Julie Clark
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Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
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The famous $250 cookie recipe everyone loves. Neiman Marcus chocolate chip cookies are loaded with oatmeal and walnuts.
When I was in college, my sister and her husband had an apartment in the same town. I remember going to her house a few times to make chocolate chip cookies. My grandma had given me a recipe for the famous $250 cookie recipe, so that was the one I always made.
If you’ve never tried the Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe, I think you’re going to love it. It’s soft, sweet and is loaded with chocolate and walnuts.
What are Neiman Marcus Cookies?
There are numerous versions of the infamous Neiman Marcus Cookie urban legend from the 1990’s, but the basic story is that a woman visited the cafe in Dallas and after dinner had a delicious chocolate chip cookie. She asked for the recipe, the employee declined, so she offered to pay for the recipe.
The employee said it would cost “two-fifty”. Instead of $2.50, it was actually $250 as she found out on her credit card bill, making it the most expensive chocolate chip cookie ever. (source)
Supposedly she published the Neiman Marcus cookie recipe online out of revenge, but whatever the story is, we now have ourselves a delicious chocolate chip cookie recipe that was never actually even served in a Neiman Marcus cafe. However, Neiman Marcus has helped to debunk this myth and published the recipe on their site. The recipe they publish is slightly different from the one my Grandma gave me years ago, but I wanted to share the one I know and love.
Ingredients in Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies
All of the ingredients are listed in the recipe card below, but here are a few key ingredients to remember:
- Dark brown sugar. Dark brown sugar has a higher moisture content than light brown sugar, so it makes the cookies have a rich flavor and chewy texture. You can use light brown if that’s all you have, but I recommend dark brown.
- Oats. Since you’re going to grind the oats into fine powder anyway, you can use either quick oats or old fashioned oats. The ground oatmeal will mimic flour and you’ll end up with a smoother textured cookie.
- Chocolate chips. My favorite chocolate chips are Ghirardelli, but I’ve been known to use any I can get my hands on. Use semisweet chocolate chips since you’ll have the Hershey bar as well.
- Hershey bar. The milk chocolate bar is the secret ingredient in these cookies! Shaved chocolate in cookies is one of my favorite things. It really infuses the cookie with pockets of melted chocolate in every bite. The milk chocolate of this bar will pair well with the semisweet chocolate chips.
✨ Full list of ingredients and amounts are in the recipe card below. ✨
How to Make Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies
Use an electric mixer to mix the cookies. This will ensure all of the ingredients get mixed well so that they bake evenly. Just be careful not to over-mix. Also, mix the ingredients in the order that the recipe suggests and mix wet and dry ingredients.
- Heat oven to 375ºF. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars in a large bowl. Mix in eggs and vanilla, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Set aside.
- Grind the oats (either old fashioned or quick oats will work since you are grinding them) in a blender or food processor until they are powdery.
- Combine the ground oats, flour, salt, baking powder and soda in a medium bowl.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Beat just until combined, but don’t over mix.
- Using a sharp knife on a cutting board, chop or grate the Hershey bar. Add the grated Hershey bar, chocolate chips and nuts to the batter mixture. Stir well to combine but do not over mix.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Cookies should be at least 2 inches apart.
- Press extra chocolate chips and a few nut pieces into the tops of the cookies to make them look pretty if you’d like.
- Bake for 10 minutes. You can use a round cookie cutter or a mason jar ring to swirl the cookies inside while they are still hot to get them perfectly round. This also thickens them, although these cookies are already pretty thick.
Recipe Variations
Love these Neiman Marcus chocolate chip cookies but need something a little different? Try one of these ideas:
- Use chocolate chunks in place of the chocolate chips for more of a chocolate punch.
- Replace the chocolate with white chocolate chips, then add pecans and cranberries.
- Drizzle melted chocolate over the top for an extra special touch.
- Add caramel bits.
- Add a tablespoon of espresso powder to the cookie dough. I’ve done this with our monster cookies and it is fabulous!
Storage Instructions
Store the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Then freeze any leftovers.
The Neiman Marcus chocolate chip cookies freeze well. Double wrap them, first in plastic wrap, then in foil or another airtight container. When you are ready to thaw the frozen cookies, allow them to come to room temperature before opening the package to keep them soft.
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Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
The famous $250 cookie recipe everyone loves. Neiman Marcus chocolate chip cookies are loaded with oatmeal and walnuts.
Servings 36
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter room temperature. 8 ounces
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar 200 grams
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 grams
- 2 ½ cups old fashioned oats 240 grams
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 260 grams
- ½ teaspoon salt 4 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking soda 4 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking powder 3 grams
- 4 ounce milk chocolate Hershey bar
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 ½ cups chopped walnuts 150 grams
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375ºF. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars in a large bowl. Mix in eggs and vanilla, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Set aside. 1 cup salted butter, 1 cup packed dark brown sugar, 1 cup granulated sugar , 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Grind the oats (either old fashioned or quick oats will work since you are grinding them) in a blender or food processor until they are powdery. 2 ½ cups old fashioned oats
- Combine the ground oats, flour, salt, baking powder and soda in a medium bowl. 2 cups all-purpose flour , ½ teaspoon salt , 1 teaspoon baking soda , 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Beat just until combined, but don't over mix.
- Using a sharp knife on a cutting board, chop or grate the Hershey bar. Add the chocolate shavings, chocolate chips and nuts to the batter. Mix to combine but do not over mix. 4 ounce milk chocolate Hershey bar, 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 ½ cups chopped walnuts
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Cookies should be at least 2 inches apart.
- Press extra chocolate chips and a few nut pieces into the tops of the cookies to make them look pretty if you'd like.
- Bake for 10 minutes. You can use a round cookie cutter or a mason jar ring to swirl the cookies inside while they are still hot to get them perfectly round. This also thickens them, although these cookies are already pretty thick.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick silicone baking mats.
- Scoop the cookie dough balls as evenly as possible.
- There’s no need to refrigerate this cookie dough and in fact, we recommend NOT refrigerating it. Just mix and bake.
- Don’t over bake the cookies if you want them to be soft and chewy.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. The cookies freeze well, too.
Nutrition
Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 119mg | Potassium: 74mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 195IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg
Can you freeze the dough and make a few at time as needed? I know you don’t suggest chilling the dough and freezing the cookies works, but my mom loves when I bake these for her and she wants to make them with my nephews. They just visit a few days apart and I won’t be around for both.
I never comment on anything so I hope you received this because I also have a question. I made these last night just because, I gave my friend some and before I even made it home she said, “I’m sorry, but these are the s*it!”. Meaning, amazing!! She asked me to make some for a gift for someone, completely flattering that I did good and kudos to you on sharing this recipe. Here’s my question, I made these late Friday night, wrapped some up and froze Saturday early am (which also a ? if that was too late), she wants… Read more »
When I halved the recipe on the print page, the amount in grams stayed the same 🙁
Just a question. Do I need to put nuts in. I’m guessing no but do you recommend using more of anything to replace nuts? Have a good day and God bless.