Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies {My Favorite Cookie}
A bold declaration, but this really is favorite cookie! Soft and chewy, these oatmeal chocolate chip coconut cookies are the best of all!
It’s a day for bold and fearless declarations. So I’ll start it off: these are my favorite cookies in the history of ever.
This is not a claim I take lightly.
I first declared it to be true ten years ago, and I’m happy (and weirdly kind of relieved) to report that today, even after posting ten million other cookie recipes, I still declare these soft and chewy oatmeal chocolate chip coconut cookies my all-time faves.
That’s not to say I don’t have other really close favorites. I do. Lots of them. But these are at the tippity top, and I feel very liberated stating it again for all my posterity to note and be aware of (as in, some generous great grandchild better be making these for me nonstop when I’m 87 1/2 years old…I’ll happily accept them before that, too, of course).
One Popular Cookie
My Aunt Marilyn gave me this recipe many years ago, and I’ve probably made them over 50 times. I’m not the only one who has fallen in love! Here’s a snippet of a few comments others have left over the years:
Alicia: For the record, the cookies were AMAZING. As in, dangerous to keep around. Thanks for another winner!
Kimberly: My family’s favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe!!! These are amazing when the dough is frozen and then baked. They are puffy and chewy and delicious all at the same time!
Yvette: There are SO good. I made them last night and had a hard time not eating the whole bowl of just the dough! YUMMY– is not a strong enough word.
I don’t think I can adequately describe how much it warms my heart when I declare a recipe to be top notch (or in this case, a favorite) and have other (unpaid but much appreciated) people agree with me.
There are a couple things that make this cookie special
While I adore a classic oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, I love, and this cannot be understated, that the oatmeal in this cookie is lightly blended with the other dry ingredients. The deliciously nutty flavor (and slight but not overpowering texture) of oatmeal is in every bite. And it makes me ever so happy.
Two other reasons these cookies are a step above the rest: 1) light and dark brown sugar and 2) coconut. Sure, it sounds like a lot of stuff. But you aren’t going to get Mel’s Favorite Cookie On the Planet just by following the same ol’ recipe you’ve been using for years. We’ve got to step it up. Do hard things. Live life on the edge.
You know, use two kinds of brown sugar and coconut. It’s worth it. I give you a big ol’ promise it’s worth it.
Many people have commented they’ve used either all light brown sugar or all dark brown sugar with fantastic results, but I don’t stray too far from the recipe. I’m a rule follower, and I prefer using both types of brown sugar because of the resulting rich flavor and chewy texture. It really can’t be beat.
Let’s talk coconut
Now. If you happen to be a coconut hater (or you are allergic or you hate the color or you find it offensive or your grocery store doesn’t carry it), first of all, find another grocery store immediately OR try subbing in another texturely pleasant ingredient. Someone in the comments said they nix the coconut and use toffee bits? Interesting and undoubtedly yummy.
You might possibly be able to add the same amount of oats in place of the coconut…but maybe don’t blend them this time? Hmmm, I kind of like where we’re going with this. The main thing to remember is: don’t omit the coconut completely without subbing something else or the cookies will most likely flatten into lacy little cookie pancakes because of the missing structure.
And please just keep in mind that if you go and change up the add-ins for this cookie, you *may* end up with a completely amazeballs cookie, but it won’t be my favoritest of all cookies. And I really want you to at least experience this real deal buttery, brown sugar, coconut, blended oatmeal, loaded chocolate chip cookie recipe once in your life.
After that you can go as crazy as you want with add-ins and variations (and please do report back!). Thanks. I’m glad we had this talk.
If soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies are your jam, I think you’re going to love these. I don’t expect anyone to have the same unfailing adoration about them that I do (you can leave the obsessiveness up to me, I can always be counted on for that), but they do have a fan following for good reason.
Quick and easy and consistently delicious, these cookies are the best!
Now it’s your turn for bold declarations! Do you have a beloved cookie that you can confidently declare as top favorite of all time? Do tell!
FAQs for Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies
About 1-2 days.
I bake them at the same temperature, but add a few minutes.
I’ve found these work best with old-fashioned rolled oats – if you use quick oats take care not to over measure or the cookies will be dry (and won’t flatten).
If you do, you’ll want to add in a few more oats or another substitute so they don’t go flat (see my notes above).
One Year Ago: Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad
Two Years Ago: Best Italian Pasta Salad {With Quick Homemade Italian Dressing}
Three Years Ago: Key Lime White Chocolate Cheesecake Pie
Four Years Ago: Whole Grain Pumpkin Blueberry Muffins
Five Years Ago: My Favorite Breakfast Smoothie
Six Years Ago: Chipotle Chicken Skewers with Creamy Dipping Sauce
Seven Years Ago: Blueberry Coconut Cake with Lemon Sauce
Eight Years Ago: Buttermilk Drop Biscuits
Nine Years Ago: Classic Potato Salad
Ten Years Ago: Baked Chicken Taquitos
Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies {My Favorite Cookie}
Ingredients
- 1 cup (100 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2 ¼ cups (320 g) all-purpose flour, I use unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (227 g) salted butter, softened
- 1 ¼ cups (265 g) packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup (106 g) packed dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 cup (85 g) sweetened or unsweetened coconut flakes
- 2 cups (340 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add the oats, flour, baking soda, and salt to a food processor or blender and process for about 30 seconds until coarsely blended. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer, add the butter and brown sugars and mix until light in color, 1-2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix for another 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the blended dry ingredients and mix once or twice (not all the flour will be fully combined). Add the coconut and chocolate chips and mix until no dry streaks remain.
- Shape the cookie dough into balls (I use a #40 cookie scoop) and place several inches apart on parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let the cookies cool slightly before removing them from the pan to a wire rack.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Recipe originally published April 2009; updated May 2019 with new photos, recipe notes, weight measures and commentary.
306 Comments on “Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies {My Favorite Cookie}”
Delicious! I’m not a fan of coconut but a huge fan of cookies. These are delicious! Probably my favorite cookie to make (read: eat).
My go-to cookie for any occasion! Holidays? Add colorful m&ms. Not a fan of chocolate? Switch for raisins! Want nuts? Add them, they turn out amazing! Even people who claim they dislike coconut *cough cough my husband cough cough* still love these cookies! I usually half the recipe because we WILL eat them all… and even that turns out great! (I know… everyone hates on halving recipes! It works well with this one!)
Ps… if you’re having issues… WEIGH YOUR INGREDIENTS!!! If you still have issues after that I don’t know what’s going on! Lol.
Another tasty treat from Mel! I didn’t have both brown sugars so I used all light brown sugar. They were still delicious! Perfect baking project for a snow day. I was nervous about baking them because of some reviews, but my 5 yr old insisted on cookies with choc and coconut….and we had no issues. Thank you, Mel!
I had to use 1/4 c. avocado oil for part of the missing butter. I measured instead of weighing the flour & oats, so my dough was a little wetter but still good. I made one batch and refrigerated the rest of the dough to make later.
And, I only had light brown sugar, so next time I’ll be sure to have both. Amazing, delicious cookies even with those errors.
So I followed the recipe pretty closely, but I noticed that the measurements for the flour and oats are a bit off which could be the reason why some people are getting different results. The standard AP flour measurements in grams is 120 grams per cup (2.25 cups is 270 grams not 320) and rolled oats is 80 grams per cup (not 100 g). My cookies spread out a bit too thin for me cause I used 270g of flour and 80g of oats. They tasted great though, but I’m going to chill my next batch in the freezer for a little bit and raise the oven temperature and see if I get better results. My house is super warm right now which could be why the dough was too soft going into the oven. Some people like thinner cookies with crispy edges and chewy centers which is what I could, but I prefer them to be a bit thicker.
