My friend Karen's family tradition is Spellbinders, these brown sugar cookies with oats, coconut, pecans, and cornflakes, and topped with icing. They're sweet yet wholesome, and definitely delicious!
I first made these Spellbinders 13 years ago, and was surprised by how much I liked them. After all, they weren't chocolate and they weren't shortbread. What was happening? Was I growing up?
These healthy-ish cookies charmed me, and I've never forgotten about them. These chewy treats are packed with a variety of wholesome mix-ins, yet topped with a light icing that you can apply while the cookies are still warm, meaning you can eat them sooner!
The icing is not optional. I'm not an icing or frosting person, so trust me on this one. You'll be glad you did!
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Ingredients
Ingredients to make Spellbinders include your basics:
- Flour
- Brown sugar (dark or light)
- Unsalted butter
- Egg
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Powdered sugar, more butter, and vanilla for the icing
What really makes these cookies different is the mix-ins.
Oats make the cookies wholesome. I call for quick oats, but old-fashioned rolled oats will work too. Neither instant nor steel-cut oats will cook properly.
Shredded sweetened coconut adds a little chew to the cookies, as well as a little moisture. Unsweetened will also work, but consider doubling the icing. For those finicky about the texture of shredded coconut, chop it up with the nuts before adding it to the dough.
Chopped pecans add a toothsome and flavorful note. No need to toast them in advance. No pecans? Try walnuts. To accommodate a nut allergy, try substituting them with additional oats, cornflakes, or a mixture of the two.
Corn flakes always make me think of these cookies. Crush them up before you measure them, and include some on top for a crunchy note. You can use a frosted corn flake cereal instead in a pinch, but it will make the cookie sweeter.
Instructions
You've gathered your ingredients. Time to start baking!
First, start by chopping pecans and crushing corn flakes. Chop your coconut a little too, if you're concerned about its texture.
With an electric or stand mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. This will take a bit longer if your butter is still cold.
Add the egg and mix well to combine. This will also be easier if your egg is at room temperature.
Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix until just combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Add oats, coconut, pecans, and corn flakes.
Mix on low to combine. Scrape down the bowl again to be sure there's no unmixed bits or batter. If you're using a hand mixer (affiliate link), switch over to a rubber spatula to stir in the mix-ins.
Use a medium (1.5-tablespoon or #40) cookie scoop (affiliate link), or two spoons, to portion the dough onto a pan lined with parchment or a silicone mat (affiliate link). Flatten dough slightly with a glass dipped in crushed corn flakes, or sprinkle some crushed flakes on before flattening.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the edges and bottoms of the cookies brown and the tops are golden.
Mix together the melted butter, powdered sugar, water, and vanilla. Brush it on warm cookies (the pale-glazed cookies on the lower half of the baking sheet). Whiter-glazed cookies (top half of the baking sheet) cooled about 10 minutes before glazing.
If you'd rather, you can thin the icing out with a tiny bit more water and drizzle it on cooled cookies. Although I prefer the minimal glaze, my friend Karen, a real icing lover, doubles the icing recipe when she makes them.
Serving and Storage
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container. They'll last up to 3 days at room temperature; after that, they'll start to become stale.
As I usually say, there's no wrong way to serve these. I tend to grab one with my morning coffee if they're sitting on my counter. As with most cookies, they'd go nicely with a cold glass of milk.
I'm so glad to have this recipe in my collection. (Thanks, Karen!) I hope you love these cookies as much as we (and Karen's family) do!
Other Wholesome Treats
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Have you tried this recipe? Or have a question about it? Rate it or leave a comment below! (PS: rating my recipes helps other people find them, too!)
📖 Recipe
Spellbinders
Ingredients
- 16 tablespoons butter 1 cup/227 grams; at room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed 220 grams
- 1 egg ~50 grams
- 1 ½ cup flour 220 grams
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup oats 85 grams
- 1 cup shredded coconut 100 grams
- 1 cup chopped pecans 112 grams
- ½ cup corn flakes, crushed 20 grams, from ⅔ cup corn flakes; plus extra for flattening dough
Icing
- 2 tablespoons butter 28 grams, melted
- 1 cup powdered sugar 120 grams
- 1 tablespoon water 15 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla 5 grams
Instructions
- With an electric or stand mixer, cream butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg, and beat well, until combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and stir on low to combine.
- Add the oats, coconut, pecans, and corn flakes; mix on low until combined. (If using an electric hand mixer (affiliate link), stir them in with a rubber spatula.) The dough will be stiff.
- Use a medium (1.5-tablespoon or #40) cookie scoop (affiliate link) or two spoons to portion dough onto a parchment- or silicone mat (affiliate link)-lined cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. You'll get 12 cookies per sheet.
- Use the bottom of a glass dipped in extra crushed corn flakes, or your clean fingers or a plastic spatula, to flatten the dough slightly to an even height.
- Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are a little browned. Immediately make the icing.
Icing
- Stir together the melted butter, powdered sugar, water, and vanilla.
- Brush icing lightly over still-warm cookies. Alternatively, thin icing with another teaspoon or two of water to drizzle over cooled cookies.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
Originally written March 4, 2012. Completely rewritten and revised, with new photos, in June 2023.
Karen says
Yum!!! It's strange, every time I make these, they taste a little different (probably due to small shifts in the proportions of the mixed-in ingredients, or how finely chopped they are) -- but always good! I stand by my double-icing recommendation though 🙂