Soft, chewy, and flavorful Coconut-Oatmeal Cookies are a fun twist on traditional oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. We use flaked sweetened coconut and dark brown sugar for an ultra-rich flavor.

Some other favorite cookie recipes: chewy chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodles, and white chocolate macadamia nut cookies.

A batch of coconut oatmeal cookies, just out of the oven and baked to perfection, with warm chocolate chips on top, offering a delightful treat.

The Best Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

Coconut is one of my favorite ingredients to add into recipes — sweet (coconut thumbprint cookies) OR savory (coconut curry chicken) so it’s about time I add it into my favorite cookie recipe. I love plain oatmeal cookies a ridiculous amount, but the coconut in these cookies takes them over the top!

While the coconut addition is subtle, it adds a great texture and mild sweetness. With melty chocolate, a rich brown sugar flavor, crisp edges, and chewy centers — these cookies might be my new favorite!

Brown sugar and butter in a bowl, getting ready to be creamed together.

Ingredients

  • Butter: Adds richness and moisture, contributing to a tender texture.
  • Brown Sugar: Provides sweetness, moisture, and a caramel flavor.
  • Egg: Binds the ingredients and enhances chewiness.
  • Vanilla Extract: Enhances overall flavor of coconut oatmeal cookies.
  • Baking Soda: Leavens the cookies, aiding in rise and spread.
  • Old Fashioned Oats: Adds chewiness and a nutty flavor.
  • Flour: Provides structure to the cookies.
  • Shredded Coconut: Adds sweetness and texture.
  • Chocolate Chips: The main flavor component, adding sweetness and richness.

Quick Tip

Can I use quick oats in these cookies? I don’t recommend quick oats for these cookies. They’re finer, making the cookies drier and cake-like instead of adding texture. Old-fashioned oats are better for the desired texture in Coconut-Oatmeal Cookies.

Mixing chocolate chips and coconut into the cookie dough for these delicious oatmeal coconut cookies, ensuring a delightful blend of flavors and textures.

How To Make Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

  1. Cream Together: Unsalted butter and dark brown sugar.
  2. Mix In: Egg and vanilla extract.
  3. Combine: Baking soda, sea salt, oats, flour, and shredded coconut, and add to the wet mixture.
  4. Fold In: Chocolate chips.
  5. Shape and Chill: Dough into balls and chill for 30 minutes.
  6. Bake: At 350°F for 9-13 minutes until edges are lightly browned.
  7. Cool: On a baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack.

Freshly rolled dough balls placed in the oven and baked to perfection.

Storage

Storing Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

Freeze Baked Cookies: Cool, freeze on a sheet until solid, then store in freezer bags or containers with parchment layers for up to 3 months. Freezing may alter texture.

Freeze Dough Balls: Freeze on a sheet, then transfer to freezer bags. Bake from frozen, adding 2-3 extra minutes.

Store Baked Cookies: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature, best if eaten within 4 days.

A freshly baked batch of oatmeal coconut chocolate chip cookies, ready to be enjoyed, with every bite full of flavor and delightful textures.

4.88 from 16 votes

Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

Soft, chewy, and flavorful Coconut-Oatmeal Cookies are a fun twist on traditional oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. This version adds in flaked sweetened coconut and uses dark brown sugar for an ultra-rich flavor.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes
Chilling Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 14 minutes
Servings: 13 -15 large cookies

Ingredients 
 

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar (light works, but dark is best!)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons white all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
  • 1 cup chocolate chips (we like milk, but semi-sweet or dark work well too)

