These 4-ingredient coconut cookies are so easy to make. They're gluten-free thin, crispy salted coconut cookies that are always the first to disappear from the cookie tray!
Honestly the best cookie ever and so easy to make. Everyone loved them and asked when I could make more. I used regular bagged coconut and had no problems. Came out perfect.
Christine
This recipe is our family's favourite Crispy Salted Coconut Cookies!
These salted gluten-free coconut cookies are crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside, just like prize-winning cookies should be. They also take top honors because they have that tiny hint of salt that cookie-lovers crave.
Not only that, they're gluten-free, making them definite winners in my books.
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Looking for cookies to make for a bake sale or a holiday cookie exchange party? Look no further! This recipe for Crispy Salted Coconut Cookies may be the one you need.
- It's a quick and easy recipe, and these coconut cookies are always the first ones to disappear from the cookie tray.
- They're perfect for those on a gluten-free diet, too. With the number of people with a gluten intolerance increasing, these salted coconut cookies provide an option that everyone loves, whether they're avoiding gluten or not!
Whether you're baking for winter holidays or summer picnics, these salted coconut cookies will be snapped up! Dangerously addictive!
🛒 Ingredients
- butter
- coconut : unsweetened shredded coconut
- egg
- sugar
- flaky sea salt like Fleur de Sel for garnish
🥄 Instructions
Here's a quick overview of what you'll do. You'll find complete, detailed instructions and ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.
- Melt butter in a saucepan or in a microwave-safe bowl, then stir in the coconut until it is well coated.
- Beat the egg in a medium bowl until frothy, then beat in the sugar until the mixture is very light and fluffy, about 2 - 3 minutes.
- Add the coconut mixture to the bowl and stir until well combined.
- Use a cookie scoop or drop by teaspoonfuls onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 1 ½ inches apart. Press down gently to flatten slightly. Bake for 7-14 minutes (depending on their size) or until golden brown, watching carefully.
- As soon as you remove them from the oven, sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt, like Fleur de Sel. If you wait until the cookies have cooled, the salt won't stick to the cookies. The salt not only adds incredible flavour, it adds a hint of sparkle to the cookie tops, too.
👍🏼 Helpful Tips
Prevent the dough from falling apart. If you're using a cookie scoop, press the cookie dough very firmly into the scoop before releasing it to the baking sheet. If you're forming the cookies with a spoon, roll the dough in the palm of your hand and pinch the dough together.
It helps to rub your fingers with a little butter or coconut oil first to prevent sticking.
Flatten the cookies. Once you've scooped the cookie dough onto the baking sheet, use the base of a glass to flatten them. Flattening will help them to cook evenly and result in crisp cookies.
Storage instructions
To keep them crisp, store these coconut cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
❓ Readers' Questions
Yes! If you like, you can bake them well ahead of time, store them in an airtight container and freeze. They will stay fresh for up to 3 months. They thaw quickly, so you can take them out of the freezer just before serving time.
🔁 Possible Variations
- Dip the base of the cooled cookies in melted chocolate.
- Drizzle chocolate on top of the cookies once they have cooled.
- Make them tiny! Little coconut cookies about 1-inch in diameter look pretty when added to an assorted cookie platter.
🗒 More Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes
You'll find more choices in this collection of Gluten-Free Holiday Cookies and Bars. Try these reader-favourite recipes, too!
- Orange Cardamom Almond Flour Cookies
- No-Bake Chocolate Almond Snowballs
- Cranberry White Chocolate Macaroons
- Buttery Almond Flour Espresso Shortbread
- No-Bake Coconut Date Logs
When you make these salted coconut cookies, please leave a comment and a star rating below. I love hearing how my recipes turn out for you. Subscribe to my weekly newsletter and have recipes delivered straight to your inbox!
More gluten-free cookies and bars
This post has been updated with extra information to make it more helpful.
📖 Recipe
Crispy Salted Coconut Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 2 ½ cups coconut unsweetened shredded/dessicated
- 1 large egg
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 - 1 ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt like Fleur de Sel for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat or in a bowl in the microwave.
- Remove from the heat and add the coconut, stirring well by hand until the coconut is well coated with the butter.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the egg on medium speed until blended. Add the sugar to the bowl and beat on medium-high until the mixture is light-coloured and fluffy, 2- 3 minutes.
