These Oatmeal Scotchie Cookies are inspired by the famous Levain Bakery style: enormous, soft, chewy and intentionally underbaked in the center for an ultra-gooey bite. Rich brown sugar notes combine with butterscotch chips and oats for a truly irresistible cookie that’s surprisingly easy to make.
I’ve been experimenting with Levain-style cookies a lot lately, and I can’t seem to stop. There’s something magical about a giant, slightly underbaked cookie with a tender interior and crisp-ish exterior. If you love chewy textures and bold cookie flavors, these oatmeal scotchies will become a favorite.
Here are a few tips to get the best Levain-style cookie every time:
- Cornstarch: Adding a small amount of cornstarch yields a softer, more tender crumb. It’s a simple trick that makes a big difference in texture.
- Cake flour: Cake flour lightens the dough and prevents the cookies from becoming too dense. Without it these large cookies can end up heavy or scone-like.
- Chill briefly: A short chill helps control spread. Keep the rest of the dough refrigerated while you bake each sheet.
- Plenty of mix-ins: These cookies include a lot of mix-ins — that’s intentional. The butterscotch chips and oats give structure and contribute to the cookie’s flavor and body. Don’t skimp on them.
Additional baking guidelines for consistent results:
- Shape: Form the dough into tall, loosely packed balls rather than tight smooth scoops. A rough texture and loose packing help create the signature interior.
- Size: These are colossal cookies — about 6 ounces each. Bake only four per sheet and bake one sheet at a time so they have room to rise and keep even baking. Space them about 3 inches apart and stagger their positions on the pan.
- Do not overbake: Aim for 11–14 minutes depending on your oven. The surface should look dry and matte and be lightly golden at the edges while the centers remain gooey. Cookies will continue to set as they cool on the baking sheet, so remove them when they still look slightly underdone.
- One sheet at a time: Bake four cookies on the center rack and refrigerate the remaining dough while the sheet is in the oven. Cool the baked cookies on the sheet for at least 30 minutes because they are fragile when hot.
Buttery, gooey, soft and chewy — these Oatmeal Scotchie Cookies are a must-try for anyone who loves hearty oats paired with sweet butterscotch. They deliver a rich brown sugar and caramel flavor profile with a hint of cinnamon.
Levain Bakery-Style Oatmeal Scotchie Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) COLD unsalted butter, cut into small cubes 226 grams
- 1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar 172 grams
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar 95 grams
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup cake flour
- 1½ cups old-fashioned oats not instant oatmeal
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 253 grams
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 cups butterscotch chips 517 grams
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 410°F (210°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
-
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cold cubed butter with the light brown sugar and granulated sugar on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase to medium for 30 seconds, then medium-high for another 30 seconds until the mixture is light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl as needed.
-
Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla. On low speed, add the cake flour, oats, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and mix until just combined. Stir in the butterscotch chips. Chill the dough for 15 minutes.
-
Using a digital scale, measure 6 ounces (about 170 grams) of dough for each cookie and form tall, loosely packed balls. Place four dough balls staggered about 3 inches apart on a prepared baking sheet. Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack for 11–14 minutes, or until the surface looks dull and the edges are lightly golden. The centers should remain gooey. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for at least 30 minutes, as they are fragile when hot. Keep remaining dough refrigerated while baking.
My neighbors went nuts for these cookies, and I think you will too.
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley