Chewy coconut oatmeal cookies are the ultimate five-ingredient cookie, irresistible to any coconut lover, grab a mixing bowl and get started.
Did I mention that oatmeal coconut cookies are gluten and dairy free? This is an oatmeal cookie recipe without flour or dairy.
Oatmeal Coconut Cookies
These cookies are so chewy, so irresistible, I actually burned my mouth eating a second cookie while they were still piping hot from the oven.
If you have a coconut lover in your life, you need these coconut lover’s cookies. This is the chewiest, most coconut filled cookie I have ever tasted.
With just a handful of ingredients, a bowl, and a spoon, you can stir these coconut oatmeal cookies together in about three minutes. They are beyond easy to make!
The only ingredients that you’ll need are:
- coconut oil
- light brown sugar
- egg
- old fashioned oats
- sweetened coconut flakes
If you truly love coconut, if you would happily eat shredded coconut by the spoonful, if you think there is no such thing as too much coconut, you’ll probably love these as much as I do.
True confession: I wound up eating these cookies for my lunch, dinner, and breakfast the following morning.
While I enjoy most desserts, my sweet tooth is usually pretty easily satisfied with just a couple of cookies. The oatmeal coconut cookies were so good that I found them completely irresistible.
Coconut Oil Oatmeal Cookies
I’ve made lots of coconut treats that use sweetened coconut flakes in the dough. Toffee Coconut Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies combine some of my favorite things into one delicious cookie and I’ll never turn down Coconut Scone Cookies for breakfast.
For these cookies, I got even more coconut flavor into the cookies by using melted coconut oil in the dough.
Coconut oil acts very similarly to butter when baked resulting in a flaky, moist cookie. It also makes this recipe completely dairy free.
I love baking for people and knowing that I can share these favorite cookies with both my dairy free friends and wheat free friends is delightful! That said, most people would never guess these cookies don’t have any butter in them.
Gluten Free Coconut Cookies
Did I mention that Oatmeal Coconut Cookies are also gluten free? This is an oatmeal cookie recipe without flour.
Rolled oats are combined with the coconut, coconut oil, brown sugar, and eggs to make the dough.
PLEASE NOTE: This is a loose cookie “dough,” as you can see in the video. You’ll need to press the cookies together with your hands after scooping them onto the cookie sheet.
Oatmeal Cookie Recipes
A chewy oatmeal cookie is always welcome on my snack plate. From classic Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies to Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies and Cranberry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies, I love them all.
Oatmeal cookies have inspired plenty of other meals, snacks and treats that my family enjoys too.
If you haven’t tried my Chewy Raisin Baked Oatmeal Cups for breakfast, add it to your list, along with Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream.
If you love the combination of coconut flakes and oatmeal in these Coconut Lover’s Oatmeal Cookies, you’ll also enjoy these Coconut Oatmeal Cookie Dough Bites that I shared a while back. They’re delightfully bite sized treats packet with coconut flavor.
Give our Pineapple and Coconut Baked Oatmeal recipe a try to add a tropical twist to your next breakfast! I’ve also been eyeing the recipe for Coconut Baked French Toast with Oatmeal Crumble I found over on Foodie Crush. Doesn’t that sound incredible?
Oatmeal Cookies with Coconut
I cannot wait for my fellow coconut fans to give this recipe a go. You’ll be amazed by how few ingredients it takes to create a cookie that satisfies all your coconut cravings.
Be sure to let these cookies cool at least 5 or 10 minutes before taking a bite! The incredible smell of these treats as I pulled them from the oven got the best of me and I wound up burning my mouth because I just couldn’t wait. Learn from my impatience!
Everything about these oatmeal coconut cookies is delicious. Slightly crisp on the outside with plenty of coconut flavor and brown sugar sweetness, these are oatmeal cookies I’ll be making again and again for years to come.
Kitchen Tip: I use these bowls, this scoop, this spatula, and this baking sheet to make this recipe.
If you’re as big a fan of the oatmeal + coconut combination as we are, you’ll want to check out the recipes too!
Juicy bites of pineapple, mixed with chewy oats and sweet coconut to give this Pineapple Baked Oatmeal a fun tropical twist.
Coconut Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies have the crisp edges and soft centers that everyone craves. They are loaded with coconut and cranberries and they have been a hit with everyone who tries them.
Chewy bites of oatmeal cookie dough are filled with coconut, tart dried apple bits, and cranberries to create the Coconut Oatmeal Edible Cookie Dough that’s a total win with my family.
For more coconut deliciousness, you’ll want to try my grandmother’s Coconut Bars are a childhood favorite that I still dearly love today. And this Coconut Pound Cake is so good that I often serve and eat it without any glaze at all.
The Coconut Meyer Lemon Meringue Cake by Comfortably Domestic puts a coconut spin on the classic lemon meringue dessert. This Coconut Rice Pudding by The Noshery is a must-try for all of you rice pudding fans out there. And these Coconut Cream Cheesecake Bars by Love from the Oven are yet another option to try.
oh! Last but not least, Coconut Scone Cookies? You need to try them too!
Can you tell that I really, really, unabashedly LOVE coconut?
