Soft and pillowy coconut cookies with shredded coconut, toasted coconut, and coconut extract! Even if you aren’t a coconut lover, you’ll enjoy these!
I am in love with these coconut cookies. And… I didn’t really think I liked coconut THAT much.
But I’m branching out and trying new things, especially this month (i.e. the explosion of recipes with cream cheese frosting!).
These coconut cookies are cake like (meaning pillow-y), they are moist, and have the perfect amount of coconut flavor. The coconut flavor comes from the toasted coconut, regular shredded coconut and coconut extract.
I really do think the coconut extract adds the biggest POW, but if it isn’t something you have in your pantry or want to buy, you can omit it and just rely on the toasted and regular coconut for the cookie’s flavor.
How to Properly Measure Flour
- Fluff the flour with a fork
- Use a spoon to scoop the flour into your measuring cup
- Use a butter knife to level off the flour in the measuring cup
Sticking the measuring cup straight into the bag of flour will result in too much flour to be packed into the cup, which can result in dry cookies
Total Time Required
- 5 minutes to make the cookie dough
- 9-12 minutes to bake the cookies
- 15 minutes to cool the cookies
- 5 minutes to make the frosting and frost
How To Toast Coconut
Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF. Place shredded sweetened coconut on a baking sheet. Bake for 7-10 minutes until it’s golden in color and toasted.
How to Store Cookies
Store these cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days. To ensure that cookies stay soft for days, place a piece of bread in the container. The moisture from the bread will be absorbed by the cookies.
How to Freeze Cookie Dough
- Portion the dough into cookie dough balls.
- Place them on baking sheet lined with a silicone mat. You can place the dough balls close together since you won’t be baking them.
- Place the baking sheet in the freezer until the cookies are frozen solid, about 1 hour.
- Remove the baking sheet from the freezer and transfer the frozen cookie dough balls to a ziplock freezer bag. Label the bag with baking directions.
- Freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months.
To bake: remove the dough from the freezer. Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF. Bake for 9-12 minutes. Frozen cookies may need to bake for 1-2 minutes longer.
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Recipe tips
- If you don’t want to toast your own coconut, I’ve seen (and bought!) toasted coconut in the baking aisle. Genius idea.
- If you don’t have coconut extract, you and omit it, otherwise you can find it in the baking aisle near the other extracts.
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Coconut Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 ⅓ cups all purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ stick unsalted butter, 1/4 cup, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ tsp coconut extract
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup toasted coconut
- ¼ cup shredded coconut, not toasted
Frosting
- ½ stick unsalted butter, 1/4 cup, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- additional toasted coconut to top the cookies
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, salt, and baking soda, set aside.
- In a larger mixing bowl beat the butter, sugar and brown sugar with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes, until fluffy. Add in the egg, coconut extract, vanilla extract, and sour cream, beat with mixer until incorporated. Gradually add the dry ingredients, then add the toasted coconut and shredded coconut, mix to combine.
- Use a cookie scoop to drop the batter onto a silicone lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-12 minutes, or until golden on the edges. Allow the cookies to cool completely.
Frosting
- In a small mixing bowl beat the butter for 1 minute, until fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, stir with a spatula until thick. Spread the frosting on the cookies and top with additional toasted coconut.