Your cookies baked up too thin because you used your own weight calculations instead of using the weights given in the recipe. I test all my recipes using 142 grams of flour per cup and 100 grams of oats per cup. Unfortunately, there’s not one standard across all the baking platforms out there. For instance, King Arthur Flour tests and posts all their recipes using 120 grams per cup of flour whereas America’s Test Kitchen uses 140-142 grams per cup of flour. Both of them are trusted, viable sources, but they each use different baking weight measures. So it’s important to use the weight measures given in a recipe, especially if that recipe has been tested, instead of converting them to your own weight measures. Reducing the flour and oats will definitely make the cookies bake up thinner. If you want a thicker cookie, try using the weight measures in the recipe; I think you’ll be pleased with the results. 🙂
Nuts.com sells coconut flakes that are great. I use them in scones. Can’t wait to try this recipe since oatmeal cookies are my favorite. Love your site an recipes thank you for sharing such wonderful treats and meals.
I’ve made these before and they tasted fantastic, but I had some trouble with them just staying in little clumps when I baked them – they didn’t spread out at all. Is there anything I can do to fix this? Thanks!
Try packing less flour into the measuring cup – a bit less flour should help!
Taste is great, but like many others, I had issues with the dough spreading. Attempted refrigerating sough and raising oven temp, but couldn’t achieve the desired results.
A friend shared this recipe with me and I was super iffy because I am NOT a coconut fan. Made them for a relative’s birthday and they were a HUGE hit! Now easily the most requested cookie in our house and they are delicious. It’s hard not to eat them all as they come out of the oven.
I’m so happy you fell in love with these!!
Weighing the flour made all the difference! These didn’t spread like most cookies I’ve made recently. Thank you for a great new favorite cookkie!
Turned into overcooked puddles. Unfortunately I have frozen the rest I’ll try to add more flour when I attempt to cook the rest or put them into a bar pan because they all turned into a bar anyway. I tried the comments above about convection and raising the temp to no avail.
I’ll not be making the recipe again. It wont let me give it a thumbs down.
Did you weigh the flour? Too little will make them melt like you described! Have you checked your oven’s temperature? I found out my oven temp was much lower than it said (despite raising the temperature and using convection), which made my cookies spread out.
If about 95% of reviewers had a great result from a recipe, I’d think the problem is with your oven or ingredients, not the recipe. Not really fair to give it a poor rating.
I made these into raisin cookies instead of chocolate chip (sorry, Mel!). My husband prefers raisins, but I know your chocolate chip cookie recipes are always an excellent starting point. I cut the sugars down to 1 cup total, switched the chocolate chips for raisins, and added cinnamon. Delicious!
My husband and kids LOVED these cookies…. husband couldn’t stop eating them. Thank you!!
Haha — just came to comment that your favorite cookie should definitely make the “best of” category! Just went there looking for this and then had to search. It’s so good! 🙂
These were a hit in my household! I originally made a batch to send to work with my bf during a particularly stressful week–he and his coworkers all went crazy over them, and this is now his favorite/most requested cookie. I don’t grind up the oats as we like a chunkier texture, but that’s just down to personal preference. They still stay nice and thick and chewy 🙂
These turn out consistently great every time, thanks so much!!
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I love coconut so combining it with a chocolate chip cookie recipe sounds perfect. My all time favorite cookie is America’s Test Kitchen Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie. They have you brown the butter and use dark brown sugar so you get this nutty toffee taste that’s so yummy. Just try not to eat all the dough before actually making them into cookies.
Hi! Do you know how long these cookies will keep for in room temp? Thanks!!
About 1-2 days.
Made the cookies today… omg!! They are so good.. I think they are a rich tasting cookie.. I can only eat one in a setting..got 3 1/2 dozen nice size cookies from the recipe .
I have to agree, this is one great cookie! I made it for the first time today and love the chewy inside and ever so slightly crisped outside. I’ve frozen some of the dough for another time and gave half the batch to a friend. But that other half batch won’t last long!
OMG, these cookies are delicious! Was looking for something good to make while living the quarantine life and these did not disappoint! Crispy outside and gooey on the inside, and just enough salt to make you want to keep going back for more!
Thanks Mel, your recipes are always a huge hit!
Made these to bring to work and people couldn’t stop eating them (even the health nuts who only eat kale!). I failed to realize I only had about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips until it was too late, so I subbed in what I had…ended up being about a cup of toffee bits and a chopped up salted chocolate bar. Got lots of comments about people loving the toffee. Thanks for making me the favorite co-worker of the day 😉
how many calories is this? thanks
Its a cookie…who cares. You dont eat cookies if youre worried about calories.
Added espresso chips and it was a perfect recipe!
Best cookies I have ever made!!Cant make enough of them
Hands down, best cookie recipe ever!!! I am in love with these cookies! My only recommendation is to make triple batch. These do not last a day in our house! I have made hundreds of cookie recipes and this is by far, my favorite! I have made this recipe 4 times already, and everyone absolutely loves them!
Thank you so much, Jennifer! So happy you love them!
Wow, these are truly the best cookies! I used unsweetened coconut flakes and it’s the perfect chew without being too sweet. Love the saltiness of the cookie and the texture is crispy around the edges, chewy in the middle. Also, before baking I flattened the cookie dough between my palms a bit so they spread out more. Perfection!
We love these cookies. I really like to use toasted coconut,
Hey! This recipe is delicious! I love using the brown sugars instead of mixing in white sugar. Yum yum yum.
One question, would it mess up the cookies if I toasted the coconut before adding it?
That sounds like a delicious idea!
When you freeze cookie dough do you cook it at the same temp and for the same time??
Same temperature but I usually add a couple of minutes
I bake cookies on a regular basis, and I have a few recipes that are my go-to depending on what I’m after. Your recipe is seriously amazing. I hate changing a recipe and rating it based on those changes, however I had to change 1 thing: I used only light brown sugar (13oz) as it’s what I have on hand.
Thanks for a great recipe.
I used an ice cream scoop (because again, it’s what I have), so I had to cook for 16 minutes, as they were larger.
These cookies sound delicious and I’m ready to try them, but I’m wondering if you’ve ever added nuts to the recipe. I was thinking some pecans would be good.
Pecans would be a great addition and should work well in the recipe!
I’ve made these and loved them for years! Have you ever made them as a bar cookie??? Thanks for all your deliciousness!!!
I haven’t, but totally worth a try!
I made these tonight. I didn’t have enough flour so I combine 1/2 mixture of almond meal with dry ingredients and they turned out fine. also added walnuts. Great recipe!
I just made these and they are delicious! I only had a bag of triple chips – dark, milk and white mixed – and they are so good.
These oatmeal chocolate chip coconut cookies are SO GOOD. I took them to a party last night and by the time we came home, the huge container was empty (despite there being other cakes and desserts!) And several folks requested the recipe. Mel’s Kitchen Cafe is like my own personal Joy of Cooking. Thanks Mel!
You are so cute, Kathleen. Thank you! So happy you loved these!
Hello! I am looking forward to making these cookies, Can this cookie dough recipe be frozen for future baking? It is just myself and my husband at home now so many recipes I bake half and freeze the other half to bake at a later date. Thank you.
Yes, it works great frozen!
I made these at over 6,000 ft elevation and I had to add SO much extra flour to keep them from just melting all over the pan. Probably over a cup, in the end, of added flour. The flavor was so yummy, though, I want to try again. Do you think less butter in the first place might make it easier to keep them from being so flat?
I’ve heard that adding more flour is sometimes necessary for high altitude baking, so as long as the cookies still turned out chewy and delicious, adding extra flour shouldn’t be a problem!
I had the same problem! I’m at about 4300 ft above sea level and mine we’re super greasy and spread like crazy!! I added a few tablespoons after the first batch but that definitely wasn’t enough! Still tasty, but rather sad looking.
yummy recipe -I made 1/2 of batch recipe for 2 of us>>I
made as instructed took 12 min to bake and we loved them!
I have the same comment as a few others. My cookies stayed in a mound and did not flatten at all. I did not weigh my flour but measured accurately. I have been baking for 50 yrs.
Any other suggestions?
Sounds like even if the measurements seemed accurate, you may need a bit less flour, so maybe decrease by 1/4 to 1/3 cup next time and see how that goes!
Curious how these turn out if I substitute dark brown sugar with regular brown sugar (for a total of 1 3/4 cup brown sugar)? any issues in baking or taste?
You can totally do that, Kerri! The flavor is a little different (not quite as rich and dark).
Made this recipe two days in a row. So good and so much better than standard chocolate chip cookies. Thanks!
Yay, Corinne! So happy you are loving this recipe!
