I’ve always preferred soft, chewy cookies to their crunchy counterparts. When I’ve eaten a crunchy cookie, I assumed that it was either overcooked or store-bought. My gauge for a successful cookie recipe has been its balance of soft and chewy, giving crunchy little merit. Everyone feels that way, right? As it turns out, no. Recently I discovered that some people actually PREFER crunchy cookies, my father-in-law included. Can you imagine?!
So I set out to create a delicious, albeit crunchy, cookie recipe.
These cookies are a bit of science project. (Oh, that sounds appetizing. 😉 ) What I mean is that savory dishes like soup and stir-fry are more art than science – you can add a little of this and a little of that to suit your tastes and not destroy the recipe. But with baking, too much of this or too much of that and you have a problem.
Take this cookie recipe for example: I originally posted it in September of 2012 and have made it many times with mixed results. Why? Because I was scooping the flour and eyeballing the amounts of oatmeal and coconut. These cookies should have the texture of tender shortbread, a delicate crunch, but should taste like an oatmeal, coconut and chocolate chip cookie. To attain this consistently, you need to weigh the ingredients. And honestly, the more I bake, the more I prefer recipes that list ingredient weights. (Here is a decent kitchen scale for $15.)
I was after a hearty cookie and, as you know, white whole wheat flour is my favorite base for baked goods (like Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies and Whole Wheat Puff Pastry). I love oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, but I wanted to add something unusual to these. Toasted coconut would be fun I thought. But fun isn’t how I would describe the result, more like magic. Coarsely grinding it first (like I did for the Toasted Coconut Kettle Corn) adds a subtle, coconutty (pretend that’s a real word 🙂 ) crunch to every bite. These aren’t hard or crispy, they’re delicately crunchy like a good shortbread.
I won’t say that I’m a convert to crunchy cookies, but I will say that these are utterly delicious. I hope you think so too.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies with Toasted Coconut
Ingredients
- 2 cups white whole wheat flour (240 grams) I used Bob’s Red Mill Ivory Wheat Whole Grain Flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) at room temperature
- 2 cups dark brown sugar (340 grams) lightly packed
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (144 grams) I used extra-thick
- 3/4 cup toasted coconut (60 grams) coarsely ground (see headnote), 60 grams
- 1 cup coarsely chopped (113 grams) toasted walnuts
- 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips I used 70%
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Add butter and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat at low speed until combined; increase speed and beat until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well, making sure to scrape down sides of bowl. Add flour mixture – cover mixer with a kitchen towel to protect your counters from a flour flurry. Start at low speed until combined, then increase to high for about 1 minute more. Add rolled oats, coconut, nuts, and chocolate chips; mix just until combined.
- Scoop dough into walnut sized balls (my favorite cookie scoop) and arrange about 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes, until golden brown. Wait a few minutes before transferring to cooling rack (cookies will fall apart if you don’t – live and learn, ahem.)
Hiherasi says
November 16, 2017 at 8:52 pmThank you for your good and healthy recipe. It is looks like very tasty. How long time I can store it ? I want to make it for my nest travel.
Marissa says
November 17, 2017 at 4:03 pmHi there – honestly, I keep the raw dough balls in the freezer and bake just what we’ll eat in a day. But it’s a great question! Here’s a good article on keeping cookies at their best.
Sabrina Zaragoza says
November 6, 2016 at 5:51 amAlways love soft and chewy cookies, but I’ve never successfully made one by myself :((
Anyway, Thank you for sharing the recipe, I will follow it and try again. Hope luck will smile at me :))))
Beeta @ Mon Petit Four says
October 1, 2016 at 10:47 amThese look perfect!!! Normally I’m a soft and chewy cookie person like you, but I can see myself genuinely enjoying these! <3 Plus coconut…YES!
Marissa says
October 4, 2016 at 1:47 pmThanks, Beeta! And yes, coconut is hard to resist! 😉
Mary Pisarkiewicz says
September 30, 2016 at 7:19 amOh I like the way you think! fabulous!
Marissa says
October 4, 2016 at 1:47 pmThank you, Mary!
mila says
September 29, 2016 at 8:34 pmI definitely like chewy…preferably with Nutella or caramel in the middle…why do I always want Nutella and caramel…I may have a problem… anyhow…these look amazing…
Marissa says
October 4, 2016 at 1:48 pmmmm now you have me thinking about Nutella and caramel. Maybe these could be sandwich cookies! 😉
Sonali- The Foodie Physician says
September 29, 2016 at 9:59 amI prefer chewy to crunchy, but hey, I’m not one to turn down any cookie! And in fact, my favorite cookies are a combination of both- crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. With chocolate, oatmeal and coconut, I would eat the heck out of these no matter what the texture!
Marissa says
October 4, 2016 at 1:49 pmI agree Sonali – crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside is my all-time favorite cookie style.
helen @ Scrummy Lane says
September 28, 2016 at 6:44 amI love the sound of these tasting like shortbread, whether they’re crunchy or soft!
I think I like cookies that are soft and chewy on the inside and a bit crunchy on the outside. Is that actually ‘a thing’?
Anyway, loving the look of these cookies – and they’re healthy too! (OATMEAL!!)
Marissa says
October 4, 2016 at 1:50 pmThank you, Helen!
Kathleen | Hapa Nom Nom says
September 27, 2016 at 3:49 pmI’m with you, I like my cookies to be soft and chewy. But there are some exception, some cookies are just better with a bit more crunch! These look fantastic, Marissa! And since I’ve been pregnant, I’ve developed quite a sweet tooth! If I made these cookies, there would be seriously nothing left to share with anyone.
