I always feel a liiiitttle bit guilty when I share a coconut recipe because I know that there are a lot of you out there who have made it pretty clear that you don’t appreciate coconut at all (Zach is one of you!). I get it, not everyone likes the texture (Zach wouldn’t even taste-test my coconut macaroons for me!), but I love it and while I do try to limit the number of coconut recipes that I share, it’s been a while and we’re due for another one. Namely these buttery soft Coconut Cookies. So, coconut haters, I’m sorry, and if you check back on Monday I promise there will be no coconut in that recipe, but for those of you on #teamcoconutcookies, let’s dig in to today’s recipe.
The texture of coconut cookies reminds me a lot of oatmeal, and I actually adapted my favorite oatmeal cookie recipe to make these.
Tips for Making Coconut Cookies
Use unsweetened flake coconut for this recipe, it can usually be found right next to the sweetened variety in the baking section. Adding caramel chips is optional, but you should definitely add them! I can’t stress enough how tasty these were with little pops of caramel flavor in every bite. I used actual caramel chips and not caramel baking bits (the little balls made of caramel), I used Ghirardelli’s, which are sold (quite appropriately) in a caramel-colored bag. This combo of coconut, caramel, and chocolate reminds me a little of my favorite Girl Scout Cookie — the Samoa. I recommend adding the coconut extract, as instructed, for the best cookie flavor. The cookies will still be good if you leave it out (substitute for vanilla extract, if you do), but the flake coconut doesn’t do much to impart an actual coconut flavor into the cookies, and I liked the taste much better with the extract. Immediately after dipping each of the cookies in chocolate, you can sprinkle them with coconut. I chose to toast my coconut (I like the slightly crisp texture and the way it looks much better that way), so I’ve provided instructions in case you’d like to toast yours as well.
How to Toast Coconut
To toast coconut for these coconut cookies, spread ½ cup of flake coconut evenly across a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake in a 325F (190C) oven for about 5 minutes or until the coconut is toasted lightly golden brown. Allow the coconut to cool before sprinkling over dark chocolate, but sprinkle immediately after dipping in chocolate or it won’t stick, so if you plan to use toasted coconut make sure you have it ready in advance! Just to be clear, I did not toast the coconut that went into the cookies, just the last ½ cup that I used for sprinkling on top of the cookies!
And that’s it! Happy Friday, everyone! Enjoy!
