Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies with Pecans

There is an ongoing debate in my house regarding chocolate chip cookies. I suppose there are much worse things that we could fight over… But, this chocolate chip cookie battle has been going on for years, and there is no end in sight.

You see, my husband and I have different definitions of what constitutes a chocolate chip cookie. I believe that the chocolate chip cookie is a blank canvas just waiting for inspiration to strike… Why not add oats? Or mix it up with some whole wheat flour? Perhaps we could add nuts? Or cocoa powder? Or peanut butter? My mind is just spinning with ideas.

My husband just wants a plain chocolate chip cookie. Give him the recipe on the back of the bag of chips. Every. Single. Time. Perhaps you can see where this is going…

I often bake cookies as a treat to go with our weekly pizza night on Fridays… And, it never fails that when I ask him what kind of cookies he would like, he will tell me that he wants chocolate chip cookies. Not those “fake” chocolate chip cookies that I make, mind you… He wants the “real” ones, which he claims I never make. (I do… More often than I’d like.)

So, a few weeks ago, when I came up with these chewy oatmeal cookies studded with chocolate chips and pecans and jazzed up with just a bit of cinnamon, he wasn’t impressed. We had friends over for dinner that night, and everyone ate the cookies happily (including my hubby, though he did protest the “fake” cookies). Of course, now I owe him a batch of “real” chocolate chip cookies.

If you’re like me, I think you’ll love these cookies… They are perfect for late summer/early fall when the sun sets a bit earlier, and the weather is just starting to turn, but you aren’t quite ready to dive in with a pumpkin pie yet. There’s just enough cinnamon to be noticeable, but not so much that it overpowers the chocolate chips. The oats and pecans make the cookies just a bit heartier than a typical chocolate chip cookie.

Of course, if you’re like my husband, you can just skip over this recipe and make my “real” chocolate chip cookies. I won’t judge… At least, not too much.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies with Pecans
Makes 26-28 cookies

This recipe makes nice big chewy oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips and pecans. They are great for snacking or dunking. They’ll keep for up to a week in an airtight container, but I doubt that they will last that long.

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 2 cups milk chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in the vanilla extract and beat again for about 30 seconds.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon.  Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, beating on the lowest setting until they are just incorporated.  Stir in the oats, chocolate chips, and pecans.

Cover the batter and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight).

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F. Line your baking sheets with parchment or a silicone mat.

Scoop out ¼ cup of dough for each cookie (I have a ¼ cup ice cream scoop that makes this job simple!).  Press the cookies to flatten them just a bit on the pan before baking.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes, until the cookies are golden but still soft. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.