Super crunchy, buttery, coconut biscuits. An easy melt and mix recipe for old school coconut cookies. Simply measure, mix, roll, squish, and bake, that's it!
What's in this post
Ingredients
- Desiccated Coconut: dried finely shredded coconut, can be substituted with dried shredded or flaked coconut, but the biscuit texture will be different.
- Egg: medium size eggs, roughly 60grams each
- Butter: If you use unsalted butter add a small pinch of salt to the coconut biscuit mixture. You can use margarine if preferred.
- Baking Powder: If using self-raising flour omit
- Plain Flour: Plain baking flour, do not use 00 flour or bread flour. You can use self-raising flour and omit the baking powder.
- Raw Caster Sugar: Also known as golden caster sugar (superfine sugar). Normal white caster sugar can be used instead, but the raw caster sugar adds to the toastiness of the coconut.
Equipment List
The great thing about these cookies is that you don't need any elaborate equipment to make them. You should have everything already in your kitchen.
- Small saucepan or microwaveable container: to melt butter
- Mixing Bowl: medium size.
- Large Spoon: for mixing, either wooden or metal, your preference. I personally don't like wooden spoons due to hygiene reasons.
- Baking Tray/Cookie Sheet: for baking your coconut biscuits.
- Baking Paper: to line your baking tray/cookie sheet with. You could also use a re-useable Silpat silicone baking mat if you would prefer.
- Oven: yes, a captain obvious!
- Wide Spatula: to remove cookies from the tray once baked.
- Cooling Rack: to cool your biscuits on.
- Airtight Container: for storing cookies.
Easy Recipe Walk Through
Pre-heat oven 180°C/360°F and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Gather your ingredients and equipment from the above lists.
Melt butter in a small saucepan on the stove or a covered microwaveable container in the microwave. Once melted leave to cool slightly.
Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl.
Mix ingredients until completely combined.
I wasn't kidding when I said this recipe was an easy one!!
Roll coconut biscuit dough into roughly 2cm (¾ inch) round balls and place on a baking tray. Leaving room in between for the cookies to spread when baking.
Squish balls down with a fork or slightly damp fingers.
Place in oven and cook for 12 - 15 minutes until coconut biscuits are golden brown.
Once cooked remove from tray and cool on a rack.
The Super Crunchy Cookie
It is the ratio of sugar, butter, flour and coconut that make these coconut cookies super crunchy.
You may be tempted to reduce the amount of sugar or butter (or both) used in this recipe. My suggestion is to go for it, but make a batch as per the original recipe first. Once you know how the cookies are intended to taste and their texture, only then experiment with reducing the sugar or butter.
Why? Because reducing the sugar and butter in this recipe will change the recipe and your coconut biscuits will not turn out as I have intended them to. The texture and taste will both change.
As you can see from the above photo the biscuits end up being thin and crunchy. Plus super delicious. They have an amazing toasted coconut flavour to them once baked.
These coconut biscuits are perfect with a cup of tea. I am sure I said that about the pandan cake the other day too? Must be something about the time of day I am writing.
In any case you can't fault these crunchy, buttery, coconut packed cookies. I hope you love them as much as I do.
Sara xxx
Printable Recipe
Coconut Biscuits
Special Equipment
- Small saucepan or microwaveable container: to melt butter, your preference.
- Mixing Bowl: medium size.
- Large Spoon: for mixing, either wooden or metal, I personally don’t like wooden spoons due to hygiene reasons.
- Baking Tray/Cookie Sheet: for baking your coconut biscuits.
- Baking Paper: to line your baking tray/cookie sheet with. You could also use a re-useable Silpat silicone baking mat if you would prefer.
- Oven: yes, a captain obvious!
- Wide Spatula: to remove cookies from the tray once baked.
- Cooling Rack: to cool your biscuits on.
- Airtight Container: for storing cookies.
Ingredients
- 125 grams (½ cup) butter
- 150 grams (1 cup) plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 120 grams desiccated coconut
- 200 grams (1 cup) raw (golden) caster sugar
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C (360°F) and line a baking tray with baking paper/parchment paper.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan on the stove or in a microwaveable container in the microwave. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Place all ingredients in a medium size mixing bowl. Mix until completely combined.
- Roll coconut biscuit dough into roughly 2cm (¾ inch) round balls and place on a baking tray. Leaving room in between for the cookies to spread when baking.
- Squish balls down with a fork or slightly damp fingers.
