Copycat Potbelly Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies {easy, no chill recipe} (2024)

FAQs

Why are my oatmeal chocolate chip cookies so hard? ›

Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, which can produce tough cookies. If the recipe doesn't call for an electric mixer, mix in dry ingredients using a wooden spoon. When dry ingredients like flour are "scooped" into the measuring cup directly from the container, it compresses, or becomes packed.

It's not the egg, all-purpose flour, or even the vanilla extract. The simple, yet oh-so-necessary component is cornstarch. That's right, the flavorless thickening agent used for soups, stews, and curries is also the secret weapon for baked goods that boast a silky-smooth mouthfeel.

There are 420 calories in 1 cookie of Potbelly Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie. * The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet.

Not Enough Moisture: Ensure you're using the right amount of butter in your recipe and that it's at the correct temperature (softened not melted) when you start. Oatmeal cookies require more moisture to stay soft. Consider adding an extra egg yolk or a touch of milk to your dough to enhance moisture content.

If your cookies are too soft and not set up that means you didn't cook the cookie mixture long enough. In order for the cookies to harden properly the mixture must be boiled until it reaches a temperature of 230°F. This is approximately 1 ½ minutes on medium heat.

Creaming softened butter and sugar together incorporates air into the dough, helping cookies rise, puff up, and become lighter as they bake.

For soft cookies, use: Brown sugar, as it has a high moisture content and retains moisture better than white sugar. Also, when combined with eggs, brown sugar can prevent spreading (taller cookies tend to be softer and fluffier). Shortening instead of butter or in addition to butter.

The higher the protein content of a flour, the more gluten can be developed when hydrated. Plus, a higher protein content means more moisture can be absorbed. Together, a higher protein flour retains more moisture and creates more gluten—aka it's more elastic and chewy.

Cornstarch helps product soft and thick cookies. Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie. An extra egg yolk increases chewiness. Rolling the cookie dough balls to be tall and lumpy instead of wide and smooth gives the cookies a bakery-style textured thickness.

Compared to chocolate chip, peanut butter and sugar cookies, oatmeal cookies are marginally more nutritious. Comparing cookies of similar size, an oatmeal cookie has fewer calories than peanut butter or sugar cookies. Oatmeal cookies contain less fat and more protein, fiber and calcium than the others.

How many grams of sugar in an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie? ›

A commercially prepared oatmeal cookie has approximately 105 calories, 1.3 grams of protein, 3 grams of fat, 18 grams of carbs, 0.7 grams of fiber and 10 grams of sugar. A comparable chocolate chip cookie has about 15 more calories, a little less protein and fiber, as well as twice the amount of fat.

First, try adding more liquid (milk, water, or even just a little bit of oil) until the dough is wetter and more pliable. If that doesn't work, you can also add some moisture by putting the dough in the fridge for a little while so that the butter has a chance to re-solidify.

The Problem: Your Oven Is Too Hot

If your cookies repeatedly turn out flat, no matter the recipe, chances are your oven is too hot.

Baking soda helps cookies spread outward and upward while cooking. Adding too little can cause flat, lumpy cookies. Adding too much can lend a bitter taste to the cookies.

Cookies become hard when the moisture in them evaporates. This can be caused by leaving them out in the air for too long, baking them for too long, or storing them improperly.

Place a slice of bread on top of the cookies and cover the plate with plastic wrap. The moisture from the bread will be absorbed by the cookies and soften them. Reheat the cookies in the microwave for about 10 seconds. Be careful not to overheat them, as this can cause them to become even more dry and hard.

Don't Overbake!

This isn't a revolutionary tip and is probably quite obvious, but if you leave your cookies in the oven for even a few minutes longer than necessary, the mix will dry too quickly and lead to more rigid, dry cookies.

Storing Tips to Keep Cookies Soft

Store cool cookies in an airtight container (not a cookie jar with a loose lid) at room temperature. Putting cookies, cakes or breads in the refrigerator will dry them out.