Healthy Coconut Cookies

 

 
Shortly after my parents arrived on their most recent road trip to visit my grandma and me, my mom and I sank down onto the sofa after they unpacked their car. My little dog hopped up too, and my mom laughed as she put her tiny front paws on my mom’s shoulder to nuzzle her face and greet her. (It’s something she rarely does — and only to people she truly loves!)

I first asked about the friends they stopped to see in Los Angeles on their way down, and she filled me in on their kindness and generosity. They served tea, insisted on inviting my parents’ golden retriever into their house, and even bought fancy Persian pastries just for my parents.

“Are you ready for your trip to New Orleans?” I inquired next as my dog laid down next to my mom.
 

 
“Yes, but…” she replied, a sheepish smile spreading from her lips to her eyes. “We booked another vacation on the drive down here — and leave three weeks after we get back from Louisiana.”

“Where to??” I cheered, already thrilled for them from the excitement glowing in my mom’s eyes.

“Kauai again!” she confessed, and I grinned as she continued. “We found great nonstop flights, so we’ll be gone for a week. We even booked the upside down house in Poipu!”

I laughed at the moniker for our favorite condo, the nickname I gave it as a five-year-old immediately after walking through the front door during our first ever trip to the island. With the way everything fell into place this time, from my parents’ flights and accommodations and even rescheduled appointments back home, it sounded like this trip was truly meant to be.
 

 
As much as I would’ve loved to go with them (I’m having withdrawals after our last Kauai vacation!), the quick turnaround and timing didn’t quite work with my schedule…

So I decided to get my tropical fix by baking batches of these healthy coconut cookies instead! Every bite tastes just like paradise: warm sunshine, sandy beaches, lazy palm trees, inviting ocean waves… And they’re really simple to make!
 

 

QUICK OVERVIEW – HEALTHY COCONUT COOKIES

Difficulty: Mainly easy, including for many beginner bakers.

Taste: Deliciously sweet and distinctly tropical with bright nutty notes from three key coconut ingredients.

Texture: Supremely soft and moist with chewy bits of coconut liberally sprinkled throughout.
 

 

COOKIES OR MACAROONS?

One quick thing to note before we begin… These are regular cookies with coconut mixed in — not coconut macaroons! The latter consist solely of shredded coconut, generously sweetened and held together with egg whites, shaped like hemispheres using a cookie scoop, and baked until golden and lightly toasted. If that’s what you’re looking for, I have a classic coconut macaroon recipe here!

In contrast, these treats start with a standard cookie dough (like you’d whip up to bake chocolate chip cookies!). They still include shredded coconut, just like macaroons, but they’re much closer in texture and appearance to regular ol’ cookies — just a tropical variation instead!
 

 

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE HEALTHY COCONUT COOKIES

With that out of the way… Let’s go over what you’ll need to make these healthy coconut cookies! Some ingredients are common baking staples, while the others are a bit more exotic. Don’t worry though — they’re still easy to find at just about every grocery store!

Flour. To make these coconut cookies healthier, you’ll use white whole wheat flour. Yes, I know… It sounds a bit odd, doesn’t it? Contrary to what some people assume, it’s not a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and regular whole wheat flour!

Here in the US, regular whole wheat flour is made from a heartier variety of red wheat. If you pick up a package of “whole wheat” flour, you’ll find a tan-colored flour inside with noticeable wheat-y flavor notes. On the other hand, white whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!). It has a much lighter appearance, taste, and texture — closer to the mild flavor and texture of all-purpose flour — but it still has the same health benefits as regular whole wheat flour, like more fiber and micronutrients.

Basically… White whole wheat flour is the best of both worlds! And its lighter taste and texture lets the supremely soft and chewy consistency of your coconut cookies truly shine.

Tip: If you’d like to make your healthy coconut cookies gluten-free, then check the Notes section of the recipe. I’ve included my top recommendations there!

Baking soda. Just a teensy bit! Baking soda reacts with the other ingredients to form itty bitty air bubbles, which lifts the cookie dough (so it’s not quite as dense!) and helps yield a beautifully tender texture.

Salt. Only a pinch! Salt balances out the sweetness in your cookie dough and yields a better, well-rounded flavor.
 

 
Coconut oil. This is the first coconut ingredient! Ironically enough… It’s also the least important — but only because it has the faintest coconut flavor! The other two coconut ingredients create the distinct tropical taste in these cookies. (More on those momentarily!)

Rather than flavor, coconut oil mainly adds a chewy texture. Whereas traditional coconut cookie recipes call for ¼ to ½ cup of coconut oil or butter (sometimes more!), you merely need 1 ½ tablespoons to make this one. That helps keep your healthy coconut cookies low calorie and low fat!

