"Chewy Coconut Cookies that are soft, chewy and easy to make. Make the perfect sweet treat when you want something light. You can have fresh cookies on your table in 20 minutes or less!"
These scrumptious Coconut Cookies are soft and chewy yet filled with crunchy toasted coconut, and slightly toasted chopped macadamia nuts for lots of flavor! The perfect combination of soft, crunchy, sweet and nutty textures. Sit back, close your eyes and take a bite... It's like sitting on at the beach on a tropical island resort. This is a delicious replica of a tropical coconut cookie from Hawaii. – it’s impossible to only eat one! Servings – 18 cookies Prep Time – 10 Minutes Cook Time - 12 Minutes
Chewy Coconut Cookies
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 cups coconut flakes
1 cup of finely chopped macadamia nuts or sliced almonds, or your favorite nuts
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
In a small mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix and set aside.
In a separate medium sized bowl add the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Cream them together until smooth.
Add the egg, almond and vanilla extract. Beat until light and fluffy.
Add the flour mixture half at a time, until incorporated. Mix in the coconut and nuts.
Drop, 3 inches apart, onto un-greased or lined with parchment paper cookie sheet.
Add a little extra coconut on top of each cookie if desired, optional.
Bake until lightly toasted, about 8-12 minutes. Move to a wire rack and cool completely.
Notes:
Cookie mix in variations:
Add a coconut glaze on top. Make the glaze by mixing 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar, with 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar with 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract.
You can also use a chocolate drizzle in a zig zag motion across each cookie, or dip half the cookie in chocolate and sprinkle more coconut flakes or sea salt flakes and let dry on wax paper lined cool cookie sheet.
Add mini chocolate or caramel chips to the dough
The brown sugar adds moisture and creates a chewy cookie. If you increase the amount of brown sugar to ¾ cup and decrease the white sugar to ¼ cup you can make them even more moist and chewy.
Tips:
You can use unsweetened coconut because the cookies already have a lot of sweetness, but either one will work. Unsweetened coconut with replacing the sugars with a sugar substitute will make a sugar free version.
You can replace the almonds with any chopped nut of your choice. Macadamia nuts are the best.
You can add or subtract the amount of coconut to your preference without changing the other ingredients. I would not reccomend adding anymore than 2 cups of coconut.
Using toasted coconut is a great way to add extra flavor. To toast the coconut simply spread shredded coconut in a thin layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 325°F for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently until mostly golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool. You can also use a mixture of both toasted and un-toasted coconut by mixing the un-toasted coconut into the dough then add some toasted coconut on top.
Use room temperature butter and egg as they will incorporate better into the cookie dough. If you want a super flat lace style extra crispy cookie, melt the butter and bake the cookies immediately after mixing. 🙂
Freezing:
Like other drop cookies you can freeze the dough to be baked later. Scoop the dough onto the baking sheet and place the sheet in the freezer. Once the dough is solid transfer them to a Ziploc gallon bag. Freeze for 1-2 months. Bake according to the recipe adding a few extra minutes if baking from frozen state.
Storing:
Serve warm or at room temperature. Store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Cookies can be frozen for up to 2-3 months separate layers with parchment or wax paper.
Nutrition:
Calories: 167 | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 120mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
CWT is not a certified dietician or nutritionist. Any nutritional information shared on this site is an estimate counted through measurements and package nutritional information used in each recipe. If calorie, macro counting and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through your choice of nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary depending on national brands used per recipe.