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.

Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies

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!”

Mona

What You’ll Need To Make Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cookie ingredients including oats, vanilla, and flour.
  • 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.

Oats in a food processor.

Process until finely ground.

Food processor of finely ground oats.

In a medium bowl, combine the ground oats with the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Bowl of unmixed dry ingredients.

Whisk to combine and set aside.

Whisk in a bowl of dry ingredients.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar.

Butter and sugars in a bowl.

Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Bowl of creamed butter and sugars.

Add the egg and vanilla.

Eggs and vanilla in a bowl with creamed butter and sugar.

Beat to combine.

; continue beating until combined, about 40 seconds.

Add the dry ingredients.

Dry ingredients in a bowl with wet ingredients.

Beat at low speed until just combined.

Bowl of cookie dough.

Add chocolate chips, coconut and nuts.

Chocolate chips, coconut, and nuts in a bowl with cookie dough.

Mix well.

Bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough.

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.

Scoops of chocolate chip cookie dough on a lined baking sheet.

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.

Chocolate chip cookies on a lined baking sheet.

Cool cookies on baking sheets for 1 minute, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

Chocolate chip cookies on a wire rack.

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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.

Servings: About 25 cookies
Total Time: 30 Minutes

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

  1. 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.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the ground oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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

Powered by Edamam

  • 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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Comments

  • Deliciously crip on the outside and soft in the center. Better than plain chocolate chip.
    I followed your recipe exactly, but doubled it. I used a cookie scoop and it took a minute or two longer. My husband loved them!

  • Yum! I did it without the coconut because my husband really really really can’t deal with coconut. Maybe someday when he’s away or my kids are old enough to help me finish them I’ll try with the coconut! Loved the addition of oats.

  • Excellent recipe, we have made these cookies several times and they always turn out great. We make double or triple batches roll into balls and freeze, then enjoy fresh baked cookies for a couple of months. Side note: buy Jenn’s cookbooks they make great gifts.

  • These cookies are amazing. Every time I make them people tell me they’re the best cookies ever. So perfect and yummy. Thank you for the recipe!!

  • I bought some King Arthur flour and it made all the difference!! Now my cookies are not flat!! Thanks for the tip.

    • — Wendy Schoenburg
    • Reply
  • Looking for something special to do on a lazy Sunday afternoon?? Try baking these little nuggets of heaven! This was the first time I tried this recipe. It will be my “go to” from now on. *** Note*** The batter seemed dry, it isn’t. My cookies were puffy but not too puffy…as Goldilocks would say, “just right “.

    • — Kathy Vukasovich
    • Reply
  • These cookies are to die for. They’re the perfect balance of crispy and chewy. I’ve made them with and without pecans and either way they’re absolutely divine. Every time I serve them to people they rave about them and can’t stop eating them!

  • I made these without the nuts and they were amazing! One of the best cookie recipes I have made in a long time!

  • I made this recipe as written… it was delicious!! Tastes like a cookie you would get at a bakery or nice cafe. Don’t let the longer list of the ingredients daunt you… I will definitely be making this again..and again…and again

  • Ok. I’ve been baking cookies a long time. My kids are adults and I have no reason to keep baking cookies 😂 but I made these yesterday. My husband ate 6 in one sitting and said they’re the best I’ve ever made.
    Followed the recipe 100% next time I’ll be doubling it. 😊

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