For those who might be looking for subs to make this dairy and egg free, I made them last night with 1 cup coconut oil instead of butter and flax eggs, and I’m happy to report it worked! Coconut oil melts faster than butter, so I did end up decreasing the heat to 325, and it was helpful to chill the dough for a bit. But they were amazing!!
Thanks for the report, Staci!
Just curious….is there a reason why the oats need to be blended? Is it to make a less chunky cookie? Or can you leave the oats whole and bake as is….?
It helps with the overall texture – if they are left whole, the cookies will probably flatten and spread quite a bit more.
Hello, these look a lot like a recipe I use. I can 1 minute oatmeal be substituted for old fashioned and is Demerara the dark brown s sugar you mean? I know some recipes cannot have old fashioned oats used as a swap out.
I love your recipes. Many are ones I grew up with but are now lost due to unfortunate circumstances. Some are ones I’ve been looking for but people refused to share. Well done..
You convinced me, I had to try them. I love them and they got rave reviews from the very few people I was willing to share them with. 😀
Haha. Thanks for letting me know, Veronica!
I loved these! I’m famous for ruining cookies around here. They’re never quite right, ha! Well these are perfect, chewy in the middle and a little crispy on the outside. The coconut is so good in them. I baked them for 12 minutes. Thank you for such a yummy recipe.
Thanks for letting me know, Stephanie! Glad they worked out!
Made these with rolled barley flakes as I am trying to find a new normal since oats have gotten such a bad report. Happy to say, they turned out great and can’t notice a difference! Thanks Mel, you are the cookie queen!!!
That’s awesome, Angela!
Well, I think I’m going to quit baking. On mother’s day I made your coconut cream pie bars and totally forgot ALL the sugar. They were still great though! I just made these for the first time today and guess what – yep forgot the 1 1/4C brown sugar! They’re still ok – but I knew something was off because they are nothing to rave about. I might need a few weeks break before I try baking again!
I have made this recipe so, so many times, and it is my favorite cookie too. I’ve made LOTS of cookies, but this is my fave! Glad we’re on the same page!
So happy to hear that, Kimberly!
I figured I owed it to myself to make Mel’s *FAVORITE* cookie (we love your choc chip & sugar cookies already.) These were the perfect Friday afternoon snack! I can see why you love them. Thanks Mel!
I’m so happy you tried them, Kathleen! Thanks for letting me know what you thought. 🙂
I notice as I get older the chocolate is staying with me longer than I’d like it too
But, nonetheless Mel you never disappoint !!!
Thank you from all the kids that run through my home during the warm months !!
Haha…thanks, Ann!
I LOVE these cookies and have been making them for years. Thank you for bringing them into my life! I almost always have these dough balls in my freezer. Just the other day, my 12 year old was going through my dessert recipe binder (boy after my own heart) and was laughing because I had three copies of “My Favorite Cookie.” He thought I had named them that because they are definitely MY favorite cookie, too.
PS Do you have the scraper for your Bosch? I just got it and used it for the first time last night and I feel like my life has changed.
I do, but I admit I haven’t used it much. I’ll give it a shot!
Ha, that made me laugh! Thanks for the smile and for loving these cookies as much as I do!
I have the same comment as a few others. My cookies stayed in a mound and did not flatten at all. I did not weigh my flour but measured accurately. I have been baking for 50 yrs.
Any other suggestions?
I’ve posted here before, and love, love, love , these cookies, but have a question about mailing this little wonders to my grandson on his mission. I want them to get there soft, and just as tasty as the day I made them. He is in country so that won’t be that big of a problem. I just know that after a few days these little lovelies do get hard. Any ideas?
Writing from Phoenix going to Billings, Montana.
Linda
Hi Linda, could you freeze the baked cookies and then put them in a food saver bag (frozen) and pull out all the air? (Or if you don’t have a food saver, this is my hack: put the frozen cookies in a ziplock bag and use a straw to suck out all the air).
I like to add a slice of bread in my bag of cookies to keep them soft (or even to soften accidentally over-baked cookies)!
Hi Linda, I have not sent these cookies, (they are WONDERFUL), but when my son was deployed overseas, I sent him cookies stacked in Pringles cans as part of his Christmas box. Of course, I first had to make them the right size but I filled each can with a different type of cookie, put a bit of tissue paper in the top so they wouldn’t move and wrapped each can with a different gift wrapping paper. (Just the sides so you can still use the lid. They were fresh, he loved them and he loved the presentation. Sorry I can’t post a photo here 🙂
Could you use quick oats?
I’ve found these work best with old-fashioned rolled oats – if you use quick oats take care not to over measure or the cookies will be dry (and won’t flatten).
Yum. We just made a version of these with another recipe…but now I’ll HAVE to try this. It’s my fave too (outside of a really good gingersnap). One thing that really was fun was adding just a bit of coconut extract. 🙂
Does anybody have a good gluten free work around for these? I love your Monster Cookies Mel, but these sound excellent!
I’ve made many many gluten free cookies, many of which I’ve converted gf from my old recipes. I make my own blend from 2cups super fine brown rice flour, 2/3 cup potato starch and 1/3 tapioca starch. Xanthan veries recipe to recipe. For this one maybe3/4- 1 tsp. Can also purchase mixes that contain xanthan. Just thought this might help, Linda
So helpful – thanks, Linda!
i tried more than a handful of times in the past and even put them in my own private cookbook. they are amazing. you are not exaggerating. i love them. i will make them again. everyone should!
i cannot say i have a definite favorite but . . . chocolate and peanut butter are most often involved. i also love dorie greenspan’s world peace cookies, gingerbread cookies (especially Tartine’s . . . oh my!), my deceased grandmother’s cinnamon raisin cookies (recipe below), and the salted caramel almond bars (from bakeorbreak.com) and subsequent variations on shortbreads.
Cinnamon Raisin Cookies
Gertrude Carrie Wilson Lusby (1894–1983)
2 C sugar + plus extra for sprinkling
1 C shortening
2 beaten eggs
2 T buttermilk (or sour milk)
1 1/2 T cinnamon (yes, tablespoons)
1 t each ground nutmeg, baking soda, and salt
2 1/2 C (5.5 ounces) sifted flour
1 C raisins, ground in processor (or meat grinder!)
1 C nuts, chopped very fine
Cream shortening and sugar. Mix in eggs and milk, then the dry ingredients, and then the raisins and nuts. Roll cookie dough into balls, roll in sugar, and then flatten on the sheet and bake at 375 degrees F for six to eight minutes.
Love your lineup of favorite cookies, Karen!
OMG these sound amazing!! Must. Make. Immediately!
I’m allergic to coconut. Is the coconut a total deal breaker?
No…but you might want to replace it with something else so the cookies don’t flatten. Maybe unblended oats or toffee bits or something like that?
My mom has made a cookie recipe just like this for years. She calls hers “Farm cookies”. One of our favorites
Coconut, chocolate and oats? These sound right up my alley! …they sound a little similar to the Chocolate Chip Treasure Cookies on your site? …without the graham crumbs of course. Can’t wait to try them!
I have a weird question though. When you are using your Bosch to make cookies, do you use your beaters or cookie paddles to cream the butter? I use my mixer frequently for bread dough, but have only used it a time or 2 for cookies. When I have, the butter just seems to sit on the bottom and not get mixed very well with the paddles. I’m wondering if you use the beaters and then switch?
Thanks so much for your help! You’re the best, and a definite household name around here! In case you didn’t know, we’re basically best friends!
Hey Tracey, I use the cookie paddles start to finish with cookies. But I agree, the Bosch is so huge that with single batches, sometimes the butter doesn’t incorporate all that well until other ingredients are added. Which is why my default is to usually double all cookie recipes in the Bosch. Haha. In seriousness, though, I just scrape the bottom every so often and usually by the time I’ve added the sugars and egg(s), it’s mixing pretty well.
I’ve made this cookie recipe for years and it is hands down the favorite homemade cookie in my family. They are great warm out of the oven, but even better the next day. My kids request these cookies often. They disappear quickly so make a double recipe!