- Place in oven and cook for 12 – 15 minutes until coconut biscuits are golden brown.
- Once cooked remove from tray and cool on a rack.
Oven Temperatures
All oven temperatures are fan forced.
Measurement Notes
All measurements are Australian metric standard. All measures are level, and cups are lightly packed unless specified. 1 teaspoon = 5ml / 1 tablespoon = 20mls / 1 cup = 250ml /4 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon.
Recipe Notes
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
The recipe's nutritional information is an approximation based on an online calculator. It is meant solely for reference purposes. If you're looking for precise details, be sure to double-check with your own research.
More Biscuit / Cookie Recipes
Coconut Macaroons - another old school coconut cookie recipe
Peanut Butter Shortbread - melt in your mouth buttery cookies
Violet Crumble Cookies - Aussie fave in cookie form
Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies - melt and mix yum!
Mags
I haven't make these as yet but they look beautiful coconut my favourite what I what to know xan I freeze these?
Sara McCleary
Hi Mags
I haven't tried freezing the biscuits, the dough or baked versions. Between you and I, I am the person that freezes everything.
If you don't want to bake the whole batch, or eat the whole batch at once. I would portion the dough into individual biscuit dough balls and freeze them.
Freezing baked biscuits..... not sure how that would go, but in theory if you took them out of the freezer and placed them in the oven at 180 degrees to defrost and warm right up again, then leave to cool on a rack, it could work.
If you try, let me know how you go.
Cheers, Sara
Rachel
Oh! So glad I made these. I'm not the best baker. Lol! Not sure if I made a mistake in weight of sugar, as we found them very sweet. But wow! Delicious ? and I did mine in airfryer on a square of baking paper. Had to flip them for last few mins, to ensure they cooked through. But I can't wait to make more. Also, kept raw batter in fridge over 2 days and cooked them in small batches, which worked fine. Thank you for such a tasty and easy recipe.
Sara McCleary
Hi Rachel
I love how you baked them in the air fryer. Brilliant!
Cheers, Sara
Victoria Troth
Really love this recipe, I've made them bigger (so texture is obviously different) but really nice both ways and also they keep really well. X
Sara McCleary
Hi Victoria
Were the bigger ones a little chewy in the centre? If they were, best of both worlds 😉 Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Cheers, Sara
Helen
This recipe is 'never fail'. It is so easy and straight forward. These biscuits are just fabulous and my family love them.
Sara McCleary
Hi Helen
Thanks for letting me know these have been a hit with you and your family. Brought a smile to my face.
Cheers Sara
Geraldine l
Hi, just found this recipe - I'm very confused. There are conflicting statements regarding fan forced/conventional oven temps; with both stated as correct. Could you please advise, thanks
Regards,
Sara McCleary
Hi Geraldine
Are you referring to the notes section of this recipe?
If yes, that has been corrected, sorry for any confusion. It was an old recipe template that has since been updated.
If the confusion is somewhere else in the recipe, would you please point it out to me for me to amend or clarify?
Cheers, Sara.
Emma
I loved this recipe. When I made the second time I used half plain flour and half almond flour and then used 60g of soft brown sugar and the rest caster sugar. Only because I didn't have all the ingredients but the adjusted recipe was a hit with the kids who liked a little bit of chewyness in the middle. The almond flour added something to the flavour for sure.
Sara McCleary
Hi Emma
I love hearing people's tweaks on my recipes. The almond flour would have been a great addition. I may steal your idea 😉
Cheers, Sara
Trisha Alsua
Hi! How long do these cookies stay crunchy for? 🙂
Sara McCleary
Hi Trisha
This isn't an easy question to answer. I know when I make them they stay crunchy until the last one is eaten. Saying that my family devours them pretty quickly.
I will say they will stay crunchy for at least a week. That will also depend on the container you are storing them in, some aren't as air-tight as others. Is it humid where you are right now? That is always a crunch deflator.
If you feel you won't be eating the biscuits within the week, you could always freeze half the dough and make another batch later.
Cheers, Sara
Sandra
I made them today, and they are perfect. I wonder if one could use less sugar. I like them sweet but I think that some people would find them too sweet.
Sara McCleary
Hi Sandra
Of course you could use less sugar. They will be a chewier biscuit, not as crisp, but it can be done.
Cheers, Sara
Dawn Robson
These were really delicious. Dipped them half in melted chocolate and they were extra yummy.
Only thing was that 2cm was way too small for the balls, made second batch much larger.
