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These Coconut Cookies may sound ordinary, but they're absolutely not. They're soft and chewy, meaning the texture is spot-on, and the flavor is buttery and of course, they're filled with coconut. If you're a coconut fan, you need these cookies in your life!
Bold statement: these coconut cookies are my favorite cookies. I KNOW, what? How can I even say that? Out of all of my dessert recipes, I'm always stating that things are my "favorite", but these cookies are my favorite.
Ever since giving up chocolate, I've been searching for cookies that make my heart sing and that I simply can't resist. Well friends, these cookies are those cookies!
See, they're called coconut cookies because they have coconut in them, but they're not overly coconut-y. They're soft and chewy--the perfect texture--and they kind of taste like a sugar cookie with a hint of coconut, which is what a sugar cookie should actually be in my opinion.
Now, if you're looking for a healthier cookie recipe, you may want to check out my almond flour peanut butter cookies -- just FYI!
Recipe features
- Reminiscent of my coconut cake and coconut bread (two of my favorites!)
- Incredibly soft and chewy -- the perfect cookie texture
- Filled with coconut, though not overly coconut-y
- Can easily be made vegan (see "notes" in recipe card below)
Ingredient notes:
This provides further clarifications and substitutions for some of the ingredients. The full ingredient list is provided below in the recipe card.
- All purpose flour - can sub gluten free all purpose flour
- Shredded coconut - preferably sweetened
- Light brown sugar - cane sugar works too
- Unsalted butter - can sub dairy free butter
- Egg - can sub 1 flax egg (see notes section below)
- Vanilla extract - don't skimp on this! It adds flavor to the cookies. With that said, I do NOT recommend using coconut extract/flavoring because it gives the cookies a fake coconut flavor, which we don't want.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Cream butter and sugar. Use a stand or electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar together. Then, add the egg and vanilla and stir to combine.
Step 2: Mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, stir the flour, baking soda, salt, and ½ cup of the shredded coconut together.
Step 3: Combine. Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients, then use a mixer to mix everything together. It may take a minute for things to come together, so be patient! If the dough still seems too dry, add 1 tablespoon milk. Then, stir in the remaining shredded coconut by hand.
Step 4: Bake. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray or line it with parchment paper, then use an ice cream scooper to scoop cookie dough out onto the baking sheet. Bake cookies for 11-13 minutes, or until the edges have set. You want them to be slightly underdone in the middle -- that's what makes them so soft and pillow-y!
Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack. Wait 10 minutes for them to cool, then eat up!
FAQs and tips
- One of my favorite things about this recipe is that there's no need to chill the dough beforehand. Woohoo!
- After the cookies come out of the oven, make sure to wait 2-3 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Then, wait at least 10 minutes for them to cool before eating!
- Though these are coconut cookies, I don't recommend using coconut flour. It's completely different than all purpose flour and the recipe won't work the same.
- Want to take these up a notch? Add ½ cup chocolate chips to the batter!
- Storage: store cookies in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or, you can place cookies in a plastic bag in the freezer for up to 30 days.
- To freeze: wait for cookies to cool, then store then in a sealed freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
What kind of coconut should I use?
I tested these cookies multiple times--with unsweetened coconut and sweetened coconut--and found that using sweetened coconut is the way to go. Why? Because it has a more distinct coconut-y flavor, which is ultimately what we're going for.
Should I toast the coconut?
You can if you want to! I tested these both ways and love these cookies wither way. If you love toasted coconut, go ahead and toast the coconut for a few minutes before in a skillet, then wait for it to cool before adding it to the batter.
Are these cookies super coconut-y?
It depends. If you make them with brown sugar and real butter, then yes, they're fairly coconut-y. But, if you make the vegan version, they actually taste like sugar cookies with a hint of coconut, in my opinion.
Delicious both ways, but I believe the butter and brown sugar combination brings out the coconut flavor a bit more.
Can I make these gluten free and/or vegan?
Gluten free: To make these gluten free, simply use gluten free all purpose flour. Other than that, I haven't tested these with any other flours. If you do, please leave a comment and let me know how they turn out!
Vegan: For the vegan version, simply sub 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 2.5 tablespoon water) in place of the egg, and use dairy-free butter.
More tasty cookie recipes
- Buttercream Walnut Thumbprint Cookies
- No Bake Breakfast Cookies
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Chickpea Cookies
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Chewy Coconut Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut toasted (optional, see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Cream butter and sugar together; then add egg and vanilla and stir to combine.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and ½ cup of shredded coconut; then, pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and use an electric mixer to stir the batter. It may take a few seconds for it to come together, but if the dough still seems too dry, add 1 tablespoon milk and that should do the trick. Last, stir in the remaining coconut by hand.
- Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray (or use parchment), then use an ice cream scooper to scoop cookie dough onto the baking sheet. Bake cookies for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are set. Remove from the oven and wait 2-3 minutes before transferring cookies to a cooling rack.
- Enjoy!
Kathy says
Very good! Followed easy recipe. No unusual ingredients.
Erin says
Thanks for the 5-star rating, Kathy!
Patricia Porcelan says
My 35 yr old son said, “this is the best cookie I have had in a long time!!!” Thank you they are delish!!
Erin says
Wow that's quite the compliment -- I'm so happy he liked the cookies!
Trinity says
Can you freeze the raw cookie dough?
Erin says
I'm thinking yes, though I haven't personally tried it.
Elaine Roesch says
My son-in-law says these are the best cookies I have ever made. I am 90 years old and I have made a LOT of cookies.
Erin says
Wow that's quite the compliment! I'm glad he enjoyed the cookies 🙂
Stephanie says
These cookies are delicious. I've probably made this recipe over a dozen times as we love coconut. I add white chocolate chips too. So good!
Erin says
Happy to hear you're as obsessed with these cookies as I am (and adding white chocolate chips sounds so good!).
fl says
Cookies are good but some tweaks are needed as I can taste baking soda
Allison says
I used coconut oil instead of butter and almond extract instead of vanilla and they were amazing! melt in your mouth. Could taste the baking soda a little, but otherwise melt in your mouth, fluffy, delicious.
Erin says
Thanks for the 5-star rating, Allison!
Greg says
My wife says these are her favorite cookies ever. They are soft and buttery, just like the description says. They stay soft even days later. I typically throw them in the microwave for 20 seconds to warm them up. This cookies really shine when they are warm. This batch does make more than a dozen with a small ice cream scoop. I’ve made them 4 times now and I’m yielding 22 2-inch cookies. I’ll be using this recipe for a base for some future cookies!
Erin says
I'm SO glad these have become a favorite -- they're my go-to cookie so I'm happy to hear you all have been loving them too!
Judith Clauss says
Excellent cookies!
Dean says
Great cookies! If I want to add a little honey, do I need to adjust any of the other ingredients?
Thanks
Erin says
Maybe! How much honey were you going to add?
Michelle says
Really delicioussss!!! But my cookies did not spread out.
Erin says
I'm glad you liked them! In order for them to spread, make sure you measure the flour correctly (don't pack the measuring cup tight and also don't over-mix the batter) 🙂
Becca says
Can I add chocolate chips to these? The mini chips?
Erin says
Yes!
Lia says
Can I use Coconut oil instead of butter ?
Erin says
That should work -- just make sure it's softened so it mixes correctly with the sugar.
Christiana says
I’ve made these as written and were perfect! Husband and neighbors raved about them! I also now use this as a cookie base recipe and have made them into s’mores cookies and chocolate peppermint cookies! This recipe is most definitely a keep and pass down to your kids kind of gem!
Erin says
Thank you for your kind comment and 5-star rating -- I'm glad you like the cookies!
Vidhi says
What can I use instead of eggs ? N how to add more flow our of almond ?
Erin says
You can use flax eggs in place of eggs (2 tablespoons flaxseed meal + 5 tablespoons of water), but I don't recommend using almond flour in this recipe. Almond flour is VERY different than all purpose, and the results won't be the same. If you're looking for a gluten free option, use gluten free 1:1 baking flour.
laurie says
These cookies were very large I had to put them on two trays. they make more than a dozen. I used an old timey ice cream scooper I don’t know if that made a difference. also I had to cook them longer as they would be brown and set all around the edge but the center was not cooked. However they are delicious. i will double the recipe from now on.
maybe the problem is my gas stove?
Erin says
Hi! Using a smaller ice cream scoop may help, but also they're supposed to be slightly underdone in the middle when you take them out of the oven and they will firm up as they cool Hope this helps!
Jessica says
These cookies are so delicious! We have made them twice and doubled the recipe this time. I also added some chopped walnuts
Erin says
I'm so glad you like them!
Mary says
I just have a ?, can I use sour cream & almond flour instead of reg?
Erin says
No -- almond flour is very different than all purpose and it won't work the same. If you want a gluten free option, I recommend gluten free all purpose flour for these cookies.
Deb says
Delish coconut cookies!
I used Gluten free all purpose flour and added one extra cup of coconut. The dough was still perfect! Will definitely make these again!
Erin says
Thanks for the positive review -- happy you like the cookies as much as I do! 🙂
joyce says
These were delicious. I made 22 cookies from this recipe and they won't last too long everyone keeps taking one. thanks alot.
Erin says
I'm happy everyone enjoyed them! Thanks for the review 🙂