Why You’ll Love This Coconut Cashew Cookies
- A textural dream. You get the chewy, slightly sticky sweetness from the coconut, paired with the satisfying, buttery crunch of the roasted cashews. It’s a combination that’s honestly hard to beat.
- They’re wonderfully adaptable. Not a fan of cashews? Swap them for macadamias or almonds. Want a bit more depth? A sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top before baking takes them to a whole new level.
- The dough comes together in minutes. Seriously, it’s a one-bowl situation for the most part. No fancy equipment or complicated techniques are needed, which makes them perfect for a spontaneous baking session.
- They fill your home with the best smell. The combination of toasting coconut and baking butter is pure comfort. It’s the kind of aroma that makes everyone wander into the kitchen asking, “What’s baking?”
Ingredients & Tools
- 115 g unsalted butter, softened
- 100 g light brown sugar
- 75 g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 150 g all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 120 g sweetened shredded coconut
- 100 g roasted, salted cashews, roughly chopped
Tools: A large mixing bowl, a hand mixer or a sturdy whisk, a baking sheet, parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, and a cooling rack.
Using room temperature ingredients is key here—it helps everything emulsify into a smooth, cohesive dough. And don’t skip the roasted, salted cashews; that little bit of saltiness is the secret weapon that balances the sweetness perfectly.
Serves: Makes about 18 cookies | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 10-12 minutes | Total Time: About 30 minutes
Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes
- Why room temperature butter? It creams together with the sugar much more easily, trapping air and giving your cookies a better structure. If you forgot to take it out, you can quickly soften it by cutting it into cubes and letting it sit for 15 minutes.
- What’s the deal with the cashews? I really recommend using roasted and salted ones. They have more flavor and the salt helps cut through the richness. If you only have raw cashews, you can toast them in a dry pan for a few minutes until fragrant before chopping.
- Can I use desiccated coconut instead of shredded? You can, but the texture will be a bit different. Shredded coconut gives a more pronounced, chewy texture, while desiccated coconut is finer and will blend into the dough more.
- Don’t overmix the flour. Once you add the dry ingredients, mix just until the flour disappears. Overmixing develops gluten, which can lead to tougher cookies, and we want them tender.
How to Make Coconut Cashew Cookies
Step 1: First, preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F) and line your baking sheet with parchment paper. This little step prevents sticking and makes cleanup an absolute breeze. Now, in your large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Using a hand mixer (or some serious elbow grease with a whisk), beat them together for about 2-3 minutes until the mixture is pale, fluffy, and well-combined. You’ll notice the texture change—it becomes much lighter in color.
Step 2: Next, add the room temperature egg and the vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture. Beat again for another minute until everything is fully incorporated and the mixture looks smooth. The vanilla aroma will start to come through already, which is always a good sign. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure there are no hidden pockets of butter or sugar lurking at the bottom.
Step 3: It’s time for the dry ingredients. In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. This ensures the leavening agent is evenly distributed. Add this flour mixture to the wet ingredients in two parts, mixing on low speed after each addition until just combined. The trick is to stop mixing the second you no longer see streaks of flour. The dough will be quite thick at this point.
Step 4: Now for the stars of the show! Add the shredded coconut and the roughly chopped cashews to the bowl. Use a spatula or a wooden spoon to fold them in gently until they’re evenly distributed throughout the dough. You want every scoop to be packed with both coconut and nutty goodness.
Step 5: Using a tablespoon or a small cookie scoop, drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto your prepared baking sheet, leaving about 5 cm (2 inches) between each one. They will spread a bit as they bake. For an extra touch, you can press a few extra cashew pieces onto the top of each cookie ball—it makes them look bakery-worthy.
Step 6: Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are a beautiful golden brown and the centers still look slightly soft. The cookies will continue to set as they cool on the hot baking sheet. Honestly, a little under-baking is the secret to a chewy center. Let them cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. The waiting is the hardest part!
Serving Suggestions
Complementary Dishes
- A simple fruit platter with mango and pineapple — The tropical notes in the fruit echo the coconut in the cookies, creating a light and refreshing contrast to the rich, buttery treat.
- A sharp, tangy lemon sorbet — The bright, citrusy zing of the sorbet cuts through the sweetness and fat of the cookie in the most delightful way, cleansing the palate between bites.
Drinks
- A hot cup of chai tea — The warm spices like cardamom and cinnamon in chai are a fantastic companion to the toasty coconut and cashew flavors, making for a truly cozy experience.
- Iced coffee with a splash of oat milk — The bitterness of the coffee provides a wonderful balance to the cookie’s sweetness, and the creamy oat milk ties it all together beautifully.
Something Sweet
- A small bowl of vanilla bean ice cream — For the ultimate indulgence, sandwich a scoop of ice cream between two slightly warm cookies. The contrast of temperatures and textures is simply divine.
- Dark chocolate-dipped strawberries — This feels elegant and the deep, slightly bitter chocolate pairs wonderfully with the sweet, nutty cookie without being overly heavy.
Top Mistakes to Avoid
- Mistake: Using cold, hard butter. This is probably the number one reason cookie dough doesn’t cream properly. Cold butter won’t trap air, leading to dense, flat cookies. I’ve messed this up before too, rushing to get started.
