Coconut Pecan Cookies combine nutty, tropical, and sweet elements into an absolutely delicious cookie! These cookies hit all the right notes. The shredded coconut provides a tender chew, while pecans add a satisfying crunch and a subtle buttery flavor. The combination is balanced by a rich cookie base, creating a treat that feels indulgent but not overly sweet. Whether you're baking for a holiday spread, a casual get-together, or just because you need a little something sweet, these cookies are guaranteed to impress!
These cookies are great any time of the year but they are sure to make the perfect addition to your next holiday cookie box!
If you're looking for other delicious cookies similar to this one, I recommend you give my islander cookies or my chocolate chip pecan cookies a try!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
To put it simply, these cookies are delicious but to give a little more context, here are some of the reasons you'll love these cookies!
- The Flavor Combination: The tropical sweetness of coconut pairs beautifully with the buttery, nutty flavor of toasted pecans, creating a cookie that's both comforting and exciting.
- Chewy yet Crunchy: These cookies have it all. Chewy coconut for softness and pecans for that satisfying crunch. It's a texture lover's dream!
- Easy: This recipe is straightforward, making it ideal for both beginners or advanced bakers. With just a few simple steps and no chill time required, anyone can bake a batch of these cookies!
Ingredients
- Butter: I used unsalted butter in this recipe. Salted butter works fine as well. You will want to be sure to take your butter out of the refrigerator to let it come to room temperature before making the cookie dough.
- Sugars: You will need both granulated sugar and brown sugar for these cookies. I used light brown sugar but dark brown sugar works just fine as well.
- Egg: You only need one egg for this recipe. Allow it to come to room temperature so it combines with the other ingredients more easily. Egg is used as a binder for the cookie dough and also contributes to a rich flavor.
- Vanilla: I used pure vanilla extract for these cookies. You can also use imitation vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. This give the cookies a little extra flavor!
- Flour: I used unbleached all-purpose flour for these cookies. You may also use bleached flour if you prefer. Be sure to spoon and level your flour when measuring!
- Leaveners: These cookies call for both baking soda and baking powder. I find that using both gives the cookies a nice, crip edge while keeping them soft and chewy in the center. The powder helps keep them from flattening out too much as well!
- Coconut: The coconut is one of the stars of the show! Use shredded coconut which you can find in the baking aisle at your local grocery store.
- Pecans: You will want to use chopped pecans in this recipe. These are the other star of the show in this recipe and add a nice crunch to your cookies!
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Coconut Pecan Cookies
- Step 1: Preheat oven to 350℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Step 2: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth.
- Step 3: Add the egg and vanilla, continuing to mix until combined.
- Step 4: In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients into the stand mixer and mix on low until just combined.
- Step 5: Fold in the shredded coconut and chopped pecans.
- Step 6: Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll it into a ball before placing on the parchment paper lined baking sheet. If you want to make your cookies more aesthetic, roll the top of the cookie dough in extra coconut and place a few chopped pecans on top. Bake in the oven for 9-11 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool slightly before transferring to a cooling rack.
Equipment
Here's the equipment I recommend to make these delicious cookies:
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Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze these cookies for up to 6 months. When you're ready to eat the cookies, allow them to come to room temperature or you can warm them up in the microwave in 10 second increments until they are nice and soft again.
Tips for Making the Perfect Cookies
These cookies are simple to make but here's a few tips and tricks to make sure that they turn out perfectly!
- Measuring Flour: Be sure to spoon and level your flour. Never pack flour into a measuring cup otherwise you will get a dense, dry cookie.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Room temperature ingredients mix together more easily resulting in the best possible texture since the ingredients will be evenly distributed.
- Creaming Butter and Sugar: Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This incorporates air into the mixture and creates a soft texture in your cookie.
- Don't Overmix: Once you add the flour, you want to mix until just combined. If you overmix at this point, you will begin developing gluten which results in a tough cookie.
Frequently Asked Questions
The short answer is yes. However, using melted butter will result in a heavier cookie. Softened butter is able to hold the air that is mixed in when you cream the butter and sugar together. Melting the butter will give you a heavier, denser cookie and will be flattened out more than the one with softened butter.
Yes! Use the chopped nut of your choice and swap them 1:1 in the cookies.
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📖 Recipe
Coconut Pecan Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup shredded coconut plus extra for topping
- ½ cup chopped pecans plus extra for toppin
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth.½ cup butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar
- Add the egg and vanilla, continuing to mix until combined.1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients into the stand mixer and mix on low until just combined.2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Fold in the shredded coconut and chopped pecans.½ cup shredded coconut, ½ cup chopped pecans
- Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll it into a ball before placing on the parchment paper lined baking sheet. If you want to make the cookies aesthetic, roll the top of the cookie dough in shredded coconut to cover the top then place a few chopped pecans on top. Bake in the oven for 9-11 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool slightly before transferring to a cooling rack.
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