These Coconut Pecan Cookies are perfectly crispy and chewy at the same time. Packed with toasted coconut and crunchy pecans, they're the perfect, quick treat.
Reader Review:
Awesome cookie! Will definitely be making these again!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Darlene
I must admit, I used to think that a cookie without chocolate chips was not a cookie at all. That was until I made my Brown Butter Pecan Cookies, and everything changed. Since then, I've been on a cookie conquest to make all kinds of delicious cookie recipes, such as my Pumpkin Cheesecake cookies. The latest experiment was this coconut pecan cookie recipe, and it did not disappoint! I got the inspiration from the frosting that goes on my German Chocolate Cupcakes.
These delicious cookies are a texture and flavor masterpiece, being both crispy and chewy simultaneously, and delivering a bouquet of flavors in every bite - sweet, salty, nutty, and buttery. On top of all this, they are incredibly quick and easy to make, so they can be whipped up effortlessly on a cold winter morning.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love These Coconut Pecan Cookies
- These coconut cookies taste like a coconut macaroon but with extra crunch and flavor from the pecans - the perfect sweet treat for this time of year.
- Super quick and easy to make with basic ingredients.
- One batch makes 24 cookies, which is plenty to go around!
Ingredients for Coconut Pecan Cookies
- Butter - We will be adding salt to the cookie dough, so I recommend using unsalted butter. Make sure the butter is at room temperature before beginning.
- White Sugar - This cookie recipe uses two types of sugar, the first is granulated white sugar, which gives the cookies their crispy edges.
- Brown Sugar - You can use either light brown sugar or dark brown sugar for these cookies. I used light brown sugar, but for a stronger molasses taste, you can use dark brown.
- Eggs - Always use large eggs, and try to use free-range eggs if you can. Make sure the eggs are also at room temperature before beginning.
- Vanilla - The vanilla really rounds out the base flavor of the cookies. Use a high-quality vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
- Flour - It's best to use all-purpose flour for these cookies (plain flour in the UK)
- Coconut - I used shredded coconut (the stuff you find in coconut custard pie). But if you would like a chunkier cookie, you can use shredded coconut instead.
- Pecans - We'll be chopping the pecans up, so you don't need whole pecan halves for this recipe. To add a special touch, you can save a few whole pecans for the top of the cookies.
See recipe card for quantities.
Measuring Ingredients
I always recommend using a kitchen scale rather than a measuring cup to measure your ingredients, but my recipe card does provide quantities for both units of measurement.
Recommended Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Baking sheet
How To Make Coconut And Pecan Cookies
Mix Sugar and Butter
Start by preheating your oven to 350°F / 180°C
Cream butter, white sugar, and brown sugar together in a mixing bowl. You can use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, an electric mixer, or you can mix this by hand with a wooden spoon. You don't want to overbeat the butter and sugars, just enough so they are creamed together and slightly fluffy.
Add Eggs and Vanilla
Add the eggs and vanilla and beat them in until incorporated.
Dry Ingredients
In a separate, large bowl, combine flour with the other dry ingredients, including the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add the flour mixture to the batter and mix until a soft dough forms.
Add Coconut and Chopped Pecans
Add the coconut and chopped pecans and mix them in until evenly distributed. The pecans should be chopped roughly but not too finely, as we want nice big chunks of pecan in the cookies.
Bake
Scoop 1 tablespoon of dough (a small cookie scoop works well), roll into a ball, and dip the top in coconut. Place on a lined baking sheet, then press a pecan half or piece on top. Space evenly apart (about 6 per large sheet).
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the centers look slightly underdone. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack with a cookie lifter.
Variations
While the original recipe makes a really good cookie, there are so many ways you can add to it to make many more delicious combinations.
Chocolate - If you want to carry on the Christmas 'coconut macaroon' vibe, try dipping or drizzling your coconut pecan cookies in some dark chocolate.
Spices - For some extra warmth, try adding ½ teaspoon each of cinnamon and ginger to the cookie dough for an extra 'cold weather' kick.
