Coconut Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies with Greek Yogurt

Today’s post has a dual purpose. For one, we’ll be talking about these amazingly chewy coconut oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. They’re full of yummy coconut and chocolate flavor, chewy with oatmeal, and have just half the butter thanks to the addition of Greek yogurt.

FYI, the mastermind behind this flavor combo, and my official sous chef for the day, was none other than my 12-year-old, Casey. He’s been helping me out in the kitchen here and there for a good part of his life.

Back then…
…making pizza despite a broken arm.
And now…
Loving the power tool!
Which brings me to our second purpose. I’m wondering how you feel about kids helping in your kitchen. Is it a yay or a nay?

What say you?

A: Ugh, that’s a recipe for disaster. Not if I can help it!
B: Only sometimes, when I can control the mess.
C: Absolutely yes, whenever possible. I’m not cooking for them forever!

I used to waffle between A, B, and C all the time. I know it’s great for them to help out, so most of the time I’ve learned to squelch my control-freak persona, turn a blind eye to the stray plops of batter, ignore the spilled flour, and just allow them to be there, to try things, to take risks, to learn, and to create.

Ironically, my “let it go” moment (cue the Frozen sound track) came the day my husband fearlessly allowed my then 5-year-old daughter and her 4-year old pal to orchestrate a brownie-making operation pretty much by themselves. They were so proud. Talk about an epiphany 🙂

Getting your kids (or grandkids!) into the kitchen leads to all sorts of good things.

→Little ones develop their fine motor skills by opening packages, peeling carrots, spreading frosting, and plucking grapes.
→School age kids apply school-based learning principles while cooking. Reading, spelling, addition, multiplication, fractions, and following sequential directions are all part of following a recipe.
→Whether they’re measuring flour, learning how to double the ingredients for grandma’s pancake recipe, or figuring out why cut apples turn brown, they’re applying academic skills in real-life situations, which for many kids is the key to it all making sense.

What else? Kids who get into the kitchen on a regular basis also gain important skills and perspectives. The “I did it myself!” effect is a grand enough reason to hustle them in there, but consider other perks. For instance, talking about where mangoes are grown, who invented the burrito, and the origins of French toast can spark an interest in countries and cultures. Even better, kids who are exposed to a variety of ingredients are more likely to be accepting of them.

Take my kids, for instance, who love egg salad, the stuff stinkbombs are made of. Rather than me saying “try this stuff I made” it started with them helping me peel the boiled eggs, then pushing them through the egg slicer, adding the condiments, and finally being the official taste tester. They were so engaged by the time they tasted it, I 100% believe that it opened their minds to the possibility that they’d like it.

Finally, kids who are comfortable in the kitchen grow up to be young adults capable of making their own meals — critical to successfully moving them out of the nest 🙂

So how does that all circle back to chewy, delicious Coconut Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies? Here’s how. Casey arrives home from school last week and, lo and behold, we’ve got a whole afternoon ahead of us with no one else around. A rare occurrence to say the least. Rather than retreat to our own quiet corners, I suggested we bake something, and he quickly jumped on board and came up with this flavor combo. He loves that they’re chewy and that you can really taste the coconut. I love that he led the way, learned a few new cooking skills, and proudly shared tastes with his friends at lunch the next day.

 

Coconut Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies with Greek Yogurt
Makes 2 dozen

Prep time: 15 minutes       cocoCook time 12-14 minutes

1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 whole eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour *gluten-free if necessary
3/4 cup quick oats *gluten-free if necessary
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prep cookie sheet with parchment, a silicone baking mat, or a light layer of spray oil.

In a medium mixing bowl, cream together the butter, yogurt, and sugar until well blended. Add the vanilla and eggs and beat on low for one minute more. In a separate bowl combine the flour, oatmeal, baking powder and salt. Add the mixture all at once to the butter/sugar mixture. Blend on low for 2-3 minutes, until well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Fold in the coconut and chocolate chips by hand.

Portion onto cookie sheets in heaping teaspoonfuls, leaving about 1-1/2 inches between cookies. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the edges are lightly brown and tops are just a bit moist to touch. Cool for a few minutes before transferring to a rack to finish cooling.

 

ENJOY!!