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These Copycat Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies are the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made, and no, I did not pay $250 for the recipe. They are thick and soft in the middle with just enough crisp at the edges, and there is chocolate in every bite. The ground oats are my secret for the rich, chewy texture.
I set out to match the cookies from the Neiman Marcus cafe, and after a few batches I had them. They come out soft and thick in the middle every time, and my kids grab them off the tray before they even cool.
The trick is two kinds of chocolate. Most copycat recipes stop at chocolate chips, but I grate chocolate bars right into the dough too. That is what gets you soft, melty chocolate in every single bite, not only where a chip landed.
If you love a chocolate chip cookie with something extra inside, my caramel stuffed chocolate chip cookies are another one my family asks for on repeat.
TESTED & PERFECTED
How I Finally Got the Centers Soft All the Way Through
I went back into the kitchen because my early batches were baking up crisp instead of soft in the middle. The fix was grinding the oats into a fine powder before they go in, which keeps the dough tender and rich instead of dry. Now every batch bakes up soft and thick in the center, exactly like the cookies I had at Neiman Marcus.
Is the $250 Neiman Marcus Cookie Story True?
You have probably heard the story. A woman had these cookies at lunch at Neiman Marcus, loved them, and asked for the recipe. She was told it would cost her “two-fifty,” said yes thinking it meant $2.50, and found a $250 charge on her credit card bill. When the store would not refund her, she started sending the recipe to everyone she could to get her money’s worth.
Neiman Marcus has said the story is an urban legend with no truth to it. The same tale has circulated for years about other companies too. Either way, the cookies it made famous are real, and this is my version of them.
These are one of my favorite copycat dessert recipes to make when I want the bakery version at home.
What You’ll Need
- Old fashioned oats: Use old fashioned oats, not quick oats or steel cut. Old fashioned oats grind into a fine, even powder, while quick oats can turn gummy and steel cut will not break down enough.
- Grated chocolate bars: This is what makes these different from a standard chocolate chip cookie. Grated chocolate melts into thin ribbons through the dough as it bakes, so there is soft chocolate in every bite, not only where a chip landed. Any chocolate works, but Hershey bars are what I reach for.
- Semi sweet chocolate chips: The chips hold their shape and give you the classic chocolate chip cookie pockets. Using them alongside the grated chocolate is what gives these two different kinds of chocolate texture.
- Brown sugar: Pack it well. The extra molasses in brown sugar keeps these soft and chewy instead of crisp, and it deepens the flavor.
- Butter: Let it come to room temperature before you start. Cold butter will not cream properly with the sugar, and the cookies bake unevenly when it does not.
How to Make Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies
Step 1: Prep and Grind the Oats Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease your cookie sheet. Blend the oats into a fine powder in a blender or food processor before you do anything else.
Step 2: Cream the Butter and Sugars In a large bowl, cream the room temperature butter with both the white sugar and the packed brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Step 3: Add the Eggs and Vanilla Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla. Adding the eggs one at a time keeps the dough smooth.
Step 4: Mix the Dry Ingredients In a separate bowl, combine the ground oats, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
Step 5: Combine Wet and Dry Slowly add the dry mixture to the large bowl and beat until just combined. Stop as soon as it comes together so the cookies stay tender.
Step 6: Stir in the Chocolate Stir in the grated chocolate, the chocolate chips, and the walnuts if you are using them.
Step 7: Drop and Bake Drop heaping teaspoons of dough onto the greased sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes and pull them the moment the edges start to brown. They finish setting on the hot pan, so let them rest there a few minutes before moving them.
Storage
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 to 4 days so they stay soft. They freeze well too, either baked or as scooped dough balls, for up to 3 months. Thaw baked cookies at room temperature, or bake frozen dough straight from the freezer with an extra minute or two.
More Cookie Recipes
Copycat Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter take out about 30 minute before to let it warm up
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar well packed!
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- 2 ½ cups old fashioned oatmeal
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 Hershey chocolate bars grated or approx. 4 ounces of any type of chocolate
- 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 ½ cups chopped walnuts optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Grease your cookie sheet.
- Blend oats into a fine powder (I used a blender, but a food processor will work too!)2 1/2 cups old fashioned oatmeal
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and both sugars.1 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup brown sugar
- Beat in one egg in at a time and then add the vanilla.2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the oatmeal, flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Slowly add this to the large bowl and beat until combined.
- Stir in grated chocolate, chocolate chips and optional walnuts.3 Hershey chocolate bars grated, 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips, 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
- Drop heaping teaspoons onto greased cookie sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes (all ovens cook differently, you will want to remove them when the edges begin to brown)
Love the recipe and makes a healthier alternative w added oatmeal with our treats. I’m an avid baker and tried this recipe as you have noted. I found, for our likes, baked at 325 degrees for 10-12 minutes yielded a tender center yet crisp edge and was perfection. If you do prefer a crisp cookie, I would stick with your suggested temp of 375 degrees.
My twin girls are very happy 😊
Coincidentally, I have been holding on to this recipe since the nineties, and finally made them this week….I think they were good, but exceedingly sweet. I was thinking of changing the grated milk chocolate bar to something less sweet to see what that would be like…..but all in all it is a solid chocolate chip cookie recipe….and one worth giving a try…..
So funny!!! We really loved them, but I can see how they may be too sweet!
You don’t need to copycat the recipe. Just go to the Neiman Marcus website and they have the recipe sitting right there for you to use.
Thank you so much for this recipe. I made these and took them to work….one of my collegues ate FIVE! They were a hug success and I’ve made them over and over and they are always perfect. The main hint I can give you is to let them sit in the tray for about 10 mins after taking them out of the oven. They are simp,y the best! Thank you again.