The Famous Neiman Marcus Cookies

Name: The Famous Neiman Marcus Cookies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 ½ cups oatmeal (blended); 2 cups flour; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature); 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 cup light brown sugar (firmly packed); 2 eggs; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 12 ounces chocolate chips (2 cups); 1 Hershey bar, grated (4 ounces); 1 ½ cups chopped nuts

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Neiman Marcus Cookies have earned their fame with good reason. Each bite delivers the perfect balance of crisp edges, chewy centers, and rich chocolate flavor!

A plate of Neiman Marcus cookies sits on a white cloth with more cookies on a cooling rack in the background and two glasses of milk nearby.

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Indulge in the legendary Neiman Marcus cookies recipe that perfectly blends oatmeal, grated chocolate, and chopped nuts for a decadent treat that’s worth every calorie! These cookies have become famous for their irresistible texture and rich flavor that keeps everyone coming back for more.

The Neiman Marcus chocolate chip cookies is a soft, chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookie that is perfect with a glass of milk. This recipe is sure to be one that the whole family will enjoy and is a huge hit as a homemade edible gift or to take to parties!

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Why You’ll Love These Neiman Marcus Cookies
Recipe Ingredients
The Famous Neiman Marcus Cookies
Video: How to Make Famous Neiman Marcus Cookie Recipe
How To Make Neiman Marcus Cookies
Recipe FAQs
Expert Tips
The Story Behind Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies
Why I Recommend Using Blended Oatmeal in Neiman Marcus Cookies Recipe
More Amazing Cookie Recipes With Chocolate
More Delicious Cookie Recipes to Consider

Why You’ll Love These Neiman Marcus Cookies

Foolproof Results: This recipe consistently delivers perfect cookies every time, even if you’re not an experienced baker.
Impressive Flavor Profile: The combination of blended oatmeal, chocolate chips, grated Hershey bar, and nuts creates a depth of flavor that ordinary chocolate chip cookies simply can’t match.
Make-Ahead Friendly: The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage, making these perfect for busy moms who need to plan ahead.
Crowd-Pleasing Appeal: These cookies have universal appeal — kids love them just as much as adults, making them perfect for any gathering or occasion.
Bragging Rights: There’s something special about serving a “famous” recipe with a fun backstory that makes these cookies a conversation starter at any event!

🍪 When in doubt about what dish to take to an event, I honestly believe you can never go wrong with a cookie containing chocolate!

Recipe Ingredients

Oatmeal
All-Purpose Flour
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Butter
Brown Sugar
Granulated Sugar
Eggs
Chocolate Chips — use the type of chocolate chips that you like or have on hand
Hershey Candy Bar
Nuts — I normally use walnuts or pecans, but you can use what you like or have on hand.

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Twelve Neiman Marcus cookies are arranged in neat rows on a wire cooling rack placed on a wooden board. The cookies are golden brown with visible chocolate chips.

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4.51 from 305 votes

The Famous Neiman Marcus Cookies

Neiman Marcus Cookies have earned their fame with good reason. Each bite delivers the perfect balance of crisp edges, chewy centers, and rich chocolate flavor!

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Cooling Time5

Total Time30

Servings:

Calories: 248kcal

Author: Melissa Griffiths

Ingredients

2 ½ cups oatmeal blended
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 ounces chocolate chips 2 cups
1 Hershey bar, grated 4 ounces
1 ½ cups chopped nuts

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Add the oatmeal to a blender and blend into a coarse flour or powder.
2 ½ cups oatmeal
In a medium bowl, mix together flour, blended oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
2 cups flour, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda
In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars, on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy.
1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup light brown sugar
Beat in the eggs and vanilla until well blended, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed.
2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla
Add flour mixture; mix just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips, grated chocolate, and nuts. (Optional: cover dough and chill 30 minutes – add a minute or two to the cook time if using chilled dough.)
12 ounces chocolate chips, 1 Hershey bar, grated, 1 ½ cups chopped nuts
Roll into balls and place two inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring cookies to racks to cool completely.

Notes

Nut Substitutions: Walnuts or pecans are a nice option for this recipe, if you are going to omit them add an additional 3 tablespoons of flour to the recipe.

Cookie Scoop Sizing: For perfectly uniform cookies that bake evenly, invest in a cookie scoop. I use a medium-sized scoop (about 2 tablespoons) for these cookies.

Baking Sheet Temperature: If baking multiple batches, either rotate between two baking sheets or cool your sheet completely between batches. Placing dough on a warm baking sheet causes the butter to melt too quickly, resulting in flatter cookies.

Oatmeal Measurement Timing: Measure the 2½ cups of oatmeal before you blend it, not after. The volume changes when blended, and proper measurement ensures the right cookie texture.