- Add the coconut mixture and stir until well combined.
- Use a cookie scoop, or drop the batter by small spoonfuls onto the parchment-covered baking sheets. Space the cookies about 1 ½ inches apart and press down evenly to flatten slightly.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes at 350°F. until golden, or up to 14 minutes for larger cookies. Watch carefully to prevent them burning on the bottom.
- Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the tops of each cookie with a pinch of flaky sea salt. Carefully slide the entire sheet of parchment with the cookies intact onto a wire cooling rack so that the heat from the baking sheet won't continue to brown the bottom of the cookies.
- As soon as they are cool, place in an air-tight container to maintain their crispness. These cookies freeze well.
Laura Nessman
Delicious! And good any time of year. The salt is a must!
Elaine
Yes--love these in the summer as well as for Christmas! Agreed, a sprinkle of salt puts these cookies over the top!
Lorilei
Love this recipe--I make it every Christmas and also for the Fourth of July for some reason, lol. Just so good and easy to whip up.
Elaine
Yes! They don't only have to be for Christmas. I make them all the time, too. Thanks for the 5 stars!
Robyn
Made these today. I toasted the coconut & browned the butter for a bit of nuttiness. They are so very good! I made them a bit larger & got 18 cookies. Will definitely make them again. Thanks!
Flavour & Savour
Love this idea of toasting the coconut first, and browned butter? Yum!! Thanks for letting me (and my readers) know!
Christine
Honestly the best cookie ever and so easy to make. Everyone loved them and asked when I could make more. I used regular bagged coconut and had no problems. Came out perfect.
Flavour & Savour
So glad you love these cookies, Christine! They always turn out for me, too, and get devoured! Thanks for letting me know!
Jenny Phillipoff
So good & So easy!!
I used unsweetened shredded coconut but I toasted it first! They were crispy & awesome!!!
Flavour & Savour
Fabulous idea! Thanks Jenny. Toasted coconut has SO much flavour. Thanks for sharing with my readers!
Meredith
Could you possibly substitute Truvia for the sugar?
Flavour & Savour
Hi Meredith,
Great question . . . but I'm not sure! I haven't tried using Truvia. I wonder how it would affect the texture and crispy nature of these cookies. If you do try it, I'd love to hear your results.
Anita Venegas
These are seriously delicious! I only had 1 issue. They take about double the time to get golden brown. I made a smaller version and I still had to bake them about 15 minutes and then some. I know ovens vary, but my oven is only 2
Years old and it usually browns quickly. I would still make again though.
Vanessa Sgroi
I just made these a couple of days ago and took them to work. They received rave reviews! Only got 2 dozen out of the dough though.
Mel
Hi, quick question about baking ahead and freezing - how long do you have to defrost them before serving? These sound delicious but my hubby is not a coconut fan, so figured I'd bake and save for friends and family visits! Thanks in advance!
Flavour & Savour
Hi Mel,
These thaw in just a few minutes. I've baked and frozen them successfully for several weeks. Happy baking!
reagan
super hard to get right
Flavour & Savour
That's too bad that you had trouble with this recipe. I'm not sure what went wrong, but it may be the type of coconut you're using. I have found that desiccated or shredded coconut absorbs more liquid than flaked coconut that is more commonly sold in the US.
Kim
Would coconut oil instead of butter work to make these dairy free?
Flavour & Savour
That is such a great question--I wish I had a definite answer! It should work, because both butter and coconut oil are solid at room temperature. If I wasn't heading out on a trip, I'd make a batch with coconut oil to find out and let you know! I think it would taste really good. If you do try it, let me know! Thanks for your question.
Frosia
This is exactly what I need: not too sweet and easy to make. Thank you!
Flavour & Savour
Thanks! I love the sweet and salty contrast in these. So glad you like them too. Thanks for letting me know!
Liz
Made this recipe last night! Came out so well. So yummy.
Melted some semi-sweet chocolate chips, filled an icing bag, and zig zagged across the cookies. Looked beautiful and tasted amazing!
Flavour & Savour
Hi Liz,
Thanks for letting me know! What a great idea to add chocolate! We can never have too much chocolate, right?
Beth
These are amazing! Thank you for the recipe.
Flavour & Savour
Hi Beth,
You're welcome! Thanks for commenting!