Coconut Cookies are chewy, buttery sugar cookies with sweet shredded coconut mixed into the dough. Bake these easy tropical cookies tonight!
This Cookie Recipe is the perfect sweet treat to enjoy with your family or gift to the coconut lover in your life. For more coconut Desserts, try these amazing Coconut Macaroons and Coconut Macaroon Brownies next!
Table of contents
Sabrina’s Cookies Recipe
Chewy Coconut Cookies are the perfect crowd-pleasing cookie recipe. The simple cookie dough has a classic, sweet, sugar cookie flavor. Mixing in the shredded coconut makes the cookies a subtle sweet coconut flavor plus it adds a delicious chewy texture throughout. The coconut flavor is irresistible and perfect for when you need a dessert everyone will love.
These Coconut Cookies are also super easy to make. If you’re craving something sweet, but don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen, then this is the recipe for you. Mixing the dough takes a few minutes, then just let it chill for about 20 minutes. After that, you can bake the cookies in about 10 minutes. It’s the ultimate hassle-free treat in less than an hour.
Ingredients
- Butter: All the tastiest cookies are made with butter! You want to use softened butter so it whips up easily for lots of air. This makes your cookies extra soft and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
- Sugar: Most cookie recipes use a white and brown sugar combination. The white sugar is less dense, so the cookies can more easily rise. And using brown sugar adds a rich flavor and stops the cookies from rising too much.
- Coconut: Use sweetened shredded coconut to give the cookies a delicious sweet, tropical coconut flavor. The shreds are incorporated into the dough to add chewy bits of moist, sweet coconut goodness. You could also roll the dough balls in extra shreds for even more chewy delicious coconut flavor.
- Flour: It’s important to measure your flour correctly so your cookies aren’t dry. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup then gently level with the flat edge of a butter knife without packing.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda doesn’t just help the cookies rise, but it also helps the cookie dough spread slowly so they bake evenly.
- Salt: A little bit of salt helps balance out all the sweetness in the cookies and it also enhances the coconut’s natural flavor. Since you are only using a small amount, it doesn’t matter which kind of salt you use.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Cookie Scoop: If you like baking cookies, you should definitely invest in a cookie scoop! It is great for chilled dough like these Coconut Cookies to keep the butter cold so your cookies don’t spread. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, you can use 2 large spoons to scoop the dough and shape it without using your hands.
- Parchment Paper: Firstly, parchment paper keeps your cookies from sticking on your baking sheets so they don’t break or crack as you move them off the sheet to cool. It also helps your cookies bake more evenly because it distributes the heat better than foil or cooking them straight on the baking sheet.
How to Make Coconut Cookies
Time needed: 40 minutes.
- Make the Sugar Cookie Dough
Cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar with a paddle attachment on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, until creamy and fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla until combined. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Reduce the speed and add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just blended.
- Add the Coconut
Using the stand mixer, or stir by hand, fold in the shredded coconut into the cookie dough until just evenly combined. Don’t overmix your cookie dough or the cookies with tough and dense.
- Chill the Dough
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and chill the dough for at least 20 minutes. You can chill it overnight or freeze it for up to 3 months. (See Tips and Tricks section for freezing instructions)
- Prep for Baking
Preheat your oven. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats once your dough has finished chilling.
- Scoop the Dough
Use a large cookie scoop (2 tablespoons size) to scoop the dough into balls and place on the baking sheets 2 inches apart. You don’t want to handle the dough by hand, so if you don’t have a cookie scoop, use large spoons.
- Bake the Cookies
Place the cookie sheet in the middle of the oven and bake for 9-11 minutes, until the edges are just turning golden brown and the center doesn’t look wet. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to continue cooling.
Nutritional Facts
Cooking Tips & Tricks
- Toast the Coconut
- Take your Coconut Cookies to the next level by toasting the coconut flakes. Toasting the flaked coconut makes them a little more crispy and gives the recipe a nuttier undertone. If you want to toast the coconut, add the shredded coconut to a skillet over medium-low heat. Stir as you lightly brown the coconut for 3-4 minutes.
- Freeze the Dough
- You can make batches of the dough to freeze for later for cookies whenever you are craving them. The best way is to scoop the dough onto a baking sheet and freeze the dough for an hour. Transfer the frozen dough balls to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake the cookies from frozen, adding a couple minutes to the baking time if needed.
Sides for Your Coconut Cookies
Drinks: What better way to enjoy a freshly baked cookie than with a cold glass of milk? A glass of ice cold Chocolate Milk! They would also taste yummy with some rich, cinnamon flavored Horchata.
Ice Cream: Coconut Cookies taste amazing crumbled over some ice cream or served up as a delicious sundae. Try them with Vanilla Ice Cream for a classic cookie sundae or with some Strawberry Ice Cream for an extra fruity treat.
How to Store Coconut Cookies
Store: Once your Coconut Cookies have cooled, you can store your cookies in an airtight container. They’ll stay fresh at room temperature for about a week. You can also refrigerate them for a few extra days.
Freeze: To freeze Coconut Cookies, arrange them in a freezer bag or another freezer container. Arrange the cookie layer with parchment paper between them so that they don’t freeze together. You can keep them in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Frequent Questions
If your cookies are dry and crumbly, it is probably because you used too much flour. It’s better to weigh flour or spoon it into a measuring cup instead of packing into the cup by scooping it directly out of the bag. If you over-mix your dough, they can come out tough and crumbly too.
For these sweet sugar cookies, it is best to use sweetened shredded coconut. Not only does it add some extra sweetness but they are more moist and chewy than unsweetened coconut.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar , packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- Add the butter, sugar and brown sugar to a stand mixer on medium speed with the paddle attachment and cream until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and add it to the stand mixer on the lowest speed setting until just combined.
- Add in the sweetened shredded coconut and stir until just mixed in.
- Cover and chill batter for 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a two tablespoon sized cookie scoop add the cookie dough 2″ apart on your baking sheets.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes.
- Let cool 5 minutes before removing from baking sheet.
Nutrition
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Coconut Cookies Variations
Gluten-Free Coconut Cookies: If you’re on a gluten-free diet, you can still enjoy these cookies. Simply use a gluten-free flour alternative like coconut flour, oat flour, or buckwheat flour to make your cookie recipe.
Coconut Extract: For extra coconut flavor in this cookie recipe, you can add a little bit of coconut extract along with the vanilla.
Sugar Topping: To make your cookies sparkle, top them off with a sprinkling of coarse sugar when they’re fresh from the oven.
Mix-Ins: If you’d like a little bit of crunch in this recipe, add chopped macadamia nuts or pecans into the dough. You could also mix in optional chocolate with semi-sweet chocolate or white chocolate chips.
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