Serving Suggestions: Serve these Neiman Marcus cookies warm with a glass of cold milk or hot coffee for a classic treat. For an indulgent dessert, sandwich vanilla ice cream between two cookies, or crumble them over ice cream sundaes. They also make beautiful gifts when packaged in decorative tins or boxes, perfect for cookie exchanges and holiday gatherings.

Storage and Reheating: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, warm in a 300°F oven for 3-5 minutes, or microwave individual cookies for 10-15 seconds for that fresh-baked taste.

Nutrition

How To Make Neiman Marcus Cookies

A baking sheet lined with a red-edged silicone mat holds twelve freshly baked Neiman Marcus cookies arranged in neat rows. The cookies are golden brown with visible chocolate chips.

Step 1: Add the oatmeal to a blender and blend into a coarse flour or powder. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, blended oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

Step 2: In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars, on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until well blended, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed.

Step 3: Add flour mixture; mix just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips, grated chocolate, and nuts. (Optional: cover dough and chill 30 minutes – add a minute or two to the cook time if using chilled dough.)

Step 4: Roll into balls and place two inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in a preheated oven. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring cookies to racks to cool completely.

A hand holds a Neiman Marcus cookie above a glass of milk, with another glass of milk and several more cookies on a plate nearby.

Pro Baking Tip: To bring your butter to the perfect temperature for creaming, cut the butter into tablespoons and put it in your mixing bowl. By the time you’ve assembled all your other ingredients, your butter will be ready to cream.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use milk chocolate instead of a Hershey bar?

Yes, you can! The original recipe specifically calls for a Hershey bar, but any good quality milk chocolate will work. The key is to grate it rather than chop it, as this distributes tiny flecks of chocolate throughout the dough for an amazing flavor experience.

Do I really need to chill the dough?

Chilling is optional but recommended! Chilled dough will produce slightly thicker cookies with a more concentrated flavor. If you’re in a hurry, you can skip this step, but even a quick 30-minute chill will improve your results.

How do I know when the cookies are done?

Look for golden brown edges with centers that look just slightly underdone. They’ll continue cooking a bit on the hot baking sheet after you remove them from the oven. This ensures perfectly chewy cookies that aren’t overbaked or dry.

Can I freeze these cookies?

Absolutely! You can freeze them in two ways. Either freeze the baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months, or roll the dough into balls, freeze on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. When ready to bake, just add 1-2 minutes to the baking time—no need to thaw!

Neiman Marcus cookies cooling on a wire rack next to a plate stacked with more cookies. Two glasses of milk are in the background on a white surface.

Expert Tips

The Secret: The secret to this cookie is OATMEAL! And the secret to the oatmeal is popping it in the blender before adding it to the cookies to make a coarse flour out of it. Amazing texture and flavor!
Measure Your Oatmeal Before Blending: Measure the 2½ cups of oatmeal before you blend it, not after. The volume changes when blended, and proper measurement ensures the right cookie texture.
Room Temperature Ingredients Matter: Make sure your butter and eggs are truly at room temperature for the best incorporation. Cold ingredients don’t blend as smoothly and can affect the final texture of your cookies.
Don’t Overmix: Once you add the dry ingredients, mix just until combined. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, which can make your cookies tough instead of tender.

The Story Behind Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies

The classic Neiman Marcus cookie recipe came as a result of a hoax someone pulled against the Neiman Marcus Cafe. It was said that a woman went to the cafe and loved the cookie so much that she asked for the recipe.

The person said that they’d give it to her for “two fifty”. But when her bank statement came she realized that the recipe wasn’t sold to her for $2.50 like she thought, but rather for $250. This story spread throughout the country and it became a big ordeal.

The funny thing is, the Neiman Marcus Cafe wasn’t even offering cookies on their menu at that time. So, in response to the hoax over a cookie that didn’t exist, the Neiman Marcus Group created the Neiman Marcus cookie.

The store actually released a version of their cookie recipe a few years ago. While similar to this one, it contains espresso powder and leaves out one very important ingredient — oatmeal.

Blended oatmeal is the key to the delightful texture of the original Neiman Marcus cookies. It’s the secret ingredient that the store left out of their published recipe.

It only takes an extra minute to make blended oatmeal in your kitchen. Simply add oats to a blender and pulse into a coarse powder.

While oat flour is also a form of oats ground into powder, it’s not a great substitute for the oats in this recipe. Oat flour is much more finely ground than you will achieve in your home blender. It also may change the texture of your cookies.

When choosing oats for these cookies, I always opt for old-fashioned oats, but you can substitute quick-cooking oats if needed. Do not use instant oats!

I’m not sure we can ever have too many recipes for cookies that have chocolate in them. Here are some awesome ones that always get gobbled up quickly at our house or wherever I take them!

Monster Cookies: The best parts of your favorite cookies and make one giant conglomeration. So delicious and everyone loves them.
Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies: Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and the best part is that you don’t need to fire up your oven!
Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies: Brown sugar and higher oven temperature is the secret to thick, soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies every time.