The Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everyone has a favorite cookie. And, for most people, the type may change over time as your tastes change. For me though, these Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (with coconut) have always been my favorite.

I have fond memories of baking these cookies with my great aunt. It's how she kept my sister and me engaged when we visited with her. One of the best things about this oatmeal cookie recipe is that it's really quite versatile. You can add just about anything you like to them. I like to add semi-sweet chocolate chips and coconut, but you can leave those out or add any number of other ingredients: pecans, peanut butter chips, raisins, cranberries, whatever you like! 

Let's get to baking. Start by preheating the oven and gathering your ingredients.

This recipe uses vegetable shortening, coconut oil, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, flour, baking soda, salt, vanilla, old-fashioned oats, semisweet chocolate chips, and coconut flakes. The original recipe didn't use the coconut oil, but I've found that I like using it to replace some of the shortening (using it to replace all of the vegetable shortening has not had great results though, I promist I've tried!)

I often halve the original recipe since it's usually just two of us eating them. As such, the pictures reflect only half the recipe. I'll have both the original and the halved version at the bottom. 

Place the shortening, coconut oil, brown and white sugars, and eggs in a bowl.

Using either a stand mixer or hand-held mixer, beat those ingredients until creamy.

Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. I often sift the flour, but it's not completed necessary. Then, mix these ingredients. 

Scrape the sides of your bowl to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated. From here on, use a spoon for mixing. 

Add your old-fashioned oats and vanilla, mixing well. That's the basic recipe. You can start scooping and baking at this point or start adding your mix-ins. 

Toss in those favorite additional ingredients. As mentioned above, I use chocolate chips and coconut flakes. I find that the coconut makes the cookies a tad chewier, which I LOVE!

Stir until everything is combined well.

Using a spoon or two, scoop and place the dough onto a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper. You really don't have to use the parchment, but I find it useful for easier clean-up.

Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. They will actually be a shade or two lighter than they are in this picture but darken a little as they cool. 

Move cookies to a cooling rack for a few minutes to solidify. Quick tip: if you place wax paper under your cooling rack, it catches most of those pesky crumbs!

ENJOY!

These are really awesome. I HAVE tried other oatmeal cookie recipes, but they just don't hit the spot the way these do. 

The Best Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients: (full recipe - makes 4 dozen)

1/2 Cup Vegetable Shortening

1/2 Cup Coconut Oil

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Cup White Sugar

2 Eggs

1 1/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour

1 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/2 Tsp Vanilla

3 Cups Old-Fashioned Oats

Optional 

2/3 Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips

1/2 Cup Coconut Flakes (sweetened)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

2. Place shortening, oil, sugars, and eggs in a bowl. Mix until creamed.

3. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix.

4. Stir in vanilla and oats.

5. Stir in chips and coconut (or other mix-ins)

6. Drop onto cookie sheet.

7. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

8. Cool.

Here are the half-recipe measurements I use for the basic recipe, I eyeball the mix-ins!

1/4 C vegetable shortening

1/4 C coconut oil

1/2 C brown sugar

1/2 C white sugar

1 egg

1/2 C & 2 T flour

1/2 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

1/4 t vanilla

1 1/2 C oats

I'd love to know if you try this recipe and if you use something other than the chips and coconut. 

So, what's your favorite cookie?

I've shared this recipe on the Recipe & DIY Linky on The Sway.