Thin and Chewy Everything Cookies
Yeah, that’s right - THIN cookies.
So what? Stop judging. People change. Times change. Tastes change. And now I like thin cookies.
Don’t get me wrong. I still very much enjoy thick and dense and puffy and pillowy cookies. But if I had to pick a single cookie texture that I love above all it would be CHEWWWWYYYYY. And it happens to be that a lot of recipes that produce thinner cookies also produce chewy cookies. Meaning that quite often, thin and chewy go hand in hand.
Case in point: these thin and chewy everything cookies. Which were discovered/created by accident. As many of the world’s other greatest discoveries have been.
So, here’s the story:
My mom made these cookies from some random cookbook, but instead of using butter like the recipe instructed, she substituted coconut oil. No, no, that wasn’t the accident. That part was on purpose. The accident was that instead of using ¾ cup coconut oil as a substitute for 1½ sticks of butter, she used 1½ cups of coconut oil.
Well, the cookies expanded and spread out in the oven and emerged huge and thin and very golden brown. They didn’t look right. Not that they looked bad. They looked great. But they just didn’t look like they were expected to. It was at this point that my Mom realized her mistake.
But then people began tasting the cookies. And they were super greasy. In the best, best way possible. And incredibly chewy. And were demolished in seconds. They were deeeeelicious.
I was thrilled. Here was an amazing new cookie recipe for me to try and share with you all. So I went ahead and made the cookie recipe, this time purposely using 1½ cups of coconut oil.
And boy was I disappointed. The cookies flattened as thin as a disk in the oven and came out in messy puddles. 1½ cups of oil was just too much for the dough.
Next I tried out the cookies exactly as the original recipe instructed (but with coconut oil again). The cookies came out thick and nicely rounded. But they were nothing special. The cookies were missing that addictive greasy taste and chewy texture that the extra oil lent to the cookies.
So I tried the cookies again. With more oil. And then less oil. And more sugar. And less sugar. And more flour. And less flour. And more add-ins. And less add-ins. And after about 678 batches, I came up with the thin and chewy everything cookies you see here.
Now, I’ll admit, these everything cookies are still not quite like the original ones my Mom made that first time. I’ve never been able to replicate those ones exactly since then, and neither has she.
But this version is awesome too.
Expect cookies with an amazing chewy texture. And crispy, greasy edges. I know I keep saying “greasy,” and you probably keep thinking “gross,” but trust me, they’re greasy in a good way.
I’m not kidding, my favorite part about these cookies is the thin, crunchy edges. ME – the girl that until now was partial exclusively to thick and soft cookies.
As for the “everything” part. Yeah, these cookies have everything. Or at least a lot of things. Chocolate chips. And oats. And coconut. And almonds.
And lots of coconut oil. And not a whole lot of flour. For that stick-to-your-teeth chew.
And something else – I’m a big proponent of under-baked cookies. Because you want your cookies gooey and soft, right? Wrong. Well, not wrong. Right, usually. But wrong in this case.
Don’t under-bake these particular cookies. Bake them until the bottoms and edges are a deep golden brown. The full 12-13 minutes. Trust me, just do it. Do it for the chew AND the crunch.
I know, I’m breaking all my cookie rules today. Telling you I like these cookies thin AND well-done. Like I said, people change. A cookie can come along and make you abandon all your principles. Cookies will do that. They’re powerful things.
thin and chewy everything cookies
Yield: 28-30 large cookies
1 1/4 cups coconut oil, softened but not melted
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups quick oats
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
1 cup finely chopped almonds
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the coconut oil and sugars until smooth and fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla extract and beat till smooth and fluffy again.
Blend in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until just combined. Mix in remaining ingredients until just incorporated.
Use a very large ice cream scoop (2-3 tablespoons) to scoop out your dough, pressing dough into scoop to compact it before releasing onto baking sheet.
Bake cookies until bottoms and edges are browned, about 12-13 minutes. (This isn't the type of cookie you want too under-baked.)