Coconut Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup melted or very soft coconut oil
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1½ cups sweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Stir together the coconut oil, sugar, and egg until smooth. Add the oats and stir until well combined. Stir in the coconut.
- Scoop 2 tablespoon portions onto a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet. Press the cookies together with your hands, as needed.
- Bake for 12 minutes and then let cool at least 5, preferably 10 minutes, before removing to a wire rack or plate. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
{originally published 5/26/14 – recipe notes and photos updated 12/22/22}
Patty Williams says
These look and sound soooo good!
Mary Younkin says
I hope that you love them, Patty.
Chrissy says
Absolutely love these! Deff will add chocolate chips next time! How can I make them stick together. Mine were falling apart after I let them cool:(
Mary Younkin says
You probably need to “squish” or press them together a bit more (with your fingers) before baking. You can see how I do that in the video. I’m so glad that you love the cookies!
Vic says
This recipe touts being dairy free, however, it calls for one egg. Is there a way of substituting the egg in this recipe to truly make it dairy free?
Mary Younkin says
Hi Vic, just to be clear here, eggs are not a dairy product. Dairy = cow, eggs = chicken. I’ve never tried making these cookies without the egg.
Deb says
These are so good! I didn’t have sweetened coconut so I uses unsweetened flakes and they were yummy. I found that if I pack them in a cookie scoop, they stay together perfectly.
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad you’re enjoying the cookies, Deb.
SPK says
I didn’t have any coconut oil so I just used butter and added toasted chopped almonds. I also added a few drops of vanilla and a pinch of salt. Turned out delish – didn’t have any of the dry dough or falling apart issues that others seemed to have in the comments. Really lovely even though my version wasn’t dairy free!
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the cookies!
Joanie Dittman-Guthrie says
Hi can you use butter or something else other than coconut oil? thank you….
Mary Younkin says
Yes, this will work with butter, Joanie.
Susan Andrews says
Hi, can I use white sugar instead of brown in this recipe ?
Mary Younkin says
Hi Susan, you can do that, however, the cookies will not have the same depth of flavor.
Janis Kaay says
Can’t wait to try these! But in order to be gf you need to state gf oats. We have celiac in our family and need gf.
Mary Younkin says
Yes, you’ll want to be certain to buy certified GF oats for anyone celiac.
Crystal says
This is the second time I’ve made these and I love them! I use unsweetened coconut flakes just because I always have those on hand and they are plenty sweet.
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad you are enjoying the cookies, Crystal.
Judy says
Can I freeze these baked cookies?
Mary Younkin says
They freeze nicely.
Eileen says
Can I substitute a non refined sugar for this recipe?
Mary Younkin says
I’m guessing that coconut sugar will work fine, but I haven’t tried it myself.
Rita Bridger says
I made these cookies as per instructions they fell apart and it was quite embarassing I made them for a group of people and I would not make them again they are soft cookies but there is nothing to hold them together, they sounded so delicious maybe if I had a binder they would work.
Mary Younkin says
The egg should’ve worked as the binder without any issues at all. Did you press them tightly together as shown in the video?
electra_mar says
I cannot find the old fashioned oats, is it possible to make them with the Quick cooking oats? Can I also use unsweetened coconut flakes?
Mary Younkin says
I think this will work with quick oats, but the texture will be different. You can certainly try it with unsweetened coconut, but I can’t speak to how that might work. They definitely won’t be as sweet.
Jeanette says
Love the look of your cookies on here can’t wait to try them!!
Mary Younkin says
I hope that you love them as much as we do, Jeanette.
Deborah Kuhnen says
I made these this afternoon. I followed SPK’s lead and used butter instead of coconut oil just for fun since I had both on hand, but how can you not want buttery cookies lol. I also added about 1/4 tsp. of salt to balance the flavours. After reading the only complaints people seemed to have about this recipe, I decided to throw in an extra egg to make sure they held together.
They are amazing!!! They’re crispy around the edges, but chewy in the centre. They hold together like a charm. I will definitely make these again. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe 🙂
Mary Younkin says
I’m thrilled that the cookies were a hit, Deborah.
Sweet tooth says
I like that this recipe doesn’t need AP flour, ideal for diabetics. I used unsweetened coconut and added few raisins, chopped walnuts and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup which is optional. One thing I did as a suggestion from another site is to sprinkle some water on oats to moistened it. Thank you for sharing a wonderful recipe.
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad you were able to make it work for you!
Terrie E says
I made them and they are delicious. Downsize is they are crumbly. I will definitely make them again, but press them together more.
Mary Younkin says
I am delighted you enjoyed them, Terrie.
Laine says
These were great! I added dried cranberries, delicious!!
Mary Younkin says
That does sound delicious, Laine.
cathy says
these are amazing.
i divide and press into 12 cupcake tins so they have a nice shape, and they are so delicious.
Mary Younkin says
Thank you, Cathy. I am so happy you enjoyed it.
Barbara Kinney says
I made these today and they are DELICIOUS! Mine stayed together well. The trick is definitely to press each cookie dough ball firmly together before placing on the baking sheet.
I added 1/2 tsp vanilla, a pinch of salt, and 1/2 cup chopped pecans to mine. Delish!! Will definitely make again.
Mary Younkin says
Yes! A firm press is a good idea to help the oatmeal and coconut stay together.