Instructions 

  • BUTTER AND SUGARS: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or use a large bowl and a hand mixer), add the room temperature butter (not melted, not softened) and dark brown sugar. Beat at medium speed until light in color, about 1-2 minutes. Add in the egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 more minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • BAKING AGENTS: Add in the baking soda and fine sea salt. Mix until just combined, about 20 seconds.
  • FLOUR, OATS, AND COCONUT: Add in the oats, flour, and coconut. Mix until just combined, about 30 seconds.
  • CHOCOLATE CHIPS: Add in the chocolate chips and mix until ingredients are JUST combined. Do not overmix or overbeat. Overworking the dough will result in dense cookies.
  • SHAPE TALL COOKIE BALLS: Shape the cookie dough into balls about 2 and 1/2 tablespoons of dough (if you have a food scale: 49 grams; 1.7 ounces). Roll the balls higher instead of wider (see photo in post). Place them on a plate lined with parchment paper and cover gently with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and preferably 45 minutes to an hour. If you're in a rush, freeze the dough balls for about 25-30 minutes.
  • BAKE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with Silpat liners (very important that the trays are lined, so the cookies don't burn on the bottom). Place 6 cookie dough balls per sheet pan (they spread a lot!), spacing them with plenty of room to spread. Bake for 9 to 13 minutes (mine always take around 11 minutes), remembering they're best slightly under-baked. They should look ever-so-slightly gooey in the center (they harden a bit as they cool) and should be lightly browned around the edges. Remove from the oven and let stand on the cookie sheet for 5-10 more minutes to firm up enough to remove to a wire cooling rack. Right out of the oven you can press a few more chocolate chips in the tops of the cookies if desired (makes them look better and ensures chocolate in every bite!).
  • COOL AND ENJOY: Let cookies fully cool and set up before eating; they firm up a lot as they cool! Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Cookies are best when eaten within 2-3 days.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 147mg | Potassium: 134mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 248IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

 

Meet Chelsea


Hi there! Iโ€™m Chelseaโ€“the recipe developer, photographer, writer, and taste tester behind Chelseaโ€™s Messy Apron (although my little ones help me out quite a bit with the taste testing part!). I LOVE getting creative in the kitchen and then posting my creations here for you to enjoy.

Thanks again for stopping by!

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4.88 from 16 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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34 Comments

  1. Laurie says:

    5 stars
    These are my go to cookie recipe. I love these so much. They are soft, chewy, so yummy. Just cook a little longer if you like crispy. Delicious!!

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      Yay! I am thrilled to hear this! Thanks Laurie! ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. Maud says:

    5 stars
    Genuinely the best cookies I have ever made!!!

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      So thrilled to hear that! ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Patking says:

    5 stars
    These cookies are the most incredible I have ever had. They look like store bought cookies.

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      So thrilled to hear that! Thanks for the comment ๐Ÿ™‚

  4. Gabrielle says:

    These cookies were unbearably sweet and too thin for my liking

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      I’m sorry these weren’t what you were hoping for.

  5. Carolyn says:

    5 stars
    Since this pandemic hit, I’ve been making cookies for our 3 children, 6 grandchildren. We deliver them to each family, leave the cookies at the door and see our grandchildren! This was one of the winning, make again cookies! Thank you

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      What a sweet new tradition! I’m so happy to hear you guys loved these cookies! Thanks! ๐Ÿ™‚

  6. Kim A Russell says:

    5 stars
    I’m still waiting for the dough to set up in the fridge…I’m lucky there was enough left to actually bake ๐Ÿ˜‰ Can’t to try them when they are done!

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      Haha! Isn’t the dough delicious?! Hope you love these cookies baked too ๐Ÿ™‚

  7. Amanda says:

    5 stars
    These are now my favorite cookies. I will emerge from my home a cookie monster, and these are the cookies that I will take with me into the world. They’re everything I love in a cookie. (I replaced some of the chocolate chips with crushed pecans.)

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      Haha, I’m so happy to hear this! Thanks so much for taking the time to write this awesome comment! ๐Ÿ™‚

      1. Dana L says:

        5 stars
        I made this recipe today. I did not have a stand mixer or hand mixer, so I just mixed with a spoon. I used light brown sugar, cut the chocolate chips in half and added chopped walnuts. Everything still came out pretty good. I managed to get the crispy outer texture and the dense, chewy inner texture, so I think itโ€™s a win!

        1. Chelsea Lords says:

          Yay! I’m so happy you were able to make these work and loved them! Thanks so much for your comment Dana! ๐Ÿ™‚

  8. Karina says:

    5 stars
    These cookies are fantastic. Having to pull out the stand mixer and food processor are soooo worth it. Fantastic cookies!! You wonโ€™t be disappointed making these!!

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      Thanks so much for your comment! So glad you loved these! ๐Ÿ™‚

  9. Lavon says:

    5 stars
    We LOVED these cookies!!!

    1. Liz says:

      5 stars
      I made these today, and used dark
      chocolate chunks, unsweetened
      coconut and added some walnuts.
      Also substituted 1/2 cup of whole
      wheat flour. They are fabulous!!!

      1. Chelsea says:

        Delish! I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Liz! ๐Ÿ™‚

  10. Clark says:

    5 stars
    New family favorite!!! Loved these!