Coconut Cookies

Written by
Kristina Vanni
An internationally recognized culinary authority, Kristina Vanni is well-known for her recipe development, food photography, and experience as a TV show host.
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Kristina Vanni
Updated 06/08/21
Coconut Cookies

The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 18 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
48 Calories
2g Fat
7g Carbs
1g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 18
Amount per serving
Calories 48
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 2%
Saturated Fat 1g 6%
Cholesterol 12mg 4%
Sodium 51mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 7g 3%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 19mg 1%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 25mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

The next time you are looking for a light and crisp sweet treat, try this recipe for coconut cookies. They are made without any flour so they're a great treat for anyone who needs to eliminate wheat products from their diet.

The secret to these cookies begins in the first step. Instead of using one whole egg, the egg is separated and the whites are whisked with part of the sugar until soft peaks form. Then the yolk is blended separately with the remaining sugar. Eventually the egg white meringue is folded into the cookie batter to create a light as air dough resulting in a crisp and airy cookie.

Ingredients

  • 1 large egg, seperated

  • 1/3 cup sugar, divided

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 3/4 cup quick-cooking rolled oats

  • 1/2 cup sweetened, flaked coconut

  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Coconut Cookies ingredients

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  2. Preheat oven to 325 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. 

    baking sheets with parchment paper

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  3. Separate egg and place white and yolk in different bowls.

    egg white and egg yolk separated into bowls

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  4. In bowl of an electric mixer at high speed, beat egg white until foamy-white and doubled in volume. Beat in 3 tablespoons of the sugar, 1 at a time, until firm peaks form.

    egg whites in a bowl, hand mixer

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  5. Beat egg yolk well in a medium-size bowl; beat in remaining sugar until fluffy and light.

    egg yolks and sugar in a bowl

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  6. Stir in baking powder, salt, vanilla, rolled oats, coconut, and melted butter. 

    egg yolk with baking powder, salt, vanilla, rolled oats, coconut, and melted butter in a bowl

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  7. Fold in egg white meringue.

    egg whites added to the coconut cookie mixture in the bowl

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  8. Drop by small spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets, at least 1 inch apart. Cookies will spread.

    coconut cookies on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  9. Bake 15 minutes or until firm and lightly golden. Remove from cookie sheets; cool completely on wire racks. 

    Coconut Cookies on a cooling rack

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

What To Buy

Oats

For the oats, use quick-cooking rolled oats or old-fashioned rolled oats. Just be sure not to use a packet of instant oats. This product is pre-cooked and dried, therefore won’t work in this recipe.

Coconut

Simply pick up a bag of sweetened shredded coconut. Avoid desiccated coconut which is ground rather than shredded. Also, the long, wide pieces of flaked coconut are also not what you are looking for here. The moist, sweet texture and flavor of sweetened shredded coconut is best for this type of baking.

Vanilla

Whenever you are baking, be sure to use high-quality pure vanilla extract. Even though you use just a small amount, the quality of vanilla makes a huge difference in the final product. Of course, read the labels carefully to make sure you are purchasing pure vanilla extract, rather than imitation vanilla extract.