These coconut chocolate chip cookies are packed with coconut flavor and will fill your kitchen with the wonderful aroma of chocolate and coconut. A delicious twist on the chocolate chip cookie!
Why it works
What you are going to love about these coconut chocolate chip cookies is that they are irresistibly chewy with crisp, buttery edges. The coconut adds the most amazing sweet nuttiness to this otherwise traditional cookie.
They've always been pretty popular among my friends and my family. These coconut chocolate chip cookies are like biting into a buttery piece of coconut heaven.
These are truly the most irresistible cookies ever and I promise you won't be able to stop at just one.
You can prep the dough in advance and keep it in your fridge or freezer until you are ready to bake. In fact, I am a fan of letting the dough chill for a while because it really allows the coconut flavor to further infuse into the cookie dough.
What you'll need
The ingredients for these coconut chocolate chip cookies is pretty straight forward. Chances are, you will have most of the ingredients in your pantry already. The most important component you will need to find is the coconut. Let's review some of the key ingredients. You can find the full ingredient list in the recipe card below.
- Shredded Coconut - We use toasted shredded coconut to flavor the cookies. By toasting the coconut, we help it release its oils which will infuse into the butter and sugar when we mix it in. You should use unsweetened coconut as it will give the best coconut flavor.
- Butter - In about all forms of baking, you want to use unsalted butter, and they is especially true here. It should be at room temperature. If you forget to leave your butter out, you can easily soften butter quickly with a few of my favorite tips.
- Sugar - To get the perfect balance of sweetness and chewiness, we use a mix of both granulated and brown sugar. I recommend light brown sugar over dark as the darker variety can overpower the coconut flavor. If you run out of brown sugar, you can make homemade brown sugar easily.
- Extracts - To enhance the flavors of the cookies, I like to use extracts. Pure vanilla extract is a staple in cookie recipes and I love it here. If you are using sweetened shredded coconut or really want to emphasize the coconut flavor, you can also add coconut extract.
How to make
These cookies are very similar to my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, but with the delicious addition of coconut. So, if you've made drop cookies before, you will easily master these beauties.
- Toast the coconut. You can use any method you like to toast the coconut, but personally, using a skillet is my prefered method. Allow to cool.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Everything except the coconut and chocolate should be stirred together in a separate medium-sized bowl
- Beat the butter, sugar, and coconut together. To best infuse the coconut, we beat it along with the sugar and butter until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add in the eggs and extracts. Incorporate the eggs and extracts into your butter mixture and continue to beat for a few more minutes.
- Stir in the dry ingredients. Mix just until there are no streaks of flour left to be seen.
- Fold in the chocolate. Use a spatula to hand-mix in the chocolate.
- Chill the dough. You want to chill for about an hour, or preferably overnight.
- Bake. Portion out the dough and bake until slightly golden brown.
Essential tips
It is really important to use unsweetened shredded coconut as you will get a more pronounced coconut flavor this way. Beating the toasted coconut into the butter and sugar helps intensify that coconut flavor throughout the cookies. It is what makes these coconut chocolate chip cookies amazing.
If you only have sweetened shredded coconut, I would recommend adding just half a teaspoon of coconut extract to help intensify the coconut flavor - although using coconut extract with the unsweetened coconut won't hurt you at all.
In my original recipe, I used regular chocolate chips, but I've recently fallen in love with using chopped dark chocolate in these cookies. The chopped chocolate gives you flecks of chocolate in every bite as well as pockets of warm, pools of chocolate. It's really something incredible!
Recipe FAQs
You can store the baked at room temperature in an airtight container for up to two weeks. You can also store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a month. If you wan to store unbaked dough, you can do so in the refrigerator for up to three days. You can portion out the dough on a baking sheet, freeze them, then transfer to a freezer-safe container for up to a month.
You can omit the shredded coconut and use only coconut extract. I do not recommend any other forms of coconut such as fresh or freeze-dried coconut for this recipe.
Want more cookies?
I always recommend everyone try my s'mores stuffed cookies, but my brownie-stuffed chocolate chip cookies are also amazing. I have a healthy coconut chocolate chip cookie and healthy chocolate chip cookie if that's your thing. If not, you might want to try my salted caramel stuffed cookies, cinnamon roll cookies, or even my German chocolate cookies. If you are baking for the holidays, you will love my cookie wreath. Go to my archive for all my cookie recipes!
If you try this recipe, please tag me on instagram! Be sure to also follow me on Facebook, and sign up to my newsletter so you never miss out on another tasty treat!
Recipe Card
Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups shredded unsweetened coconut
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar preferably dark sugar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon coconut extract optional
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Place the coconut in a skillet and toast until most of the coconut is a light golden brown. Stir frequently. Allow to cool.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.