Ooh, I do want to try these! This isn’t helping my “trying to eat better” behavior. My all time favorite cookie is a basic chocolate chip cookie. The most soft, chewy, fluffy cookies ever! Everybody loves them whenever we bring them anywhere. Oh, and I used to not like chocolate chip cookies until I had these. But I have to use milk chocolate chips for sure. A good quality kind makes them even better. Try them. You won’t be sorry.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup Brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp milk
3 cups flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 package milk chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS
Mix together brown sugar, sugar and butter. Add 1 egg, vanilla and milk and mix together. Add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Mix well and add chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
This is the only chocolate chip cookie worth making in my opinion. The BEST texture and flavor combo EVER!!!
Glad you love them, Emilee!
Ok will try since your fave BUT the almond joy cookies are THE ONES in my house hehe.
Oh yes, those are definitely delicious!
I am sad to say that I very much suck at these cookies – made them 4 times and each time they are hard little mounds and dry – can’t make them look like the picture ? Am wondering if I just figured out the problem – I know to not use quick oats – and our store said that ‘large flaked oats’ are the same as ‘old fashioned oats’ which they didn’t stock. BUT- just saw a small tube of ‘old fashioned oats’ in another store and will try again. Are ‘large flaked oats’ the same as ‘old fashioned?’’. Am DETERMINED to master these!
We can figure this out, Rachel! Quick question, are you using a kitchen scale? Not mandatory, but it could help figure out the issue. If they aren’t flattening at all, back off on the flour a bit. It could be that you and I measure flour differently and you might be getting more flour in the measuring cup than I do. That’s the biggest culprit to cookies not flattening (especially if they are dry, too).
I don’t have a scale – but am going to get
one immediately ! Am also going to
try the oats with the name ‘old fashioned’ on the tin instead of ‘large
flakes’. Am going to master these
if it kills me! Every one of your recipes always works out so I have to figure
this out!
I just made these as well and mine stayed in little mounds too.. did not flatten at all. I did not have parchment paper to use. I only made one sheet full as I didn’t want to waste the batter. Wonder what I did wrong…
How do you measure your flour, Jen? Sounds like the dough was overfloured a little, so try measuring a bit lighter next time and I bet that will make a big difference.
Funny, I was just looking at this recipe last night but made your favorite chocolate chip cookies instead. My grandsons loved them. These will have to be next!!
These sound amazing and I can’t believe I haven’t tried them yet!
I just made these for the first time and wow I love them! Can you pretty please add weights for the dry ingredients? Thank you Mel!
Yep! I will when I update the recipe with new photos (really soon!)
I have made some small tweaks to this recipe to make it a little lower in sugar and carbs, and it comes out really good.
5.2oz of Dark 72% cacao chocolate instead of semi-sweet chips
2 cups of flour instead of 2 1/4 cups
1 cup of light brown sugar instead of 1 1/4 cups
Small tweaks, but that allows a yield of 42 cookies, 102 calories each, 4g fat, 14g carb, 7g sugar, and 2g of protein. For a delicious cookie with no fake ingredients that doesn’t compromise on taste, this is on the top of my list. I have this recipe along with 2 others that I use every week. Thank you for sharing!
I think I made these a long time ago and forgot about them, but wow! They’re amazing! My daughter and I had a craving to make treats yesterday. Because we’ve learned they turn out better with exact weights, for anyone else wondering (and my own future reference), these are the weights, which we determined by converting from other Mel recipes.
3.8 oz old fashioned oats
11.25 oz. flour
13.1 oz brown sugar (I didn’t have both light and dark, so I combined the 2 sugar measurements; don’t use this if doing both types)
Coconut: we couldn’t find a weight for coconut on Mel’s site, and online the weights for 1 cup varied widely. Take your best guess.
For the record, the cookies were AMAZING. As in, dangerous to keep around. Thanks for another winner!
Glad you love these, Alicia – and thanks for the weight measures. It’s about time I updated this recipe with that info! (And probably new pictures too).
Hello! I’ve just read some of the comments below, and you mentioned using sweetened shredded coconut. I bought unsweetened, and I’m baking them this evening. Do you think the unsweetened will work, or should I add something? Or just go back to the store for the sweetened stuff?
Thanks!
Yes, unsweetened will work just fine!
These are soooo wonderful. We stumbled upon a variation that is fantastic if you need a coconut substitution. Heath toffee bits are perfection in this recipe. They add that bit of crunch similar to coconut and the toffee is wonderful with the oats and brown sugar and everything. Thanks for a great recipe!
Dear Mel,
I would love to try this recipe (as I’ve tried so many of your recipes before and all of them turned out great!) BUT my son hates coconut. I know, I could just make other cookies (like your favorite chocolate chip cookies or the s’mores cookies – they are great!) but I trust your judgement: If these are your favorite cookies, they will be the greatest!
So – can I just skip the coconut and try them as coconut-free coconut cookies? Or will this destroy the whole work of art?
Thank you for your answer!
Hi Anna – I think leaving out the coconut will probably work…the flavor will be different but still yummy. However, they may flatten because the coconut is missing so you might want to up the oats just a bit. Good luck if you try them!
Thanks for your advice. Meanwhile I’ve considered to replace the the coconut with grounded almonds. I will try the recipe on the weekend (first things first: today I’ll try the new toffee cookie recipe and I will end up with 200 pounds at Christmas!) and let you know!
So how did the recipe work out for you with the almonds. I’m thinking I may try it subbing walnuts for the coconut.
These were so good! I’m not a great baker but even I was able to handle this amazing recipe. I found myself eating them and had to give hem to neighbors in an effort to not pack on the ponds. I think these would also be good with raisins or dried cranberries added. Thanks for the recipe.
Two things about this recipe. One it’s become my favorite cookie recipe and have made it lots of time since you posted a while back. My problem is if we don’t eat them right up like in a day or so, they start to get hard and that’s not how my hubby likes them. While eating a bunch of cookies would be nice, my hips won’t take it for very long and I like to have a treat last a little longer than a few days if possible.
Any suggestions on how to get these to last longer. (Tupperware hasn’t work either)
My girlfriend loves this recipe also and has made these too!
Hey Linda, I always freeze the baked and cooled cookies! They defrost great and are almost as good as fresh.
I store my cookies in a Tupperware with a slice of bread. Works like a charm. Throwaway the bread when the cookies are gone.
Hi! I’m sorry if this sounds dumb but what type of coconut do you use? I have desiccated coconut and coconut flakes. I assume you don’t use coconut oil nor coconut milk for this recipe. Thanks!
Hi Joanna, I use unsweetened or sweetened shredded coconut.
Hey Mel. You have been my go to for all recipes for about 5 or 6 years now. Thanks for all you do!
I can’t believe that I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but I do have a question (it may be a silly one). After you beat the butter, it says “add” the other ingredients; to clarify – I do not need to “beat” anything but the butter, correct? Do I just hand mix everything else? Or do I hand mix the butter too?
It may be a silly question, but I am very “by the book” and have a very hard time “winging it.” Thank you!
Hey Rayna – after I add the other ingredients, I mix on low (if I’m using a handheld electric mixer or using a stand mixer). You could also use a wooden spoon. Does that help?
These cookies are delicious! Even when you run out of AP flour so have to use almost half white whole wheat. And when you only have half a bag of mini chocolate chips! I’m not the biggest coconut fan (texture thing) so I used 3/4 of a cup and I felt it was just right. Next time I might add some chopped walnuts because I’m crazy like that.
Amazing recipe
Delicious, love the oatmeal flavour, but the texture is more like a regular chocolate chip cookie.
So so good! I only had light brown sugar, so I added about 1/2 tablespoon (eyeballed it) of molasses to try and mimic dark brown. Absolutely delicious! Thanks!
My family’s favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe!!! These are amazing when the dough is frozen and then baked. They are puffy and chewy and delicious all at the same time!
I’m so happy you love these, because they continue to be one of my favorite cookies ever!
There are SO good. I made them last night and had a hard time not eating the whole bowl of just the dough! YUMMY– is not a strong enough word. Think of an Almond Joy candy bar in a cookie.
These are amazing!
Can I convert this into a bar cookie somehow to save on baking time?? My husband and I lovvvvvvve these, and I am looking for a shortcut!
