Crunchy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies is a recipe from Cindy, who answered my request for a cookie recipe calling for shortening. At the time, I wanted to test-drive the fancy new $6.00 Spectrum shortening I'd bought earlier in the week. As much as I love butter, there’s a certain texture that only shortening can give – a crispy, crunchy, but light texture similar to what you get in some packaged cookies.
Cindy promised the cookies would be crispy, and they were. They look like packaged cookies but taste homemade. And best of all, nobody misses the butter because there's so much flavor from all the other ingredients. At some point I'd like to try these crunchy oatmeal cookies with aquafaba to see who they'd be as vegan cookies.
Crispy Oatmeal Cookies Update
Update: I still love this recipe. The shortening makes the cookies light textured, crisp and crunchy. A variation that works is to leave out the chocolate chips and throw in a little cinnamon, walnuts and raisins. Maybe one day they'll reformulate shortening to make it healthy...maybe even a super food -- super artery clearing shortening. For now, there's Crisco, Spectrum and Nutiva and they all have their pros and cons.
Crunchy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 cups sifted flour** (238 grams)
1 tsp baking powder (5 ml)
1 tsp baking soda (5 ml)
½ tsp salt (2 ml)
1 cup shortening, gram amount varies with brands, Crisco is 190 grams
1 cup brown sugar, packed (220 grams)
1 cup granulated sugar (196 grams)
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla (5 ml)
2 cups quick-cooking oats (200 grams) -- old fashioned oats are okay, too
12 oz package semisweet chocolate chips (336 grams)
½ cup chopped toasted nuts (walnuts or pecans) (56 grams)
Sift together pre-sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
Cream shortening and sugars in bowl until light and fluffy, using electric mixer at medium speed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Blend in vanilla.
Gradually stir dry ingredients into creamed mixture. Stir in oats, chocolate and nuts. Drop mixture by teaspoonfuls or shape into 1 inch balls and place about 2 inches apart, on parchment lined baking sheets.
Bake in 350 degree F (180 degree C) oven 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from baking sheets; cool on racks. Makes 6 dozen.
** If you have a scale, you don't have to sift the flour.
Anna says
Yes, I think it would!
Brooklyn says
I have not tried them with aquafaba. Instead of water, I think I would like to try using chia seeds + water! Do you think that would be a good substitute? ^-^
Anna says
Brooklyn, I hope you like the cookies! I think this one gets passed over often because it calls for shortening rather than butter. The shortening really does give the cookies a great texture. I'm not sure you'll get the same texture as the Compliments, though. It looks like those cookies also have oat bran. Also, eliminating the egg will throw things off. I'm guessing you have already looked at a bunch of vegan oatmeal cookie recipes and are looking forward to experimenting with this one, so let me know how it goes! Since you brought the recipe to my attention, I may play with it too. Have you thought about replacing the egg with aquafaba?
Baking the cookies at a lower and slower heat usually helps when I'm dealing with a cookie that's usually chewy. Before resorting to the low and slow heat, you could try baking a few at 350 or 325 just to see how the recipe works. If the cookies are too chewy in the middle when baked at the higher temps, THEN lower it. Cookies should crisp as they cool. If not, bake longer and then cool.
Brooklyn says
I love the taste of store bought cookies. I'm going to add raisins and cinnamon to make oatmeal raisin cookies! I will also have to replace the egg with water, since I only bake vegan things...
I hope they taste like these: https://www.compliments.ca/en/product/oatmeal-raisin-cookies-00055742528411/ They are only in Canada so I am unsure if you have tried them; they are crunchy but tender. Well, it's hard to describe them, but I guess the easiest thing to say is that they aren't so crunchy that they taste burnt, and they will not break your teeth to eat them... they just crunch when you bite into them but then they are able to melt in your mouth!
On one of your crunchy chocolate chip cookie recipes, you gave a tip to cook them at 300 degrees for 18 minutes. Do you think that would work to make these as close to store bought as possible?
Also, speaking of the 300 degrees trick... they always still feel soft when I take them out of the oven after 18 minutes so I get worried that they won't get crunchy, but do you think if I just left them to cool they would get crunchy and firm?
Thank you very much
Mark Garso says
Wow do those sound good
Mark Garso, 36
Lakeville, MN
Anna says
Hi Heidi,
Thanks for the feedback! I'll let Cindy know you liked the recipe since she's the one who sent it. But I'm with you -- these were really good and definitely crunchy.
Katrina sent me a similar (but different) crunchy cookie recipe and I'll be posting that one today.
Heidi says
Hi Anna!
I've never responded before but I regularly read your blog. I enjoy it. Last night I was intrigued by the crunchy oatmeal choc chip cookie recipe. I printed it out but my intention was to use it as a base for a crunchy oatmeal raisin cookie. I have a family who loves oatmeal raisin cookies but NOT soft chewy ones. I have not been able to locate a good crunchy oatmeal cookie recipe in the 20 years I've been baking. I've tried just baking the other recipes longer to make them crisp, but that just doesn't work. Anyway, I made the cookies this morning. I left out the chocolate chips & nuts & added raisins & cinnamon instead and they turned out perfect! Perfect and everyone loved them. My search is over! I thought I would lose alot of flavor using only shortening but these cookies have tremendous flavor. Thank you.
Anna says
Parchment paper is a good non-stick surface and it saves you from having to scrape burnt on cookie from the cookie sheet. You can skip it in some recipes, but I usually always use it out of habit. I think it protects the cookie sheets from burnt on grease.
Momsa says
Why do recipes often call for putting the dough out on parchment paper? What's the difference between that or putting them straight onto the cookie sheet? Just curious. Hoping you know. Thanks.
Elyse says
I'm not usually a crispy-cookie girl, but these do look delicious! Alton Brown's "The Puffy" (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/the-puffy-recipe/index.html) uses shortening as the primary ingredient! Also, lots of snickerdoodles use shortening instead of butter!
Carol A, says
These look beautiful, although I have to say I am a butter-using, soft/chewy cookie lover. I've learned a lot here about the different types of cookies and how different ingredients affect the results. Thanks, Anna!
snookydoodle says
these look so good. We don't have shortening here so I don't know the difference. It's not margarine eh? I only find butter and margarine here 🙁
Pearl says
Mmmm!
janet says
I just realized this is the same recipe that I have been making for many years (my husband's favorite) called Cowboy Cookies. It's the best!
Katrina says
Looks yummy! I'm having cookie withdrawls and am trying to be good and not bake. It's killing me. jk
Stephanie says
Here's the one I was thinking of
https://www.cookiemadness.net/?p=878
Stephanie says
You have a recipe on here somewhere that is oatmeal chocolate chip recipe with half butter and half shortening. It is one of our favorites and I love how fast it is to whip up. I usually throw in the caramel bits that you can now find by the chocolate chips.
That might be a great one to try with the spectrum.
VeggieGirl says
Mmm, wonderful!!
clumbsycookie says
They do look crispy! I'm glad you're putting that new shortening to a good use!
janet says
Happy Valentine's Day to you and your family! Thanks for another delicious looking cookie recipe to try!!! Have a great day.
bakingblonde says
Oh, those look so perfect, I have been craving a new oatmeal cookie lately and these sound wonderful.
Louise says
Anna, Not all shortening cookies are crispy, crunchy. The Hermits I make have a special texture but are soft and stay that way for a long time. I've tried them using butter, and they just aren't right.