- Cream the butter, both sugars, and toasted coconut until the mixture is light and the coconut flavor is infused with the butter - about an additional 4 - 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one at a time to the batter. Beat well between each addition. Add in the coconut extract if desired, then add in the vanilla extract.
- Slowly add the flour in thirds until it is fully incorporated in the batter. Fold in the chocolate chips by hand.
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, preferably 1 - 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the cookie dough into balls that are 2 tablespoons big.
- Line the balls on the parchment paper about 2 inches apart and bake for about 10 - 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden and crispy.
- Allow to sit on the baking sheet for a minute before transferring to a wire rack, then allow to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
First published: 4/22/2014, Updated 7/28/2022
Boyd says
I have no idea what you mean by "1 1/2 sticks 3/4 cup unsalted butter". Those aren't the same. Is 3/4 cup supposed to be at room temperature, while the rest is cold? Or is it 1 1/2 sticks cold + 3/4 cup room temperature butter?
I don't know why people who write recipes have such a hard time with writing in plain English.
Amanda Powell says
1 1/2 sticks of standard American butter IS 3/4 cup. 1 stick of butter equals 1/2 cup and so half a stick is 1/4 cup. 1/2 plus 1/4 equals 3/4. I don't know why people who comment on recipes have such a hard time doing so politely. Was that in plain enough English for you?
Debs says
Awesome! But I would ask to preheat oven AFTER letting us know to chill the dough.
Sue Rohlicek says
I love these cookies! I use Bob's Red Mill brown sugar and all high quality ingredients. Don't skip the coconut extract. Since I cream and beat ingredients entirely by hand, the timeline is longer for me, but well worth the effort. Great title too!
Joe says
Made this over the weekend and they turned out great! Thanks!
Kristin Haskins says
I practically LIVE for chocolate......and coconut is piggy-backing on it.
I know I'll love making these....even if I eat everything before I have the chance!
Picture the "Homer Simpson drool....."
Isaac says
Hi was wondering about the baking temperature of 325? i tried even though I'm accustomed to 375 for most cookie recipes and the cookies were underbaked. Wasn't sure how to correct this, raise temp? or just bake longer? I wound up raising temp to 375 and baking longer which corrected it but now I'm not sure if I should bake at 350 or 375. Also, they seemed just a tad too buttery but otherwise, awesome!!!! Could you explain what toasting the coconut does in terms of flavor? Not sure I understand the difference between toasting them and not toasting them. The most significant thing I learned from your recipe was to use coconut extract. Previous coconut chocolate chip cookie recipes I've tried have not included this ingredient so I never used it and never wound up with a truly coconut tasting cookie. I was always perplexed about why the coconut flakes didn't infuse the batter with coconut flavor. So I'll be using the extract from now on whether the flakes are sugar coated or plain. The extract also gave the cookies the aroma I've been looking to get. Bravo and thank you. Hope you're able to respond
Amanda says
Hi and thank you so much for your response! In regard to the temperature, I typically bake all my cookies at 325 degrees, but for this particular recipe I bake them at 325 because for me, it is supposed to help preserve some of the natural coconut flavor. Of course if for some reason they are underbaked for you, I recommend baking them for a minute or two longer (they should still be slightly under baked when you take them out as they continue to cook on the baking sheet and it also helps with chewiness). The toasting is supposed to bring out the oils in the coconut and intensify the flavor of the coconut - at least this is the theory! When it is toasted and beaten with the butter and sugar, the coconut flavor should infuse within the ingredients. I agree with you that sometimes the coconut is still too subtle which is why I recommend the extract.
Melanie | Melanie Makes says
Love how the addition of coconut automatically "summer-fies" these classic cookies!
Josie says
Love coconut! Just pinned these yummy cookies for later, can't wait to try them! 🙂
Lucy @ Bake Play Smile says
These look great! I'm a huge fan of coconut in choc chip cookies!
Arman @ thebigmansworld says
Amanda, I love the combination of coconut with chocolate- I need to try this out!
April says
Just made these and they are delicious! 🙂 I did add in some pecans to it and i love them. Thanks for this great recipe!
Amanda says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them! Pecans sound like a great addition!! I must try it next time!!
Robert F says
The cookies are tasty. However, Step 4 does not differentiate brown sugar from white sugar.
Amanda says
You are right, thank you for pointing that out! I am fixing it now!
Amallia @DesireToEat says
mmm coconut chocolate chips cookies. Perfect combo. This is my favorite:-) yummy.
Kendra says
Running to the nearest oven.....!! 🙂
Denise says
These look amazing, can't wait to try. You're photography is beautiful!
Amanda says
Thank you so much! Please let me know how they turn out if you make them!