! The difference in the texture is worth the extra step. I’ve tested this recipe both ways multiple times and the cookies are so much better after they’ve rested. The texture before resting is always a touch gritty.
- Watch your cookies closely the first time around to get a feel for how fast they’re cooking! Rarely an oven is cooking at the proper temperature, so you may find they cook slower or faster than the time listed. I got a thermometer for my oven a while ago and it has been awesome to have for accuracy!
Dietary Options & Substitutions
- Dairy-free – use dairy-free or vegan butter
- Paleo – try making my Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies for a paleo version.
We cannot get enough of these oat flour cookies, so I’m on a mission to remake the classic oatmeal cookies with raisins I grew up with as well – so stay tuned!
I hope you enjoy these Oat Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies! If you do get a chance to make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
Oat Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup salted butter - softened, 2 sticks, 16 tbsp, 8 oz, or 227 grams
- 3/4 cup cane sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar - packed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups oat flour - 14.5 oz, 412 grams, see notes
- 1 tbsp tapioca starch - or cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt - we like to add 1 tsp for more flavor, see notes
- 9 ounces chocolate chips - I used Enjoy Life, 1 pkg = 1.5 cups
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add the softened butter, cane sugar, and brown sugar to the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Next add the eggs one at a time with the mixer running, pausing to allow them to incorporate. Add the vanilla extract and beat again until fluffy, about 1 minute.
- In a medium-sized bowl mix the oat flour, tapioca starch, baking soda, and sea salt together.
- Add the oat flour mixture to the mixer and mix just to combine. Stir in the chocolate chips, then cover the bowl and let the cookie dough rest for 30 minutes.
- When the resting time is almost up, preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Using a cookie scoop, portion the cookie dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. I use a size 40 cookie scoop which is 1.5 tbsp.
- Bake the cookies until they're golden brown and crispy on the edges with soft gooey centers, 9-11 minutes.
- Cool the cookies on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes be to lightly set up fore transferring them to a cooling rack. Repeat the baking process until all the cookie dough is used up.