Soft on the inside with a crisp, crunchy edge, these Coconut Pecan Cookies are so scrumptious! A double dose of goodness with amazing flavors and texture, this cookie will satisfy any sweet tooth. Shredded coconut and chopped pecans add a nice crunch to this sweet treat, made even more incredible with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee in hand.
Have you ever had coconut pecan cookies? Brown sugar and butter are the key ingredients to any good cookie, but add in coconut and chopped pecans and you’ve got a serious winner! Sweet and nutty with the perfect amount of crunch, these cookies make the perfect mid-afternoon snack, light dessert, or cookie platter addition.
ingredients for coconut pecan cookies
These coconut pecan cookies are a dream! Crisp on the outside with a single pecan on top, they’re not only delicious, but irresistibly cute!
The ingredient list is mainly pantry staples along with melted butter and eggs, so you might already have everything you need to make a fresh batch of these beauties.
The ingredients:
- flour. No special four required. Just regular old all-purpose flour.
- baking soda. This is the leavening and lightens the texture of the cookies.
- salt. It doesn’t take much salt but it sure does make a big difference to give the cookies great flavor.
- melted butter. Melted butter makes this recipe so easy. No need to cream the butter and sugar like so many cookie recipes.
- sugar. We are using dark brown sugar and regular white sugar.
- large eggs. Let the eggs come to room temperature for best results.
- vanilla extract. Vanilla is a bit expensive these days but it doesn’t take much and it makes them so much better.
- chopped, roasted pecans. We roasted the pecans for extra flavor.
- sweetened shredded coconut. This recipe works if you use the unsweetened coconut as well.
- raw pecan halves. These pecan halves are for the finishing touch on top of the cookies.
We are sure you will love these blueberry white chocolate cookies too. They have everything but the kitchen sink in them. 😉
how to make coconut pecan cookies
Coconut pecan cookies are simple to make! The process is similar to a traditional cookie recipe- whisk dry ingredients, mix the butter and sugars, then combine. Chopped pecans and shredded coconut finish off the dough, and it just needs a quick shape before baking in the oven.
Here are the steps in the process (be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page to see all the details in the full recipe):
- Mix the dry ingredients: Sift or whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Set it aside. Add the melted butter and both sugars to a mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.
- Combine: Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed for 2 minutes, until the cookie dough is well combined. Stop the motor and scrape the sides of the bowl after mixing for 1 minute. Stir in the chopped pecans and the shredded coconut.
- Shape: Use a small cookie dough/ice cream scoop to scoop out tablespoon-sized dough balls. With damp hands (not wet), shape the cookies into balls and place them on a prepared baking sheet. Make sure they are spaced about 2 inches apart. Press a pecan half into the top of each cookie.
- Bake the coconut pecan cookies: Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake at 350°F for 9-10 minutes. The cookies should brown at the edges. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
baker’s tips
- Preventing lumps in your coconut pecan cookies: If you do not sift the flour and baking soda together, we recommend at least sifting the baking soda (and discarding any of the baking soda lumps) to prevent those lumps from getting into the cookie dough. Baking soda is notorious for lumps and this small step will give you the best results!
- For larger coconut pecan cookies: For larger cookies, use a 2-tablespoon scoop and increase the bake time by 1-2 minutes.
- For the best flavor, we recommend toasting the pecans before mixing them into the cookie dough. The pecans on top of the cookies do not need to be toasted because they will get toasted when the cookies bake.
How to prevent burnt bottoms when you bake cookies:
If you always seem to burn the bottoms of your cookies, we have some more tips for you.
- Use a light-colored baking sheet. Darker baking sheets will absorb more heat and make it easier to burn the bottoms of the cookies.
- Don’t grease the cookie sheets. That may sound counter-intuitive, but greased cookie sheets will cause the cookies to spread more. That makes it easier for them to burn.
- Measure the sugar accurately. Too much sugar will definitely lead to burnt cookies. Use a kitchen scale or a standard measuring cup and level the top of the cup so it isn’t mounded.
- Position the oven rack correctly. Make sure the oven rack is in the center of the oven. If it is too close to the bottom of the oven, the cookies will cook too fast on the bottom.
- Use the right amount of cookie dough. The cooking time in the recipe is based on the amount of cookie dough used in each cookie. Smaller cookies will bake much faster.
