My mom called me the other day to tell me that she heard about a new "viral" cookie recipe.
Now, she doesn't have a computer or a cell phone, so I'm not even sure how she stays on top of viral trends, but there you have it.
I had no idea what she was talking about. To be fair, I don't really follow trends either.
But since she often asks me to look things up for her, whether it be who is the actress starring in the movie she's currently watching or just general facts, I of course searched for a "viral oatmeal cookie recipe" and all I could find was the recently viral chocolate chip cookie baked oatmeal.
She said that wasn't it. It was an oatmeal cookie with coconut and chocolate chips. Okay, sounded easy enough.
So going purely on what she could remember about these "viral" cookies, I created this recipe (which is a variation of a cranberry white chocolate cookie I used to make years ago). For this recipe, I used unsweetened coconut flakes and good-quality white chocolate to create a different flavor profile.
Viral or not, they are pretty darned tasty! Crinkly tops, soft centers, chewy edges. The brown sugar makes them nice and soft, white chocolate pieces add sweetness, and the coconut flakes a bit of nice texture.
They came out so good that I boxed some up to ship to my Mom - and am sharing the recipe with you.
(Scroll down for the printable recipe card and optional frosting recipe.)
White Chocolate Coconut Oatmeal Cookies
Makes 36 cookies.
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, roughly chopped in a food processor or blender
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups light brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 cup roughly chopped good-quality white chocolate
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk the oats, flour, baking soda and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the flour mixture, mixing until nearly combined, then add the coconut and chocolate. Mix on low speed until all the flour is incorporated, scraping down the bowl again.
Use a small cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons) to form the dough into balls. Set two inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 11 to 12 minutes until the edges are light golden and the middles are set. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool for a few minutes before moving them to wire racks.
Store leftovers in a covered container or freeze for longer storage.
My husband loves frosting on his cookies, so I whipped up some (completely optional!) frosting and frosted some for him. Either way, the cookies are delicious!
The frosting recipe is below and also on the recipe card.
Cream Cheese Frosting
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and continue to beat until combined.
Slowly drizzle in the heavy cream until the frosting is a nice, spreadable consistency.
