Coconut pecan cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with shredded coconut and chopped pecans! Quick & easy, these cookies are ready in just 20 minutes.
Soft, chewy cookies with sweet bits of coconut and crunchy pecans! These coconut pecan cookies rival even the best chocolate chip cookie. They feature crisp, golden brown edges and soft centers, with the perfect amount of spread.
After eyeing the coconut pecan cookies from Harris Teeter, I knew I wanted to get in the kitchen and bake some!
Pecan coconut cookies vanish quickly at holiday parties and get-togethers, so be sure to stash one beforehand lest they all get devoured. Enjoy with a tall glass of milk!
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter - I always use unsalted butter so I can control the amount of salt in the cookies. Butter is what gives cookies their soft but chewy texture. If you're dairy-free, swap the butter with vegan butter sticks.
- Sugar & brown sugar - To sweeten the cookies and encourage the perfect amount of spread.
- Egg + yolk - Egg gives the cookies structure and the yolk enhances the rich and chewy texture! Trust me on this one, an extra yolk takes these cookies over the top.
- All-purpose flour - Be sure to spoon the flour into the measuring cups and then level it with a knife. This will give you the right amount of flour required for this recipe.
- Baking soda - Without a leavening agent, cookies would be too dense! Baking soda reacts with the acid in the brown sugar to create lift.
- Kosher salt - A small amount of salt accentuates sweetness.
- Shredded coconut - Some inside and more on top!
- Pecans - For that nutty crunch!
How to Make Coconut Pecan Cookies
Before you start, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a sheet pan (or two!) with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. I love my silicone baking mats! They're easy to use, easy to clean, and affordable.
Cream the butter & sugar.
In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the softened butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs.
Add the egg and the yolk to the butter mixture. Mix until incorporated. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
Add the dry ingredients.
Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt to the butter mixture. Beat on low at first, so the flour doesn't poof out of the bowl, then increase the speed to medium. Beat until a cookie dough forms.
Add coconut & pecans.
Add the shredded coconut & chopped pecans, then mix until combined.
Scoop the cookie dough.
Use a small cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared sheet pans, giving the cookies plenty of space to spread. Top each cookie with more coconut and pecans.
Bake coconut pecan cookies.
Bake the cookies until the edges are golden brown, but the middle still looks slightly underdone. If the cookie looks done when you pull it out of the oven, it's overbaked! Cookies continue to cook and set up as they cool.
Cookie Making Tips
- Let the cookies cool a minute before moving them! I know they look (and smell) amazing, BUT a hot cookie will fall apart.
- Top the cookie dough balls with shredded coconut and pecans. It doubles as a beautiful topping and more nutty flavor!
- Cookies are done when the edges look golden brown. The insides will look slightly underbaked. If the entire cookie is golden, the cookie is overbaked and will end up crispy.
- Top the cookies with shredded coconut and pecans before they go into the oven. Not only do they look enticing, but you get more coconut and pecans in every bite!
Storage Tips
- Let cookies cool to room temperature before storing. Store the cookies in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 4 days.
- Coconut and pecan cookies freeze well too! You can freeze them baked or unbaked.
- Baked: Let the cookies cool to room temperature, then carefully place them into a freezer-safe bag or container. If possible, label with the date and use within 3 months. Reheat in the microwave in 15-second increments until just warm.
- Unbaked: Scoop the cookie dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan or plate. Place the sheet pan into the freezer for 45 minutes. Transfer the frozen cookie dough balls to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 5 months. Bake as directed, adding a minute to the bake time if necessary.
FAQs
Yes! It's easy to make these cookies gluten-free. Just swap the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum. I recommend Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour in the blue bag.
Yes! Just swap the butter with dairy-free butter sticks, like Earth Balance's vegan buttery sticks. Follow the recipe as directed.
Yes, you can add whatever mix-ins you like, but dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, or cinnamon pair well with coconut and pecans!
More Cookie Recipes
- Flourless Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
- Flourless Oatmeal Cookies
- Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Coconut Pecan Cookies
Equipment
- Sheet pans
- Stand mixer with the paddle attachment or bowl with an electric hand mixer
- Measuring cups & spoons
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (4 ounces)
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour spooned & leveled
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut plus more for topping
- ½ cup chopped pecans plus more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy - about 3 minutes.
- Add the egg and the yolk and beat until combined.
- Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and kosher salt. Beat until incorporated. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
- Add the chopped pecans and the shredded coconut. Mix until just combined.
- Use a small cookie scoop to scoop 8 cookies onto the prepared sheet pan. Top each cookie with more pecans and coconut.
- Bake the cookies for 11 minutes, or until the edges are golden. The middles should look underdone, and will set up as they cool.
- Repeat with the remaining cookie dough. Enjoy!
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