This is the famous Neiman Marcus cookie recipe that’s been delighting families for generations. This recipe makes a huge batch of epic chocolate chip cookies, so you can bake some now and freeze some dough balls for later, or to share with friends.
Why we love this recipe
Rumor has it that Neiman Marcus (probably Mrs. Fields –> Marshall Fields –> Neiman Marcus, in a years-long game of telephone) sold their “famous” cookie recipe to a customer for $250, who had only agreed to buy it because she thought she’d be paying $2.50. Honestly? I think it’s worth the higher price.
We love the Neiman Marcus cookie recipe for so many reasons. The first is the most important: they’re just really good cookies. They’re:
- Crisp at the edges, tender and gooey inside
- Substantial and satisfying
- Beautifully balanced in flavor and texture
- Studded with so many goodies
The second reason we love these cookies is that you can freeze the dough balls and either save some of them to bake later or — as our friend Jordan showed us — bring some in a little cooler as a host or thank-you gift and have the recipient put them straight into the freezer. It’s the best.
Neiman Marcus Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 sticks (32 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 cups packed (425 grams) light brown sugar
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups (480 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 5 cups (400 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 24 ounces (680 grams) bittersweet chocolate chips (such as Ghirardelli 60% cacao)
- 8 ounces (227 grams) Hershey’s chocolate bars, broken into chunks
- 3 cups (360 grams) very roughly chopped walnuts, pecans, or a combination
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F with two racks close to the center.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter and both types of sugar with an electric mixer until lightened in color and texture, about 3 minutes.
- Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir together with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula.
- Add the oats and stir to combine. Dough will be very thick.
- Stir in the chocolate chips, Hershey’s bars, and nuts.
- Using your hands or a couple of spoons, form the batter into loose, golf-ball-sized mounds. Place two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
- Bake for eight to nine minutes, until tops are just golden and cookies are still soft.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool at least slightly before serving.
Notes
- As always when baking, it’s best to weigh your dry ingredients if you can. If not, make sure to measure your flour using the spoon and level method: give the flour a stir to lighten it up, spoon into your measuring cup, and then level it off with the back of a butter knife.
- Old-fashioned rolled oats contribute both flavor and structure to this recipe. You’ll see some versions of the recipe where the oats are ground before incorporating, but we prefer them with the oats intact.
- Use unsalted butter, or use salted butter and reduce the salt in the recipe by half.
- You can use either semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips. Semi-sweet will give the cookies a slightly sweeter flavor profile.
- You can use chopped walnuts or pecans — I almost always gravitate toward walnuts for their softer, sweeter vibe. If you need to accommodate a nut allergy or aversion, it’s okay to leave them out.
- Once cooled, baked cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for two to three days. Or freeze them baked for up to three months.
- To freeze the cookie dough for later, roll the dough into balls and place them on parchment-lined baking sheets. Freeze until solid, and then transfer to an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag for up to six months. Add a minute or two to the baking time when baking straight from frozen. There’s no need to defrost the dough first.
- You can halve this recipe if you don’t want to make such a big batch — just be diligent with your calculations. No need to make any additional changes.
