Crispy coconut cookies with buttery macadamia nuts, what’s not to like?! These cookies are perfect to serve with your favorite ice cream. I served them with homemade mango-lilikoi ice cream and it was a delicious combination of tropical flavors.
Macadamia nuts are rich and buttery and excellent in these cookies. I added mini white chocolate chips to a portion of the batter for a test taste and it turned out those dainty chips added a nice touch of creamy sweetness to the cookies. The cookies without the white chocolate chips are really tasty too, so adding them is optional.
The best coconut for this recipe is unsweetened finely shredded coconut such as Bob’s Red Mill brand which is widely available at most markets. The short length and fine texture of the shredded coconut is key. You end up with a delightful coconut flavor without chunky pieces or long shreds of coconut that can distract from the delicate texture of the cookie.
As the cookies bake the edges become a lovely golden brown and the centers puff up slightly. The scent of coconut fills the house with its toasty aroma.
Serve the cookies with ice cream or on their own. I keep leftovers in the freezer for those sweet cravings that always seem to follow dinner.
Crispy Coconut Cookies
28
servingsAdapted from Marcellina In Cucina blog
I added 1/2 cup of mini white chocolate chips to half of the batter.
Ingredients
1/2 cup (113g) unsalted or lightly salted butter, at cool room temperature (I used Green Valley Lactose Free Butter)
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup (150g) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup (80g) unsweetened finely shredded coconut (Bob’s Red Mill recommended)
1/2 cup (56g) finely chopped roasted unsalted macadamia nuts (or substitute with pecans)
1/2 cup (88g) mini white chocolate chips, optional (I used Enjoy Life dairy free chips in half of the cookie dough)
Directions
- Line a large cookie pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, beat the butter with a wooden spoon then stir in the sugar. Add the egg and vanilla. Mix well.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add mixture to butter mixture along with coconut and nuts. Stir until thoroughly combined with no streaks of flour. If using white mini chocolate chips for some of the cookies, divide the dough in half and add 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips to (1) half portion. You may add more than 1/2 cup if you want all the cookies to have white chocolate chips. Cover and chill in the freezer for about 15 minutes or just until dough firms up a bit.
- While dough is chilling, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Roll small balls of dough (about the size of a large walnut, or weigh dough and divide into even balls) and place 14 on the parchment lined baking sheet, leaving space between each ball to allow for some spreading.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes for crispier cookies or 10 minutes for softer cookies. Check and adjust timing as needed due to varying oven temperatures. Cookies are done when the edges are golden brown and the centers are slightly puffed. Allow cookies to cool on the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a cookie rack to cool completely. Continue with the remaining cookie dough.
Notes
- Cookies can be frozen in an airtight container for a few months