Neiman Marcus Cookies

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Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies are chewy and chocolatey, made with blended oatmeal, sweet chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, and grated Hershey’s milk chocolate. It’s a combination that’s sure to satisfy your sweet tooth!

These delicious cookies are unique and have a fascinating origin story to match. If you haven’t yet heard this famous tale, read on to discover how this recipe came about.

Perfect for holiday baking, these cookies are always a hit! Be warned — if you bring Neiman Marcus cookies to your next family gathering, expect only to be left with a few spare crumbs.

Not only does Neiman Marcus carry the world’s top brands, but they’re also pretty talented in the kitchen! If you’ve ever dined at a Neiman Marcus Café, you know exactly what I mean.

They have a full menu of flavorful salads, delectable entrees, like salmon tacos and parmesan chicken, and sensational shareables, like truffle fries. 

However, with all the delicious dishes offered, the Neiman Marcus chocolate chip cookie steals the fame. After making them yourself and sinking your teeth into the chocolatey, nutty, and chewy treat, you’ll see why!

But the funny thing is, Neiman Marcus didn’t have a single cookie on their menu until an interesting rumor circulated. Continue reading to reveal the truth about the Neiman Marcus cookie hoax.

Key ingredients & substitutions for Neiman Marcus $250 Cookie Recipe

• Oatmeal | This recipe’s secret weapon is old-fashioned oats blended into a powder. It keeps the oats full flavor and removes some lumpy texture.
• Flour | All-purpose flour gives the cookies a soft and chewy texture alongside the oats.
• Baking soda and powder | Use baking soda and baking powder to help the cookies rise.
• Kosher salt | Sprinkle in a pinch of kosher salt to enhance the sweeter flavors.

• Butter | Compliment the rich chocolatey taste with creamy unsalted butter. Before starting the recipe, allow it to come to room temperature, so it mixes better with the other ingredients.
• Sugars | Pour in some light brown sugar and granulated sugar to bring the sweetness of these cookies to the next level. The brown sugar has richer molasses notes, while the granulated sugar lends a crisp sweetness.
• Eggs | Eggs bind the ingredients and give the cookies a fluffy texture.

• Vanilla | A few drops of creamy vanilla extract deepen the flavors in the recipe. 
• Chocolate chips | Add semi-sweet chocolate chips for sugary bites of melted chocolate. If necessary, you may use white chocolate chips or whatever you have on hand.
• Walnuts | Chopped walnuts bring a unique texture to the cookies and additional flavor.
• Chocolate bar | You’ll grate a milk chocolate Hershey’s bar for an extra kick of sweet chocolate taste!

How to make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

You’ll make these Neiman Marcus cookies much like any other cookie recipe but with a few twists and turns. Continue to discover the secret to these incredible cookies!

STEP 1 | Preheat and prep

Are you ready to make this sensational Neiman Marcus cookie recipe? Let’s get to baking!

Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees so it’s hot and ready when you’re ready to bake. Next, line the baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set them aside to use later.

You can also prepare by chopping the walnuts, grating the chocolate bar, and setting the butter and eggs out to come to room temperature.

STEP 2 | Blend the oatmeal

For these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, you want all the tasty flavor of the oatmeal without the classic texture. So, grab a food processor or blender and add the oatmeal.

Pulse the oatmeal until it becomes a coarse powder, like oat flour.

STEP 3 | Mix the dry ingredients

Next, empty the blended oatmeal into a large bowl and whisk in some of the other dry ingredients — flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until all the ingredients are well combined.

STEP 4 | Blend the sugars and butter

Now, move to the bowl of your stand mixer. Drop in the room temperature butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.

Beat the ingredients on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy. This should take only a couple of minutes.

STEP 5 | Add the eggs and vanilla

Then, it’s time to add the eggs and rich vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture. Beat on low or medium speed until the ingredients are well blended.

Scrape down the bowl as you go so the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.

STEP 6 | Add the dry ingredients

Now it is time to add the flour and oatmeal mixture. Empty it into the bowl and mix on low speed just until incorporated.

STEP 7 |Sprinkle in the chocolate and nuts

Next, use a wooden spoon to stir the chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, and grated chocolate.

Use a cookie scoop or spoon to make 1 1/2-inch balls. Finally, place each cookie dough ball about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets. 

That way, they have plenty of room to spread without resulting in one massive Neiman Marcus cookie. However, the monster chocolate and oatmeal cookie doesn’t sound too terrible, right?

STEP 8 | Bake the cookies

Slip the baking sheets into the oven and bake for around 8 to 10 minutes. For perfectly chewy cookies with a subtle crunch on the edges, remove them from the oven while they are still soft.

STEP 9 | Cool and serve!

Once removed from the oven, leave the cookies on the baking sheets for a couple of minutes. This allows the soft cookies to crisp around the edges and prevents them from crumbling when handled.

Transfer these delicious cookies to wire racks and cool them before storing or serving. Last but certainly not least… Dig in and enjoy!

For more tasty holiday cookies, check out these classic Chocolate Chunk Cookies, nutty Pecan Candy Cookies, or salty and sweet Peanut Butter Toffee Turtle Cookies.

Frequently asked questions

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The National Cancer Institute’s budget for childhood cancer is less than 4%. It’s such a small number and that’s why I got involved. And with the ongoing pandemic, children are still being diagnosed with cancer.

I’m proud to join fellow food bloggers in the Sweetest Season Cookies for Kids’ Cancer event, a joint effort to raise money and awareness about pediatric cancer, by sharing today’s cookie recipe.

We are doing this because we want to make a difference in the fight against pediatric cancer. Cancer is the #1 cause of death of children by disease in the U.S. There are 40,000 U.S. children actively battling cancer right now.

Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is in a match window with their friends at OXO, who will be matching every dollar raised through the end of the year, up to $100,000. So whatever money we raise will automatically double!

Will you help us with a donation today? Every little bit helps! Donate here.

Behind the recipe: Neiman Marcus Cookies

How could Neiman Marcus sell their cookie recipe if it never had a cookie on the menu, to begin with? Here’s the famous tale about this sensational cookie recipe:

According to the decades-old tale, a woman was dining at a Neiman Marcus Café in Texas. She topped off her tasty meal with a chocolate chip, walnuts, and oatmeal cookie that she absolutely fell in love with! When she asked the waitress if she could have the recipe, she said she would sell her the recipe for “two-fifty.” 

Thinking she scored a deal, the woman accepted the offer of $2.50 for the cookie recipe and asked for her check. She was shocked when the credit card bill was over $300 for her one meal. In reality, the waitress sold the recipe to her for $250! 

The peculiar story spread quickly, even though it couldn’t have possibly been true. The restaurant didn’t even sell cookies. Still, people like a good hoax story, and the tale was told for many years.

Later in 1997, Neiman Marcus finally invented a cookie recipe much like this chocolate chip oatmeal cookie recipe I have featured today. The origin of the Neiman Marcus cookie recipe is perhaps one of the oddest and most entertaining tales in food history.