Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies
Swap in coconut oil for butter in a classic chocolate chip cookie and what do you get? A tender cookie with a lovely light color and distinctly chocolaty chips.
Equipment
- 2 Large Mixing Bowls
- 1 Electric Mixer stand or hand-held
- 2 Baking Sheets
- 1 Parchment Paper
- 1 Wire Cooling Rack
Ingredients
Main
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 3/4 cup virgin coconut oil
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- One 12-ounce bag semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven, and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Beat the coconut oil and both sugars with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a second large bowl until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs to the coconut oil mixture, one at time, beating after each addition to incorporate; beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to medium, add the flour mixture, and beat until just incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop 12 heaping tablespoons of dough onto each prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Roll each into a ball with slightly wet hands. Bake until the cookies are golden but still soft in the center, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.
- When the baking sheets have cooled completely, scoop the remaining dough onto 1 sheet and bake. Store the cookies in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
1. Ensure your virgin coconut oil is soft but not fully liquid when creaming with sugars. If it's too warm and runny, the cookies may spread excessively. If it's too firm, gently warm it until it reaches a spreadable, creamy consistency. 2. When incorporating the flour mixture, mix on low speed only until just combined. Overmixing will develop gluten, leading to tougher cookies. A few streaks of flour are acceptable; the final chocolate chip stir will finish combining it. 3. For optimal texture and flavor development, consider chilling the dough for at least 30 minutes, or even overnight. This helps firm up the coconut oil, reduces spread, and allows flavors to meld more deeply. 4. Cookies continue to bake slightly after removal from the oven. They should be golden around the edges but still appear soft and slightly underbaked in the center for a chewy interior once cooled.