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

FAQs

Why are my oatmeal chocolate chip cookies so hard? ›

When adding the flour, be careful not to overmix. (Don't mix too vigorously or too long – follow recipe directions.) Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, which can produce tough 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.

Brown sugar adds the perfect caramelized sweetness. Sea salt offsets the sweet sugar and raisins. Cinnamon and vanilla extract give them that delicious warm, spiced oatmeal cookie flavor. Coconut oil or melted butter adds moisture and richness.

Oatmeal raisin cookies are a healthier choice in comparison to chocolate chip cookies. Chocolate chip cookies have less protein and fiber, and more fat, than oatmeal raisin cookies.

Light corn syrup is another ingredient that you can add to cookie dough that will help it stay softer longer. The corn syrup you buy at the grocery store is not the high-fructose corn syrup that soft drinks are made with; it's a sugar that is liquid at room temperature and helps other sugars say liquid at high heat.

Likely, you didn't boil the mixture long enough. You want the butter, milk, sugar, and cocoa mixture to boil for 2-3 full minutes and reach between 190°F-200°F. If you don't boil them for long enough, they will turn out gooey and will not set.

Cornstarch gives the cookies that ultra soft consistency we all love. Plus, it helps keep the cookies beautifully thick. We use the same trick when making shortbread cookies. Egg yolk: Another way to promise a super chewy chocolate chip cookie is to use an extra egg yolk.

There are two tricks to keeping cookies soft, and they are so simple and obvious you might be doing them already, but hear me out: Don't overbake your cookies, and store them in an airtight container. That's it!

Dry – “Dry” or “Crumbly” dough is a product of over-mixing or using too much of any ingredient during the mixing process. This can be reversed by adding one to two tablespoons of liquid (water, milk or softened butter) to your mix.

As with most things in Texas, Bush's Cowboy Cookies are enormous and wholly stuffed with so many mix-ins: oats, coconut, pecans, and of course, chocolate chips. They're sure to win over any crowd.

Why do you chill oatmeal cookie dough? ›

Chilling cookie dough before baking solidifies the fat in the cookies. As the cookies bake, the fat in the chilled cookie dough takes longer to melt than room-temperature fat. And the longer the fat remains solid, the less cookies spread. In addition, the sugar in the dough gradually absorbs liquid.

The oatmeal raisin cookie contains complex carbohydrates, which LiveStrong explains provides a “slow-burning” energy. This type of carbohydrate can play a role in keeping you full for a longer period of time and prevent spikes in blood sugar levels.

The difference in texture might help you decide which type of oat you should use in a recipe. Rolled oats hold their shape well and give things a nice chew. This makes them perfect for baked goods and cookies. Quick oats are better for blending into recipes.

According to the American Diabetes Association, people with diabetes can still have sweets, chocolate, or other sugary foods as long they are eaten as part of a healthful meal plan or combined with exercise. They consider a healthful meal plan to: have limited saturated fat. contain moderate amounts of salt and sugar.

One chocolate chip cookie also has considerably fewer calories than a brownie, with the average brownie containing about 130 calories. Considering that brownies and chocolate chip cookies have comparable nutritional profiles, neither is better for you than the other.

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.

Using lower-moisture sugar (granulated) and fat (vegetable shortening), plus a longer, slower bake than normal, produces light, crunchy cookies. That said, using a combination of butter and vegetable shortening (as in the original recipe), or even using all butter, will make an acceptably crunchy chocolate chip cookie.

You see, the only thing that you need to soften up a batch of day-old cookies is a slice of bread. This is a trick I learned from my mom after she saw me turn up my nose one too many times at a slightly crispy chocolate chipper (self-proclaimed gooey, chewy cookie fiend here!).