Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut Oil

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Craving cookies? These chocolate chip cookies with coconut oil are soft on the inside and crisp on the edges for one perfect snack!

My kids love that I spend my days testing recipes, because it means that they get to taste-test anything that comes out of the kitchen.

Dessert days are their favorites of course. If they come home from school and there is a tray of something cooling like apple pie bars, they’re ready to give their practiced opinions.

It’s hard to resist a homemade chocolate chip cookie, especially still a little bit warm from the oven to have the chips be melty but not gooey.

My family gobbled up most of these in a day, so I think it’s safe to say this is one of the best cookie recipes I’ve done!

Coconut oil in cookies

Coconut oil is such a great substitute for butter in cookies. I use solid coconut oil — don’t melt it! 

If your kitchen is warm, you might want to pop the coconut oil in the refrigerator for a bit to harden.

You don’t want it to be super hard. It should be similar to the softness of room temperature butter — you should be easily able to scoop it with a spoon.

The coconut flavor in these cookies is very faint. It’s offset by the chocolate chips and the whole wheat flour, so chances are your family won’t even notice.

Look for virgin coconut oil, which is minimally processed, or expeller-pressed coconut oil. The latter has the scent and flavor removed to make it a more neutral-tasting oil, but you might still get a slight coconut aroma.

Using whole wheat pastry flour in cookies

I love to use whole wheat pastry flour when baking things like scones, muffins, or cookies. 

Whole wheat pastry flour has a lower protein content, which means it makes baked goods light and tender, while still being a whole grain.

It’s made from white soft wheat instead of the hard red wheat that regular whole wheat flour is made from. 

Because it is so light, it is a good substitute for all-purpose flour without requiring additional ingredients.

Everyone will love this recipe for chocolate chip cookies with coconut oil. Add it to the top of your to-bake list!

Making chocolate chip cookies with coconut oil

These cookies are super easy to make and are just like regular chocolate chip cookies.

First, stir together the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mixing these separately ensures the salt and baking soda are evenly distributed among the cookies.

In another bowl, stir together the coconut oil and brown sugar. The coconut oil will melt somewhat as you blend the two, and that’s OK! 

I use all brown sugar here to make a perfectly chewy cookie. You can use light or dark brown sugar — whichever you have on hand.

Add the vanilla and an egg to the sugar mixture and mix well, then add the flour mixture and stir until there are no dry bits left.

Stir in chocolate chips. I use milk chocolate chips, which goes well with the slightly nutty flour and the brown sugar. 

You can use any kind of chocolate chip or chunk, or even try this recipe with cinnamon or butterscotch chips.

If the dough seems too sticky, you can chill it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Chilling the cookie dough will make it spread less and result in a softer, puffier cookie.

When you’re ready to bake, scoop it out onto lined baking sheets. I use silicone liners or parchment paper when I bake cookies to prevent any sticking to the pan.

Bake until browned, let cool slightly on the pan, and then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe substitutions

If you don’t have whole wheat pastry flour, swap in all-purpose flour. 

I have made these cookies with a blend of all-purpose flour and white whole wheat flour, and they turn out a bit more puffy and dense.

Both the coconut oil and brown sugar are important here, so don’t swap those. Dark brown sugar has a deeper flavor if you like that.

You can also add in other mix-ins with the chocolate chips, like chopped walnuts or pecans. Dried cranberries or cherries would also be great!

Storage tips

If you want to bake these later, scoop out the dough and freeze it on sheet trays. Bake from frozen at 350°F for 12-15 minutes.

The baked cookies will keep in a cookie jar or other container for about 5 days at room temperature. 

Keep in mind that they do tend to soften while being stored, so be sure they are completely cooled before transferring to a jar to prevent the cookies from sticking to each other.

But don’t worry, they won’t last that long!

Other cookie recipes you might like

• Salted Caramel Cashew Cookies
• Chocolate Raspberry Cookies
• Honey Pistachio Shortbread
• Blueberry White Chocolate Cookies