- Mistake: Over-baking. It’s so tempting to leave them in until they look completely firm, but that’s how you end up with crunchy, dry cookies. Remember, they continue to cook on the hot tray out of the oven.
- Mistake: Not spacing the dough out enough. These cookies need room to spread. If you crowd the pan, they’ll bake into one giant cookie sheet—which, okay, isn’t the worst thing, but it’s not what we’re going for.
- Mistake: Skipping the salt in the dough. Even if you use salted cashews, the bit of fine sea salt in the dough is crucial. It enhances all the other flavors and prevents the cookies from tasting one-dimensionally sweet.
Expert Tips
- Tip: Chill the dough if you have time. If you can resist the urge to bake immediately, chilling the dough for 30 minutes in the fridge helps the flavors meld and prevents excessive spreading, giving you a thicker, chewier cookie.
- Tip: Weigh your ingredients. For baking, a kitchen scale is your best friend. It’s far more accurate than cup measurements and ensures consistent results every single time.
- Tip: Rotate your baking sheet. Ovens often have hot spots. About halfway through the baking time, rotate the sheet front-to-back to ensure all your cookies bake evenly to that perfect golden hue.
- Tip: Make them your own. Feel free to add a handful of white chocolate chips or a teaspoon of orange zest to the dough. A little personal twist can make a classic recipe feel brand new.
FAQs
Can I make these cookies gluten-free?
Absolutely! You can substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend. I’ve had great success with brands that include xanthan gum, which helps mimic the structure that gluten provides. The texture might be a tiny bit more crumbly, but they’ll still be delicious. Just be sure to mix until the ingredients are *just* combined to avoid a gritty texture.
How should I store these cookies, and how long will they keep?
Once completely cool, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay fresh and soft for about 4-5 days. If you want to keep them longer, you can freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months. Just thaw them at room temperature when you’re ready for a treat. You can also freeze the dough balls and bake them straight from the freezer, adding a minute or two to the baking time.
My cookies spread too much and became flat. What happened?
This is usually due to butter that was too warm or an oven that wasn’t hot enough. If your butter was melty or overly soft, the cookies will spread before they have a chance to set. Next time, make sure your butter is just softened (you can make a slight indent with your finger) and not greasy. Also, double-check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer—it’s a game-changer!
Can I use unsalted cashews?
You can, but you might want to increase the salt in the dough by a tiny pinch, maybe an extra 1/8 teaspoon. The salt from the roasted, salted cashews really does a lot of work in balancing the sweetness, so if you switch to unsalted, you’ll need to compensate a little to get that perfect sweet-and-salty profile.
Why is my dough crumbly and not coming together?
This often happens if you’ve measured the flour by scooping it directly from the bag with the measuring cup, which can pack in too much flour. The best method is to spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off. If your dough is already crumbly, you can try adding a teaspoon of milk at a time until it just comes together. A little goes a long way!
Coconut Cashew Cookies
Bake the perfect Coconut Cashew Cookies! Chewy, crisp, & surprisingly easy. This one-bowl recipe creates bakery-worthy treats with toasted coconut & buttery cashews. Get baking!
Ingredients
Ingredients
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115 g unsalted butter (softened)
-
100 g light brown sugar
-
75 g granulated sugar
-
1 large egg (at room temperature)
-
1 tsp vanilla extract
-
150 g all-purpose flour
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1/2 tsp baking soda
-
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
-
120 g sweetened shredded coconut
-
100 g roasted, salted cashews (roughly chopped)
Instructions
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First, preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F) and line your baking sheet with parchment paper. This little step prevents sticking and makes cleanup an absolute breeze. Now, in your large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Using a hand mixer (or some serious elbow grease with a whisk), beat them together for about 2-3 minutes until the mixture is pale, fluffy, and well-combined. You'll notice the texture change—it becomes much lighter in color.01
-
Next, add the room temperature egg and the vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture. Beat again for another minute until everything is fully incorporated and the mixture looks smooth. The vanilla aroma will start to come through already, which is always a good sign. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure there are no hidden pockets of butter or sugar lurking at the bottom.02
-
It's time for the dry ingredients. In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. This ensures the leavening agent is evenly distributed. Add this flour mixture to the wet ingredients in two parts, mixing on low speed after each addition until just combined. The trick is to stop mixing the second you no longer see streaks of flour. The dough will be quite thick at this point.03
-
Now for the stars of the show! Add the shredded coconut and the roughly chopped cashews to the bowl. Use a spatula or a wooden spoon to fold them in gently until they're evenly distributed throughout the dough. You want every scoop to be packed with both coconut and nutty goodness.04
-
Using a tablespoon or a small cookie scoop, drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto your prepared baking sheet, leaving about 5 cm (2 inches) between each one. They will spread a bit as they bake. For an extra touch, you can press a few extra cashew pieces onto the top of each cookie ball—it makes them look bakery-worthy.05
-
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are a beautiful golden brown and the centers still look slightly soft. The cookies will continue to set as they cool on the hot baking sheet. Honestly, a little under-baking is the secret to a chewy center. Let them cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. The waiting is the hardest part!06
