Fresh Milled Oatmeal Coconut Cookies

Chewy and soft, these Oatmeal Coconut Cookies made with 100% Fresh Milled Flour are sure to hit the spot.
Full of wholesome ingredients like fresh milled hard wheat, rolled oats, and unsweetened coconut, these cookies are both delicious and satisfying.

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I love oatmeal. I love coconut. And yes, I absolutely love Oatmeal Coconut Cookies. Soft and chewy, they’re perfect as a sweet bite after a meal – or as an afternoon snack with coffee, tea, or a glass of milk. I might even have them for breakfast sometimes! Especially if I’m out of these oat-based Breakfast Cookies, which are also healthy, filling, and delicious.

Oatmeal Coconut Cookies with Fresh Milled Flour

Do you love simple, wholesome cookies that are quick, easy, and inexpensive?
Try these out – I bet you won’t be disappointed. (Unless you happen to hate oatmeal or coconut…in which case, skip these and check out one of my other recipes!)

About This Recipe:

• This is a very old recipe I first got from a magazine in the early 1980s. I have been making it ever since. However, I have changed the ingredients and quantities quite a bit over the years.
• The original recipe used all-purpose flour, but I used fresh milled hard white wheat here. You could use soft white as well, or a combination of hard and soft white.
• I’ve always used old-fashioned rolled oats in these cookies instead of the original quick-cooking oats that were called for. I prefer the texture of old-fashioned oats in these cookies, but quick-cooking oats would work as well.
• I used sucanat instead of brown sugar and allulose in place of white sugar. I find this combination gives the cookies a nice sweetness and texture while keeping them free of refined sugar.
• I also use unsweetened coconut flakes instead of sweetened shredded coconut. This reduces the overall sweetness and keeps it squarely in the “healthy snack” category.

Ingredients

Key ingredients:

Flour: as mentioned, I used fresh milled hard white wheat flour here. The general advice is to use hard red or white wheat for yeast-based recipes such as breads, rolls, and buns. Use soft wheat (or other soft grains) for non-yeast recipes such as cookies, cakes, and quick breads. However, I have read many people use hard white for cookies or a combination of hard and soft white. Since this is meant to be a chewy, rustic type of cookie, I thought it would be perfect for trying hard white wheat flour and it worked perfectly.

If you’re new to fresh milled flour, you might find it useful to read my guide on getting started with fresh milled flour.

You can, of course, use your preferred store-bought flour. All-purpose is perfect or you might try white whole wheat flour.

Butter: I always use regular, salted butter.

Brown sugar: I used sucanat but regular dark or light brown sugar is the traditional choice. You could also try coconut sugar or your favorite brown sugar replacement.

Sugar: I like to use allulose or other alternative sweeteners wherever possible. You can certainly use regular white sugar instead for the most traditional taste and texture.

If you do use allulose or other alternative sweeteners, be aware they can affect the taste and texture of the cookie. Allulose does tend to make the cookies softer, which you may or may not like. I personally love this sweetener as it does not have that cooling effect you get from some other sweeteners. However, there are many alternative sweeteners out there so feel free to use what you like.

Oats: As mentioned, I like to use old-fashioned rolled oats. Yes, I sometimes do roll my own oats from oat groats. However, quite often I use store-bought oats because I don’t always have time for that!

Coconut: I used unsweetened coconut here to further reduce the sugar content. However, you can definitely use sweetened shredded coconut if you prefer. If you do, I would suggest reducing the sugar (or alternative sweetener) to 1/2 cup. Otherwise the cookies might be too sweet.

Other ingredients: You will also need basic pantry and fridge ingredients including eggs, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Instructions

This is a simple drop cookie recipe.

1. Wisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.
2. Cream the butter with the sugars until it’s nice and fluffy.
3. Add egg and vanilla and mix well.
4. Add the flour mixture in three or four parts, mixing just until incorporated each time.
5. Add the rolled oats and coconut. Mix just to combine.
6. Drop scoops using two-tablespoon cookie scoop (or your preferred size) onto parchment-lined or ungreased cookie sheets.
7. Bake 9-10 minutes at 350°F or until lightly brown. I baked mine for 10 minutes.

Common Questions

Can I use quick oats instead of old-fashioned?

Yes, you can use quick oats but keep in mind that will affect the texture somewhat. I expect quick oats would yield a softer, more uniform texture, perhaps a bit less chewy.

What kind of coconut should I use?

I like to use unsweetened coconut flakes. This looks pretty much like the sweetened shredded coconut we’re all familiar with, except it has no sugar, which makes it that much healthier. Feel free to substitute regular sweetened shredded coconut but consider reducing the sweetener by 1/4 cup or so to avoid overly sweet cookies.

I don’t have hard white wheat, can I substitute another flour?

Of course! If using fresh milled, try soft white or spelt if you have those on hand. Hard red is also a possibility although you might get more of a wheat-y taste. I’ve heard other people love using barley flour in cookies with great results.

If using store-bought flour, regular all-purpose flour is the traditional choice. You could also try whole white wheat flour instead or a mix of both.

How should I store these cookies?

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4-5 days. You can also freeze baked cookies for longer storage. I like to place cookies on parchment paper and freeze until solid. Then wrap each individually. Stash in a freezer storage bag and they will last 2-3 months easily. When ready to enjoy, just thaw one or more cookies as needed.

Other Recipes You Might Enjoy:

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Toll House Cookies with Fresh Milled Flour