Chocolate Chip Treasure Cookies
These amazing, egg-free chocolate chip treasure cookies are so easy to make and are the softest, chewiest cookies thanks to a few, special secret ingredients!
You might be hard pressed to find a chocolate chip cookie recipe as easy and delicious and unique as this one.
This chocolate chip treasure cookie recipe is easily one of my top favorite cookies of all time.
I’ve been making this recipe for years…and it continues to be a favorite.
It should come as no surprise that it was passed on to me by way of my Aunt Marilyn (who is an amazing cook and clearly has friends who know their way around the kitchen just like she does).
Let me extol the virtues of these cookies for you, in case you haven’t made them yet:
1) They are so easy to make. I often rely on my rebellious (ha!) nature and mix them by hand AND ignore the part where the dry ingredients are mixed separately. I just throw everything in there and get an arm workout in and call it good.
But even if you are a rule/recipe follower, they will still be one of the simplest cookie recipes to whip up. Promise.
2) They have enough unique in them to be highly sought after. One bite and you’ll know what I mean.
You can see from the recipe that these chocolate chip treasure cookies have a somewhat surprising lineup of ingredients. The base of the cookie is butter and sweetened condensed milk…with graham cracker crumbs coming soon after.
Believe it! Go with it! Embrace it! It works…amazingly well.
3) They are egg-free. We are not an egg-free house, but I do like knowing my excessive nibbles of raw cookie dough are safe and ethical in the case of these cookies (although if you think I don’t indulge in real, live, raw cookie dough, we probably should have a talk).
However, if you ARE egg-free and need a fantastic go-to chocolate chip cookie, this chocolate chip treasure cookies recipe is the one.
And if I’m sharing all my secrets today, one time I made the cookie dough, rolled into smaller balls, chilled them, dipped them in chocolate, and called them a truffle.
Insane.
4) They are the softest, chewiest cookie you’ll ever meet. Thanks to the unique ingredient lineup, the texture is creamy and unbelievably soft and chewy. There’s really no other way to describe them.
Other than amazing. Addicting. Best-ever. Crazy good.
I think that about covers it.
I know coconut in cookies can be off-putting to some people (you crazy souls, you!), but it’s delicious in these chocolate chip treasure cookies. You should try it.
But.
If you just can’t, I’ll let you in on a secret.
I’ve subbed in old-fashioned oats before with great results (details in the recipe below).
You may be wishing I never told you that, because it’s dangerous knowing an oatmealchocolatechip-esque cookie can be that amazing.
Not only are these cookies unreal in flavor and texture…but you have to admit, they make a pretty darn picture-perfect cookie. Am I right?
Helped along by the use of a cookie scoop for portioning out the cookie dough (I use a #40 scoop for this size of cookies), the perfectly round shape makes them worthy of everything from bake sale to midnight snacking.
And thanks to a little Instagram experiment, I found that baking them on convection at 325 degrees made for a better cookie (read: no spreading).
If you don’t have convection, I’d suggest baking them at 375 degrees F (in a conventional oven). It seems the slightly warmer temperature helps them maintain their perfect shape while baking.
I’m telling you, give these cookies a try!
And if you love them already as much as I do and are ready for Chocolate Chip Treasure Cookie 2.0, take a look at this 7-layer version (like the classic 7-layer bar rolled into cookie form).
Ridiculously delicious.
I’ll forever be grateful these little beauties came into my life so many years ago. I’ve rarely found someone who didn’t immediately fall in love with them.
At the first nibble, you just know they are special.
Chocolate Chip Treasure Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (150 g) graham cracker crumbs, 13 rectangle crackers
- ½ cup (71 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup (113 g) salted butter, room temperature
- 1 ⅓ cups sweetened, shredded coconut (113 g) or 3/4 cup (75 g) old-fashioned oats
- 2 cups (340 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup (120 g) walnuts or other nuts, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (see note above).
- In a small bowl, add the graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine.
- In a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or by hand with a spoon), beat the sweetened condensed milk and butter until smooth and creamy, 1-2 minutes.
- Add the dry ingredients; mix until mostly combined. It’s ok if a few dry streaks remain.
- Stir in the chocolate chips, coconut, and nuts (if using).
- Drop the cookie dough by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Let the cookie rest on the baking sheet for 1-2 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
122 Comments on “Chocolate Chip Treasure Cookies”
I’ve been making cookies for over 35 years for my four children. I’ve made healthy cookies my children wouldn’t eat. I bought a flour mill so I could mill whole wheat flour and it was always fresh. (Okay – I bought that for baking bread, too.) I bought a convection oven so I could bake two and three trays at once and save time. I’ve made 3-ingredient cookies and lots-of-ingredient cookies. I’ve made plain cookies and gourmet cookies I’ve made oreo cookies and fig newtons. I’ve made a LOT of cookies. And I’ve just re-entered the cookie baking scene as a grandmother… and I have to say, these are one of the BEST cookies I’ve ever made. Thank you! Thank you again!!!
