I have been searching for my trademark chocolate chip cookie recipe for years.
My dad had his favorite recipe, which he made dozens upon dozens of times for our family when we were growing up. His mom, my grandma, had her favorite recipe, which she actually called “chip chocolates” and always served to her grandkids frozen and hard as rocks (so good!). But I always thought it would be fun to have a recipe that was all my own.
So this past week when my sister was in town and we were cooking up a storm, I decided to experiment with a new recipe to serve as a little “treat” after our hours of cooking. Sarah was a little skeptical as she mixed up the dough. But once we pulled these babies out of the oven and took those first warm, soft, chewy, and chocolate-y bites, she said — and I quote — “these might just be the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had”.
Agreed.
And it’s all thanks to that magical ingredient that we now know and love: coconut oil.
I have actually had coconut oil chocolate chip cookies on my “must-try” list since holiday baking season. But somehow I didn’t get around to it until this past week. Once we made that first chewy, delicious batch, though, you’d better believe I made a second batch two days later. I mean, a food blogger’s gotta test those recipes, right?
Sure enough, these were just as amazing on Round #2. As I’m pretty sure they will be when I make them again on round #22. And #222.
To be sure, this is in part thanks to a few cookie tips I have learned over the years, like adding cornstarch for extra chewy-ness, and using a good brown/white sugar ratio, and chilling the dough balls in the fridge before baking. (That last step is a definite “must” when using coconut oil, since it is not as solid as butter or shortening at room temp. And it takes at least an hour, so plan in advance!)
But I have to say that the extra flavor note of the sweet coconut was my favorite part! To be sure, the coconut flavor in these is super subtle. I had a few friends try these, and they couldn’t even taste it. But what everyone agreed was that the coconut oil brought out a little extra sweetness in these cookies. And also made them wonderfully chewy and thick. And well, just crazy good.
The ingredients for them were standard, with the exception of coconut oil in place of any other fats.
Just whip up the dough…
…then create your big dough balls. (I used a large 3-tablespoon cookie scoop, and shaped them slightly tall so that they wouldn’t spread as much when cooking.) Then cover the sheet with plastic wrap and chill them in the fridge for an hour or two until firm.
Then pop them in the oven….
…and this will be the result.
They’re big. They’re perfectly flavorful. They are overflowing with chocolate chips. And good grief, are they GOOD.
I’m pretty sure you should make a batch right now just to see for yourself. ;)
Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, softened but not melted
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment to cream together the softened coconut oil, sugars, egg, and vanilla extract on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add in the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt, and beat on medium-low speed until combined. Fold in (stir in) the chocolate chips by hand until just combined.
- Use a large cookie scoop (equivalent to 3 tablespoons) or a spoon to shape the dough into balls, and place them on a large plate. Cover with plastic wrap and chill the dough balls for at least 2 hours.
- When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place chilled dough balls at least 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. (Or a baking sheet that has been covered with a Silpat, or greased with cooking spray.)
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are just set. The centers may look slightly undercooked. Cool cookies on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Serve immediately or store in a sealed container for up to 1 week. You can also freeze the cookies for up to 3-4 months.
Notes
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
These are the best chocolate chip cookies ever! It has become my staple recipe. I’m gluten free so I just use a gf baking flour mix substituted in. Amazing!!
Thank you, we’re so glad you love them! :D
Everything sounds wonderful, aside from the cornstarch. Do I have to use that or can I use the same amount of arrowroot powder? I’m pretty allergic to corn and was really excited about the recipe until I saw corn.
Hi Jessie! No, you totally don’t have to use the cornstarch (we just like it for texture, since it makes the cookies extra chewy)! :) We haven’t tried arrowroot powder in this, so we can’t say for sure how it would work, but if you experiment with it, definitely let us know. We hope you enjoy these!
Going to make these with my dairy sensitive kiddo on a cold day. Hoping she doesn’t mind they won’t be ready until after nap. I may double and freeze half the batch.
We hope she loves them Karen! :)
Made these last night and they’re phenomenal! I never considered using anything other than butter in my cookies. I couldn’t find my cornstarch, but otherwise followed the recipe and was really surprised at how yummy they are (even for breakfast!).
Thanks JP, we’re so happy you loved them! And oh yes, cookies for breakfast = the best. :D
Love this recipe. I am a true convert! Only suggestion is to put in the fridge time right up front in the total prep time. “15 min +2 hours refrigerated” just to tip folks off right away that they need to plan the extra time. Someone who has never baked with coconut oil will appreciate the heads up.
Thanks Diane, we’re happy you liked these! Also, thanks for your suggestion on the fridge time, that’s a good call, we will add that in. :)
Thank you. This recipe is amazing. Best chocolate cookies I’ve ever had. I’ve balled the dough and frozen it. Baking times are a bit different, but bakes great straight from the freezer.
My hubby absolutely adores these. I brought them in to work once and they’ve been begging me to bring more in ever since.
You’re welcome Ann, we’re so happy you and your husband enjoy them so much! Thanks for your sweet words. :)
Thank you for the recipe. The cookies turned out much better than ones made with butter. The only change I would make would be to add less baking soda because I found they had a slight baking soda taste.
You’re welcome Heather, we’re so happy you enjoyed these!
I just wanted to tell you that I have been making this recipe for about a year now, and I haven’t made any other recipe since! I always add shredded coconut to mine, but either way they taste amazing! My boyfriend is always comparing these cookies to everyone elses, and just none beat these ones! Seriously so easy and quick, and they turn out perfect every single time! Thank you!
That’s so sweet of you Summer, we’re so happy you’re a fan! Also, we bet that shredded coconut is a killer addition!
Made these cookies, added a handful of sliced almonds as well as 1/3 of a cup of oatmeal.
SOOO GOOD THEY’RE ADDICTING!
Thanks Sarah, we’re so happy you liked them! That’s a good idea adding some oats too, we’ll have to try that!
Hayley – this recipe is AMAZING. I’ve had all my in-laws and my coworkers tell me how deliciously flaky and moist the cookie is and when they tell me it’s so buttery, I drop the bomb and say it’s COCONUT OIL. The looks on their face is priceless. This is definitely going into my baking routine, thank you so much!
Hi Pete! We’re so happy you liked these – they’re actually Ali’s recipe though (as are all of the other recipes on the blog)! :) That’s too funny about your coworkers, we’re glad they were pleasantly surprised! :)