Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies with Coconut
These Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies with Coconut are thick, chewy, and infused with coconut flavor thanks to shredded coconut and coconut extract.
I’m pretty sure the worst thing you can do at 7 pm on a weeknight is deciding to make cookies and then ask for suggestions. No one thinks about the ingredients you have available, the time commitment to make them, or the fact you want a cookie, like now. No, they only think about what they are craving at that moment and how convenient it is that you want to make cookies.
So when I was asked to make a cookie with coconut, I stammered a bit and said that I don’t have a cookie recipe with coconut. Their response “exactly, that’s why you need to make one.” While I found this annoying and inconvenient at best, they had a point. Coconut screams Springtime, despite it being flurrying outside (thank you, Minnesota). I also admitted I was craving coconut too.
So, I created a twist on my favorite Oatmeal Raisin Cookie recipe. I substituted part of the oats for shredded coconut, ditched the spices, and added a healthy dose of coconut extract. The result? I couldn’t stop eating them. With every bite, I proclaimed, “these are so good.” On the second trial run, I substituted cranberries for raisins, anticipating I would get backlash from the raisin-haters (you know who you are), and found they are just as good, if not better.
These Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies with Coconut are a fun twist on the classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookie. They are thick, chewy, and infused with coconut flavor using two types of coconut: shredded coconut and coconut extract. The dried cranberries are a welcomed substitution for the raisin-haters out there, while the whole wheat flour and subtle sweetness make them pass as a breakfast food.
Possible Substitutions
WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR. Substitute Whole Wheat Flour for All-Purpose Flour or 50% All-Purpose Flour and 50% Whole Wheat Flour.
DRIED CRANBERRIES. Substitute dried cranberries for chocolate chips, raisins, or use 50% raisins and 50% chocolate chips.
How to make Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies with Coconut
- In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, cream the butter until smooth.
- Add the brown and white sugars and beat until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and coconut extract and beat until smooth.
- Add in the flour, baking soda, and salt mixture. Stir to combine.
- Add the oats and dried coconut. Stir until combined.
- Add the dried cranberries. Stir until combined.
- Scoop the cookie dough onto a prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies until golden. Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack and let cool completely.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t recommend substituting fresh cranberries for dried since fresh cranberries are unsweetened and dried cranberries are sweetened with sugar or apple juice and have a chewy texture.
Dry oatmeal cookies are often due to too much flour and/or rolled oats. Make sure to measure correctly! Also, don’t over-bake these cookies, as they’ll continue to bake on the sheet pan as they cool. The middle looks a little gooey when you pull them out of the oven and that’s perfect!
Store in an airtight container for three days at room temperature.
This cookie dough freezes wonderfully. Roll the dough into 2-tablespoon balls, place them 1/2-inch apart on a sheet pan, and put the sheet pan in the freezer until the dough balls are frozen (about 2 hours). Once the dough balls are frozen, store them in an air-tight bag in the freezer until ready to bake. Let the dough balls come to room temperature before baking.
More Recipes with Whole Wheat Flour to Try
- Jammy Fruit Crumble Bars with Whole Wheat Flour
- Light and Fluffy Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins
- Fluffy Oat and Yogurt Pancakes for Two
Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies with Coconut
These Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies with Coconut are thick, chewy, and infused with coconut flavor thanks to shredded coconut and coconut extract.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 24 minutes
- Total Time: 44 minutes
- Yield: 20 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (190g) whole wheat flour*
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 Tablespoons (170g) unsalted butter, at room temperature*
- 3/4 cup (150g) brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) white granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons coconut extract
- 1 cup (100g) old-fashioned oats
- 1/3 cup (30g) unsweetened dried coconut
- 1/2 cup (50g) dried cranberries*
Instructions
- Preheat. Adjust an oven rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two half-sheet baking sheets with parchment paper. Alternatively, one large baking sheet lined with parchment paper will also work.
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Combine the wet ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the brown and white sugars and cream on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and coconut extract and beat on medium speed until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Make the dough. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix at low speed until combined, then add the oats until just mixed. Add the dried cranberries at low speed until incorporated. The dough will look dry; use a spatula to incorporate any loose oats or dried cranberries at the bottom of the bowl.
- Bake. Form the dough into 2-tablespoon (45g) balls and arrange them 2-inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake one baking sheet at a time until the edges are light golden brown and the middle looks soft and gooey. Approximately 11-12 minutes bake time.
- Serve. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet.
Notes
WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR. If you opt to measure by volume instead of weight, whisk the flour first to aerate it, then spoon into a measuring cup, and then level it off with the back of a knife.
BUTTER. I used room temperature butter that is 65 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don’t have a thermometer, test the butter by placing your finger on the butter and pressing down slightly. Room temperature butter will be cool to the touch and leave a slight indentation. If this sounds too fussy, cold butter will work fine if using a stand mixer (this will not work if using a hand mixer).
CRANBERRIES. Apple juice-sweetened or sugar-sweetened cranberries both work well.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 145 calories
- Sugar: 6.4g
- Sodium: 159mg
- Fat: 7.7g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5g
- Carbohydrates: 17.2g
- Fiber: 0.9g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 28mg
Keywords: Oatmeal Cranberry Coconut Cookies, Whole Wheat Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies