Ina Garten doesn't do "average." If you’ve ever watched Barefoot Contessa, you know the drill. It’s all about the "good" vanilla, the "good" chocolate, and enough butter to make a cardiologist sweat. But when people start hunting for the Ina Garten favorite cookie recipe, they usually expect a classic chocolate chip. They’re wrong.
While Ina has a dozen cookie recipes that could win awards, there is one that she specifically highlights in her book Cook Like a Pro as the one she makes most often for herself and Jeffrey. It’s the Salty Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies.
They’re massive. They’re flat. They have a texture that sits somewhere between a chewy candy bar and a crisp wafer. If you're looking for a puffy, cakey cookie, you’ve come to the wrong place. These are for people who like flavor complexity.
What Makes These Cookies Different?
Most oatmeal cookies are boring. Honestly, they’re often just a vehicle for raisins that nobody actually wanted in the first place. Ina’s version flips that. She uses extra-large eggs and a specific ratio of brown sugar to granulated sugar that ensures the edges caramelize while the center stays slightly bendy.
The salt is the kicker.
She doesn't just put a pinch in the batter. She tops them with fleur de sel. It’s that hit of sharp salt against the dark chocolate chunks—not chips, chunks—that makes these addictive. If you use standard semi-sweet chips, you’re missing the point. You need those puddles of chocolate that only come from chopping up a high-quality bar.
💡 You might also like: Cooper City FL Zip Codes: What Moving Here Is Actually Like
The Secret of Room Temperature Ingredients
Ina is a stickler for this. If your butter is even slightly too cold, the emulsion won't happen. The sugar won't aerate properly. You'll end up with a greasy mess instead of a cohesive dough.
I’ve seen people try to microwave the butter to speed things up. Don't do it. It changes the molecular structure of the fat. You want "pliable," not "melty." Give it two hours on the counter. Your patience will be rewarded with a cookie that doesn't spread into a single giant sheet on the pan.
The Technical Breakdown of the Ina Garten Favorite Cookie Recipe
Let's talk flour. Most people scoop their flour directly from the bag with the measuring cup. That is a recipe for a dry, tough cookie. Ina uses the "spoon and level" method, or better yet, she expects you to understand that volume measurements are inherently flawed compared to weight.
However, her published recipes are almost always in cups because that's what the American home cook uses. For this specific recipe, you're looking at:
- 1/2 pound (2 sticks) of unsalted butter.
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed.
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar.
- 2 extra-large eggs (this is a classic Ina move; most recipes use "large").
The inclusion of "extra-large" eggs adds more moisture and fat than the standard size. It contributes to that specific chewiness. Then there’s the oats. You must use old-fashioned rolled oats. Quick oats will turn the dough into mush, and steel-cut oats will feel like you’re eating gravel.
📖 Related: Why People That Died on Their Birthday Are More Common Than You Think
The Chill Factor
You cannot skip the chill. If you bake these immediately after mixing, they will be thin as paper.
Ina recommends chilling the dough, but even more importantly, she recommends portioning them out first. Use a 2-ounce ice cream scoop. It feels huge. It is huge. But the Ina Garten favorite cookie recipe isn't about portion control. It's about indulgence.
When you scoop them onto the sheet, leave at least three inches between them. They spread. They claim their territory on the parchment paper.
Why Everyone Gets the Chocolate Wrong
Most people grab a bag of Nestle Toll House and call it a day. Ina wouldn't. She specifically calls for bittersweet chocolate, something like Lindt or Valrhona with at least 60% cacao.
Why? Because the dough is sweet. The oats are nutty. You need the bitterness of the chocolate to cut through the sugar. When you chop the chocolate by hand, you get "chocolate dust" that streaks through the dough, turning the whole cookie a slight tan color and ensuring every single bite has cocoa in it.
👉 See also: Marie Kondo The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: What Most People Get Wrong
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- Over-mixing the flour: Once those dry ingredients hit the butter and sugar, stop. Mix until just combined. Over-working the gluten makes a tough cookie.
- Using cold eggs: Just like the butter, cold eggs will seize the fat. Drop them in a bowl of warm water for five minutes if you forgot to take them out.
- Implicitly trusting your oven dial: Most ovens are off by 10 to 25 degrees. Ina’s recipes are precise. Get an oven thermometer.
Does She Have Other Favorites?
Sure. If you look at her earlier work, like The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, she raves about her Ginger Shortbread. But the "favorite" title is a moving target in the culinary world. As a chef’s palate evolves, so does their go-to snack.
In recent years, especially during her "Modern Comfort Food" era, the Salty Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk has taken the crown. It represents her current philosophy: familiar flavors elevated by better ingredients and a little bit of salt.
The Actionable Barefoot Contessa Method
To truly master the Ina Garten favorite cookie recipe, you need to treat the process like a science experiment, not a chore.
- Upgrade your salt: Throw away the table salt. Buy a container of Maldon or Fleur de Sel. Use it for the finish.
- Size matters: Don't make "mini" versions. The ratio of crisp edge to soft center only works when the cookie is at least 3.5 inches in diameter.
- The "Good" Vanilla: Use Nielsen-Massey or make your own. Avoid the imitation clear stuff at all costs.
Final Steps for the Perfect Batch
Once you’ve pulled them out of the oven, they will look underbaked. They might even look raw in the middle. Do not put them back in. The "carry-over" cooking happens on the hot baking sheet. Let them sit there for at least 5 to 10 minutes. They will firm up as they cool. If you wait until they look "done" in the oven, they will be hard as rocks by the time you eat them.
Next Steps for Success:
Start by clearing your afternoon and setting your butter and eggs out now. Buy a high-quality bittersweet chocolate bar—one you would actually eat on its own—and chop it into irregular chunks. Aim for pieces ranging from the size of a pea to the size of a nickel. This variation creates different "texture zones" in the finished cookie. Finally, ensure you have parchment paper; these cookies have a high sugar content and will stick to a bare pan like glue. Once baked, store them in an airtight container with a piece of white bread to keep them soft for up to three days.