Coconut Sugar Cookies (vegan)

These Coconut Sugar Cookies are soft and chewy in the center and crisp on the edges to make the perfect cookie! All you need is 12 simple ingredients and a few minutes of hands-on time. 

If you’re a fan of our Ube Sugar Cookies and Strawberry Sugar Cookies, you’re going to love these Coconut Sugar Cookies! They’re just like your favorite soft and chewy Classic Sugar Cookies but infused with coconut flavor and fresh toasted coconut. It’s the perfect sugar cookie recipe for holiday parties, gifting neighbors, or enjoying straight from the oven with a cold glass of milk!  

Ingredients You’ll Need 

Wet Ingredients

• Dairy-free butter: When baking, it is best to use buttery sticks as opposed to butter spreads because they are more consistent with the texture and thickness of dairy butter and are typically higher in fat. This will ensure your cookies don’t overspread and remain light and puffy. We typically use Country Crock Plant Butter or Earth Balance Butter and highly recommend both brands.   
• Sugar: For the best soft, texture with depth of flavor, you’ll need both brown sugar and white sugar. We like to use Wholesome Organics because their products are certified vegan, but any brand of choice will work. Additionally, the brown sugar can be substituted with coconut sugar, if desired. 
• Non-dairy milk: We use non-dairy milk to form the flax egg as it adds creaminess and softness to the cookie dough. If you’re out of non-dairy milk, you can make our Homemade Almond Milk, or replace the milk with water as needed. 
• Flaxseed meal: Flax eggs are one of the easiest egg substitutes to use in vegan desserts and are our egg substitute of choice in most of our cookie recipes. If you only have whole flaxseeds on hand, pulse them in a coffee grinder or individual blender cup until ground into a fine meal. Or, opt for ground chia seeds.  

Dry Ingredients

• Sweetened Coconut Shreds: For the best, coconut flavor, we recommend using sweetened shredded coconut. We also recommend using desiccated coconut or finely shredded coconut as opposed to large coconut flakes. This type of coconut will blend better into the cookie dough and bake seamlessly into the sugar cookies. 
• Flour: We have only tested this chewy sugar cookie recipe using all-purpose flour. If you are gluten-free and would like to experiment, we’d recommend using Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour. We have used this flour with success in many of our gluten-free recipes and think it may work well here. If you give it a try and have success, please leave a comment at the bottom of this post! 
• Leavening agents: These vegan cookies are made with both baking powder and baking soda to help the cookies rise and encourage browning. 
• Cream of tartar: The acidity in the cream of tartar helps to activate the baking soda and encourage the cookies to rise and develop crispy edges.  

Equipment Needed

• Mixing bowls
• Electric hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment
• Spatula
• Plastic wrap or reusable wrap
• 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop 
• Baking sheet
• Cooling rack

How to Make Chewy Coconut Sugar Cookies

1. Soften the butter. First, remove the vegan butter from the refrigerator and allow it to soften at room temperature, for about 30 minutes. 
2. Toast the coconut. While the butter softens, begin to prepare the rest of the ingredients. In a skillet over medium heat, add the shredded coconut. Toast for 3-5 minutes, stirring often, until golden brown. Set aside to cool completely. 
3. Make the flax egg. In a small bowl, add the non-dairy milk along with the flaxseed meal and mix until combined. Set aside for about 10 minutes to thicken. 
4. Cream the butter and sugar. In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. 
5. Add remaining wet ingredients. Into the bowl with the creamed butter and sugar, add the flax egg and vanilla extract, and beat until uniform. 
6. Add in the dry ingredients. Next, add in the toasted coconut, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, and a bit of salt. Beat again to combine. Lastly, add in the flour and work into the dough using a spatula until uniform. 
7. Chill the cookie dough for 2 1/2 hours. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and set it in the refrigerator for 2 1/2 hours or overnight before baking. 
8. Scoop the dough into cookie dough balls. Once ready, remove the dough from the refrigerator, scoop the dough using a 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized cookie scooper, and roll it between your hands until a smooth ball forms. Transfer each cookie dough ball to a prepared baking sheet, spacing the dough about 2 inches apart. Continue the process until all of the dough is used. 
9. Bake for 15 minutes. Place the cookie sheets in the oven and bake cookies for 15 minutes, or until cracks begin to form on the cookies and the bottoms are golden brown. 
10. Cool, then serve. Allow the coconut sugar cookies to rest on the large baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer the sugar cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy while fresh!

Recipe FAQs

Storage Instructions

Leftover Coconut Sugar Cookies will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature or for up to 3 months in the freezer. Or, if you live in a warm, humid climate, store these cookies in the refrigerator to prevent spoilage. If refrigerated, coconut sugar cookies will keep for up to 1 week. 

More Homemade Cookie Recipes You May Enjoy:

Dessert

The Best Vegan Sugar Cookies

Cookies

The Best Ube Sugar Cookies (Vegan)

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Vegan Strawberry Sugar Cookies

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The Best Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you make this recipe. We love to see your photos! 

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