Description
These Crispy, Chewy Carolina Coconut Cookies deliver a perfect balance of texture and flavor with their soft buttery base, sweet brown and white sugars, and generous coconut flakes. Topped with toffee bits or coarse raw sugar, they offer a delightful caramelized crunch, making them an irresistible treat that’s easy to prepare and perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup very soft butter
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups coconut flakes (divided; sweetened or unsweetened)
Topping
- 1/2 cup toffee bits or raw, coarse sugar like Turbinado or Demerara
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350˚F (177˚C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper to ensure easy cleanup and prevent sticking.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the very soft butter, light brown sugar, white sugar, and egg. Stir vigorously with a sturdy spatula until the mixture becomes smooth and uniform.
- Add Flavorings and Leavening: Incorporate the vanilla extract and baking soda into the wet mixture, stirring well to combine all the flavors evenly.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the all-purpose flour and salt to the mixture, stirring just until no visible flour remains, being careful not to overmix as this can affect the cookie texture.
- Add Coconut Flakes: Stir in 1 ½ cups of the coconut flakes into the dough, reserving the remaining ½ cup in a separate bowl for coating the cookie dough balls.
- Shape and Coat: Scoop the cookie dough into 2-tablespoon portions. Roll each dough ball in the reserved coconut flakes to coat the sides and tops evenly. Place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
- Initial Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12-16 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown.
- Add Topping and Finish Baking: Remove the baking sheets from the oven, and quickly sprinkle 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons of toffee bits or ½ to 1 teaspoon of Turbinado/Demerara sugar onto each cookie. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 2-3 minutes until the topping is golden and slightly caramelized.
- Cool the Cookies: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 2-3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Storage: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for 3-4 days at room temperature, or freeze them for 1-2 months for longer preservation.
Notes
- Use either sweetened or unsweetened coconut flakes based on your desired sweetness level; both work well.
- Coating the cookie dough balls with reserved coconut flakes gives the cookies an extra crunchy texture and visual appeal.
- Adding the toffee bits or raw sugar towards the end of baking ensures a caramelized, crunchy topping without burning.
- Make sure butter is very soft to help with smooth mixing and dough consistency.
- Spacing cookies properly on the baking sheet prevents them from merging during baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 85mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