- Adjust the baking time. Set your timer for 2 or 3 minutes before the cookies are supposed to be done. That way, if your oven tends to run hot or you scooped the cookies too small, you can catch them before they burn.
How to keep cookies from sticking to the baking sheet.
I mentioned above that you should avoid greasing the cookie sheets. Depending on what type of cookie sheet you have, that can make some of the cookies stick.
I highly recommend using parchment paper or silicone baking mats when you bake your cookies. Parchment paper and baking mats will guarantee that the cookies will not stick. An added bonus is that they act as a bit of an insulator to keep the bottoms from burning.
These coconut pecan cookies are rich, buttery, and delicate little bites! Their nutty flavor profile means they go perfectly with a hot cup of coffee– a nice pick-me-up snack or after-dinner treat to look forward to. 🙂
SOME OTHER RECIPES WE ARE SURE YOU WILL LOVE:
Soft Chocolate Sugar Cookies: Homemade chocolate sugar cookies that are soft on the inside and crisp at the edges. These drop cookies get rolled in a chocolate sugar mixture before baking. They are fast and easy to make.
Blondie Brownie These are easy, no-fuss blondie brownie squares. One bowl, no mess, no need to chill the dough and you don’t have to wait for the butter to soften.
Soft and Chewy Molasses Spice Cookies: These soft and chewy molasses spice cookies are crisp, crinkly and sugary on the outside while inside the soft, moist goodness seems to melt in your mouth.
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Coconut Pecan Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 cups 480 grams all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter melted
- 1 cup 200 grams dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup 100 grams granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped roasted pecans
- 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup raw pecan halves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Sift or whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together in a bowl and set aside. (See notes)
- Add the melted butter and both sugars to a mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until well blended, about 1 minute
- Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.
- Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed for 2 minutes, until well combined, stopping the motor and scraping the sides and bottom after 1 minute.
- Stir in the chopped pecans and the shredded coconut.
Shape and Bake:
- Using a small cookie/ice cream scoop, scoop up 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie and with damp hands, (not wet!) shape the cookies into balls and place on the prepared cookie sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Press a pecan half into the top of each cookie.
- Transfer to the oven and bake for 9-10 minutes until brown at the edges. Remove from the oven and let sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes; then transfer to a cooling rack.
Notes
- Baking soda is notorious for lumps and there is nothing pleasant about the lump of baking soda in a bite of cookie. Even if you do not sift the flour and baking soda together, set a small strainer over the flour mixture and measure the baking soda into the strainer to sift it. Discard the lumps.
- I used a small 1 tablespoon cookie/ice cream scoop. If you use a larger 2 tablespoon scoop, increase the bake time by 1-2 minutes.
- When you measure the flour do not just dip the measuring cup into the flour and scoop it out. If you do that then you will pack the flour down and get too much flour. Instead, either weigh the flour or lightly spoon it into the measuring cup.
- If you do get too much flour and the cookie dough looks dry, add 1 teaspoon of milk at a time to the dough until it comes together.
Video
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the cookie dough look dry?
If the cookie dough looks dry and crumbly, you may have inadvertently over-measured the flour. Scooping your measuring cup into the flour will ALWAYS give you too much flour. Either weigh it with a scale or lightly spoon it into the cup.
How to fix dry cookie dough.
If the dough looks dry and crumbly add a little milk. You should only mix in 1 teaspoon at a time until the dough comes together. That usually does the trick.
Can I use self-rising flour?
We don’t recommend using self-rising flour. This recipe calls for baking soda which helps give the cookies a chewy texture. Self-rising flour has baking powder instead of baking soda. However, it would probably work fine if that is all you have, but the cookies’ texture will be different.
Can I use coconut oil?
Yes, you can use coconut oil instead of butter. Just replace the butter with melted coconut oil, and the cookies come out great.
How long do these cookies keep?
These cookies will last for a week if you store them in an airtight container. They will last for 5 to 6 months if you freeze them.
Can I use walnuts?
Yes, you can use walnuts if you don’t have pecans.
angiesrecipes
Monday 30th of November 2020
You have just combined two of my favourites in these cookies. I need a few for my tea now :-))
Dahn Boquist
Tuesday 1st of December 2020
Yes, these are perfect with tea ;)