No Bake Chocolate Coconut Oatmeal Nest Cookies: An easy no-bake cookie, perfect for Easter, made to resemble little nests and full of Easter eggs.
These No Bake Chocolate Coconut Oatmeal Nest Cookies are an old family favourite.
I grew up on these no bake cookies. My mom called them Chocolate Drops, they're sometimes called Macaroons, or No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Oatmeal Cookies, or Chocolate Coconut Macaroons. Whatever their name, they’re delicious.
Easy
These cookies are so easy to make because they don't require any baking. They come together on the stove top, where the sugar mixture is heated before adding in the other ingredients. Then it's all quickly stirred together before the it starts cooling and the cookies start to set. Finally these cookies are dropped by spoonful onto some parchment paper and left to set and harden. They come together in less than 15 minutes and a good idea to make if you're looking for something easy to bake to that everyone will love.
My grandma favored these cookies during summer months when the house was hot and she didn't want to have turn on the oven to bake and make the whole house even hotter. If you're looking for some no bake treats for the same reason than this simple cookie recipe is perfect.
My mom almost always made this no bake cookie recipe on a weeknight after dinner since they’re pretty quick and easy, so we could take some to school the next day for our lunch. When she didn't have anything sweet in the house, this one of her favorite easy recipes to use. I have many memories of opening up my wax paper package of these at recess for a real treat. If you're looking for an easy cookie recipe, this delicious recipe is perfect. It will only take you about 15 minutes to make a batch of these, and then another ½ hour for them to set.
Nest Cookies
I like making them in the spring and for Easter with the addition of some little Easter eggs that make them resemble the sweetest little nests. But you can make them as regular cookies too. Either way they're delicious. And any one with a sweet tooth, or a who is a chocolate lover will love these no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies..
Oats
These cookies are made with oats. There are many different oats, so which kind of oats are best for these no bake cookies? We use instant rolled oats for these cookies. Instant rolled oats are made by steaming the oats and then rolling them flat between steel rollers. This gives the oat a larger surface and therefore a quicker cooking time. Finally instant oats are then pre-cooked, dried and chopped into smaller pieces. This makes them cook in an instant, which helps these cookies to set quickly and makes them very tender. You can also use quick oats or quick-cooking oats for this recipe, they'll just be slightly chewier. I would not use large flake oats or old-fashioned oats for this recipe.
Coconut
This recipe has desiccated shredded coconut in it. The coconut adds delicious flavor and texture to the cookies. We've used sweetened coconut for this recipe, but you can also use unsweetened shredded coconut, since these cookies are already very sweet. Sometimes unsweetened is a little harder to find in the grocery store, but either will work fine in this recipe. I would not use coconut flakes for this recipe because the pieces are too large. Desiccated coconut is coconut that has been dried.
Gluten Free
If you're looking for a gluten free cookie recipe than these are perfect. None of the ingredients include gluten, including the mini eggs. Any one with a gluten free diet is free to enjoy these delicious cookies.
Do make sure to check the label for gluten free oats. While oats are naturally gluten free, in some factories they may come in contact with other grains, so do make sure to check your particular oats to make they are gluten free before using them is you're serving them to someone who suffers from celiac disease.
Troubleshooting
These cookies are very easy to make, but there are a couple common mistakes that sometimes happen. Once your mixture comes to a boil, begin timing it and let it boil for 1 minutes, no shorter and no longer.
If you don't boil the mixture long enough it can result in cookies that don't set properly and that are gooey and sticky because the sugar mixture did not get hot enough.
If on the other hand you boil your sugar mixture for too long, the cookies will not set properly either and instead become crumbly and dry.
One other factor that can effect these cookies setting properly is the humidity. If you make these cookies on a very humid day, you may need to let the sugar mixture a little extra so that they will set properly. Up to an extra minute of boiling on a very humid day should help these cookies to set.
Store these cookies in a airtight container at room temperature.
This classic recipe is such a favorite made with simple ingredients you probably have in your pantry. These are sure to become one of your favorite no bake recipes. I love the texture of the oatmeal and coconut together and the sweet chocolaty taste of this great recipe. And they just might be the easiest cookie recipe ever too.
These no bake oatmeal cookies made into little nests are the perfect addition to any spring or Easter get together. And your kids will love them, and the little Easter eggs inside of them. This sweet treat looks great on an Easter cookie board or dessert table. These are sure to become on of your favorite cookie recipes.
Recipe
No-bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups white sugar
- ½ cup shortening
- ½ cup milk
- 3 cups instant rolled oats
- 6 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 72 Cadbury mini eggs optional
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl combine the rolled oats, cocoa, and coconut. Set aside.
- Combine the sugar, shortening, milk and salt in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over a medium-high heat and boil 1 min, no longer.
Remove from the heat and add vanilla. Then stir in the dry ingredients that you set aside earlier. - Stir well and quickly to combine everything. While the chocolate mixture is still hot, drop by tablespoon full onto parchment paper spread on a table. The mixture will be hot, so use two spoons, or a small cookie scoop. Be sure to work quickly before the mixture begins to cool and harden.
- While the cookies are still hot, use the back of a spoon to create a nest indent and then press a few eggs into each. Allow to set completely and enjoy. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 3 dozen.
Nutrition
With easy homemade No Bake Chocolate Coconut Oatmeal Nest Cookies, life really is a party!
More Easter Recipe Inspiration
Want another easy Easter recipe? Check out these Chocolate Mousse Easter Eggs.
Also check out our Black Forest Cake in a Mason Jar recipe here.
You might also enjoy our No-Bake Cheesecakes in a Mason Jar here.
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