Why You’ll Love This Dark Chocolate Coconut Cookies

• An incredible texture experience. You get the crisp shell, the chewy interior, the melty pockets of chocolate, and the slight chew of the coconut all in one bite. It’s a party in your mouth, and everyone’s invited.
• Deep, complex flavor without being overly sweet. The bitterness of the dark chocolate balances the natural sweetness of the coconut and the dough perfectly. It’s a cookie for grown-ups, but kids will absolutely devour them too.
• Surprisingly simple to make. You don’t need any fancy equipment or hard-to-find ingredients. It’s a straightforward dough that comes together in one bowl, meaning less cleanup and more time enjoying warm cookies.
• They fill your home with the most amazing aroma. The smell of toasting coconut and melting chocolate is pure comfort. It’s the kind of scent that makes everyone in the house gravitate towards the kitchen.

Ingredients & Tools

• 115 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 100 g light brown sugar, packed
• 50 g granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 150 g all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 80 g unsweetened shredded coconut
• 170 g high-quality dark chocolate, chopped into chunks

Tools: A large mixing bowl, a hand mixer or stand mixer, a spatula, a baking sheet, and parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Getting the ingredients right is key here. Using a good dark chocolate that you chop yourself makes a world of difference—you get those lovely, irregular melty pockets. And unsweetened coconut is the way to go; it toasts up beautifully and lets you control the sweetness.

Serves: 12 cookies | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 10-12 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes (plus optional chilling)

Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes

• Room temperature ingredients are non-negotiable. Your butter and egg need to be truly at room temp. This ensures the butter creams properly with the sugar, creating a light and airy base for the cookie. Cold butter or a cold egg will make your dough greasy and dense.
• Chop your own chocolate. I know, it’s an extra step, but trust me. Pre-made chocolate chips are designed to hold their shape. Chopping a bar of chocolate gives you a mix of fine shavings that melt into the dough and larger chunks that create those gooey pockets.
• Don’t skip the salt. That quarter teaspoon of fine sea salt is what makes the chocolate taste even more chocolatey and balances all the sweetness. It’s the secret weapon that elevates these from good to unforgettable.
• Consider toasting your coconut. While you can use it straight from the bag, toasting the shredded coconut in a dry pan for a few minutes until golden brown will deepen its flavor immensely and add another layer of texture.

How to Make Dark Chocolate Coconut Cookies

Serving Suggestions

Complementary Dishes

• A simple bowl of vanilla bean ice cream — The warm cookie paired with cold, creamy ice cream is a classic for a reason. The vanilla provides a simple, elegant backdrop for the dark chocolate and coconut.
• A cup of fresh berries like raspberries or strawberries — The bright, tart acidity of the berries cuts through the richness of the cookie beautifully, making the whole experience feel a little lighter.
• A sharp, aged cheddar cheese — Don’t knock it ‘til you try it! The salty, tangy flavor of a good cheddar creates an incredible contrast with the sweet, deep notes of the cookie.

Drinks

• A glass of cold whole milk — The ultimate cookie companion. The creaminess of the milk is the perfect foil for the intense dark chocolate.
• A bold cup of coffee — A dark roast or espresso highlights the bitterness of the chocolate and makes for a sophisticated afternoon treat.
• A glass of red wine like a Cabernet Sauvignon — If you’re serving these after dinner, the tannins in the wine interact wonderfully with the dark cocoa, creating a truly grown-up dessert pairing.

Something Sweet

• A dollop of coconut whipped cream — Double down on the coconut flavor with a light, fluffy whipped cream on the side. It’s decadent but not overly heavy.
• A drizzle of salted caramel sauce — Adding a touch of salted caramel takes these cookies to a whole new level of indulgence. The salt and caramel enhance every other flavor in the cookie.
• A small square of dark chocolate — For the true chocoholic, enjoying an extra piece of high-cacao chocolate alongside the cookie is a pure, unadulterated pleasure.

Top Mistakes to Avoid

• Mistake: Using cold butter. This is the number one reason cookies turn out flat and greasy. Cold butter can’t trap air during the creaming process, which is what gives the cookie structure. Your butter should be soft enough that you can easily press a finger into it.
• Mistake: Overmixing the dough after adding the flour. Once the flour is in, mix only until it’s combined. Overmixing develops gluten, which is great for bread but terrible for tender cookies. I’ve messed this up before too, and you end up with cookies that are tough instead of tender.
• Mistake: Overbaking. It’s so tempting to leave them in until they look completely set. But the secret to a chewy cookie is taking them out when the centers still look a bit wet and soft. They will set up as they cool on the baking sheet.
• Mistake: Skipping the tap. That firm tap of the baking sheet on the counter right after baking isn’t just for drama. It creates those desirable cracks and gives the cookie a more interesting texture. It’s a tiny step with a big payoff.

Expert Tips

• Tip: Weigh your ingredients. For truly consistent results every single time, use a kitchen scale. Cup measurements can vary wildly, but grams are precise. This is the single best thing you can do to improve your baking.
• Tip: Make a double batch and freeze some. Portion the dough balls and freeze them on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer bag. Then you can bake off just one or two cookies whenever a craving strikes—just add a minute or two to the baking time.
• Tip: Add a sprinkle of flaky salt on top. Just before baking, sprinkle a tiny bit of flaky sea salt (like Maldon) on top of each dough ball. It creates little bursts of salty flavor that make the chocolate taste even richer.
• Tip: Experiment with different chocolates. Try a dark chocolate with orange zest, or one with chili flakes for a subtle kick. Since you’re chopping the bar yourself, the flavor possibilities are endless.

FAQs

Can I use sweetened shredded coconut instead?
You absolutely can, but you’ll want to adjust the sugar in the recipe slightly. Since sweetened coconut contains added sugar, I’d recommend reducing the granulated sugar in the dough by about 15-20 grams. The cookies will still be delicious, but using unsweetened gives you more control over the final sweetness and allows the toasty coconut flavor to come through more clearly.

My cookies spread too much! What happened?
This is almost always due to butter that was too warm or an oven that wasn’t hot enough. Make sure your butter is softened but not melted or greasy. Also, ensure your oven is fully preheated—an oven thermometer is a cheap and invaluable tool for checking accuracy. Chilling the dough, as suggested, is your best defense against overspreading.

Can I make these cookies gluten-free?
Yes, they adapt very well! Use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that contains a binder like xanthan gum. I’ve had great results with Bob’s Red Mill and King Arthur blends. The texture might be slightly more delicate, but they’ll be just as delicious. Be sure to check that your baking soda and chocolate are certified gluten-free if needed.

How should I store these cookies to keep them soft?
Once completely cool, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. To keep them extra soft, you can add a piece of bread to the container—the cookies will draw moisture from the bread, staying chewy for days (the bread will get hard, but that’s a sacrifice worth making!). They are best within 3-4 days.

Can I add nuts to this recipe?
Of course! Toasted pecans or walnuts would be a fantastic addition. I’d recommend adding about 50-70 grams of chopped, toasted nuts along with the coconut and chocolate. Just be mindful not to overcrowd the dough—you want a good balance of cookie to mix-ins. Toasting the nuts first is key for maximizing their flavor.