Everyone needs an easy oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe. With figs included, it’s a cross between two cookies. It’s the kind of cookie dough we like to keep a stash of in the freezer to bake-off whenever the craving strikes. See details below and learn how to make this oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe from Chef Joanne Weir.

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe - white plate with four cookies on it and a glass of milk nearby

The cookies are loaded with so many good things: walnuts, chocolate chips, oatmeal, and figs. You can see why they are a family favorite. For the figs, use Sun-Maid or Orchard Choice Mission Figs for a deeper fig flavor, or try Golden Figs for a more subtle fig flavor.

Start by preheating your oven before you begin prepping the cookie dough. This allows the oven time to come to full temperature.

Next, it may seem like a small thing, but toasting walnuts brings out the depth of flavor and crunch. Chef Joanne Weir has you toast them in the oven, or you could toast them in a skillet set over a medium low flame until aromatic, taking care to remove them from heat so they don’t burn. Once cool, chop them.

A big secret to cookie baking is to combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. This helps equally distribute the leavener and also aerate the flour.

This recipe points to stirring together the oatmeal, dried figs, chocolate chips, and walnuts separate from the flour mixture. For cookies with inclusions (like the figs and chocolate chips), they are typically added in recipes after the flour and leavener have been incorporated.

In a standmixer or using a mixer, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the brown sugar and beat again.

Egg and vanilla are beaten in next until well mixed. We like to stop the mixing from time to time to scrape down the walls and ensure all the ingredients are incorporated.

On low speed, add in the flour, followed by the oatmeal chocolate mixture. Mix at low speed until thoroughly combined. Then, it’s time to bake them.

If you like that idea of baking off just the cookies you’re planning to eat and then reserving the remaining cookie dough for a rainy day, freezing cookie dough is easy to do with a few considerations.

Roll out the cookie dough balls just as if you were going to bake them. Place them on a sheet pan and transfer it to the freezer. Once the cookie dough balls have frozen, transfer them to a zip seal bag dated and marked with the type of cookie dough inside. The cookie dough will last for two months. When ready to bake them, use the temperature noted in the recipe and add 1-2 minutes to the baking time.

Oatmeal Cookies with California Figs, Chocolate Chips and Walnuts

Ever added figs to an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe? Try it! This will be a new favorite easy oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Nutrition

Servings cookies

Ingredients

1 cup walnuts
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
1 1/4 cups Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Figs stemmed, diced
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips excellent quality
12 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
1 cup brown sugar packed
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat an oven to 350 F. Place the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast until light golden and very hot to the palm of your hand, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove from the oven and chop coarsely. In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl stir together the oatmeal, dried figs, chocolate chips and chopped walnuts.
With a mixer, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the brown sugar and beat again. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well mixed, scraping down the sides from time to time. On slow speed, add the flour and then the oatmeal chocolate mixture and mix at slow speed until it is thoroughly mixed.
Using a tablespoon measure, scoop heaping tablespoon portions. Roll into a ball and place on an oiled baking sheet about 3-inches apart. Press the cookies with the palm of your hand to form a ½-inch thick cookie. Bake in the oven for 17 to 20 minutes until the edges are cooked completely and the centers are soft. Remove from pan and cool on a rack. Repeat to bake all of the cookies.