Tip: Unlike other oils, coconut oil is actually a solid at room temperature, and it melts into a thin liquid when heated. Unless a baking recipe explicitly states otherwise, measure it when solid!

Hint: If you don’t have coconut oil, regular unsalted butter works just as well too. (I often substitute it and haven’t noticed any major flavor difference!)

Vanilla extract. A common cookie dough ingredient! You’ll mix in a touch more vanilla extract than in many traditional recipes. I’ve found that adding a little extra really enhances the rich, buttery flavor that you’d expect to find in cookies. (I use this trick in many of my other recipes, including my favorite chocolate chip cookies!)
 

 
Coconut extract. The second coconut ingredient — and my favorite! I’m obsessed with the sweet taste of paradise that it adds to these coconut cookies. I played around with different amounts, and the cookies with the highest amount consistently received the top scores from my taste testers. (Plus a 10/10 from me!)

I even tried two batches solely with coconut extract, no other coconut ingredients, and… They disappeared just as quickly. I may have hidden the last few cookies so I wouldn’t have to share. (I wouldn’t blame you one bit if you did the same thing!)

Tip: You can often find coconut extract on the baking aisle, right next to the vanilla extract!
 

 
Milk. This actually replaces the eggs, so these healthy coconut cookies are egg-free! Just about any type will work, so feel free to grab whatever you already keep in your fridge. I generally use unsweetened almond milk the most. If you do the same, or use another non-dairy milk, then your coconut cookies will be dairy-free!

Sweetener. There are two options in this recipe: coconut sugar or light brown sugar. (Both work equally well!) Since you’re probably familiar with the latter, here’s the scoop about coconut sugar…

Coconut sugar is an unrefined sweetener that comes from coconuts. However, it doesn’t actually taste like coconuts! It has a rich caramel-like flavor (very similar to brown sugar!) and a pourable consistency (more like granulated sugar). It’s also darker in color, so your coconut cookies may end up looking more like the color of gingerbread if you pick this sweetener. That won’t affect their flavor or texture though — only their appearance!

Tip: You can often find coconut sugar right next to the granulated and brown sugars at the grocery store!
 

 
Coconut. Time for the final coconut component! I tested shredded unsweetened coconut and flaked unsweetened coconut (also called coconut flakes). Yup, there’s a difference — and you can see it in my photo above!

Picture a box grater, like you’d use to grate cheese for a pizza or quesadilla. If you used the regular standard-sized holes, that would result in coconut flakes (on the bottom of the plate). If you used the smaller holes to yield thinner and finer cheese, that would be shredded coconut (on the top of the plate).

So the difference is in their size — but shredded and flaked unsweetened coconut have the same flavor!

My taste testers and I preferred the versions with shredded coconut (the finer variety!). It was more evenly distributed throughout the cookie dough, which yielded a slightly better flavor and texture. However, if you can only find coconut flakes, they still work really well; those batches were very close runner-ups!
 

 

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST COCONUT COOKIES

Time to talk about how to make the best coconut cookies! As I promised earlier, this recipe is fairly simple and straightforward. I also have some tips to share with you!

Measure correctly. Use this method or a kitchen scale (← that’s the one I own!), especially for the flour. Too much flour will dry out the dough; prevent the cookies from spreading; and yield a cakey, bready, or crumbly texture. Yet if you measure it properly, your coconut cookies will turn out perfectly soft and chewy!

Toast the coconut. I thought this was a silly (or nutty? these are coconut cookies, after all!) idea and a waste of time, but I tested it anyway… And boy did I prove myself wrong — completely, totally, absolutely wrong!

Before starting the test, I predicted that adding coconut straight from the bag would yield a softer texture and stronger flavor. I expected that the toasted coconut would feel more crunchy and brittle with a less pronounced flavor. (I used to be a chemist before I became a baking blogger, so conducting these baking “experiments” brings me right back to my lab bench days!)
 

 
However… The opposite turned out to be true! The “plain” coconut from the bag turned out to be stiffer and required more effort to chew, and it tasted a bit grittier as well. It also yielded a much milder flavor that was harder to detect.

In contrast, the toasted coconut had a softer texture and a much stronger, slightly sweeter, beautifully well-rounded coconut flavor. (It made my kitchen smell better too!) With a unanimous vote, my taste testers and I proclaimed this the winner.

Thankfully, toasting the coconut is really quick and easy to do! Just place it on a baking sheet and pop it in the oven for a few minutes until it turns golden. Then let it cool, and stir it into your batch of cookie dough. Simple as pie — or, well, cookies!
 

 
Chill the dough. When you first stir everything together, the mixture should look really soft and sticky, even a touch wet. That’s a good thing! It means your cookies will turn out perfectly moist and chewy. Chilling helps stiffen the cookie dough and makes it easier to work with. A brief stint in the fridge is all it needs!
 

