Coconut Cookies
intro
Buttery, crisp-edged, chewy-centered cookies loaded with toasty shredded coconut, ideal for gifting, snacking, or pairing with cold milk.
Ingredients
Steps
Toast the shredded coconut
Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Spread 180g (2 cups) sweetened shredded coconut in an even, thin layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 5-7 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes with a spatula, until the coconut turns light golden brown and smells nutty and fragrant. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely for 10 minutes before using.
Cream butter and sugars
In a large mixing bowl, combine 113g (1/2 cup) room-temperature softened unsalted butter, 100g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar, and 50g (1/4 cup) packed light brown sugar. Use an electric hand mixer on medium speed to beat the mixture for 3 full minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula halfway through, until the mixture is pale, fluffy, and nearly doubled in volume.
Mix in wet ingredients
Add 1 room-temperature large egg (50g) and 5ml (1 teaspoon) pure vanilla extract to the creamed butter mixture. Beat on low mixer speed for 30 seconds until fully smooth and combined, taking care not to overmix to avoid incorporating too much air that causes cookies to spread excessively.
Fold in dry ingredients
In a separate small bowl, whisk together 150g (1 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour, 2g (1/2 teaspoon) baking soda, and 1g (1/4 teaspoon) fine sea salt until evenly blended. Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet dough, stirring with a silicone spatula until no dry flour streaks remain, then fold in 160g of the cooled toasted coconut, reserving 20g for topping. Stop mixing as soon as the dough comes together to prevent tough cookies.
Chill the cookie dough
Cover the mixing bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill for 20 minutes, which allows the flour to hydrate and prevents cookies from spreading too thin while baking. Keep the oven preheated to 175°C (350°F) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper while the dough chills.
Scoop and bake cookies
Once dough is chilled, use a 30ml (2 tablespoon) cookie scoop to portion the dough into 24 equal, round balls, spacing them 5cm (2 inches) apart on the parchment-lined baking sheets to leave room for spreading. Sprinkle the reserved 20g of toasted coconut evenly over the top of each dough ball. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookie edges are deep golden brown and the centers look just set (they will firm up as they cool).
Cool and serve cookies
After removing baking sheets from the oven, let the cookies rest on the hot sheets for 5 minutes to set, then use a spatula to transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely for 15 minutes before serving or storing in an airtight container.
Tips
2.Use room-temperature butter and egg for the creaming step: cold ingredients will not emulsify properly, leading to dense, uneven cookies that spread too much.
3.Customize texture by adjusting bake time: reduce by 1 minute for extra chewy cookies, add 2 minutes for extra crisp cookies. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
I made these for my kid’s soccer team snack last weekend and every parent was asking me for the recipe! The toasty coconut adds such a perfect nutty, sweet crunch, and the cookie stays so buttery soft for days. I did add a tiny extra pinch of flaky sea salt on top before baking and *chef’s kiss*
Super easy recipe even for someone like me who burns 90% of the stuff I bake. Cook time was totally accurate, toasting the coconut first made the whole kitchen smell amazing for hours. My roommate ate half the batch before they even cooled completely lmao
OMG I just pulled my first batch out of the oven and they look perfect! Was worried toasting coconut would be fussy but it was so straightforward on a sheet pan in 5 minutes. Can’t wait to dunk one in my coffee after dinner tonight.
I’ve been making coconut cookies for 40 years and this recipe is a total game changer. I used salted butter like I always do and cut the added salt just a touch, and they came out exactly like the old fashioned ones my mom used to make. Brought them to my church potluck and the seniors table went back for seconds and thirds!
These hold up so well in the fridge for the whole week! I portioned out the dough ahead of time and baked a couple fresh each night after work for dessert. Way better than the store bought cookie dough I usually grab, and so much more flavor from the toasted coconut.
Took these to a friend’s summer BBQ and they were SO good, perfect complement to the grilled food. Not too heavy, super flavorful, people were going back for more even after we had burgers and s’mores. 10/10 will make again.
Wait why have I never toasted coconut for cookies before?! The flavor is 100x better than just tossing raw coconut in the dough. I dipped half of each cooled cookie in dark chocolate after baking and it was insane. Highly recommend that twist if you’re a chocolate lover like me.
Okay I was skeptical because easy recipes usually taste bland but these slapped. I followed the directions exactly, didn’t burn the coconut (win!) and my boyfriend who hates coconut ate three cookies before I told him what was in them. Total win.
I swapped the regular butter for vegan butter to make these dairy free for my sister who’s visiting, and they still came out perfectly buttery and delicious! The toasted coconut covers any weird aftertaste some vegan butters have, will absolutely be making this vegan version again.
Testing cookie recipes for my annual Christmas cookie tin this year and these are definitely making the cut. They’re sturdy enough to pack with other cookies without breaking, the flavor is festive and cozy, and they look so pretty rolled in extra toasted coconut before baking for that golden look.
These are the perfect coffee dipping cookie! Not too sweet, crumbly but not so soft that they fall apart in your mug. I made a batch on Sunday and they’ve been my go-to mid-morning snack at work all week. 10/10, no notes.
Made these in my tiny apartment oven last night and they turned out perfect even with my janky oven that runs 25 degrees hot! Just turned the temp down a touch and kept an eye on the coconut while it toasted, and they came out golden and buttery just like the photos. My roommate said they’re the best thing I’ve baked since moving in.