To me, these Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies (with two secret ingredients) are the ultimate chocolate chip cookie. They’re also known as Secret Recipe Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies
Baking different varieties of chocolate chip cookies seems to be all-the-rage these days. If someone claims to have the most superior recipe, I’ll give it a go. I’ve tried many recipes but I always come back to this one. This recipe was on a recipe card that I’ve had for many years. I’m not quite sure where it was originally published, but I’m thankful to have it.
🛒Ingredients needed:
- rolled oats
- flour
- baking soda
- salt
- cinnamon
- butter
- brown and white sugars
- vanilla extract and a vanilla bean
- lemon juice
- eggs
- semi-sweet chocolate chips
- walnuts (optional)
✏️How to make Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies:
*The complete, printable recipe with all ingredients and instructions is at the end of this post.
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Preheat oven to 350° F. Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat mats.
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Place rolled oats in blender or food processor and process until finely ground. Combine ground oats, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in mixing bowl.
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In another bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the butter, sugars, vanilla, vanilla bean and lemon juice. Add the eggs, and beat until fluffy.
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Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture, blending well. Add the chips and nuts (if desired) to the dough and mix well. Using 1/4 cup of dough for each cookie, scoop round balls with an ice cream scoop and place 2½-inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
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Bake until cookies are lightly browned, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
➡️Recipe Tips:
- This recipe is designed to make BIG cookies, so I use a regular-sized ice cream scoop (about ¼ cup).
- Lining your baking sheets with parchment makes clean up a breeze!
- If you do not want to grind oats for this recipe, go ahead and use regular oats. Just make sure that you are using quick-cooking oats.
✔️What to do with Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies:
- To me, the very best way to serve these cookies is warm with a cold glass of milk!
- These big cookies are perfect for bake sales or to take to your kids’ sports events. The kids will want you to bring the snacks every week.
- To keep these cookies soft and chewy store them in a sealed container at room temperature.
And what are those secret ingredients I mentioned??
Vanilla and lemon. Lots of vanilla… 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract plus a scraped vanilla bean. Lemon juice too… just a teaspoon. You don’t taste it at all, but it helps produce a chewier cookie. I suppose there is a third secret ingredient to share too… oatmeal. Except that you put the oatmeal in the food processor or blender and pulverize it into an almost-powder. That adds a little twist to the dry ingredients.
❤️Why I love this recipe:
- Some of you may still be on the hunt, but I feel like my search for the ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe is over. These are it!
- Even though they’re slightly more work than plain old chocolate chip cookies, the extra few minutes are so well worth it. I’ve only had rave reviews.
- I’ve served these often enough to friends and family, that now I’m getting requests and folks are disappointed if I don’t have them. Love that!
Chocolate chip cookie recipes:
- Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
- New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Egg Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Kahlua- Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies
Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup rolled oats (regular or quick)
- 2¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- ¾ cup granulated white sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 vanilla bean, scraped (optional-- but so good)
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1½ cups chopped walnuts, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat mats.
- Place rolled oats in blender or food processor and process until finely ground. Combine ground oats, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in mixing bowl.
- In another bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the butter, sugars, vanilla, vanilla bean and lemon juice. Add the eggs, and beat until fluffy.
- Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture, blending well. Add the chips and nuts (if desired) to the dough and mix well. Using 1/4 cup of dough for each cookie, scoop round balls with an ice cream scoop and place 2½-inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake until cookies are lightly browned, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Store in a sealed container to keep them soft and chewy.
Notes
- If you do not want to grind oats for this recipe, go ahead and use regular oats. Just make sure that you are using quick-cooking oats.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thank you to Miranda from the CookieDoughAndOvenMitt.com blog for shooting some of these photos for me.
I’m going to try your chocolate chip cookie can I sub peanuts instead of walnuts don’t like walnuts
sure!
Good Morning Lori, How are you? I found your recipes for the Secret Ingredient Choc Chip Cookies and want to make the TODAY!!! Sadly, I will not have the vanilla bean or paste. I do have a question though. The recipe calls for brown sugar. Is it light brown sugar or dark brown sugar. I know from a moisture point, it does make a difference. Thank you
Hi, I don’t pay much attention to using dark or brown, but I’d suggest using light brown sugar for Chocolate Chip Cookies 🙂
I have the same recipe card you were referring to. This is the only chocolate chip cookie recipe I ever use. I also search for years to find a really really good one and this is it.
I had this recipe and lost it, sadly, many years ago. It is bar NONE the best ever. I am making these tomorrow and am VERY excited!!!
Is there an alternative to the Lemon Juice? Perhaps some type of vinegar? My wife cannot have anything that has lemon juice – so in many recipes we substitute champagne vinegar.
I’m not familiar with subs for lemon juice… but perhaps vinegar would do the trick? Or you can just leave it out 🙂
Yes, vinegar is an acceptable substitute, do NOT leave it out. It is imperative to the success of this recipe. It activates the baking soda which gives the cookie the soft gooey goodness and makes them plump up.
I agree with Albert. Do not leave out an acid to react with the baking soda. It contributes to the texture and height of the cookie. I have used vinegar with the same results as the lemon juice.
BEST COOKIES in the HISTORY of EVER!!!
I’ve been making these cookies for years, from a recipe card as well. “Easy to Bake easy to Make”. I received the recipe cards in the mail every few weeks when I was a kid and first got into baking. I’m 31 now and I have held onto that recipe card ever since. I just moved to Australia and couldn’t find the recipe in all my boxes of cook books and I’ve been craving those cookies. I started googling the list of ingredients and chocolate chip cookies and found this post. Thank You! Best cookie recipe ever, so glad someone posted the recipe! Thanks a ton!
So glad you found it!
Hello I made your secret ingredient chocolate chip cookies. They where awesome. I gave some to my next door neighbors who are in their 80s. They said they where the best chocolate chip cookies they have ever had. I love that they didnt go flat. I didnt use the vanilla bean (its really expensive) but added more vanilla extract. Will be making these again. Thank you
Nothing better then hot chocolate chip cookies.
Hands down, the best chocolate chip cookies ever!
These are the best cookies ever! My family loved them!