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 incredible. I was out of white sugar, so I just used 1 cup of brown sugar, and I may have put more than 1.5 cups of flour in. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly.
I can’t have dairy right now (breastfeeding my baby who is very sensitive to dairy), so it’s been an adventure trying to find “normal” foods without dairy! Honestly, I think I like these cookies more than the recipe I typically use!! They’re so soft and gooey (but not like a raw gooey). I will DEFINITELY be making these again.
Thanks Emily, I’m so happy you liked these! : )
Just bought coconut oil and I’m excited to try this recipe. Quick question: I really like oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Do you think I could throw in 1 cup of whole rolled oats and be okay? Or do you think I’ll have to make other adjustments?
Hey Anita, I haven’t tried oats in this recipe, but I bet they would be delicious! I think if you added 1 cup of whole rolled outs, I would just use a little less flour — maybe just a cup. If the dough seems too wet/sticky, you can always add more flour, but I probably wouldn’t do more than 1 1/4 cup. I hope that helps — definitely let me know how they turn out! : )
OH MY GOODNESS. i have attempted making cookies with coconut oil before and it hasn’t gone well. but then i found YOUR recipe and wanted to give it another shot. holy cannoli (er, cookie!) – i am so so glad i did. they are amazing. i undercooked them so they were soft…but perfect. so perfect!! thank you so much. :)
Thanks so much Christina! I’m so happy to hear you found a recipe you liked! : )
These sound wonderful! I have been using coconut oil in my recipies and love the flavor! I will tryvthis and post how works!
I have made these four times now. They are definitely my go to for chocolate chips. I have forgotten the cornstarch every time, but one day I’ll remember! Thanks!
Wow! As someone who has yet to master the art of baking (with many a fails under my belt) I really appreciate this recipe and how well my cookies turned out! I followed exactly as described and could not believe the results for such a moist cookie with no butter or oil! This has by far been the best substitute recipe I have tried and you have now converted me to a coconut oil believer.
Thanks Cassie, I’m glad these worked out for you! : )
I used a combination of the following to make these Gluten Free:
1c Namaste GF Flour, 1 c oat flour and 1 c GF Bisquick…a hit with my family, even those who aren’t GF.
Oh my goooooodness!!! How have I not seen this before?? I’ve definitely seen your delicious cookies on Pinterest before, but only today when going through my analytics I realized they were adapted from my recipe! I am soo flattered. Total food blogger celebrity freak-out :D
these were, hands down, the best chocolate chip cookies i have ever made. the hint of coconut gives it a lingering sweetness that you can not quite pinpoint, but definitely make the cookie. i will definitely be using this recipe as a go-to. (might throw in some walnuts next time!) however, i made them too big and some of the centers were not fully cooked. all in all a great recipe and will be making again.
I have always had trouble making soft cookies, but I tried your recipe with all your tricks, and it worked! Super soft and thick and chewy! I have to say, though, the coconut flavor is more prominent than I thought it would be. This isn’t a bad thing at all since I LOVE coconut, but just so others know, you may be able to pick up on the flavor if you’re making these cookies and expecting not to. Personally, though, I think the coconut flavor makes it unique from other chocolate chip cookie recipes.