These cookies are so very good. This recipe entered my life when I was a tiny kiddo – and was in my family well before I joined. I am not 100% sure who started this one but I know it has been in the Gottlieb side of my family for generations. I am sharing with permission! I swear. =) They fill the house with a wonderful sweetness while baking and do not last long in the house once baked. I have lost track of how often I am asked for this recipe or asked to bring these to a gathering.
Anyhow, the dough itself has great flavor and is only enhanced with the yumminess mixed in at the end – no matter what you pick it will be good. Try straight chocolate chips, mix chocolate and dried fruit, chocolate and crushed peppermint, just raisins, dried cranberries, butterscotch… I can go on and on. I guarantee you can’t go wrong with this one.
This recipe also uses vegetable shortening instead of butter – now you can use butter if you prefer but I find the shortening gives these specific cookies a better texture than butter can.
The bake time here will give you a cookie that is crisp at the edges but still chewy in the center. Bake them slightly longer for a more crisp cookie – or slightly less time for an even chewier decadent indulgence.
On to the how-to!
Start by gathering all of your ingredients and kitchen tools.
Kitchen tools you will need:
- This recipe is easiest when you use a stand mixer but you can use a hand mixer or a fork – they all work just fine.
You will need:
- A mixing bowl
- Measuring tools
- A fork, stand mixer, or hand mixer
- A cookie scoop (looks like a smaller ice cream scoop) or large spoon
- A cookie sheet
Ingredients you will need:
- 1c vegetable shortening
- 1c granulated sugar
- 1c light brown sugar
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 2T water
- 2 eggs
- 1-1/2c AP flour
- 1tsp baking soda
- 1tsp salt
- 3c oats
- 12oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
What you will need to do:
Once you have everything ready, get your oven pre-heating and cream the shortening and sugar together.

Add the water, eggs, and vanilla, beat until well combined.
Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until combined.

Add the oats and mix until combined.

Carefully stir in the chocolate chips (or whichever add-ins you prefer).

Either grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper (whichever you prefer – I tend to just give the sheet a light spray with a cooking spray).

Once the dough is ready to bake, I like to use a cookie scoop to portion them out onto the cookie (cooking) sheet. This way all of them are uniform in shape and size. Of course they can be shaped by hand using a spoon (or two). Whatever method works best for you. Make the balls about an inch around and place on your prepared cookie sheet. You can fit 12 together on a sheet (3 rows of 4 cookies).


Pop the sheet in the preheated oven and set your timer. They should bake for around 13 minutes a batch. If you like your cookies more on the chewy side bake for about 11 minutes, if you like your cookies more crisp bake for about 15 minutes.

When you pull the cookies out of the oven let them set for a minute or two before taking them off of the cookie sheet. Then transfer them to a cooling rack or sheet of parchment paper to fully cool down.
Store them in an air-tight container.

… and let us know what you think in the comments below!

Kim’s Incredible Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 eggs
- 1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 cups oats
- 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F degrees.
- Either grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper (whichever you prefer – I tend to just give the sheet a light spray with a cooking spray).
- With either a stand mixer or electric hand mixer (or a fork if you have neither) –cream together the shortening and sugar until it is smooth.
- Add the water, eggs, and vanilla, beat until well combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until combined.
- Add the oats and mix until combined.
- Carefully stir in the chocolate chips (or whichever add-ins you prefer).
- Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, roll the dough into cookie balls approximately1” in diameter.
- Bake for about 13 minutes or until the edges turn light brown.