Chewy Coconut Cookies

Tammy
Jan 27
7 min read

Updated: Aug 12

"Chewy Coconut Cookies that are soft, chewy and easy to make. Make the perfect sweet treat when you want something light. You can have fresh cookies on your table in 20 minutes or less!"

🥥🍪 Chewy Coconut Cookies That Taste Like a Tropical Vacation 🌴✨

Okay friends, let's talk about cookies. Not just any cookies… We're talking about chewy, dreamy, golden, coconut-packed delights that taste like they’ve been hand-delivered straight from a Hawaiian beach resort. 🏖️☀️

These Chewy Coconut Cookies are soft and chewy in the center, with delightfully crunchy toasted coconut and slightly toasted chopped macadamia nuts for that irresistible nutty, buttery crunch. It's the perfect blend of textures: soft, crunchy, sweet, and nutty all in one bite. Honestly? It’s almost impossible to eat just one. Trust me, I’ve tried. 😅

🌺 A Cookie Vacation in Every Bite

Close your eyes. Take a bite. 🌸

Now imagine you're lounging in a hammock under swaying palm trees, a soft ocean breeze brushing against your skin, and the sound of waves crashing gently in the background… That’s the exact feeling these cookies give. 🍹🌊 It’s pure tropical bliss in dessert form.

If you’ve ever been lucky enough to try those amazing coconut cookies in Hawaii—you know, the ones you swear you’ll bring home by the suitcase?—this recipe is the next best thing. Heck, it might even be better because you can bake them fresh whenever the craving hits (and believe me, it will).

🍪 Let’s Talk Texture (Because It’s Everything!)

One of the reasons these cookies are so addictive is their irresistible texture:

Chewy center? Check.
Golden, crispy edges? Check.
Crunchy toasted coconut in every bite? Double check.
Buttery macadamia nuts that melt in your mouth but still give a little crunch? YES please!

And let’s be real — coconut lovers are passionate. If you're one of us, these cookies will shoot straight to the top of your “must-bake” list. And if you're not a coconut fan yet… these might just convert you. 😉

🥥 What Makes These Cookies So Special?

It’s all about balance and a little island magic:

🌴 Toasted Coconut – Toasting the coconut before folding it into the dough brings out an unbelievably rich, nutty flavor that plain coconut just can’t compete with.

🌰 Chopped Macadamia Nuts – Lightly toasted, these buttery gems add just the right amount of crunch and flavor. Plus, they scream “tropical island.”

🍯 Brown Sugar & Vanilla – These give our cookies that warm, caramel-y sweetness that pairs beautifully with the coconut and macadamia.

🧈 Plenty of Butter – Because buttery cookies are happy cookies. Enough said.

📦 Storing & Gifting

These cookies stay fresh for several days in an airtight container (if they last that long!). They also make adorable edible gifts... or ador-edible gifts!... See what I did there...😂 just wrap a few in a cellophane bag with a cute ribbon and a tag that says “A Little Taste of Paradise.”

Trust me, your friends will thank you.

💬 Final Thoughts: Can You Eat Just One?

I think we both know the answer is a resounding NOPE. 😂 These cookies are dangerously good. They're everything a coconut cookie should be — soft, chewy, sweet, and oh-so-satisfying. The kind of cookie that makes you close your eyes and go “mmm...” after every bite.

Whether you're baking for a party, a rainy-day treat, or just channeling vacation vibes in your kitchen, these Chewy Coconut Cookies bring the sunshine straight to your soul.

So grab your mixing bowl, turn on some ukulele tunes, and let's bake a batch of island magic! 🥥🌈🍪

#HappyBaking 🌺

Chewy Coconut Cookies

Servings – 18 cookies

Prep Time – 10 Minutes

Cook Time - 12 Minutes

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 cups coconut flakes
1 cup of finely chopped macadamia nuts or sliced almonds, or your favorite nuts

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

In a small mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix and set aside.

In a separate medium sized bowl add the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Cream them together until smooth.

Add the egg, almond and vanilla extract. Beat until light and fluffy.

Add the flour mixture half at a time, until incorporated. Mix in the coconut and nuts.

Drop, 3 inches apart, onto un-greased or lined with parchment paper cookie sheet.

Add a little extra coconut on top of each cookie if desired, optional.

Bake until lightly toasted, about 8-12 minutes. Move to a wire rack and cool completely.