 
Drop + shape. Even after chilling, the cookie dough will still be too sticky to shape with your hands, so… Please don’t try. Use a spoon and spatula to transfer it to your baking sheet instead! (I use these mini spatulas. Aren’t they cute??)

Because someone always asks… Nope, I don’t use a cookie scoop or any special equipment to make my cookies look so nice and round. Just that same mini spatula — and some patience!

Slightly flatten the mounds as well, and do your best to smooth out their edges now. These cookies will spread some in the oven — but not excessively.
 

 
Bake. It’s time! These healthy coconut cookies bake relatively quickly, so don’t stray too far from the kitchen. They’re ready to come out of the oven when the centers still look and feel a little soft and underdone. (Don’t wait until they seem completely firm or else they’ll turn out cakey and dry!) The residual heat from the baking sheet will continue to cook those centers all the way through while you let them cool before transferring them to a wire rack.

Reshape (optional). This isn’t required! It’s simply my other trick for perfectly round cookies. The exact moment that you pull them from the oven, use a butter knife to gently nudge any lopsided bits back into place.

Act fast! The piping hot cookies are still malleable, and their edges can be smoothed out. However, they’ll cool and stiffen within minutes, and it’ll be impossible to reshape them once they do. (That won’t affect their flavor though — only their appearance!) So if you’d like magazine-worthy cookies, work very quickly!
 

 

FAQS ABOUT HEALTHY COCONUT COOKIES

Are these healthy coconut cookies low calorie, low fat, clean eating, dairy-free, vegan, or gluten-free?
Yes — to everything! As written, these coconut cookies are vegan, egg-free, dairy-free, clean eating, low fat, and low calorie (compared to more traditional recipes!). I also included how to make them gluten-free in the Notes section of the recipe!

Can I substitute a different flour?
Yup! Whole wheat pastry flour and all-purpose flour both work equally well. You can also try regular whole wheat flour or oat flour, but those often add a slightly wheat-y and oat-y flavor (respectively). Oat flour also tends to be more absorbent than wheat-based flours, so be really careful when measuring it if you decide to substitute it!

Can I use regular butter, or will that ruin the flavor?
You sure can! The flavor of coconut oil is very subtle, so you shouldn’t notice any major differences in the taste of your cookies if you use unsalted butter instead.
 

 
What if I don’t have coconut extract?
I highly recommend you buy some? (Only because it’s my favorite part of these cookies!) Coconut extract is inexpensive and typically located right next to the vanilla extract at the grocery store. If you can’t find it, then replace it with milk… But keep in mind that your cookies won’t taste nearly as coconutty without it!

What’s the best coconut to use to make these cookies?
Shredded unsweetened coconut! Flaked unsweetened coconut is my second choice. (See the “Coconut” header in the “Ingredients to Make Healthy Coconut Cookies” section above for more info!)

I forgot to toast it first. Will my cookies still turn out okay?
Yes, they’ll still be delicious! They’ll just have a slightly different taste and texture. (See the “Toast the coconut” header in the “How to Make the Best Coconut Cookies” section above for more info!)
 

 
My cookies were cakey, bready, or dry. They didn’t spread either. Why is that?
There are a few typical culprits! First, too much flour in your cookie dough. Make sure you’re measuring it properly! Second, baking the cookies for too long. That will make them cakey, bready, or dry as well. Third, not enough sweetener. The sweetener contributes to the liquid volume in this dough, so using less will change the cookies’ consistency and prevent them from spreading as well. So make sure you’re using the full amount!

See the “Measure correctly” and “Bake” headers in the “How to Make the Best Coconut Cookies” section above for more information about each of these!

My cookies look much darker than yours — but they’re still chewy and really coconutty! Why is that?
Some coconut sugar products are much darker in color, so they’ll yield cookies that look almost like gingerbread. They can also appear a bit spotty or “freckled” if the coconut sugar crystals are on the coarser side. So if you used coconut sugar, that would probably be why!

What’s the best way to store these healthy coconut cookies? And how long will they last?
Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container. They should keep for at least three days, if stored at room temperature, or at least five days (if not more!) if refrigerated. These coconut cookies freeze quite well too!
 

 
While I wait to hear all about my parents’ Kauai vacation… It’s time to eat another one or two of these! And when you make your own, would you mind leaving a comment and rating the recipe? (You can also snap a picture and share it with me on Facebook!) I’d love to hear what you think of these healthy coconut cookies!

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  The Ultimate Healthy Coconut Macaroons
♡  Healthy Coconut Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
♡  Healthy Pineapple Coconut Oatmeal Cookies
♡  Healthy Coconut Brownie Bark
♡  Healthy Pineapple Coconut Muffins
♡  Healthy Pineapple Coconut Scones
♡  …and the rest of Amy’s healthy cookie recipes!