Thanks so much
Sara McCleary
Hi Dawn
Glad to see that they were a hit. Good idea on making the balls larger for bigger cookies, plus the chocolate! Yum 🙂
Cheers, Sara
Maya
I tried this biscuits twice. It was very yummy! Thank you ?
Sara McCleary
Hi Maya
Glad they were a hit and that you are enjoying the cookies. Always love hearing the positive 🙂
Cheers, Sara
Sarah
These biscuits are delicious and so easy to make. Great recipe!
Sara McCleary
Hi Sarah, So glad to hear that you enjoyed them 🙂
Indira
Awesome recipe ! …quick n easy ..
These are a hot favourite in the family. Thanx ?
Sara McCleary
Hi Indira
Big happy smile from me knowing they are a hit with you and your family. So glad you are enjoying this recipe.
Cheers, Sara
Zan
We made a batch today hoping uts going to turn out good as everyone saying. Just wondering ours didnt spread and turn so big as in the picture. They stayed the same as we made them. Is that ok
Nicky Johnson
Wow! These are fantastic and super easy... and nearly all gone! Thanks
Sara McCleary
Glad to hear that you enjoyed them Nicky!
Stephanie
I absolutely love this recipe it was amazing im only 12 but it was very easy to do my whole family enjoyed?
Sara McCleary
Hi Stephanie
So happy to hear that you liked the recipe and that your family also enjoyed your baking. I started baking at an early age too, it's fantastic to hear that you are too! These biscuits are a favourite of mine as well.
Cheers, Sara
Sue R
I made these with my 3 year old grandson. So very easy and tasty too.
Sara McCleary
Fantastic to hear Sue, so glad that they were a hit!
Ann
Just as you say, light and crunchy, very easy to make. Made 36 biscuits.
I used 1/3 coconut sugar,
1/3 dark brown sugar and
1/3 white castor sugar mix. As I didn’t have raw caster sugar.
Will definitely make these again.
Thanks for the tried and true recipe.
Sara McCleary
Hi Ann
I love the mix of sugars you used, glad they turned out and you were happy with them.
Cheers, Sara
Tania| My Kitchen Stories
These look really crunchy and delicious. I think they'd be so good with chocolate
Sara McCleary
Hi Tania! I totally agree with you. I'll be doing this next time I bake them 🙂
Sonia
Just made these with my neice ? Absolutely delicious ? ? Thank you xx
Sara McCleary
Hi Sonia
So happy they were a hit.
Cheers, sara
Julie
These were the easiest biscuits I have ever made and they were so delicious. Both crunchy and coconutty. I had been looking for something to make a change from the endless shortbread biscuits one sees everywhere (not that I don't love shortbread) and this recipe really hit the mark. I plan to make it again very soon but will try adding grated lime zest this time. Thank you for the recipe
Harve
I played around with your recipe a little bit. I added a handful of chocolate chips. OMG they were so good!!!
Sara McCleary
Hi Harve, now that is the kind of playing around with a recipe I like! Such a great idea, I will have to give it a try.
Ann
Do you think that these would work if I was to dip part of the cookie in dark chocolate?
Sara McCleary
Hi Ann, I think they would work really well being dipped in some chocolate. They are quite a crunchy biscuit and would hold up to the chocolate love.
Jay
These were perfect. I made them for an afternoon tea. I did make them smaller, more bite size, they worked out really well.
Sara McCleary
Hi Jay, I like how you made them bite size. That is a great idea. I will have to do that with my next batch.
Illy
I baked these on the weekend. As per your recipe, they were a big hit with the family. I know this, as there are none left today!!!
Sara McCleary
Hi Illy, funny enough that is how I know a recipe is a success or not too! Glad the family enjoyed them.
Karen
They look so golden and crunchy. I can imagine how wonderful they smelt when they were baking.
Sara McCleary
Hi Karen, they smelt so glorious baking, tasted a treat too 🙂
Marisa
So easy to make and absolutely delicious. Golden and crispy.
Sara McCleary
Hi Marisa
Very happy that you enjoyed them. You are right, they are very golden and crispy.
Cheers, Sara
Julie
These are the easiest biscuits I have ever made. And they are so delicious. Nice and crunchy. Not too sweet and a welcome change from the endless variations of shortbread one sees everywhere (not that I don't love shortbread but it's nice to have something different) I will definitely make these again and I plan to grate some orange or lime zeT in next time