I did make a couple modifications because, after all, we’re still in COVID-mode up here in Canada and running to the grocery store is a more careful decision.
I only had about 4 oz of graham wafers so I added 2 oz of Oreo cookie crumbs. (I really liked the subtle taste but I wouldn’t add any more than that. It makes for a pretty cookie, too.)
I only had 2 oz sweetened coconut so I added 2 oz unsweetened.
I only had mini chocolate chips and added 1 cup instead of two because minis go farther.
They really are delicious.
The cookies turned out yummy right out of the oven, however the next day they were very hard. We stored them in both a glass tupperware container and a ziplock. Any suggestions?
Do you think they could use less time in the oven? These usually stay soft for days…so it might be over baking or maybe over flouring?
Oh my gosh! I am a HUGE chocolate chip cookie fan and I have baked many a chocolate chip cookie in my life… but these are THE BEST I have made to date! What a treasure of a recipe, Mel! Whooooo! I want to bless as many people with these freshly baked delights as I can. YUM!!!!!!!
I will be honest I had my doubts about making these but I have now decided these will be my go to cookie. They are everything you said they would be and more. Love them!!!
Hi, any ideas for substituting the Graham cracker?
You could probably try another type of cracker crushed up (like Biscoff cookies, etc)
I’m late to the party on these….just made them for Thanksgiving tomorrow…I followed the coconut trail……delish!!! Way to go, out of the ball park….Happy Thanksgiving….also, doing the make ahead mashed potatoes in my InstaPot…can’t wait to dive into those lovelies!!!
Hi Mel, can i use unsweetened applesauce as a substitute for butter in this recipe? Thanks.
I’m not sure how that would work for cookies (usually good sub for quick breads and muffins)…you could definitely experiment!
sorry aunt marilyn but these are from the sweetened condensed milk people, an Eagle brand recipe. I make it often but make it into bars…tasty and easy!!
Hate to break it to you, but everybodys Grandmothers/aunts/uncles/moms recipes initially came from somewhere else. They may have tweaked them to their liking but they didnt invent anything. Just like Hersheys chocolate cake recipe…theres 9000 ppl claiming that its “THEIR” recipe because theyvadded an extra 1/2 teaspoon of salt or an extra pinch of something. Ina Garten has a cake using it as well as MANY famous cake bakers. RELAX.
Do you think people interrogate their loved ones when given a recipe? Should they search the internet to make sure Aunt Susie wasnt using someone elses recipe and calling it her own?
I made these cookies and they are delicious. I added bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate chips (15oz), 1 t vanilla (why not) and chilled the dough well before baking. I baked at 375 for 8 minutes and they turned out perfectly. I LOVE that you included weights for everything; thanks!
Do you freeze these in dough form or already baked? And how do they fare? Mine are delicious, but were also quite thin and not puffy like your pictures. Will try to add more flour next time. Right?
I’ve done both, but I prefer freezing them after they’ve been baked. Yes, if they are on the thin side, try adding a little more flour, especially if you live at high altitude.
Well, turns out we don’t have any left to freeze anyway!? Oops, maybe next time. Maybe next time. And we are very high altitude, thanks.
Perfect! That did the trick….thank you 🙂
Great!
Wonderful! I still cannot get them to be puffy like yours….they go flat every time! The taste is still great but not as pretty – any further suggestions for keeping them puffy?
Try adding 1/4 cup more flour, Eleanore!
These are good. But they’re not chocolate chip cookies. They’re Mounds (if you feel like a nut, add almonds!). Super soft (and thin) and still really good after two days.
We didn’t find sweetened coconut, so we made our own: dissolve some sugar in water and dump the coconut directly into the pot. Stir until the water is absorbed. You might wait until the coconut cools before you adding it to the batter with the chocolate chips–otherwise, your chips will melt a bit.
I made these yesterday and they are amazing. My family is in love! I was out of regular chocolate chips so used the mini. So good! Thanks for another wonderful recipe!
Yum! By far one of the best cookies I’ve made. I used unsweetened ground coconut (because it’s all I had). Totally reminded me of Mounds candy bar, my ultimate fave! Thanks for another stunner of a recipe!
Yum! I actually have some of that same coconut and wondered how it would fare. I’m totally going to try it now!
These cookies are good. We definitely prefer them with coconut to oatmeal. But we LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your other egg-free cookie dough recipe on your blog (https://www.melskitchencafe.com/soft-baked-skillet-chocolate-chip-cookie-egg-free/). We also love to freeze little dough balls of those and use them in chocolate fondue!
The ingredient line up reminds me of the Hello Dolly bars that my Grandma used to make. I’ve always loved that recipe so I’ll have to try making it in cookie form!
Oh.My.Gosh. These are the BEST! Just made them last night and my family couldn’t get enough! Actually, neither could I, so I took drastic measures and packed some of them up and dropped them off to a couple lucky recipients. 🙂 Our friends loved them too! Thanks for another easy and delicious cookie recipe Mel!
