Crispy coconut cookies are the best, thin, crisp yet chewy cookies! This copycat recipe makes it easy to make toasted coconut cookie thins at home. Give them a little something extra special with a thin dark chocolate coated bottom or leave them as is, you decide!
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With decades of cookie making in my back pocket, I also happen to be an expert cookie monster! Thick and chewy cookies tend to be my preference, but in our entertaining this past year someone left a bag of toasted coconut “Thinsters” from Costco at our house. When I finally opened the bag and tried one, it was love at first bite and I knew I needed to figure out how to make them at home.
I initially tested this recipe with baking soda, which helped them to spread and get nice and thin, but it left an undesirable after taste. So I took out the leavening agent and bumped up the toasted coconut and thin coconut cookie heaven was found.
💗 why you will fall in love with these crisp coconut cookies
- Like my coconut cake, they are full of coconut flavor!
- Texture ~ the cookies are crisp, chewy and a tad crunchy. It’s a great thin cookie texture!
- Simple ingredients ~ only eight ingredients needed.
- No chill time ~ just mix, scoop and bake!
🛒 ingredients and substitutions
Please scroll to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and baking directions.
- Butter ~ I prefer unsalted butter so I can control the salt content in cookie recipes. If you only have salted butter, leave out the kosher salt. The butter should be room temperature, so pull it out an hour or two before baking.
- Sugar ~ granulated or white sugar is needed.
- Egg white ~ one large egg white helps to bind the cookie dough together.
- Kosher salt ~ helps to balance all the flavors. If you only have table salt use half the amount.
- Vanilla ~ pure vanilla extract adds a depth of flavor.
- Coconut extract ~ adds another layer of coconut flavor. If you don’t have coconut extract, it can be left out with no other changes.
- All-purpose flour ~ gives structure to the crispy coconut cookies.
- Coconut flakes ~ chopped and toasted; it adds to the chewy texture of these copycat cookies. I prefer sweetened coconut flakes, but shredded coconut can also be used. Unsweetened coconut can also be substituted and will result in a less sweet cookie.
💭 how do you toast coconut?
Toasting the coconut adds some depth and a more pronounced coconut flavor. To toast the coconut; place coconut on a baking sheet and bake in a 300°F oven for 5-8 minutes or until browned to your liking. Stir the coconut every couple of minutes to encourage even browning.
Coconut can also be toasted in a flat skillet on the stovetop. Use a medium-low temperature and stir frequently until browned as desired, about 3-5 minutes.
Be sure to keep an eye on the coconut because it can go from nicely toasted to burned very quickly! For this recipe you will measure the coconut prior to toasting it. The coconut can be toasted ahead of time and stored in an airtight container until needed.
🥣 how to make these crisp and chewy cookies
Preheat oven to 300°F place coconut on a baking sheet {I line mine with parchment or aluminum foil} and bake in a 300°F oven for 5-8 minutes or until browned to your liking. Stir the coconut every couple of minutes to encourage even browning. Coconut can also be toasted in a flat skillet on the stovetop. Use a medium-low temperature and stir frequently until browned as desired, about 3-5 minutes. Remove coconut from oven or skillet and set aside.
Adjust oven temperature to 350°F and line 2 baking sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or with a handheld mixer, beat the unsalted butter, kosher salt and granulated sugar. Start on low to combine ingredients, then increase to medium and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape up and down the bowl.
Then add 1 large egg white, vanilla and coconut extract and beat on medium until combined. Scrape up and down the bowl.
Now add the all-purpose flour and mix on low until just a few streaks of flour remain.
Use a spatula to fold in the toasted coconut until fully combined.
Use 2 teaspoons of dough per cookie {I use a size 100 scoop/about 12g per cookie} and place 8 - 12 cookies on each baking pan a couple inches apart.
Then lightly flatten each cookie with your clean hand or the flat bottom of a cup. Bake on pan at a time for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned.
Allow to cool on the baking pan for 2 minutes before moving to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
🍫 how to add a thin chocolate bottom to each cookie
If you'd like to coat the bottom of the cookies with chocolate; melt dark chocolate.
Then use a knife or spoon to spread a thin layer of chocolate on the bottom of each cooled cookie and place the cookie back on the parchment/silicone mat {chocolate side down}. Allow the chocolate to set up, then enjoy!
Remember to pin this recipe to Pinterest! Use the button on the recipe card or the share buttons on the side or bottom of this page.
💬 frequently asked questions
what kind of coconut do I need?
Both sweetened or unsweetened coconut will work for this recipe. I prefer coconut flakes over shredded coconut. I like to chop both flakes or shredded coconut before toasting it, so the pieces are small in the baked cookies.
A sweetened coconut will yield a sweeter cookie.
can I dip them in chocolate instead of spooning it on?