Marissa says
October 4, 2016 at 1:50 pmIt’s really your baby’s sweet tooth talking then, right? So eat up! 😉 I want to see some baby bump pics Kathleen. So excited for you…
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
September 26, 2016 at 8:37 amI am definitely with you in that I prefer a cookie with a balance of soft and chewy, BUT I do like a crunchier cookie every once in a while and these look like the perfect way to fill that craving! Love that these have the texture of a tender shortbread! AND with the flavor of oatmeal, coconut and chocolate chips? Oh my! Cookie heaven up in here! Cheers, friend!
P.S. I prefer weights when baking too.. it’s too easy for one persons cup of flour (or whatever) to weigh completely different than another. This is why I give baking blogs so much respect! Baking truly is a science! <3
Marissa says
September 27, 2016 at 11:24 amThanks so much, Cheyanne! And I agree – baking is a whole different ballgame!
Kevin | Keviniscooking says
September 23, 2016 at 11:00 amSifting an measuring, those are so key in baking and I agree, it’s a science and needs specific amounts or what you wanted sometimes is not. Cooking allows so much more freedom, but not baking. I feel ya.
These had me at shortbread! The only “hard” cookie I like. I loves me some chewy, almost done, melt-in-your-mouth cookies. Have great weekend Marissa and hello to Keith!
Marissa says
September 27, 2016 at 11:25 amYes – usually, I’m all about the warm and chewy, but for these I’ll make an exception. 😉
Dorothy Dunton says
September 23, 2016 at 8:09 amHi Marissa! I love shortbread cookies, my old favorite being pecan shortbread (an Ina Garten recipe). You may have just given me my new favorite shortbread cookie! These have everything! I have a question…since I don’t (yet) have a scale is the coconut measured before or after grinding it?
Marissa says
September 23, 2016 at 8:28 amThank you! And great question, Dorothy! It should be measured before grinding (Thanks for catching that, I’ll make it more clear in the recipe.)
Michael says
September 28, 2015 at 9:25 amI made these with fresh ground einkorn wheat from Italy. I have been experimenting with the recipe and even made a batch increasing the coconut, wheat, walnuts and oats by 50% and reducing the sugar 50% and they were still great! Nobody had a clue. They just loved them, even the grandkids.
Marissa says
September 28, 2015 at 9:29 amWow, that’s wonderful Michael! I experiment all the time with this recipe too, but have never reduced the sugar – definitely going to try that. Thanks for coming back to tell me – so sweet of you. 🙂
Andrea says
May 23, 2013 at 3:18 pmYum! This was the cookie recipe I was looking for! Almost followed exactly except my children are not walnut fans so I substituted sunflower seeds in place & used a high protein whole wheat flour. They are delicious with the perfect amount of crunch. Thanks 🙂
Marissa says
May 23, 2013 at 3:23 pmI’m so glad you liked them!
Beth says
April 7, 2013 at 10:36 amThey turned out great. A big hit! I did drizzle some leftover chocolate ganache over the top.
Marissa says
May 23, 2013 at 3:25 pmOh, that sounds really good. What isn’t made better by drizzling over some chocolate ganache!?
Beth says
April 6, 2013 at 5:14 pmJust made up a batch and they are in the oven, though as a bar cookie (due to lack of time). I think you omitted one ingredient….or does it just taste like chocolate chips? 😉 I added about a cup. I will let you know how they turned out.
Marissa says
April 6, 2013 at 11:23 pmFunny! How could I have missed that…criminal. All fixed now. 🙂
The Squishy Monster says
October 10, 2012 at 4:41 pmI’m usually not a fan of crunchy cookies but you’ve seduced me into crossing over! Looks so fabulous, I could gobble these up like a Cookie and not a Squishy Monster =)
Marissa says
May 23, 2013 at 3:23 pmFood seduction, that’s what I’m here for. 🙂
Simply Life says
October 3, 2012 at 4:06 pmConfession: I LOVE cookies for breakfast with coffee 🙂 Phew, now that my secret is out- I actually prefer crunchy cookies in the morning and soft, chewy ones for a “real” dessert 🙂
Marissa says
May 23, 2013 at 3:22 pmYou just have to call them biscotti, then it’s okay. 🙂
OishiiTreats says
September 25, 2012 at 3:48 pmyou had me at oatmeal chocolate chip and then you added toasted coconut…score! I will take a dozen please 🙂
Marissa says
September 30, 2012 at 9:42 amYour right, the coconut is the coup de grace! 🙂
Giovanna says
September 25, 2012 at 3:39 pmBeautiful photo!!! i love crunchy cookies, after your ceasar salad, i’ll try this cookies !!!
Marissa says
September 30, 2012 at 9:41 amThanks Giovanna…
savorysaltysweet says
September 25, 2012 at 11:48 amOh, my WORD–these look incredible! The coconut is making my mouth water.
Marissa says
September 30, 2012 at 9:40 amThank you!
Paula @ Vintage Kitchen says
September 24, 2012 at 10:50 amThe first time I accidentally bought white whole wheat flour I thought it was another fake find at the supermarket for those who don´t bake… now I know better. I like a mix between crunchy and chewy, but my cookies come out different every time because I don´t pay attention to the timer. I like this recipe that it adapts to so many additions. Love your pic!
Marissa says
September 30, 2012 at 9:40 amWhite whole wheat does sound suspicious. It’s amazing, though, for adding depth and texture to baked foods without the bitterness that typical whole wheat flour can.
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
September 24, 2012 at 4:04 amHehe you are too funny! I love both crunchy and chewy cookies and these look marvellous! 😀
Marissa says
September 30, 2012 at 9:38 amThanks Lorraine!