Coconut Cookies are everything you love about homemade chocolate chip cookies, but they are even better because they have coconut in them! This recipe has pudding and that creates thick, chewy, and soft cookies! Toasting the coconut adds a crispy texture too!
Of course, there is nothing wrong with regular chocolate cookies! They are on repeat at our house and everyone seems to be completely fine with that! I have about a billion recipes for making them and I love them all for different reasons. Some are crispy around the edges and chewy in the center, some are thick and soft, others are thin, flat, and extra crispy.
Sometimes I like to switch up the routine and try something just a little bit different. I’m a HUGE coconut fan so it seemed like a natural fit to make a version of pudding cookies using coconut pudding and adding shredded coconut to the mix! If you’ve never tried adding instant pudding to cookies before you need to try this recipe because it creates the best texture! Be sure to check out my Coconut Banana Bread, Coconut Cheesecake, No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies, and Coconut Lime Monkey Bread to see the other delicious ways we enjoy coconut around here!
Ingredients in Coconut Cookies
You’ll need simple pantry staple ingredients, plus butter and eggs just like you do for most cookie recipes. There are a few important things to be aware of so let’s take a quick peek.
- Butter – Use real butter. It needs to be room temperature. How do you get butter to room temperature? Let sit out for about 30 minutes. To speed the process, cut the butter in small chunks. Or, defrost in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Continue defrosting in 5-second intervals until room temperature.
- Sugar – You’ll need both granulated and brown sugar. Dark or light brown sugar will work, but dark brown sugar will make darker colored cookies.
- Eggs – Whole eggs
- Pudding – Use instant pudding. Just the dry mix. If you don’t have coconut you can use vanilla.
- Coconut Extract – It’s found in the baking aisle near the spices and vanilla extract. If you don’t have it you can use vanilla extract.
- Flour – I used all-purpose flour. I’ve never tried using gluten-free flour, coconut flour, or oat flour before so I can’t say how they would work.
- Salt – Regular table salt. If you want to use Kosher salt add a tiny bit more than the recipe calls for.
- Baking Soda – For best results make sure it’s not expired.
- Coconut – I use shredded unsweetened coconut. Sweetened is fine too. Toast coconut to add a crunchy texture. Toast coconut by spreading on a cookie sheet and baking at 325 degrees for 5 minutes.
- Chocolate Chips – semi-sweet, or milk chocolate.
How to Make Coconut Cookies
I promise this is an easy recipe that can be made in about 30 minutes! There aren’t any special instructions and you don’t need to chill the dough. Let me walk you through the steps and show you exactly how I make them.
STEP 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or grease baking sheet.
STEP 2: Cream butter (room temperature) for one minute on medium-high speed.
STEP 3: Add sugars and cream for on medium-high for 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl if needed.
STEP 4: Add eggs, coconut extract, baking soda, and salt! Beat for 2 more minutes.
STEP 5: Add dry pudding mix and beat until combined.
STEP 6: Add flour and beat just until combined. You don’t want to overmix.
STEP 7: Add chocolate chips and coconut. Stir until mixed in.
STEP 8: Drop cookies onto the cookie sheet in Tablespoon sized balls.
STEP 9: Bake for 8-10 minutes. Don’t over bake. Let cool on cookie sheet for a minute and remove to wire rack to finish cooling.
Storing Cookies:
Coconut cookies should be stored in an airtight container. Store them at room temperature for up to three days. If you keep them in the fridge they should last for up to five days. Or you can freeze them for up to three months.
How to freeze cookie dough: Mix the cookie dough and shape it into cookies. Freeze on a baking sheet. Transfer cookie dough to an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. To bake frozen cookie dough, set on a baking sheet and add 2-3 minutes to the baking time.
Coconut Cookies Recipe
Easy cookie recipes are my life! Here are a few of our other favorites!
- Thick and Soft Snickerdoodles – bakery style
- Cake Mix Butterscotch Bars – chewy and chocolaty
- S’mores Cookies – all the yummy without the fire
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies – with oatmeal
- Zucchini Breakfast Cookies – #winning
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip – a classic
- Turtle Cookies – really decadent
- Coconut Oatmeal Cookies – like ranger cookies
- Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies – made with a cake mix
Cookie recipes are so much fun because you can make them in so many different flavors, textures, sizes, and shapes! This recipe really is the best of both worlds…classic chocolate chip pudding cookies and Coconut Cookies! If you’re a coconut lover looking for another dessert recipe this is for you!
Coconut Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter room temperature
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp coconut extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3.4 ounces instant pudding mix
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
- 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or grease baking sheet.
- Cream butter (room temperature) for one minute on medium-high speed.
- Add sugars and cream for on medium-high for 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl if needed.
- Add eggs, coconut extract, baking soda, and salt! Beat for 2 more minutes.
- Add dry pudding mix and beat until combined.
- Add flour and beat just until combined. You don't want to overmix.
- Add chocolate chips and coconut. Stir until mixed in.
- Drop cookies onto the cookie sheet in Tablespoon sized balls.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. Don't over bake. Let cool on cookie sheet for a minute and remove to wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Nutrition
Chocolate chips cookies with coconut?! Yes, please! I so need these in my life!
Coconut is like and added bonus in an already delicious cookie!
I love coconut so these sound so delicious to me!
Coconut and chocolate lovers will quickly become addicted to these cookies!
OMG I bet the coconut cream in these is outstanding!!
Can’t go wrong with coconut!
Love the coconut pudding idea! Do you remember Grandma’s cookies? Her chocolate chips cookies had pudding in them and were yummy! I agree about the male gender having difficulties finding things. We have that problem around our house too!
How could I forget Grandma’s cookies! I remember her telling me all about the pudding in them. I don’t know what it is about boys…all I know is they CANNOT find anything!