I haven’t tried that, Ann-Marie – but it should work pretty well!
Mel, I am seriously so obsessed with these cookies! I made them a couple months ago and have probably made them 10 times since. I have told my husband several times that if I had 3 wishes, I would honestly use 1 of them to make the calories in these not count because I can put away an embarrassing number of them 🙂 Thanks for your wonderful blog, I use it several times every week and I can always count on the recipes being delicious!
Haha, you are so cute!
Hi Melanie! I tried baking these cookies and they ARE delicious, but I wonder if you can give me any hints for baking them at high altitudes? Mine didn’t flatten out and weren’t particulary chewy, although still delicious! I normally have to add a little flour to my recipes but I don’t want to make these cookies drier. Any suggestions??
If they didn’t flatten, it sounds like the dough was over floured. How do you measure your flour? I plan on about 5 ounces (weight) of flour for each cup and I fluff up the flour really well, scoop in the cup, and level off.
Hi there DEBC 😉 We’re you able to get it right at altitude? If so, could you share what you did and what your altitude is? Mine is 6700. It is always tricky to get it right!! 🙂 Thx!
These cookies are AH-MAZING!!! My daughter requested them for her birthday instead of cake!!!
These are fantastic! Thank you! I’ve made the recipe as written in the past. Today I made only 1/4 recipe (I know!). My oldest is about to start kindergarten (waaah!), and I decided I want to have mini cookies for his lunches on Fridays, or special occasions. I used mini m&ms in place of chocolate chips and omitted coconut. It made about 24. I didn’t even dirty the mixer, just used a spatula and a bowl. Just in case anyone else wants mini size cookies: They turned out about 2 inches in diameter (perfect for my needs). I rolled them into balls about 1 teaspoon in size. Baked 7-8 mins. They are perfect.
Thanks again for the fantastic recipe! They are so yummy.
Oops – I mean they turned out the size of a silver dollar or just slightly bigger.
Love the idea of mini cookies, Trisha!
As someone on the geezer side of life, a 2″ cookie is what used to be a normal-sized cookie. Just sayin’
did you use dessicated coconut?
I usually use sweetened, shredded coconut.
Hi Mel, I’m going to make these cookies. I was wondering how many cookies are in 1 batch
Depends on the size but probably right around 2-3 dozen.
Oh Mel, I know it’s so belated, but THANKYOU for these cookies! My husband has discovered (because this is practically the only recipe place to look!) and adopted them as his go-to recipe (whenever he needs a HomeTeaching treat, etc.) and we are all reaping the benefits 🙂 They are dangerously delicious!! (& I still can’t believe he blends the oatmeal!)
I love this!
Will it make too big a difference if I use all light brown sugar?
You can definitely do that – the cookies will be just a little lighter in flavor and chewiness.
These cookies are awesome! The oats and coconut are a great combo!
Hello! Is it coconut oil or coconut flakes? Thanks
Shredded coconut.
Hi Mel,
How did your cookies flatten? Mine are mounds. How large did you roll the balls of dough? Thanks.
Sounds like maybe there was to much flour in the cookie dough (if the flour gets packed into the measuring cup, that can happen). I use a couple tablespoons of dough for each cookie.
This recipe calls for oatmeal. Do you actually mean oatmeal or oats?
Good question – it’s oats. I’ll change it so it isn’t confusing.
Yum! Definitely better than regular chocolate chip cookies.
These were perfectly delicious! I got over three dozen out of them too with a normal cookie scoop (2 T size). I wish I got six dozen! Next time I’ll be doubling!
Hey Mel – have you ever made these without blending/processing the first four ingredients? My kitchen stuff is all packed up but these cookies sound so good I’m considering trying to mince the oatmeal! Haha.
I haven’t – but it’s definitely worth a try!
Hey Mel
First off, please know that I am one of your BIGGEST fans and have tried a lot of your delicious recipes. I am just about to make these awesome cookies but wanted to ask if you would ever consider adding weight measurements to your baking recipes. This would avoid many subscriptions weighing their flours wrong, which I bet you can attest to happens a lot. I know it would be extra work for you and your sister, but think about how many more fans would join your site (not that you need more fans I’m sure) because they were successful in duplicating the finished product – just like you.
Something to think about in the future.
Thanks Mel for making me a better cook, baker, eater, laughter, smiler, etc, etc, etc
Sorry Mel…..I should have clarified, eg. 1 cup of flour is 120 grams.
thanks Mel
Hi Nancy – thanks for your comment! I agree that weight measures are definitely more foolproof. I try to add them to all my recent baking recipes but some of my older recipes don’t have them yet. It’s not quite as simple as going through and just typing in the weight from the cup measure I’ve already given mostly because I use 5 ounces/142 grams of flour per cup as my standard since I’ve never been able to scoop a cup of flour that only weighs 4 ounces/120 grams – it’s just not enough flour to fill the cup and I want the recipes to work for people that are weighing and measuring, if that makes sense so usually I’m updating the weights as I actually remake the recipes. Anyway, I’m glad to know others use their kitchen scales and know that I’m working on it behind the scenes slowly but surely. Since everyone measures flour differently, I try to refer people to my tip on measuring flour – then at least they know how the flour is measured in the recipes on my site (unfortunately that doesn’t mean a recipe on another website will have flour measured the same weigh – which brings us back to the point that ultimately weight is the way to go). Thanks!
My friends LOVE when I bake for them. I made these cookie today, it trued out Amazing…. I didn’t put “white sugar in the cookies. I decided to put the cookie dough in the fridge for 1 hour. What a difference!!
Just sayin… 6 months pregnant… and a scoop of vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two of these perfect cookies just made my night! Thanks Mel! I’ve tried probably over 20 recipes on your sight, and you never fail.
Why do you put the dry ingredients in a blender before adding to the dough? It seems like I’ve lost the oatmeal texture by doing that.
They aren’t meant to be like a classic oatmeal cookie – the blended oats give flavor but a smoother texture.
Hi! I was wondering about the 1 tablespoon of vanilla, just because most of your other recipes have only 1 teaspoon:)! I just was wondering because I have real vanilla extract, would 1 TBLS be too much for me to use? Thanks! And btw i love all the recipes of yours that ive tried so far!! 😉
Hi Anna Elle – I love the taste of the vanilla in this cookie (the full 1 tablespoon) but you could always start with 1-2 teaspoons and see how that works for you.
Ok thank you very much! I made them and they were so good! I also love your best whole wheat oatmeal chocolate chip cookies; so delicious!!! 🙂
Wonderful!! A staple around our house for school lunches. Thanks for another amazing recipe!!
Just found you and made these today..We love them..keepers..thank you..
Highly addictive:-)
Mel ~ I was curious if you would recommend sweetened or unsweetened coconut. I’m not a big coconut fan but would be willing to try it. I just wanted to make sure using unsweetened coconut wouldn’t affect the outcome of the overall taste?
Jennifer W – If you have unsweetened available, I suggest that (it’s what I use when I can find it), otherwise sweetened works just fine, too (obviously makes the cookies just slightly sweeter).
Have you ever had Ranger Cookies? They’re similar to these but with cornflakes too. It adds another layer of texture. Here’s a recipe: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/ranger-cookies-recipe
I Love using coconut oil to make cookies, but this time of year with all the humidity, I find that my nice crisp cookies turn into mushy, way to soft globs very quickly. Any guidance on how to overcome this?
Thanks, Carol
This cookies are amazing!! I have been looking for a good chewy oatmeal type cookie forever. I made mine with all light brown sugar and I refrigerated my dough for a bit. I think it helped to make them thicker. Love these!!! Will make again.
I did the same thing put my cookie dough in the fridge.
I’m looking for an oatmeal raisin cookie recipe…..not for me, but for my husband. I think chocolate chips is the way to go. Do you think this recipe would work with raisins instead of the chocolate chips? Or do you have a better suggestion?
Valerie – These Classic Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies would be a good fit for raisins (and possibly a touch of cinnamon). Good luck!
