Salted White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Well, I don’t really know what to say.

This is one of those articles where, because the photos are so pretty and the cookies taste so good, I almost feel powerless to say anything else.

I made these oatmeal white chocolate chip cookies last week, and I am still struggling to form coherent sentences about them.

It’s possible that I’m still recovering from the happy sugar coma.

Whatever the case, these are the cookies of the week! Nay, the month!

They’re chewy. They’re crunchy. They’re delicious.

You’ll love the sweet and salty combo of flaky sea salt and white chocolate chips, the hearty bites of old-fashioned rolled oats, the enticing aromas of  butter and vanilla…

They’re so… they’re so…

Well, I don’t really know what else to say. I can’t remember the last time I felt so utterly speechless.

It’s the polar opposite of how I am on a horrible first date!

You know, the bad date where you just can’t stop talking while the poor guy across the table is grimacing and white-knuckling his bottle of beer as you word-vomit your past relationships, bizarre pet peeves, some weird childhood memories, and your latest trip to the dentist in disgustingly vivid detail…

I’m no stranger to the phenomenon of rambling on and on and on. I consider it a skill of mine.

But when I’m faced with something that I just can’t think of a coherent and cohesive response to, I’m at a total loss for words. Crickets.

Let’s just say, with these cookies at least, I have a good excuse.

These are “wipe-your-memory” cookies, “what-was-I-saying” cookies, and “can-I-have-another” cookies.

Make these, and you’ll be lucky to remember anything beyond your first name. You’ll only be able to silently reach out for another helping, while still chewing on the first one.

I only wish I’d had them before, so they could have saved me from all the ridiculous situations my mouth has gotten me into.

I’ll just pretend that first date never happened.

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Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Prep

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners. Set them aside.

Set out the egg and two sticks of unsalted butter to come to room temperature while you gather and measure the other ingredients.

Measure out the granulated sugar, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, rolled oats, chocolate chips, and flaky sea salt.

Crack the egg into a small bowl. Measure out the vanilla extract into the bowl with the egg.

Step 2 – Beat the Butter and Sugars

Place the butter and both types of sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. You can also use a hand mixer for mixing the dough.

Beat the ingredients together at high speed until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. This will take about 5 minutes, but the timing may vary slightly depending on how soft the butter is.

Step 3 – Add the Egg and Vanilla

Add the egg and vanilla to the butter mixture and mix at high speed for another minute or two, until completely incorporated.

It will appear broken at first, but will become a smooth and solid mixture as the ingredients continue to blend together.

Step 4 – Add the Dry Ingredients

Combine and whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt in a separate medium bowl.

Add this dry mixture to the butter and egg mixture. Mix on low speed until just incorporated.

Add the oats and white chocolate. Mix on low speed until just incorporated.

Stick with the lowest speed setting for this step, for two reasons: You don’t want the dry ingredients to explode out of the bowl, and overmixing at a high speed will cause the final texture of the dough to be tough.

Step 5 – Portion

Use a large 3-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion 24 even mounds of dough. Place 12 on each prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches of space between each one.

They will spread slightly as they bake, so be sure to evenly space them on the baking sheets.

Step 6 – Flatten and Top with Sea Salt

Using the palm of your hand, slightly flatten the top of each mound. Sprinkle a few flakes of sea salt on each one.

You just need a small pinch of sea salt for each mound of dough, as a little goes a long way!

Not a big fan of how much the dough is sticking to your hand? You can choose to wear a glove for this step, or use the back of a measuring cup to flatten the dough.

Step 7 – Bake

Immediately transfer the baking sheets to the preheated oven.

We’re dealing with a lot of softened butter here, so it’s best to get them in the oven as soon as possible to prevent the cookies from spreading excessively.

As an extra precaution, you can transfer the baking sheets with the portioned dough to the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes to chill and re-stiffen the butter.

Once the baking sheets are in the oven, bake for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the cookies are dry and slightly golden along the edges but still slightly wet and puffy in the center.

Step 8 – Cool and Serve

Remove from the oven. Allow the cookies to cool for about 10 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring to cooling racks to cool completely.

You can enjoy them while they’re still soft and warm and the white chocolate chips are still melty, or wait until they cool completely. They will continue to harden as they cool, and will develop crispy edges and a slightly chewy center.