Notes:

🍍 Serving Ideas & Fun Variations

These cookies are perfect with a glass of milk, a cup of coconut tea, or even better — a chilled piña colada. 🍹✨ Hosting a luau-themed party? These cookies are a must. Want to make them even more indulgent? Drizzle them with dark chocolate or white chocolate after baking. YUM.

You can also try mixing in:

A handful of mini milk or white chocolate chips 🍫
A sprinkle of lime zest for a citrusy twist 🍋
Dried pineapple chunks for an extra island vibe 🍍
Chopped Macadamia Nuts – Lightly toasted, these buttery gems add just the right amount of crunch and flavor. Plus, they scream “tropical island." 🌰
Add a coconut glaze on top. Make the glaze by mixing 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar, with 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar with 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract.
You can also use a chocolate drizzle in a zig zag motion across each cookie, or dip half the cookie in chocolate and sprinkle more coconut flakes or sea salt flakes and let dry on wax paper lined cool cookie sheet.
The brown sugar adds moisture and creates a chewy cookie. If you increase the amount of brown sugar to ¾ cup and decrease the white sugar to ¼ cup you can make them even more moist and chewy.

💡CWT Tips for Cookie Perfection

Here’s how to take these tropical treasures to the next level:

✔️ Don’t skip toasting the coconut – It takes just a few minutes in the oven, but makes a huge difference in flavor.

✔️ Chop the macadamia nuts roughly – You want some bigger bits for crunch and smaller ones to distribute that flavor evenly.

✔️ Slight underbake = chewy heaven – Pull them from the oven when the edges are golden but the centers still look a tad soft. They’ll firm up as they cool.

✔️ Optional: Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt right before baking – If you're into that salty-sweet combo (who isn’t?), this gives them that gourmet touch.

You can use unsweetened coconut because the cookies already have a lot of sweetness, but either one will work. Unsweetened coconut with replacing the sugars with a sugar substitute will make a sugar free version.

You can replace the macadamia nuts with almonds or any chopped nut of your choice. Macadamia nuts are the best IMO.

You can add or subtract the amount of coconut to your preference without changing the other ingredients. I would not reccomend adding anymore than 2 cups of coconut.

Using toasted coconut is a great way to add extra flavor. To toast the coconut simply spread shredded coconut in a thin layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 325°F for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently until mostly golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool. You can also use a mixture of both toasted and un-toasted coconut by mixing the un-toasted coconut into the dough then add some toasted coconut on top.

Use room temperature butter and egg as they will incorporate better into the cookie dough. If you want a super flat lace style extra crispy cookie, melt the butter and bake the cookies immediately after mixing. 🙂

Freezing:

Like other drop cookies you can freeze the dough to be baked later. Scoop the dough onto the baking sheet and place the sheet in the freezer. Once the dough is solid transfer them to a Ziploc gallon bag. Freeze for 1-2 months. Bake according to the recipe adding a few extra minutes if baking from frozen state.

Storing:

Serve warm or at room temperature. Store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Cookies can be frozen for up to 2-3 months separate layers with parchment or wax paper.

Nutrition:

This website is the project of an unpaid hobby, fully maintained and supported by CWT. There are NO paid affiliations, professional photographers, nutritionists or paid product reviews associated. CWT is not a certified artist, dietician or nutritionist. Any nutritional information shared on this site is an estimate counted through measurements and package nutritional information used in each recipe at that given time. If calorie, macro counting and other nutritional values are important to you and your health, CWT recommends running the ingredients through your choice of nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can and will vary depending on national brands used per recipe. Anything created by using CWT's recipes, or tutorials is fully the readers responsibility. CWT is not responsible or will be held liable for the outcome of the readers completed project or recipe(s).

“Just made these and WOW — I feel like I’m on vacation in every bite! 🌴🥥🍪 The chewy texture, the toasty coconut, those buttery macadamia nuts… I’m in LOVE. Totally impossible to eat just one (don’t even ask how many I’ve had 😅). Tammy was right... This recipe is pure tropical magic! ✨” M.T. - Livermore, CA

CWT is not a certified dietician or nutritionist. Any nutritional information shared on this site is an estimate counted through measurements and package nutritional information used in each recipe. If calorie, macro counting and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through your choice of nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary depending on national brands used per recipe.