How to Make Coconut Cookies
1. Heat oven to 350F and spread the coconut onto a baking sheet. You’ll be toasting it for about 10 minutes. Move the coconut around on the pan avery 2 minutes or so until it’s mostly golden. You can also toast in in a pan over medium low heat; stir until browned.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, corn starch, and salt into a bowl then whisk together and set aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugars together, beat until light and fluffy then mix in the vanilla and egg.
4. Scrape the bowl down then add in the four mixture and mix on low until almost combined.
5. Add the toasted coconut and mix on low until just incorporated. Use a spatula to mix in any stray pockets of coconut etc then cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 350F. Roll the dough into 1.5-2 inch balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone sheet. You could also roll the dough into balls then chill on a baking sheet if desired, it’s a bit easier but will take up more space in the fridge. Bake for about 10 minutes. the cookies will be slightly browned at the edge but still soft in the center when done. Allow to cool before enjoying!
Pro Tips for this Recipe
- Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
- You can chill the dough right after making it or roll the dough into balls then chill.
- Add 1.5-1 cup of chopped toasted nuts for extra texture. My favorites are macadamia and pecans!
- The dough will be quite firm when chilled so use a scooper to portion it out and squeeze it in your hand before rolling.
- Mix up a simple glaze with coconut milk and powdered sugar to drizzle onto your coconut cookies for a bit of extra sweetness and visual interest.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make them from scratch?
You’ll need the following ingredients to make coconut cookies:
- All purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Sweetened shredded coconut
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
Can I use coconut oil instead of butter in cookies?
I’ve made cookies with coconut oil and love the resulting texture, they are lighter and more fine in texture, they also tend to crumble a bit more. You can sub a 1:1 ratio of butter to coconut oil HOWEVER I have not made this specific cookie with anything but butter so be forewarned! I find that coconut oil works better for shortbread style cookies.
How long will they last for?
These coconut cookies will keep for a week in a sealed container. You can freeze the cookie dough for up to two months and then thaw and bake as needed.
Can you use unsweetened coconut for this recipe?
I would not recommend using unsweetened shredded coconut as it has a different moisture content and the cookie dough itself already has less sugar than usual because of the sugar in the coconut.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Coconut Cookie recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Coconut Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 240g
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter 170g, room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100g
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar 50g, packed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract 5mL
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups shredded sweetened coconut toasted
Instructions
- Sift the flour, salt, corn starch, and baking soda together then whisk together and set aside.
- Beat butter and sugars in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg, and vanilla extract. Scrape the bowl down and mix once more.
- Add the dry mixture to the wet and beat until almost combined. Scrape the bowl down one last time then add the toasted coconut and mix on low until just combined. Use a spatula to finish incorporating any stray bits of coconut that haven't mixed In yet.
- Cover and shill the dough for at least 30 minutes. You can chill it overnight or make the dough months ahead of time and freeze it.
- Once chilled set oven to 350F and scoop out potions of cookie dough roughly two tablespoons in size (a little larger is fine too. Place the dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets leaving about two inches of space between the cookies to allow for spreading.
- Bake at 350F for about 10 minutes or until the edges are set, you don't want these cookies to over-bake but the bottom of the edge will be golden and set.
Notes
- Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don't have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
- Chill time is very important for these cookies so try not to rush things.
- You can make a simple glaze with coconut milk and powdered sugar for an extra layer of sweetness if desired. Just mix up and drizzle on when cool.
- These cookies will keep for up to a week in a sealed container.
I made these today and oh my goodness. They have a delicious coconut flavor and are perfectly chewy. And SO easy to make (which I am sure I will be doing again…and again). I love your website and can’t wait to try some more of your recipes.
Super delicious!!
I blame you, John Kanell, for my new obsession. I made three (3!!!) of your baking recipes today. The unbelievably scrumptious Cheese Biscuits, the Zucchini Bread – wich is a family favorite by now- and this Coconut Cookies. Btw, yesterday I made the Beef Stew. Sooooo good!
I clearly need help. But until I get it, I‘ll keep trying out your fantastic recipes!
Thank for all the love and work you‘re putting into this!
I love all the baking!!! Thanks so much!
Perfection ! Wanna eat them all by myself :)))
Hi John,
I made these cookies yesterday and it came out absolutely delicious. My co-workers finished them all in less than 30 mints. I was wondering how it would taste if I use browned butter instead of plain butter? Any thoughts?
Regards,
Smitha.
ALWAYS say yes to browned butter :))))
this guy can’t be as nice as he
seems. i love watching his videos and everything i’ve tried has been delish. these cookies are another huge hit!
thanks for all the fabulous food!
I made these without toasting the coconut (lazy) and added 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips – OMG! My new favorite cookie recipe! My husband got one cookie – I ate the other 17 🙂 I love how well they keep and how soft and fluffy they are! Thanks Jhn – you rock!
I made these last night after watching the video yesterday and O.M.G.!!! They are absolutely DEVINE! 🙂 I followed the recipe to a T and they were perfect! My husband and I could not stop eating them last night – we are coconut fiends! Definately a keeper recipe!!! Thank you! 🙂
Made these today but I have a gluten sensitivity so I tried to adjust the recipe. I was in a coconut mood and this video came up the same day, go figure.😅 I used Cup4Cup gf flour and followed the recipe except the cornstarch because gf flour has a lot in it.. I like a crisp cookie so I flattened then out. They came out golden and flat with crispy edges and a soft center. Didn’t look like yours but they were really good. I do wish I listened to you regarding the coconut flavoring, I used a little and it wasn’t the best taste. Don’t use it!!! Thank you for all your great recipes!