Coconut and Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

Homemade oatmeal cookies are nostalgic for me because I used to make them all the time growing up. I could always find the ingredients for them at home and the recipe was conveniently located under the lid of the box of oats. And then I would eat like 10 of them because they were ‘healthy.’

This recipe is my own version of my favorite childhood cookie! Old fashioned oats, walnuts and coconut flakes give the cookies a great variety of textures. They are chewy and crisp and just sweet enough and make a great after school treat!

Here’s what you need:

Equipment:

• Small Skillet
• Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
• Rubber Spatula
• Whisk
• Large Mixing Bowl
• 1 Ounce Scoop
• Silicone Mat or Parchment
• Sheet Pan and Cooling Rack

Toast the walnuts.

Heat them in a dry pan on low heat for a few minutes until fragrant, stirring often. Keep an eye on them. They go from perfectly crisp to burnt in a snap.

Make the cookie dough.

Cream the room temperature butter and brown sugar for about 3 minutes. Then, add the eggs, one at a time. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Have the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon whisked together in a separate bowl.

With the mixer running slowly, add the dry ingredients a little at a time. Once all the flour mixture is in, immediately turn the mixer off.

Switch to a rubber spatula for the rest of the ingredients.

This is where a little elbow grease comes in handy. Stir in the oats, then the toasted walnuts and coconut until incorporated into the dough.

Use a 1 ounce ice cream scoop to make uniform cookies.

There’s no need to chill the dough first. This makes a pretty firm cookie dough that holds its shape without refrigerating.

These hardly spread out at all, so they can bake quite close together, which is great because you don’t have to bake lots of separate batches!

Finally, bake the cookies on parchment or a silicone baking mat in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Mine came out perfectly at exactly 11 minutes.

Let them cool.

Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. They will be very flimsy at first, but they will firm up and become perfectly chewy as they cool!

Keep the cookies stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Other recipes to try:

• Healthy Sweet Potato and Date Bran Muffins
• Banana Bread Baked Oats
• Blueberry, Lemon and Almond Baked Oats