Oats - These cookies are also really delicious as an oatmeal cookie. Just add 1 cup of oats at the same time as the coconut and pecans to make a more hearty cookie.
Storing Pecan Coconut Cookies
Store your coconut pecan cookies in an airtight container on top of some paper towels to soak up any moisture. They also keep very well in a traditional cookie jar, which lets just enough air in to stop them from going soggy. The cookies will be good in either container for up to a week.
Top tip
To get perfectly round cookies, use a circle cookie cutter to gently 'scoot' around the edges of the cookies when they have just come out of the oven to shape them into a perfect circle.
More Nutty Dessert Recipes:
If you are a nut lover, you may enjoy these nut-based desserts:
Recipe
Coconut Pecan Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter 227g
- ¾ cup Granulated Sugar 150g
- ¾ cup Light Brown Sugar 165g
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 ½ cups All-purpose Flour 180g
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Desiccated Coconut 80g (plus extra for decorating)
- 1 cup Pecans 125g (chopped)
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F / 180°C
- Cream together the butter and both sugars. Don't overbeat it, just enough so it is well combined and slightly fluffy.1 cup (227 g) Unsalted Butter, ¾ cup (150 g) Granulated Sugar, ¾ cup (165 g) Light Brown Sugar
- Add the eggs and vanilla and beat them in too.2 large (2) Eggs, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix them in until a dough forms.1 ½ cups (180 g) All-purpose Flour, ½ teaspoon (½ tsp) Baking Powder, ½ teaspoon (½ tsp) Baking Soda, ½ teaspoon (½ tsp) Salt
- Pour in the coconut and chopped pecans and mix them in until evenly distributed.1 cup (80 g) Desiccated Coconut, 1 cup (125 g) Pecans
- Take 1 tablespoon sized portions of dough and roll them quickly in your hands to form a ball. Roll the top of the ball in coconut and then press some pieces of pecan into the top. Place on the baking sheet, well spaced out as the cookies will spread.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the outside of the cookies look browned and crispy. The middle may still look slightly underbaked, that's okay as it will continue to bake on the cookie sheet.
- Let the cookies sit on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack.
D.D. Broyles
I just made these this evening. Actually, I made the batter last week and stuck it in the fridge. I love these cookies!! They're chewy!! I bet adding orange juice would make them awesome!!
Jules Grasekamp
I'm so glad you love the cookies! A touch of orange would definitely be delicious in them!
Thank you for trying my recipe 🙂
Jules
Sue
The flavor is great, but they spread out way too much and stuck to the baking sheet. Would not make again.
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Sue,
I'm sorry to hear your cookies spread too much. I actually just published a post yesterday about the most common reasons that cookies spread too much, and how to avoid it. I'll link it here in case you'd find it useful 🙂
https://bonnibakery.com/why-cookies-spread/
Thank you for trying my recipe 🙂
Jules
AW
YES!!
Deborah Davis
Hi,
I want to make these cookies but you did not express if people could use
sweetened coconut. If I do should I decrease my sugar?
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Deborah,
That is completely down to personal preference! I used unsweetened coconut, but the recipe would work just fine with sweetened coconut too. If you prefer a less sweet cookie then you could cut the white sugar a little, but I wouldn't take away any more than 1/4 cup as it may start to mess with the consistency of the cookies.
Hope this helps!
Jules
Tim “0”
Happy Summer, This Recipe is “SO-EASY-TO-FOLLOW”….My Wife “Nailed” It & Everyone Truly Enjoyed them, from Start-To-Finish!!! The Combo of PECAN & COCONUT is definitely a Love Match for the Ages!! If You want to Steal The Show @ “any” Party/Gathering….Please make this Very simple recipe!!! Thank you for sharing & I Highly recommend this 1 “For Real!!!
Jules
Thank you so much for your lovely comment Tim, I really appreciate it! It makes me so happy to hear of people trying and enjoying my recipes. I'm glad you all enjoyed the cookies! Thanks for taking the time to let me know 🙂
Jules
Treda Robinson
Is the desiccated coconut sweetened or unsweetened?
