Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies
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These chocolate chip cookies are crisp, chewy, and loaded with a couple of surprise ingredients make them extra delicious.
In the world of baking, there are few things as hotly debated as the perfect chocolate chip cookie. This recipe, from my friend Carrie, is certainly in the running. The first time she sent it to me, I remember thinking, Wow, she really threw everything in there. But Carrie is a fantastic baker, so I gave them a try—and now they’re one of my favorite chocolate chip cookies.
The secret? Actually, there are two. The first is oatmeal, ground into a fine powder so it adds just the right amount of chewiness without tasting like oatmeal cookies. The second is coconut. I know it sounds a little strange. But trust me: you can barely taste it, and it somehow makes the cookies richer, chewier, and even more irresistible.
“Such a great recipe—I try all different kinds of chocolate chip cookie recipes and this one is definitely at the top!”
What You’ll Need To Make Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats: Adds a subtle nutty flavor and chewy texture when ground.
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides the structure for the cookies. Measure by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off to ensure accuracy.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Helps the cookies rise and ensures even browning.
- Butter: Provides richness and moisture.
- Granulated Sugar & Light Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and a hint of molasses flavor.
- Large Egg: Binds the ingredients together and adds moisture.
- Vanilla: Enhances the flavor of the cookies with its aromatic richness.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: Provides rich chocolatey bites throughout the cookies.
- Sweetened Flaked Coconut: Adds a touch of sweetness and chewy texture.
- Pecans: Introduce a crunchy texture and nutty flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Blitz the flour and oatmeal. To begin, place the oatmeal in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Process until finely ground.
Step 2: Combine the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine the ground oats with the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
Step 3: Cream the butter and sugars. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Step 4: Add the egg and vanilla. Beat well to combine.
Step 5: Add the dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture to the bowl and beat at low speed until just combined.
Step 6: Mix in the add-ins. Add chocolate chips, coconut and nuts and mix well.
Step 7: Form dough balls. Working with 1½ tablespoons of cookie dough at a time, form balls and place on parchment-lined cookie sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between them.
Step 8: Bake. Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake until edges of cookies begin to crisp but centers are still soft, 12 to 14 minutes.
Step 9: Cool and enjoy. Cool cookies on baking sheets for 1 minute, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
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Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats, ground in a food processor or blender until very fine
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
- ½ cup (packed) light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla
- â…” cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup loosely packed sweetened flaked coconut
- ¾ cup pecans, chopped
Instructions
- Adjust racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the ground oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the egg and vanilla; continue beating until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined. Add the chocolate chips, coconut and nuts and mix until evenly combined.
- Working with 1½ tablespoons of cookie dough at a time, form balls and place on parchment-lined cookie sheets, leaving at least 2 in (5 cm) between them. (Keep remaining batter cool in refrigerator while first batch cooks.) Bake, reversing the position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until the edges of the cookies begin to crisp but the centers are still soft, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets for 1 minute, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Recipe worked perfect. I seemed to have missed the oven temp? I baked on 350 for 13 minutes and cookies, though slightly more brown than photos, came out soft, chewy, and delicious. Each batch was chilled slightly but not frozen or chilled through. My butter was cold yet not hard or frozen and my chips were the larger chips vs. the small ones used most in cookies.
I tried these cookies and they were wonderful! I liked them so much that I shared a link to them on another site and several other posters have tried them. All were big fans.
I liked using the ground oatmeal – I assume it replaces some of the flour one would normally use.
Could I use ground oatmeal in place of flower in other baked goods? Brownies or cakes? (Apologizes if this is a dumb question – beginner baker here!).
Forgot to add my ratings! 5 STARS!
Hi Stephanie, Great question – I’d use them in cookies, blondies, brownies, muffins, or scones but not in cakes — and always go easy as oatmeal is much denser than flour and can make baked goods dry and heavy.
Delicious! I particularly loved the buttery taste these have; in the past I’ve only been able to get that flavor out of a very flat (in a bad way) C.C. cookie.
If one of Jenn’s recipes doesn’t come out a 5/5, I am confident the fault lies with myself, as yet again, this is a stellar recipe! I’m almost 30 years old and I’ve never bought a cookbook (they only ever have a handful of decent recipes), but I am very strongly thinking about buying Jenn’s.
Thank you very much, Jenn, for sharing your expertise and your natural talent for all things food!
Soooo good! We tend to just stick to the Tollhouse recipe in this house but these were fantastic (even the coconut haters loved them). Another winning recipe from my favorite cooking blog-thank you!
These cookies tasted wonderful. My only issue is it makes pretty small quantity and actually fewer than I was expecting. I only got 20 cookies from following the recipe.
I used my regular cookie scoop and left the dough rounded rather than leveling off as it drew the scoop out of the mixing bowl. Each cookie measures just a smidge less than 3 inches… which to me is the perfect size – especially if you at giving them as gifts or selling at a bake sale. I will probably double the recipe next time.
I notice that you do not refer to convection baking temperatures or mention the difference in using convection ovens . Is there a reason? I use convection all the time and reduce temp 25 degrees.. do you prefer conventional baking time and temp?
Hi Shirley, I test and publish all my recipes using the conventional setting on my oven because not everyone has convection. Hope that clarifies!
I am still in the process of cooking these. It took me three batches of overcooked crunchy cookies to figure out that with a convection oven (at least mine) 9 minutes total cooking time is best. Wish I had read the reviews first because I didn’t see the critical importance of the
“spooning”‘ method for the flour, until I ran into problems and went searching through the reviews/comments. I used too much flour apparently, and the cookies never flattened out and weren’t chewy. Best I could get, was leaving them slightly undercooked. Not ideal …but better than the little “biscuits” I got wth cooking until done. Still tasty and my family ate every one.
I usually bake cookies at 330 degrees in my convection over and shorten the baking time checking them for doneness in about 75% of the recipe time. I agree it would be nice if recipe developers would begin offering convection times because while “not everyone has a convection over” not everyone continues to use their regular oven either. Over half the attendees of a recent cooking class that I attended raised their hand when asked if they used convection on a regular basis.
I just finished baking your chocolate chip cookie recipe. I poured a glass of cold milk and enjoyed the best chocolate chip cookies that I have ever made. I love the fact that they have ground oatmeal in them. Next time I may add a little ground flax seed to the mix. I did not need the parchment paper, I just used my Pampered Chef stoneware cookie sheet. My family is really going to enjoy these. I would definitely give these a 5 star rating…
Crumbly. Turned out horrible. Had to throw entire batch out. Wasted my money on the ingredients.
You are clearly not making them right. Every single person we’ve baked these for goes crazy over them. The best cookie recipe ever!!!
Jenn, can I eliminate the pecans & leave everything else the same & still expect great result? TIA
Hi Fran, Yes, you can omit the nuts without adjusting anything else. They’ll still be delicious!