Delicious! My husband especially loved these. I can’t stop thinking about doing a key lime pie version of these, with lime juice/zest, white chocolate chips, and macadamia nuts.
Oh, yum!
Oh man, I just learned the hard way that sweetened condensed coconut milk does NOT sub well in this recipe! It’s been years since I had a batch of cookies bomb this hard! Don’t get me wrong, I’ll probably still eat them all because they still taste good and because what kind of example would I be setting if my children saw me judging these cookies by their appearance? 😉 Will try again soon using proper sweetened condensed milk!
Oh, darn it!
Mel, I don’t bake cookies often but decided to tackle these over the weekend. They turned out SO GOOD. I made the recipe exactly as written (no nuts). I’d like to mention that, as someone who doesn’t mind coconut but doesn’t love it, these cookies are divine and I would change a thing. I baked them at 375 as you suggested. Thank you!
Er, duh, WOULDN’T change a thing. 🙂
Thanks for your feedback, Angie!
Love the tip about chilling the dough and dipping it in chocolate. Brilliant! (and not something I feel like I can do with uncooked egg in the dough, so this is just perfect). Of course, I’ll have to cook some up too, they just look too delicious. Thanks!
So I saw this recipe when it was posted on Wednesday, and I printed it out intending to make them this weekend. Yesterday I had dinner with my parents and we got to talking about cookies and I asked my mom if she had the recipe for “those AMAZING coconut chocolate chip cookies that grandma used to make.” She dug the recipe out of my grandma’s old recipe box. It is this EXACT SAME RECIPE, only hers called for 1.5 cups of coconut. What an amazing coincidence!
That’s amazing, Mike! What a fun experience. Thanks for sharing!
I made these and they were delicious, as expected. I am a total coconut fiend and had the idea of replacing the condensed milk with cream of coconut. Do you think that would work?
I’m not sure it would work, Mike – mostly because sweetened condensed milk contributes to that chewy texture, but cream of coconut doesn’t have the same properties. But hey, I think anything is worth a try! Let me know if you experiment.
I couldn’t resist and I tried making them today with the cream of coconut (Coco Lopez). I added 2 tablespoons of milk powder to replace some of the lost milk solids. The first tray spread out a little bit more than I’d have liked, so I bumped the oven up to 375 for the second tray and baked for 11 minutes. Oh my god, they are SO GOOD, just as chewy as with the condensed milk and with an extra layer of coconut flavor. Next time I will probably add an extra tablespoon or two of flour to compensate.
Oh my gosh, seriously? That’s awesome! Thanks for reporting back!
I’m embarrassed to tell you of all the changes I made your recipe the very first time I tried it. It still turned out GREAT and I thank you for the idea of using sweetened condensed milk in the cookies. Although my husband and I are dessert hounds I do try to make some healthy subs in our dessert recipes, so here’s what I did. I used 2 1/2 oz whole wheat flour instead of white. I used 2 1/2 oz. of oat flour instead of oats or coconut. I used 3 TBS of olive oil instead of 1/2 cup of butter. (due to a stellar new choco chip recipe I found online that uses olive oil instead of solid fats). And I added cocoa nibs instead of nuts (just cuz we love them). The cookies kept their shape (no spreading) with the convention oven mention perfectly and the texture was amazing. Thank you so much for a fun new recipe!
Awesome!
I went to look for your TV segment. It was so cute to see you “live”. Last Wed. I was in SLC, flying back East after skiing in PC. I’m going to try these Treasure Chocolate Chips.
Ah, funny that our paths *almost* crossed! 🙂
Made these tonight- absolutely loved them!! We used butterscotch chips instead of nuts (we are a big butterscotch family) Yuuummyy!! Love love this recipe. Thanks for sharing it with us.
I made these last night as a thank you treat for my kids for helping to weed our garden! 🙂 They were delicious!! I used 1/2 cup quick oats and 1/2 cup shredded coconut, plus a cup of chopped pecans, baked at 325 convection for 10 mins and they were perfect!!!
Thanks for another great cookie, Mel!! You’re the best!
Yo Mel, do you add nuts to yours?
Not usually unless I’m making them for my dad (or someone else that really loves nuts in their cookies).
I made these cookies yesterday and loved them. I even made my own sweetened condensed milk using powdered milk, sugar, a little butter, and water. It worked great!
Way to go on the homemade sweetened condensed milk!
Thanks so much for another egg-free cookie recipe! We are an egg-free family who loves both your cream cheese chocolate chip cookies and chocolate chip skillet cookie. It always a treat to find something that doesn’t require substitutions and is yummy at the same time!
Just a thought, could almond flour be used instead of coconut or oatmeal?
Could certainly try! I think the texture of the dough would be much stiffer based on how finely ground the almond flour is.
Did I need another chocolate chip cookie recipe? Do I love 7 layer bars? Will I not rest until I bake a batch and try these? Answer Key>>>>(Um, no..I mean yes? YES! NO!)
We love soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies! Going to have to give this recipe a try!