Dear Mel, I came across your blog the other day when looking for a healthy banana muffin (by the way i made them and LOVED them). Today I tried this cookie, but they re way too sweet for my taste (and i only used 1 cup of light brown sugar). Also the batter was rather “hard”, so I did make the balls and then pressed them flat. I gather they should have spread by themselves? (i also left out the coconut, since i wasn’t sure my daughter would like it). i have no expereince with making a CHEWY cookie and have been looking for a recipe for a while — could I inspire you to come up with a healthy version of this one ?
For Easter i wanted to make your “Carrot Sheet Cake”, but now i am afraid it will be be too sweet — based on the idea that i love you “health muffins” how much sugar can i leave out when making the cake??
I also wanted to complimento you on the food photograpy and style of the websited — all the recipes simply look mouthwatering and i shall try many more!!
Hi Anne – I’m surprised you thought the cookies were too sweet since I tend to like things a bit less sweet as well. Funny how we can all be so different on the “sweet” spectrum, right? It sounds to me if the batter was too stiff that you may have overfloured. It’s definitely a soft cookie batter that should be easily scoopable. How do you measure your flour? I always fluff up my flour and then lightly dip in the measuring cup and level it off (as opposed to scooping it in and shaking the cup to level which puts more flour in the cup). I have a healthier chewy cookie here if you are interested in taking a look:
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/healthy-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies/
As for the carrot sheet cake, again, I don’t think it is too sweet but you could definitely cut the sugar back if you are worried. It shouldn’t impact the outcome. I haven’t tried cutting back the sugar so you’ll have to experiment a bit. Good luck!
Just made these…I know…. a little late to the party. Used whole wheat pastry flour, sucanat ( 1.5 cups ) instead of both sugars, unsweetened coconut and quick cooking oatmeal ( just didn’t blend it). I mixed the eggs and sugar together first to “melt” the sucanat, then added the butter. They were tough to mix at the end, but came out delicious, even my 11yo’s suspicious friend really liked them.
Just made these cookies today! I put the cookie dough in the fridge for 1 hours.
Just made these cookies today! I put the cookie dough in the fridge for 1 hour.
Sorry….just flipped to the newer comments and saw the post regarding coconut….
Hi Tyler – do you have a blender? You could try lightly pulsing the mixture in that.
Just wondering…..didn’t see anything browsing through the comments, but are you using sweetened or unsweetened coconut for the recipe? Also, if don’t have a food processor…….what can you suggest??
Love, Love, Love these cookies! Made a tray of them for the office for Valentine’s Day. They were gone with a blink of any eye. Made them again last night for a take home treat for “The Girl’s”. This recipe is a keeper for me! Thanks again for sharing.
These are AMAZING!!!!!! Making them again today for the second time on a week! Kids loved them too even with oatmeal and coconut…they had no clue! They are just delicious!
I just made these, and they are delicious! Turned out perfectly, even though I only had light brown sugar.
I made these today and it is a keeper! Thank you for sharing. Coconut is an ingredient that I have only recently began to like (it is more of a texture thing..not necessarily the taste) so I throw the coconut into the food processor and chop it rather finely. Will have to see if my husband and son say anything about them…they are definitely in the no coconut camp!
THESE. ARE. AWESOME. It’s a freezing cold “snow day” here in MN, so we made cookies. I didn’t have quite enough flour, so I substituted half with white whole wheat. I also didn’t have enough butter (no running to the store when it’s -42 below!) so I substituted half with coconut oil. They are SO GOOD. Our new favorite cookie! Thanks for sharing this fabulous recipe!
Can’t wait to make these cookies for New Years Eve!!! or maybe tonite. ha ha. What kind of flour did you use? Do you have a favorite brand, King Arthur etc….also, what kind of coconut did you use, package??? in a can?? does it matter?? Thank you! Love your recipes!!
Nancy – I always use unbleached all-purpose flour (either Gold Medal brand or Dakota brand; mostly because that’s all I can find in my area). I used sweetened shredded coconut in a package that is found in the baking aisle. Good luck!
I made these today and almost loved them. My cookies had a bitter taste to them. I think it was the Dark Brown sugar. Has anybody made these with just light brown sugar. I really enjoyed the taste minus the bitterness. I measured the dark sugar correctly so what did I do wrong?
I have made at least one different chocolate chip cookie recipe every month this year, and it took until now to find the best one! Seriously, perfect texture and flavor. I used half dark chocolate chips and half milk chocolate, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Thank you!!! This recipe is a keeper for sure.
Do any changes need to be made if I were to sub raisins for chocolate chips? Hubby is a huge raisin fun. Thanks so much!!
Jackie – I’ve never tried it adding raisins so you’ll have to experiment. Good luck!
Hi Mel! After you add the eggs, etc., do you need to beat the batter a bit to incorporate, prior to adding dry ingredients? I hadn’t made these in a long time and they were a flop, so I need to figure out where I went wrong. I know they are delish!
Hi Lori – I hope these work for you! I always beat the cookie batter with the eggs (before adding dry ingredients) for 3-5 minutes until it is really light and fluffy. What happened last time you made them? Did they spread too much?
Why yes, they are now my favorite cookie!!! The chewiest,fudgiest,yummiest ever!!!
Hi Mel, do you know if I can use all dark brown sugar? I see a few people mention using all light brown with success, but not dark. Thanks!
Lori, yes you can. It makes the cookies slightly more dark and rich but will still work.
Hi Mel, do you know if I can use all dark brown sugar? I see a few people mention using all light brown with success, but not dark.
Hajrija – unfortunately these cookies really need the brown sugar to work out.
I only have white , regular sugar. That won’t work , right ? 🙁
Mel, I have a confession: I am one of your closet readers. I have enjoyed making many of your recipes, and for that I am so grateful!! I am not a very good cook (which is why your blog has been so helpful), but I LOVE to bake! These cookies are so good – I made them today and already ate 4 of them. I used only light brown sugar, since that’s what I had on hand, and they turned out phenomenal! So chewy and so delicious. My husband LOVES coconut and I love chocolate. So pairing the two together is just the greatest! Thanks again for all your wonderful recipes.
These are EVIL! My new fave oatmeal chocolate chip. Thank you! The worst part is that I was expecting it to make 2 dozen like the recipe said, but it actually made 4 dozen big cookies for me! More to tempt me–augh! 😉
Confession: I have eaten far too many of these in the last 24 hours since making them. It’s just that I really needed a lot of samples to determine whether they are better warm from the oven or cooled down (and yet I still don’t know definitively . . .). So much chocolate, and the right amount of saltiness and chewiness with the oats and coconut. Thanks for sharing.
Trina – I use both unsweetened and sweetened coconut in this cookie recipe and both work great (just depends what I have open in my pantry/freezer at that point in time). And yes, I know dear Martha and many other gourmet foodies recommend unsalted butter but I have to confess that I don’t use it. I use regular, salted butter because it’s just always what I buy and have in my fridge. You can definitely use unsalted butter – just add a little more salt to taste.
Oops, I meant to ask you what type of butter you bake with. I’ve always used unsalted – that’s what Martha says to do 🙂
Mel, can you clarify what type of coconut you use? I only buy unsweetened ones. I’m going to give these a try.
Is it wrong to have more than one type of your cookies in the house at the same time? Just made your delicious sugar cookies last night and am off to the store to collect the loot for these. Ohhh how I love winter! (Ok….so we make alot in the summer also but who is counting) Thanks again for all the yumminess!
Oh my goodness. These are amazing! Doubled the batch because I am taking them to a church function and I wanted to have some to freeze. I got over 100 out of the doubled batch. I added a little extra flour because cookies always spread for me and I added the coconut extract. Try it Mel. I love the flavor of coconut so I think it was a good addition, but I have never tried them without the extract. My first tray out of the oven was a little brown for my liking so I played around with temperatures and by the end, they were perfect…I found for me that I prefer them not on the silpat and not on convection. They just look better, didn’t flatten quite as much and just look prettier. The three out of the oven I tested pretty much taste the same, though. I am so happy to put this on my favorite cookie list. Thanks so much, Mel, for sharing your treasures!
Megan – I’ve never tried adding coconut extract. Let me know if you try it! I definitely don’t think it would ruin the cookies – it would probably enhance the coconut flavor. I love these cookies warm from the oven, cooled after a few hours and the next day (by the 3rd day they are a little crumbly). I haven’t really noticed when they fare the best (1st day versus 2nd day) because I love them either time!
