I consider myself more of a cook than a baker, but occasionally my baking experiments lead to a recipe that is worth sharing. These cookies more than make the grade — they’re really, really good. I’m ridiculously excited to share them with you.
This is not your basic batch of oatmeal cookies. I went for double coconut flavor, using both virgin coconut oil and shredded coconut. The sweet and tangy slab apricots are a great contrast to the rich and chewy dough, resulting in a great balance of flavors. I made the cookies nice and big, so one cookie will easily satisfy your sweet tooth. While the cookies are big, the recipe is fairly small, making a dozen cookies and requiring only one cookie sheet.
Parchment paper is a big help when you’re baking cookies. It is infallably nonstick, and so there’s hardly any cleanup. I have tried silpat baking sheets, but they are a pain to clean. Besides, parchment is so much more versatile — you can cut it to fit any baking vessel! It’s not very expensive, and a roll goes a long way. You can find it next to the aluminum foil and plastic wrap in the baking aisle of your grocery store, or at any cookware shop worth its salt.
As for the slab apricots, they might be a little bit harder to find, but they’re worth seeking out! They start out as extremely ripe Blenheim apricots, and they’re so delicate that they “slab” out on the drying rack, ending up flatter than traditional dried apricots. I buy mine at C J Olson‘s fruit stand in Sunnyvale, California, and they are always top notch — you can order them online if you don’t live nearby.
Coconut Apricot Oatmeal Cookies
makes 12 large cookies
1/2 C. virgin coconut oil
1/2 C. organic cane sugar
1 large egg
3/4 C. whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 C. rolled oats
1/2 C. shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 C. slab apricots, roughly chopped
1. In a medium bowl, stir the coconut oil and sugar until evenly mixed and no lumps of coconut oil remain.
2. Add the egg, and stir to combine. Next, mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. Fold in the oats, coconut, and apricots.
4. Cut a piece of parchment paper about a foot wide. Put the cookie dough in the center of the parchment paper, and use your hands to form it into a log. Roll up the parchment paper, twist the ends tightly, and refrigerate for one hour.
5. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the cookie dough into twelve rounds, and place on baking sheet, spaced evenly. Bake for about 15 minutes, until very lightly browned. Remove from oven, and allow to cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1 cookie Calories: 240 Fat: 12.5g Sodium: 84mg Carbs: 29g Fiber: 3g Protein: 2.61g
When I saw cookies I almost moved on but when you said you cook, not bake so much I hung around because yes, me too!
LOL and plus these look so good. I’m all for coconut. double coconut even more. that sounds really good.
Ive never heard of apricots like that before though – never even seen them. so Im wondering if I could even locate them….
Tracy
Even if you cannot find slab apricots, you should definitely make these cookies! Feel free to substitute dried cherries, raisins, regular dried apricots, dried pineapple . . . all would be excellent.
Oh! I love coconut… i’m intrigued!
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These sound delicious…thanks for the post!!
The cookies look yum.
[...] and some don’t even make it to the list, like these apricot oatmeal cookies. I read the recipe on operagirlcooks, I had all the ingredients on hand, my teething, slightly cranky but oh so sweet baby was finally [...]
[...] virgin coconut oil in many of my baked goods. It adds flavor and richness to my pancakes, scones, oatmeal cookies, and granola. It’s also a perfect vegan substitute for butter in just about any baking [...]
[...] whole wheat pastry flour. I use it in lots of my baked goods, including brioche, scones, and cookies. A long while back, I sent them a note to let them know how much I enjoy their [...]
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[...] Coconut Apricot Oatmeal Cookies [...]
I’m excited to try this recipe. I just jazzed up a boxed muffin mix we were given by adding chopped dried apricots and some pecans to it, and the muffins were lovely w/ the contrasting texture given by the apricots, not to mention the tang! This cookie recipe sounds like a wonderful combination. Thanks for sharing it!
question – never have I heard of virgin coconut oil – is this hard to find?
Hi Cheryl,
First off, thanks for commenting! I’m glad you found my blog. Also, your muffins sound delicious — I imagine apricots and pecans go very well together!
Virgin coconut oil is not hard to find in my neck of the woods — any health food store will carry it. If you’ve got a Whole Foods or something similar nearby, they will most certainly stock it. If you can’t find it in your area, it is also sold through many online vendors, including Amazon.com. Here’s a link to one of my favorite brands for sale:
Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, 15-Ounce Tubs (Pack of 2)
Hope that helps!
Happy cooking,
Opera Girl
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