Brenda
These cookies are so wonderful. I did not have the desiccated coconut, so I had to use the regular Baker's Sweet coconut. I toasted the coconut and pecans a little and allowed them to cool before adding. I always double my vanilla. I did not add the pecan on top but there were plenty in the batter. My husband and church friends loved them.
I just read the Brown Butter Cookie recipe. That one will be next!
Thank you for these recipes.
Tony
I see you have listed Trans Fat: 0.3g, would that be from the butter?
Debbie
Couple pulses?Could you just use flaked coconut and put it in the food processor for a
Jules
HI Debbie,
Yes absolutely, this would work just as well 🙂
.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. These cookies look AMAZING. Can't wait to make them. Will substitute with toasted almonds. LOVE the way you include the ingredient amounts in the instructions so we don't have to keep scrolling up to see how much of each to add. Really like the way you categorize your other recipes. Tiramisu cake will be next after these yummy cookies!
Jules
Thank you so much for your kind words, I'm really happy to hear you like the recipe! I was always frustrated with having to scroll to find ingredients on recipes, so I'm glad someobody else appreciates this! 😀 Happy baking!
AW
YES!!
Elonda
Do you have a bakery where we could order some of your gorgeous delicious finished products? If not. Why not? I'm not sure how we could coordinate this, but would anyone volunteer to make me cookies? I live in Chicago area. I obviously would pay you. I am disabled. Can't bake anymore. I haven't had homemade chocolate chip cookies for years. And I would like to try those coconut pecan cookies too. But I would ask you to add some walnuts. I can dream can't I? Dreaming of homemade cookies.
Jules
HI Elonda,
Thank you for your lovely message. I actually used to run a bakery in Scotland for 10 years until I moved to Canada. I'm sorry I don't live nearer to Chicago, I'd have loved to bring you some cookies. I hope you find someone to bake you some!
All the best,
Jules
Kathy Tate-Bradish
Hi Elonda,
I live in the Chicago area. Email me and I would be delighted to bring you some homemade cookies in the next few weeks. I hope you check back here. Kathy kathytatebradish@gmail.com
Erh
Add walnuts with the pecans. I love that taste combo. Try it you'll like it. I ate a praline with both nuts in Texas. Delicious taste.
Jules
I love that idea! Will definitely try them with walnuts next time!
Willie Bristol
Want to make diabetic friendly
DoxieLover
Hi,
There's numerous ways to accomplish this but unsweetened organic shredded coconut and replace sugar with anything ranging from agave, stevia or coconut sugar and perhaps a little honey would be great! Then, substituting regular white flour with gluten free you can purchase online (better pricing IMHO) if you so desire.
Jules
Thank you for answering that! Couldn't have said it better myself 🙂
Chris Radwanski
The coconut incorporated into this makes it soft like a macaroon while still having a solid structure and a crunchy edge. For me, that is a winning combination. Anything with coconut really is a winner. Outstanding cookies!
Willie Bristol
Want to make diabetic friendly
Liz
You might try using the granular monkfruit sweetener. It is good for baking, and is a 1:1 substitute for sugar. There are brown sugar subs too. The only drawback is that granular monkfruit sweetener can be expensive. It's around $7 a bag. I am also diabetic, and the monkfruit sweetener is my favorite. No aftertaste, and sweetens like sugar. Hope that helps!
Darlene Skellion
Awesome cookie! Will definitely be making these again!
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Darlene,
So glad you like the cookies! Thank you for trying my recipe 🙂
Jules
Lillie m Barnes
Chris thoses Coconut Pecan look Soo Delicious do u do Orders
Anne garforth
Where are you situated please
Lillie Barnes
Augusta Ga 30919
Jules
Unfortunately I don't sell any baked goods, I just make recipes and publish them online for people to make at home - sorry!
Michele
Mine spread out all over the sheet losing all form. What do you think I did wrong? But still taste like Heaven