Potbelly oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

One of my favorite cookies in the world is the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies from Potbelly.  It is a tad bit undercooked, and still has lots of oats in it.  After doing an internet search, I realized the recipe was no where to be found. Thus began my attempts to recreate it.

After a little thought, I decided the potbelly cookie might use crisco instead of butter in it.  With that in mind, I began looking for a crisco oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. After reading through a few, this is what I came up with.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup Crisco
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup 2% milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups oatmeal
3/4 bag mini chocolate chips

Cream the crisco and sugars together. Add in milk and eggs. Mix some more. Add in vanilla, mix again.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry mixture into the wet mixture. Once combined, stir in oats and chocolate chips.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 to 9 minutes. The cookies will be slightly brown on the outside and a nice creamy color on the inside, which will result in a crisp edge with a gooey center. I let some bake for about 10 to 11 minutes and they turned out a little to crisp for me.

Excuse the paper towel. I need to invest in some drying racks

This is a huge recipe. I think I ended up with somewhere near 50 cookies, so just make sure you have somewhere to take some of these cookies too.

In the end, they weren't the potbelly cookies, but they were really good. Probably one of my favorite oatmeal chocolate chip cookies to date. I am still searching for the potbelly recipe though. Maybe it is a combo of butter and crisco? Or more white sugar, less brown? Any ideas?

I might have to make a potbelly run later on to pick up a cookie. You know, for research purposes.

**I'm updating this post as this has been one of my most popular posts to date. Apparently there are quite a few potbelly cookie fans out there.  Upon further "research," I really think the Potbelly cookie is a butter based cookie.  I am yet to get it perfectly re-created, but will say that this recipe from Tasty Kitchen is now my go to Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.  I find it absolutely delicious.  This recipe also yields a ton of cookies, so make sure you have people to share with.  Or not.

***Updating again that I have tried this recipe again, attempt number two, and have changed some of the ingredients. I loved how this cookie turned out and think it is quite close to the Potbelly Cookie.  Check out this post for the new recipe.***