These coconut cookies are crispy on the outside and a little chewy on the outside. They have a strong coconut flavor from unsweetened coconut flakes.
I recently bought a big bag of unsweetened coconut when I made coconut macaroons and I’ve been looking for ways to use the rest of it up. I love coconut desserts so it’s been fun browsing different recipes online for inspiration.
I found a recipe for coconut cookies on Bake Fresh (who got the recipe from Martha Stewart) that I had actually bookmarked a while ago so that’s what I went with. The cookies looked easy to make.
You don’t need a lot of ingredients and you can use either sweetened or unsweetened coconut. I prefer less sweet cookies so the unsweetened worked well for me.
The cookies took longer to make than I thought they would. Mixing the dough is easy, but it took much longer to roll the dough into cookie dough balls. It was hard to get the dough to stick together.
I also had problems rolling the dough balls in the coconut because it wouldn’t stick and kept falling off.
My cookies came out darker than I wanted because I slightly overbaked them So if you try this recipe be sure to check on the before the end of the recommended bake time.
They’re a little messy to eat because the coconut flakes fall of the baked cookies really easily. I worked hard to get it to stick before I baked them so it was frustrating when it just fell off while I was eating them.
They have a really strong coconut flavor, which I really like. They’re also crunchy on the outside and a little chewy on the inside.
I enjoyed the cookies, but I’m not sure I would make them again because they took a lot longer and I didn’t love how the coconut flakes fell off. I think I’ll stick with my chewy coconut cookies until I find a different recipe.
More Cookie Recipes
- Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies
- 4-Ingredient Nutella Cookies
- Brown Butter Cookies
- Healthy Coconut Cookies
Coconut Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 (14-oz) package (5 1/3 cups) sweetened shredded coconut I used unsweetened and it still tasted fine
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Set aside 2 loosely packed cups of coconut on a plate. Place remaining coconut in a food processor along with sugar, salt, and baking powder; process until finely ground.
- Add butter, and process just until no lumps remain. Add egg and vanilla; process just until smooth. Add flour; pulse until a crumbly dough begins to form, scraping sides of bowl as needed (do not overmix).
- Forming 5 or 6 at a time, scoop level tablespoons of dough, and place in reserved coconut. Roll into balls, coating with coconut.
- Arrange balls, about 2 inches apart, on baking sheets. Bake until lightly golden, 23 to 25 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 1 to 2 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