Yes, you can. I found dipping to be more messy and gave a thicker layer of chocolate than I was going for. I prefer the cookies with a thin layer of chocolate, like the Costco cookie thins I created this copycat recipe off of.
You do you and if you want a thicker layer of chocolate, go for it!
👩🏻🍳 tips for the best homemade cookie thins
Measure your ingredients accurately. I know I'm a broken record, but using a kitchen scale will ensure you have the right amounts of ingredients. Measuring cups are the normal for baking in America, but I urge you to give weighing your ingredients a try. Once you get used to it, you'll never go back! And it means less dishes to wash!!
Use a cookie scoop for uniform cookies {a size 100 scoop is my favorite for this recipe}.
Once you have scooped the cookie dough, use the flat bottom of a glass {or your clean hand} to lightly flatten the cookie dough ball. If you want thinner cookies, this is a must! You can also bang the baked cookies on the oven rack once or twice to help flatten them as you take them out of the oven.
Do not grease your cookie pans, which can make your cookies spread more. Use parchment paper or silicone baking mats instead.
Remember your oven is different than mine and the baking time may be slightly different. I use this oven thermometer to ensure my oven is at the temperature I think it is.
🫙 how to store
These coconut cookie thins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. The cookies may lose a little of their crispness after 2-3 days, but are still crispy on the edges and chewy in the middles.
They can also be frozen for up to three months in an airtight container or zip top bag.
Remember to snap a picture and tag me @twosugarbugs on Instagram if you make these Copycat Crispy Coconut Cookies. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!
🥥 more recipes with coconut
- Coconut Jam Thumbprint Cookies
- Almond Joy Cupcakes
- Coconut Pecan Cookies {no chill}
- Coconut Oatmeal Cookies
If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating. I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!
📖 recipe
Crispy Coconut Cookies
recipe created and tested by:
I highly recommend using weight (metric) measurements when available for more accuracy and the best results.
Please note
When using 2x or 3x ingredients, the grams in parenthesis DO NOT adjust, you will have to manually do that.
Ingredients
- 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes* toasted (120g)
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature (113g)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
- 1 large egg white
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon coconut extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (125g)
- 2 ounces dark chocolate (56g), if desired for coating the bottom of each cookie
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C) place coconut flakes*(1 cup/120g) on a baking sheet (I line mine with parchment or aluminum foil) and bake in a 300°F oven for 5-8 minutes or until browned to your liking. Stir the coconut every couple of minutes to encourage even browning. Coconut can also be toasted in a flat skillet on the stovetop. Use a medium-low temperature and stir frequently until browned as desired, about 3-5 minutes. Remove coconut from oven or skillet and set aside. Adjust oven temperature to 350°F (177°C) and line 2 baking sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or with a handheld mixer, beat the unsalted butter (½ cup/113g), kosher salt (¼ teaspoon) and granulated sugar (¾ cup/150g). Start on low to combine ingredients, then increase to medium (speed 6 on a KitchenAid) and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape up and down the bowl.
- Then add 1 large egg white, vanilla (½ teaspoon) and coconut extract (½ teaspoon) and beat on medium until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape up and down the bowl.
- Now add the all-purpose flour (1 cup/125g) and mix on low until just a few streaks of flour remain.
- Use a spatula to fold in the toasted coconut until fully combined.
- Use 2 teaspoons of dough per cookie (I use a size 100 scoop/about 12g per cookie) and place 8 - 12 cookies on each baking pan a couple inches apart. Then lightly flatten each cookie with your clean hand or the flat bottom of a cup.
- Bake on pan at a time for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Allow to cool on the baking pan for 2 minutes before moving to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Continue scooping and baking the cookie until all the dough is gone. Be sure to let your baking pans cool before adding the next batch of cookies. I pop the pan in my freezer for a couple minutes to cool them down, if needed.
- If you'd like to coat the bottom of the cookies with chocolate; melt dark chocolate** (2 ounces/56g) using the double boiler method or in a microwave, if you are comfortable melting chocolate that way.
- Use a knife or spoon to spread a thin layer of chocolate on the bottom of each cooled cookie and place the cookie back on the parchment/silicone mat (chocolate side down). Allow the chocolate to set up, then enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition information is based on third-party calculations, is an estimate only and may not be entirely accurate. Actual nutritional values will vary based on brands used and portion sizes.
Michelle says
Was craving coconut cookies over the holidays and made a small batch for my nieces, who loved them! We skipped the chocolate, but they've asked me to make them again soon!
Tasia says
Hi Michelle, I love this, thank you for sharing! I like them without the chocolate, but my husband and Big E love the dark chocolate dipped bottom.
Nadia Theodore says
I made these and just the dough itself was so good. they came out beautifully! I'm so glad I tried this recipe. so delicious 😋
Tasia says
Hi Nadia, I am so happy you love these coconut cookies! Thank you for making them and coming back to leave a review.