Oh, and best tasting the day you bake them or the day after? Some cookies are better, I think, the next day….I would love to know how you like them best…
Mel, have you ever tried adding a little coconut extract? I love coconut and I used to make a recipe from allrecipes that was similar, but no oats, and I loved the addition of coconut extract. Have you ever had the coconut chocolate chip cookie from paradise bakery? Oh, it’s divine. I am making these this week and wanted your 2 cents on the extract. I can’t wait….not that I need more calories after Halloween.
Tara – I’ve used both with delicious results. Sweetened is a bit easier to find but I like the heartiness of the unsweetened. Of course it makes the cookies a tad less sweet but there is a plethora of sugar in the recipe to make up for it.
I can’t believe no one’s asked…sweetened or unsweetened coconut?
I made this today but replaced the coconut with toffee chips and toasted crushed pecans and they were amazing!
Thanks! The cookies came out pretty flat, but they still taste super good! I really think the two different brown sugars make a big difference on flavor. I guess I could always refrigerate the dough after mixing too if my butter was too soft.
Anyway, thanks for the help and your recipes are outta this world!
So what kind of consistency am I looking for in this dough? I noticed that when I followed the directions it seemed wetter or stickier than most cookie doughs I’ve worked with before. They really flattened out as they cooked too, maybe my butter was too warm? Room temp in St George Utah can be near 80 even with A/C!
Aaron – I’m guessing your butter might be too soft. The consistency of these cookies isn’t unique – it should be similar to a regular cookie dough. Stiff enough to roll into balls (leaving a slight residue on your hands) without being overfloured. The butter should be soft enough to gently press a finger into and leave a divot but if you are able to slide your finger through all the way to the counter through the stick of butter with no problem – well, the butter is probably too soft and can cause the cookies to flatten. If elevation is a factor (I have no idea what the elevation is in St. George), as in, high elevation, you might also try adding another 1/4 cup of flour to the dough. Hope that helps!
Thanks Melanie. I know this comment is very late, but I’ve just started my first year of university! I just wanted to say that these cookies were amazing. It made a lot more than 2 dozen, so I just wrapped it up and put it in the freezer. My friend really appreciated it and her family enjoyed it as well. Plus my family was more than happy to help get rid of all the extra cookies. They ate it all in two days. 🙂
Sarah – sorry for the delay in responding. I am just returning from vacation. But to answer your question, I use salted butter.
I’m going to make these for my friend tomorrow since she’s been helping me lots lately. So hopefully they turn out well and she and her family enjoys them. Just a quick question, should I use salted or unsalted butter? Thanks!
Your blog is now my ‘go-to’ food site too. I am still discovering wonderful recipes like this one. I do have a suggestion that is helpful if I want to excercise a bit of control and not eat them all too quickly.
**Here is a great tip I learned from my Mom; Mother of 12 grown children, always made (still does, actually) double batches of cookies. She makes dough ‘logs’ about 12 cookies worth, wraps them and puts them into freezer bags! I dont always have time or patience to bake a whole batch, so I slice off six or so for a quick treat!
These are delicious! I love the flavor that the dark brown sugar adds. Plus, they’re super chocolately! I’m curious though…my cookies look much darker than the cookies in your picture. They almost look like I used whole wheat flour (which I didn’t) or a little cocoa powder (which I didn’t). They cooked perfectly and tasted so good. I was just curious about the color. What do you think? Oh, and I used exactly 1/2 cup of dark brown sugar. Maybe I packed too much into the measuring cup?
Joyce – I’m glad you loved these! To be honest, I have no idea why they would have been so much darker, unless my picture is just deceiving. They turn out fairly dark when I make them, also.
This is a delicious recipe! I added white chocolate chips and craisins instead of the chocolate chips and it turned out great! Thanks so much for sharing such consistently great recipes.
Made these last night! Doubled it actually. I was at the oven for hours!! Now I have a bunch to share and freeze! Great recipe! We loved them!!!
Making these late tonight for a cookie bake-off contest at work tomorrow (hoping your recipe brings me luck)! I read the posts above from Anonymous who mentioned her cookies didn’t spread out. Mine didn’t spread as much as I would’ve liked either. First, I thought it was an altitude thing, but now I think my butter was a bit on the cooler side of room temp. So, I really think that’s the trick because I measured my flour with the dip & sweep method. I will make sure my butter is softer next time, but let’s face it they smell and look delicious – we’re really splitting hairs at this point. Can’t wait until the first ones cool to try them. Thanks for all the great recipes! Oh, also wondering if you have any dry ingredient storage container tips aside from using the paper bags flour & sugar are sold in (possible blog idea?).
Holy guacamole, woman. These cookies are like crack, seriously. I’ve already eaten a week’s worth and I only just took the last batch out of the oven! Thank you for another AWESOME recipe!
We LOVE these cookies. I have made them several times already! Thanks for sharing. I continue to enjoy EVERY recipe from your site.
Made these tonight and they came out great!
I only used about 6oz of chcocolate chips, a teaspoon of baking powder instead of baking soda cuz i didnt have any and only used 1 1/2 cup of sugar.
Next time i will plan ahead and make sure i have all the right stuff though. I’m sure they will turn out even better!
Thanks, Jena!
ok – thanks! Love your site!
Do you have a printable version for these???
Thanks!
Karen – I haven’t added printable links to all the recipes on the site yet. Hopefully this one will be soon!
I made these yesterday (in addition to the chicken gyros and soft wrap bread…I was busy in the kitchen yesterday!) and they are perfect!! I left out the coconut, only because I didn’t have any on hand and didn’t want to go to the store..but they were still delicious. The only thing I noticed, is that I ended up with A LOT more than 2 dozen..I had a little less than 4 dozen. Maybe I am making my cookies too small? But they seem average size to me. But thats just fine, because I can throw some in the freezer and I have plenty to eat over the next few weeks!
Kimiko – yes, you were busy! I wish you could come be busy in MY kitchen for me! Glad you liked these cookies – and the end count is probably a result of size. I think I make my cookies overly large!
Anonymous – I use my scale anytime a recipe states the ingredients in both cup measures and in weight. If it gives the option to weigh, I always weigh the ingredients. I’m sure you’ll still get a lot of use out of your scale!
Made these today. My husband will not go into the kitchen tonight because he can’t stay out of them. They are very good. Chewy and moist. YUM!
Also, I previously asked about caramels and my four attempts. I finally have mastered it! Have made two successful batches now. Woohoo.
Julie – well, first, I am so glad these cookies have been a hit! And second, yay!!! on your caramels. I am so, so glad. Good for you for mastering them and thanks for letting me know!
Anonymous – I’ve been wondering if you dared to make these again and I’m glad they turned out a little better for you! Thanks for letting me know.
Thanks for the info. So when is it good to use a scale? I bought one specfically for my holiday baking (cookies) and thought it would help! haha
Anonymous – usually a scale is a great thing to use to measure ingredients; however it probably doesn’t work so well on recipes that weren’t created and written by measuring the ingredients by weight. This recipe was written based on cup measurements so it could be tricky weighing them and I think you are right, it probably was an issue of too much flour. A cup of flour in a recipe can weigh anywhere from 4 1/2 ounces to 5 ounces. That’s a pretty big difference so there isn’t a good way (in my opinion) to convert recipes like this to weight without testing them over and over. The safest way would be to use the scoop and level method to measure your flour and other dry ingredients in the cups. Good luck!
Your the only one who mentioned the flour, and I think your right! I am pretty sure my conversion was incorrect. I bet that was the issue. Is there an online source you use for coversions? How many ounces of flour should I have used for this recipe? My co-workers are still saying the cookies were delish (unless they are lying..lol) so thats all that matters but I’m determined to get them right the next time.
Thanks!
Hi Melanie, I used my scale to measure the flour, not sure if that is a good or bad thing? I thought it would help but now that you mentioned it, none of my cookies spread (I made 3 types)so maybe that could be it, too much flour? Am I better off scooping the flour into a measuring cup? How long should I keep the butter out?
Thanks for your help!
