This page may contain affiliate links. Click to learn more. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
You’re going to fall in love with these beautifully soft and chewy vegan coconut cookies. They’re packed with shredded coconut and bold, nutty coconut flavour, with crisp edges and a satisfying chew. This easy recipe comes together quickly and is perfect for sharing or enjoying on your own.
They’re egg-free, dairy-free, and can easily be made gluten-free if needed.
Save This Recipe!
In a hurry? Drop your email below, and this recipe will be sent straight to your inbox for later. You'll also get fresh recipes every week! You can unsubscribe anytime.
Coconut cookies aren’t the most common cookie. Have you ever had one before? They don’t have the star power of classic vegan chocolate chip cookies or gooey vegan double chocolate cookies, but for me, they’re right up there on my list of favourites.
If you’ve never had one, you’re in for a treat. These fuss-free vegan coconut cookies smell amazing, have a tender, chewy texture, and are bursting with coconut flavour. You’ll wish you had discovered this recipe sooner!
If all this talk about these easy vegan cookies has you craving one (or two...or three!), then let me show you how to make them so you can satisfy that craving. They'll be ready in under 30 minutes!
All the Things You'll Need
A Few Important Ingredient Notes
(NOTE: Only ingredients with special notes are listed below. The full ingredient list can be found in the recipe card.)
Flour - You'll need all-purpose white flour. (And no, coconut flour will not work for this recipe!)
For vegan gluten-free coconut cookies: I tested with Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour in the BLUE bag (NOT their gf flour in the red bag!), and the results were just like the ones made with wheat flour. See the recipe notes for the details.
Unsalted Vegan Butter – Use vegan butter sticks, not the type that comes in containers / tubs, they're not suitable for these cookies.
Butter Tip for Best Results
Take your butter out of the fridge well before starting, it needs to be slightly softened before being added to the recipe. To test if it's ready, press it gently with your finger. If it leaves a shallow indent, it’s ready to use. If your finger sinks in too easily, the butter is too soft, so place it in the fridge until it firms up.
Unsweetened Shredded Coconut - Make sure you're using shredded coconut, not dessicated coconut or coconut flakes. Also, make sure that it's unsweetened. Sweetened coconut will make the cookies too sweet and change the texture.
Brown and Granulated Sugar - Both sugars contribute to sweetness and structure, but they each play different roles. Brown sugar adds flavour, moisture, softness, and chewiness, while granulated sugar helps the cookies spread and creates crisp edges. Don’t reduce either one or leave one out, since the balance is key.
Time to Whip Them Up
(Note: I’ve outlined the step-by-step here, but find the full recipe, ingredients, and directions in the recipe card at the end of this post.)
Mix the wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls, and combine them. Add the shredded coconut to the bowl.
Stir the coconut in, take care not to overmix.
Even Cookies Every Time
Using a cookie scoop, a medium scoop for this recipe, gives you evenly sized cookies that bake at the same rate. It also makes scooping faster, cleaner, and easier.
This is a no-chill cookie recipe, so immediately after the dough has been mixed, scoop it onto your cookie sheet.
Bake the cookies, then carefully remove them from the oven. Transfer them to a cooling rack after they've rested for a few minutes.
Why Using a Cool Pan Matters
Never place cookie dough on a hot cookie sheet. Doing this can cause uneven baking and overdone cookies. Rotate between pans or let your pan cool between batches. Baking one pan at a time takes a bit longer, but your cookies will have a better texture and spread.
A Few More Tips for Perfect Cookies
- Measure and have all your ingredients ready to go before starting. This will make the process run smoothly, quickly, and easily.
- Measure your ingredients correctly. Please read my article about how to measure flour correctly. I highly recommend using a scale and my weight measurements to make this recipe. (See the "Suggested Equipment" section in the recipe card for the scale I use and recommend.)
- Read this post from top to bottom before you start. I’ve shared all the tips I learned during testing so you can feel confident as you make them. Be sure to read through the full recipe and the recipe notes before you start.
- Follow the recipe exactly as it’s written for the very best results.
I like having these shredded coconut cookies with a big glass of plant milk, but feel free to pair them with whatever you like!
If milk and cookies aren’t your thing, have them with a creamy oat milk latte or for more ideas, browse my homemade vegan latte and hot chocolate recipes to find another option you'd like.
When You Make These Cookies...
Please let me know how this vegan coconut cookies recipe turned out for you! Leave a comment and rating below, and/or post a photo of your cookies on Instagram and tag me so I can see them. (I'm @delightfuladventures on Instagram).
Soft & Chewy Vegan Coconut Cookies
Suggested Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups (188g) all-purpose flour **please see important notes about the gluten-free option below**
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup / (113g) unsalted vegan butter (softened)
- ⅔ cup (134g) light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (67g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened dairy-free milk (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon coconut extract
- ¾ cup (60g) unsweetened shredded coconut
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Line cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper (if needed), set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until blended and creamy, about 2 minutes. Stop to scrape down the sides of your bowl when needed. Add dairy-free milk, vanilla extract, and coconut extract, blend again for 1 minute.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed with your electric mixer or with a wooden spoon until a soft dough has formed.
- Add shredded coconut and stir until it has combined evenly throughout the dough.
- Using a medium-sized cookie scoop (or a tablespoon), scoop the dough and place it on the cookie sheet. If you are using a tablespoon, roll each scoop into a ball. (Don't press the cookie dough balls down, they will flatten as they bake.)
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. They will flatten and firm up as they cool.
- After the 5 minutes have passed, carefully transfer them to a cooling rack.
Recipe Notes:
- Please read all of the information above, as well as the notes below, before making this recipe.
- This recipe makes 21 cookies if you use a medium-sized cookie scoop (medium scoops are usually 1.5 tablespoons).
- IF MAKING THE VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE VERSION: Use 1 ½ cups (222g) Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour (Amazon link) in the blue package, NOT the red package. Everything else in the recipe and process remains the same.
- If you will be making the vegan gluten-free version, it's important to know that different gluten-free flour blends use different ingredients and ratios, so results will vary if you substitute. I have never used any other brand of gluten-free flour to make this recipe, so please know that your results may not be the same as mine if you substitute with another blend. This recipe will NOT work with coconut flour or any other single gluten-free flour.
- Storing: Keep your cookies for up to seven days in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Freezing Baked Cookies: Freeze the cookies in single layers in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature.
- The nutrition info listed below is based on one cookie with the recipe made as written. The recipe made with Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour has a calorie count of 125 per cookie. Nutrition info is only to be used as a rough guide. Click here to learn how nutrition info is calculated on this website.
Did You Make This Recipe or Have a Question About It?