Chewy, buttery cookies absolutely packed with coconut! They’re soft and slightly cakey in the center, with crispy edges and have the most unique texture from all that coconut. A little extra coconut sprinkled on top gets toasty in the oven and it’s just so good! Made from my favourite classic cookie dough, these are easy and I hope you have hot coffee or tea ready to enjoy these with 🙂

Fresh coconut contains a lot of moisture which particularly affects cookie dough. This is why these cookies are softer than than my original chocolate chip cookies with the same dough. I enjoyed the contrast between the edges and the centers and simply baking the cookies for longer ensures the centers are not so soft that they’ll fall apart. Having said that, I do think these cookies are best eaten fresh which really isn’t a problem I assume!

The coconut adds not just flavour but a lovely chewy texture and I like to really pack it in 🙂 Adding a little desiccated coconut to the top of the cookie dough balls just before baking is optional but sooo recommended. Any coconut that falls around on the tray becomes golden brown and you can sprinkle it on top of the baked cookies and I promise it’s the best part.

There’s very little in the world like a batch of freshly baked cookies and I hope you love these!

Coconut Cookies

Buttery coconut cookies with soft centers and crispy edges

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 45

Makes: 20 cookies

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup light soft brown sugar (100 gms, I use Tate&Lyle)
1/3 cup caster sugar (60 gms)
140 gms butter, at room temp
1 egg, at room temp (I have not tried an eggless version)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 and 1/4 cups grated unsweetened coconut (thaw first if using frozen coconut)
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (180 gms)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt, if using unsalted butter
1/4 cup desiccated coconut, optional but recommended (20 gms)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 175 C. Line a baking tray (or two if you're baking in batches) with silicone baking mats. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugars using a hand mixer on medium speed, until pale and fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla and beat again till combined. Add the coconut and beat briefly until incorporated.
Finally, sift in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, if using. Fold to combine into a thick, sticky dough. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and chill it for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until it's easy to scoop, but not super hard. If chilling for an hour or longer, the dough will need to sit at room temperature before you are able to scoop it. Keep in mind the colder the dough, the puffier the cookies will be.
Using a cookie scoop or spoon, drop equal-sized portions (1.5 tablespoons each) of the dough onto the baking tray, at least two inches apart.
Sprinkle the top of each cookie dough portion with a little desiccated coconut. Some of it will fall around the sides and become extra toasty as it bakes, after which you can sprinkle it right back on the cookies!
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the cookies are golden brown on the edges and still puffy in the middle (the tops will not brown as much), rotating the tray halfway through the baking time to ensure even browning. Very gently, press down on each cookie with the back of a spoon or a metal spatula to flatten any extra puffy cookies.
Allow them to cool and firm up for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. I recommend eating these cookies the day they're baked for the best texture (crisp edged and soft in the centers), because coconut absorbs moisture and the cookies will soften over the days. However, you can store them in the fridge for a week and in the freezer for about a month. Happy baking!