The name says it all: these oatmeal cookies, they’re big, fat and chewy! Loaded with chocolate chips and chopped pecans, they’re guaranteed to hit the spot!
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What do you do when it’s raining buckets out? Bake a batch of Big Fat & Chewy Oatmeal Cookies, of course!

If THAT doesn’t bring the sunshine back into your day, nothing will!!

Because these cookies, just like their name implies, they’re BIG, they’re FAT and they’re mouthful after mouthful of pure chewy goodness, thanks to the generous amount of chocolate chips and chopped pecans that they harbor in every bite.

You know how most oatmeal cookies, they tend to be super thin and flat? And how a lot of them also turn out to be super dry as a result? Well, not these guys, let me tell you! I didn’t call them FAT for nothing. These cookies, they’re REAL thick, so thick in fact that they will stay moist and chewy for ya, even after they’ve gotten to sit in the pantry for a couple of days.

Honestly, these are probably the best darn oatmeal cookies that I’ve eaten in my entire life! Everything about them is totally fantastic. Fresh out of the oven, they are nice and crispy on the exterior, melt-in-your-mouth tender in their center and they ooze with loads of warm, melted chocolate.

Once they’ve had a chance to cool, they remain moist, tender and chewy and STAY that way, even after spending several days in the cupboards. The addition of honey to the batter helps a great deal in retaining that perfect moisture.

Their flavor is exactly what I’m looking for in a good oatmeal cookie, too: they’re sweet and VERY chocolate-y, with an easily discernible touch of cinnamon and just what it takes of nuttiness from the pecans. (by the way, if you prefer raisins in your oatmeal cookies, feel free to make the switch… I won’t be insulted, promise!)

Last but not least, these cookies, they’re so BIG, they’re almost a meal in themselves; just the way I like ’em. Just one of these bad boys will totally hit the spot! 

Oh, and one more thing: you don’t HAVE to wait until it’s raining buckets to whip up a batch.

I can guarantee that these Big Fat & Chewy Oatmeal Cookies will be just as good even if it’s super warm and sunny out!

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STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS & PICTURES

If you’re like me and like to gather and prep all your ingredients ready before you get started with a recipe, I made a quick reference “sheet” to make things easier for ya…

If you prefer to weigh and measure as you go, though, you can also do that. This recipe is so easy to follow, you’ll have no trouble at all… 

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, honey and vanilla; equip the paddle attachment and beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stop the motor to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

Note that you could very well use an electric mixer if you didn’t have one of them stand mixers available. 

Add the eggs, one at a time…

… and beat well between each addition. Again, scrape the bowl if and as needed.

If you haven’t done that already, combine the rolled oats, flour, corn starch, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl and mix them thoroughly with a large whisk until they are perfectly combined.

Add these dry ingredients to the wet…

…and beat on low speed until just combined.

Hum, try not to make a mess like I did! I tend to be pretty messy in the kitchen…

Stir in the chocolate chips and chopped pecans…

… and mix until just incorporated, no more.

Scoop 16 balls of dough onto a 13″ x 18″ cookie sheet that’s been lined with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. <– These things they’re THE BOMB, especially when baking cookies… they stay nicely in place, nothing sticks to them, they can be used over and over again, they’re super easy to clean, plus, they’re very affordable and will never let you down. If you don’t own one yet, I say you should definitely consider investing in one; I have no doubt that it’ll become your new BFF! 

Also, if you happen to have one of them large spring-loaded ice cream scoop, I strongly suggest that you put it to good use right now: not only will it scoop equal amounts of dough every time, but it will also sort of pre-shape your cookies for you. If you didn’t have one of those ice cream scoops, a large spoon would also do the trick – you’ll be wanting to use about 4 tbsp of dough per cookie.

Refrigerate your unbaked cookies for at least an hour prior to baking them. Note that you could also leave them in the fridge for up to several days, providing that you covered them well.

When you are ready to bake your cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F;

I don’t think I need to tell you that, as it stands right now, your baking sheet is a little bit overcrowded: if you were to send all these cookies in the oven at once, you’d most likely end up with one giant rectangular cookie.

So, you’re gonna want to transfer some of these unbaked cookies to a plate and leave only 6 on the cookie sheet; arrange them so they are at least 2 inches apart.

Maaaaaybe you could get away with 8… maaaaaaybe. If you like to live dangerously!

Bake the cookies for 13-14 minutes or until they are nicely browned around the edge, have a beautiful golden top but still look somewhat soft and slightly underdone in the center.

Make sure you don’t over-bake your cookies or they will turn out really dry. I always thought that an under-done cookie is FAR better than an overdone one; When in doubt, take them out!

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a minute or two and then delicately transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

You can either bake the rest of the cookies now, or save the unbaked dough for later. Like I said before, you can keep the unbaked cookies in the refrigerator for several days, or you could also freeze them for up to several months. You can even bake the cookies directly from frozen, there’s no need to thaw them; simply increase the baking time by a minute or two.

Keep the baked cookies in a cool dry place for up to 10 days (even though I doubt they’d ever last that long…)

And whatever you do, make sure you enjoy [at least] one fresh out of the oven!