We’re kicking off the New Year with a must-bake recipe: white chocolate toasted coconut cookies. These cookies strike a perfect balance between nutty toasted coconut and sweet white chocolate. If you prefer, swap the white chocolate for dark or milk chips for a different variation.
Although I made these cookies last August, I saved the recipe for the first week of January because they feel like a fresh start. They have quickly become a favorite — crisp outside, gooey inside, and full of toasted coconut flavor.
Get toasty
Toasting the coconut transforms these cookies. The coconut itself is good, but toasting is what elevates the flavor — don’t skip this step.
There are a few easy ways to toast coconut, and you can even buy it pre-toasted in some stores.
Oven method: Spread coconut in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake at 350°F, stirring every two minutes until evenly golden. Watch it closely so it doesn’t burn.
Stovetop method: For smaller amounts, toast coconut in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring every minute until the flakes turn golden brown. Stay nearby and keep stirring until the color is even.
Want to amp up the coconut flavor even more?
If you love coconut, add 1 teaspoon of coconut extract or emulsion for a more pronounced flavor. It’s optional — these cookies are delicious without it — but it’s a good option for coconut fanatics.
Tips for success
A few notes to help these cookies turn out perfectly every time:
- Preheat the oven to 410°F on the traditional bake setting (not convection) — this high heat helps create a toasted exterior and a gooey center.
- No need to pre-mix dry ingredients — add them directly and mix until just combined.
- Use cold eggs and cold, cubed butter.
- Cream the butter and sugars thoroughly before adding eggs and vanilla.
- Press add-ins slightly below the surface of the dough so they don’t over-brown in the oven.
- Reserve a few chips or coconut flakes to press onto the tops of the cookies for a prettier finish; flavor remains the same either way.
- Make large, baseball-sized cookies for the ideal thick, tall shape. If they flatten completely, your baking soda may be old. Cookies also flatten a bit as they cool; if your first batch stays too tall, gently press the next batch before baking.
- If making smaller cookies, shorten the bake time and watch closely so they stay gooey inside and golden outside.
- No chilling required — these bake up great straight from the bowl.
I hope you enjoy these cookies. If you’re exploring new cookie recipes, I have many favorites to try — find the one that becomes your go-to!
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White Chocolate Toasted Coconut Cookies
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Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cubed and cold
- 1 cup brown sugar , packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 whole eggs, cold
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
- 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda , Tip: if your baking soda is older than three months, your cookies may not stay thick and tall.
- 2 cups white chocolate chips
- 1 cup toasted coconut
Instructions
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Prep two large aluminum cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
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Preheat oven to 410 degrees (yep, that’s right!)
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In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip up the butter for 1 minute until it’s light and fluffy, then add in the sugars to cream together with the butter for 3 minutes on high speed.
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Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then add in the eggs, and vanilla. Whip up to combine.
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Add in the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt and slowly mix together by hand or on the very lowest mixer speed until just combined (don’t overmix).
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Reserve 1/8 cup of the add-ins, then add in the white chocolate chips and coconut. Mix in on the lowest-speed until just combined.
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Split the dough into 8 balls (baseball-sized) and place 4 on each cookie sheet. Hand-press on the reserved add-ins.
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Bake for 9-10 minutes. They should be slightly golden, slightly mounded in the middle, thick/tall, and gooey in the center. Let them cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!