Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Crispy outside and chewy inside, these are wonderful chocolate chip cookies. You’ll never guess what’s in them.
In the food world, there are few things as elusive or sought after as the perfect chocolate chip cookie. This recipe from my friend Carrie might just have my vote. When she first sent it to me, I thought, “Geez, she sure threw the whole kitchen sink in there.” But Carrie is a great baker so I tried them, and I’m not sure I’ve ever had a better chocolate chip cookie. The secret ingredient? Actually, there are two. The first is oatmeal, which is finely ground so that it lends the desired chewiness without drawing too much attention to itself. The second, believe it or not, is coconut. Weird, I know, but you can barely taste it and it makes these chocolate chip cookies out of this world.
“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: Helps the cookies rise and become fluffy.
- Baking Soda: Ensures even spreading and browning.
- Butter: Provides richness and moisture.
- Light Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and a hint of molasses flavor. When measuring brown sugar, always pack it tightly to eliminate air pockets.
- Granulated Sugar: Contributes to the sweetness and texture of the cookies.
- 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 — a wonderful pairing with the chocolate chips.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
To begin, place the oatmeal in the bowl of a food processor or blender.
Process until finely ground.
In a medium bowl, combine the ground oats with the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Whisk to combine and set aside.
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.
Add the egg and vanilla.
Beat to combine.
Add the dry ingredients.
Beat at low speed until just combined.
Add chocolate chips, coconut and nuts.
Mix well.
Working with 1-1/2 tablespoons of cookie dough at a time, form balls and place on parchment-lined cookie sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between them.
Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until edges of cookies begin to crisp but centers are still soft, 12 to 14 minutes.
Cool cookies on baking sheets for 1 minute, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
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Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies
Crispy outside and chewy inside, these are wonderful chocolate chip cookies. You’ll never guess what’s in them.
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
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla
- ⅔ 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. 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 inches between them. (Keep remaining batter cool in refrigerator while first batch cooks.) Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until edges of cookies begin to crisp but 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.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The Cookie Dough can be Frozen for up to 3 Months: Scoop the dough into balls, let set on a baking sheet in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) To Freeze After Baking: Let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 146
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Sugar: 11 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Sodium: 92 mg
- Cholesterol: 18 mg
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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These cookies are a good change up from plain chocolate chip cookies! They aren’t overly awe inspiring, but the recipe is a “just plain good” one. I have to admit, I didn’t have the nuts even though I would love to try with them. The coconut is mostly impossible to detect, but adds good texture. Will make again!
Wow, these are delicious! I found my new favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. Anyone who loves chocolate chip cookies has got to make these.
Will this recipe work with unsweetened coconut flakes?
Hi Joel, I think the cookies may end up a bit dry with the unsweetened coconut. Sorry!
Hi Jenn, I was wanting to buy a cookie scoop or two and wondered what brand you like? It seems that there are a lot on the market which are poor quality.
Thanks!
Hi Jill, I have OXO brand and am happy with them. 🙂
Hi Jenn, I’ve followed this recipe many, many times and everyone thinks I’m a talented cookie maker thanks to you and your wonderful recipes. Recently, I was reading questions from your readers and noticed that I should measure the oats first, grind after. Whoops!! I thought that I’d save time by grinding a whole container so they would be ready the next time I prepared this recipe. How should I adjust the oats measurement if they are preground? Thank you in advance for your guidance!
Glad you like these, Karen (and I bet you are a talented cookie maker)! I wouldn’t worry about the fact that you’ve already ground the oats – you’re probably using a tiny bit more than you would if you measured first but the difference is really minimal.
These are incredible. I don’t really like shredded coconut and was wary of it, but have had such great success with all of your recipes that I decided to just go with it. I feel these should come with a warning label though, as they are highly addictive.
Hey Jenn, this looks like a very promising recipe. I would like to give it a try. My question is, if I want to use pre ground oats then how much would I need. Looking forward to a reply. Thanks.
Kanupriya
Hi Kanupriya, I believe that you’ll need about 1/2 cup of pre-ground oats. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jen!
Even with your cook book on hand: I still browse your website for all your amazing recipes! Thank you for sharing your talent and love for good food! A question on these: So I baked these and they were great but I found the coconut taste to be overwhelming. From all the comments it seems that that is not supposed to be the case. Any ideas why? And would it make a difference if I reduced the amount of coconut used next time? (I’m wondering if its because we grow coconuts here in the tropics and so maybe they have a stronger flavor ??) Any help with trouble shooting will be much appreciated! Thanks!
Sarah
Hi Sarah, I wonder if your coconut is fresher and stronger than what we’re used to in the States? I’d try reducing the coconut by half next time, or maybe even using unsweetened shredded coconut. Hope that helps and glad you like the recipes!
Hi Jen,
The coconut must be stronger: Cause I followed your advise and halved the coconut and they were absolutely PERFECT!!! – Had to stop gobbling them up at cookie 4!! Thanks a bunch!
Sarah
My entire family loves these cookies. I make them exactly as the recipe says. The flavor and texture are perfect! Since I found your blog, you are my go to for dinner and deserts.
This looks like the exact same recipe my mother in law made probably b4 your friend was born :). She was famous for her choc chip cookies. She passed a few years ago at 99 and still made those cookies until a few years b4 her passing. Brought back memories. Love ❤️ your website and recipes.
😊