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
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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.
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!