Anonymous – hmmm…usually the problem is that cookies overspread because the butter is too soft (almost melted) so it would seem to me that maybe your butter was too cold. Was it at room temperature when you made the cookies? The other issue may be too much flour. Everyone measures flour differently so if you think you may have a heavy hand measuring the flour (i.e. scooping the flour and shaking the cup to level it which means the flour settles and there is more flour in the cup than if it was lightly scooped and leveled off with a knife) that may be the issue with them not spreading. I hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi Melanie,
I made these over the w/e and they were delish! Only problem is they did not spread and I am sure it was something I did (I’m no pro). Any ideas? After adding sugar, eggs and vanilla, do you mix for a while before adding the dry ingredients or add all at once? How long do you keep the butter out for room temp?
I want to make these again soon but I hate when they don’t spread and look like “real” cookies!
Thanks!
Good, b/c I bought the HUGE box at Costco by accident…thinking they were the quick oats!
Thanks!
Lorie
Lorie – yes, these taste best with the old-fashioned oats (in my opinion, at least).
Hi Melanie, so just to be clear, I need the old fashioned oats for these, is that correct?
Thanks!
Lorie
My Sister’s Kitchen – I saw your post on these and I’m so glad you liked them! I laid out recipes/requests for my husband for Mother’s Day, too. 🙂 Hope you have a great one.
OK, I have some questions before I make these:
Does it really make a difference if you use quick cooking oats or not?
Why the light and dark brown sugars? Can I just use light for the whole thing?
I’m just wondering if you’ve ever tried any variation in these areas, and if it affected the cookie.
I want it to be my favorite cookie too! So, I’ll go to the store to get dark brown sugar and regular oats if I have to, but – also having 4 kids – if I don’t have to, that would be great!
I’m making these cookies TODAY, and no one can stop me. Must have them!
Queen B. – I’ll pass on your good tidings to my Aunt Marilyn. She’ll be glad to know she’s loved. 🙂 I’m very, very glad you liked these cookies!
i love that these include coconut, even if it’s only a hint. your emphatic praise of these cookies have convinced me to bookmark the recipe. 🙂
These were delish and soft Mel. But I have to argue…I am your biggest fan!;) I talk more about this site (and sister’s) than I do about my family! 🙂
I’ve never met a chocolate cookie I didn’t like so I can invite you but you might just get the crumbs.
These are almost identical to my mom’s famous cookies — she uses shortening instead of butter. Even more fatty goodness. Seriously, I get raves every time I make these (well, my mom’s version, but I’m guessing these taste almost the exact same). These are great cookies. Hands down the winner of all cookies. I’m with you on that one.
WOW..a favorite cookie. I dont think I could ever pin just one down!! These must be outstanding
Mmmmm. Chewy with a little bit of crunch. Delicious.
I made these the other day and they were sooo good! I used light brown sugar and they still were great. Thanks for the recipe:)
I made these this weekend.
They were an absolutle HIT.
WE LOVE YOU AUNT MARIYLN 🙂
I absolutely LOVED these cookies. I thought that maybe if I put half of the double batch I made in the freezer they might last longer! Unfortunately I found myself with the same problem as you! I grabbed 4 cookies from the freezer nearly everytime I walked past! The funny thing is, I don’t usually like cookies. These have been ranked as life changing!!!
These are wonderfully bad I just ate three for breakfast. I made them with all whole wheat flour and they were still fabulous. Thanks so much for your blog my husband and children thank you too.
I’ve been reading your blog for a while now. And each time I do the same thought comes to my mind. “What is your problem. . ., and Why are you doing this to me?” I realize that you don’t even know me and that you are not out to secretly make me fat, but I have so little self control that just looking at your pictures makes me drool. To be honest I’ve never tried any of your recipes, but it’s only because I know once I bake it I’ll gobble it up right away. Having said that your black and white cheesecake squares recipe and your lemon sugar crusted blueberry muffin recipes are taunting me! I think I need professional help! You keep posting and I’ll work on some self control!
These look great! These will be the next cookie I make.
Ok, you sold me. I’m going to have to make them! Melanie, I love reading your posts, too. Seriously, you are the funniest writer. It brightens my day. 🙂
houseofdrama – I guess wonderfully bad is a good thing, right? Glad to know whole wheat flour worked great in the recipe. Thanks!
These are definetly good looking cookies, and I bet they are seriuosly good! I’m bookmarking these!!
Queen B. – well you are officially the nicest person ever! Thank you for your comment. It really, really made my day. It is high praise and I’m not sure I am worthy of it but I sure appreciate it. I definitely look forward to getting your comments. They ALWAYS make me smile!
I have to agree with Queen B. I am amazed at your recipes, it has been so fun trying and looking at your recipes! Thanks!
Made these today with the leftover coconut from the Somoa bars. They were great. I’ve already given my husband specific requests for Mother’s Day–the bean dip with shoepeg corn and the Lemon Cake. Yum. I can’t wait.
Your blog is my most favorite food blog! We must have the same taste because everything you post, I print! Thanks!
Kewl Granny of Six – hey, I’ll take the crumbs!! I’m like you, I’ve never met a chocolate cookie I didn’t like either!
Leisel – your comment made me smile. It sounds like you DO have self-control if you aren’t giving in to the urge to make any of the sweets! (Which is more than I can say for myself, obviously!)
Amelia – valid questions on the cookie. I definitely think dark brown sugar over light brown sugar is key here – dark brown sugar gives it more depth of flavor and more chewiness (in my opinion). Also, quick cooking oats can be substituted, but be careful not to blend them up too much in that step – that’s the reason for the cooking oats because they don’t get ground as finely when all the dry ingredients go in the blender.
I’m always one for finding substitutions, so don’t be worried about substituting the light brown sugar and quick oats – the cookies might be slightly different in texture and taste but I bet they’ll still be delicious (and seriously, I’m all about NO extra trips to the store with four kidlets in tow).
Yum, yum – nothing better than a good chocolate chip cookie. I will be one of those people leaving the coconut out – thanks for sharing!
Jonelle – well thanks for that compliment!! I appreciate it (and am glad you liked the recipe, as a sidenote). Everyone is so nice – I definitely don’t deserve it!
Kara – glad you liked these and thanks for letting me know they still tasted great with the light brown sugar!
Dear My Kitchen Cafe,
Please know that I used to be a epicurious.com and foodtv.com girl……ONLY.
Until I discovered MY KITCHEN CAFE.
Let me tell you…….I LOVE TO COOK……and only like the BEST RECIPES……..I collect cookbooks……and I KNOW GREAT RECIPES when I see them.
Well, I AM HERE TO ANNOUNCE THAT MY KITCHEN CAFE is my all time favorite food blog….ever.
THANK YOU FOR taking the time to share.
I have four children and I KNOW how hard it is to blog………..
thank you , thank you, thank you.
You have already changed my life with your FABULOUS CLAM CHOWDER WHICH I DREAMED OF ALL DAY TODAY 🙂
hugs,
your biggest fan, ever.
I am a cookie fanatic too, so I’m not going to be able to resist making these for very long, they look amazing!
I am a HUGE coconut fan, in fact, I like coconut more than chocolate chip cookies! Together it sounds like a winning combination. I might be tempted to add crystallized ginger to this recipe when I try it… mmm!
I love chewy cookies, they’re the best kind imo.
Yum! I made these for Teacher Appreciation Day today, and they are terrific! I know the teachers will love them as much as I do! Thanks!
I tried these cookies last weekend and they were gone in one day. My hubby called them life changing! They were amazing!! I love the texture of this cookie it really is the best cookie that I have found! Thanks for sharing!!
Samantha – let me just tell you that I feel an instant kinship with people who love this cookie just as much as I do. It really is one of the best cookies ever. Thanks for letting me know you loved it, too.
Thanks for curbing a baking craving! I “tried” these cookies today and they were really good! I say “tried” though because I made a bunch of substitutions based on what I had at home. Someday I will try the real thing. But, just so you know, if you make these with home-ground oat flour instead of processed oats, whole wheat pastry flour instead of white, sucanat instead of either brown sugar, and cinnamon chips instead of chocolate, they are still delicious.
Candace – I’m so impressed with the changes you made – it makes the cookie seem so…so…well, so healthy! It’s like a whole different cookie. Thanks for letting me know!