Amy,
I’m reporting back! I made these cookies today and they are yummy!! I love how moist they are. They have the right balance of coconut. I ate some of the cookie dough (shhh.. don’t tell!) and the cookie dough was pretty strong so I was a bit nervous but then I ate the cookies after they baked and it was the perfect amount of coconut flavor!! Yahoo!! Thanks for sharing your talents with us. Our household is grateful for your yummy recipes!
P.S. I make the crockpot Cheesy Tortellini recipe all the time! I love how easy it is it tastes great. Double bonus! 🙂
I’m glad someone is actually able to use and enjoy the recipes that come about because of my crazy cooking obsession! I primarily make cookies because I like the dough, so no raw cookie dough eating judgment from me! The coconut flavor does seem a little over the top at first but everything settles down in the oven! Thanks for following along on my crazy adventures!
These look so pillowy-soft, and absolutely decadent! I’m definitely a coconut lover, and the wonderful coconut flavor from the pudding mix sounds fantastic – what a terrific flavor profile with the mix of coconut and chocolate! Double-yum!
Coconut and chocolate definitely belong together!
I’ve heard about using pudding mix in cookies, but have never tried it myself. That needs to change!
There is something magical about it! I didn’t try it forever, thank goodness I finally did!
I’ve never used pudding mix in my cookies but I definitely need to give it a try. Yours look so beautifully soft and delicious.
You won’t regret it! It makes the most wonderfully soft cookies!
I made these the day you posted them and they were gone that night. So easy and so delicious. Im anxious to try other varieties of pudding with this recipe!!
It’s hard to walk by a plate of these cookies and not grab just one more, and one more, and one more…
I am obsessed with these! I love coconut everything!
If you love coconut these cookies will rock your world!
This sounds fabulous! Coconut and chocolate is such a delicious combo!
Chocolate is always a good idea…coconut is scrumptious little bonus!
Oh my goodness! The addition of coconut just take the deliciousness to a whole new level! I love this!
Coconut and chocolate make everything better! Happy Fall!
Hello Amy I just found your blog and am looking through all your delicious recipes! Could you tell me how many ounces are in a small package of instant coconut pudding as I do not live in the US I need the exact measurements so I can use the correct amount. Thanks so much. I love coconut and chocolate together so can’t wait to try these cookies!
I used the Jell-O brand pudding and it is a 3.4 oz package! Happy Fall!
I enjoy your delicious recipes, Amy! I can’t wait to prepare these amazing coconut cookies!
Thanks! I hope you try them soon!
WHAT. I love coconut cream (anything) so much that it might run through my veins at this point. These cookies look like a dream.
It’s just so irresistible isn’t it? These cookies will hit the spot for sure!
Amy!!!! I LOVE your new site design! It looks amazing!!! I’m drooling over all of these delicious recipes! Your amazing! Keep it up girl!!!
*You’re 🙂
Hi Maria! Thanks for stopping by! It’s always fun to get a little makeover! We really need to get together!
These look heavenly! Can’t wait to make these. Nice twist from a regular chocolate chip cookie. Thanks Amy!
You can’t go wrong with chocolate chip cookie, but adding coconut is always a fun switch up! Enjoy!
Wow this looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it.
Thanks for the tip!
Have a great day.
Priyanka
These are yummy cookies. I didn’t have coconut extract which would give a better coconut flavor. I didn’t add the extra coconut flakes as I only like the taste of coconut and not the flakes. My Husband says they are a gold star cookie. Gold star in our family means I want to eat often. Thanks for sharing this is my first pudding cookie.
Hi Nancy! I love you’ve added these cookies to those that have earned “Gold Star” status! So happy you and your husband enjoyed them!
My children love cookies! I’m sure they’ll enjoy these!
Yes! These cookies are so soft and full of flavor! They’re also easy to make which makes them a pefect recipe for getting the kids involved in! I hope you all enjoy them!
Thank you for the recipe! They are amazing and came out looking just like the picture.
Yay! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe! You can’t go wrong with coconut and chocolate!
Hi Amy.
Delicious! Cream of coconut is a wonderful thing.
And confetti sprinkles on cookies!?
We could be really great friends! Coconut everything is a win in my book!
Hi Amy,We made these today and WOW – easy and delicious!
Yay! Easy and delicious are the best kind of recipes! Glad you enjoyed them!
Excellent, and super easy!
Easy recipes are the BEST! Glad you enjoyed it!
What a great cookies and it looks to stunning with more easy to make also….i will trying to making it few days later….Thanks for sharing…Amy…..!
Coconut and chocolate are always a hit! Glad you loved them!
This is an amazingly & more simple cookies Amy…and it looks soo yummy & more delicious also..Thanks for sharing……!
Glad you enjoyed them!
the cookies were great iam glad i came to your recipe. i had to use lemon instead i though chocolate wool be to much so i split white. i love coconut next time ill add more.still in all great cookies.
I’m glad you like them! More coconut never hurts anything!
I like to eat this dish. I followed your recipe. It works. I had a really good meal. It took me a long time to cook, but the results were great. Thanks for your useful article. Good food.
Hi Amy, I made your coconut cream cookies yesterday, the flavor is to die for but for some reason they didn’t flatten by the time they were done in the oven. I see in comments folks are talking about coconut cream, I don’t see coconut cream in the ingredients. Any help would be great, i want to perfect this recipe as it will be my new favorite. Thank you
Hi Melanee! I should have named these cookies something besides “Coconut Cream Cookies” because they don’t actually have coconut cream in them at all. They are made with coconut cream flavored pudding. The temperature of the butter can make a difference in how the cookies bake. It should be room temperature. If you poke the butter with your finger it should be soft, but not too soft. There are so many different ways to measure flour too, and that will really change the thickness of your cookies. You can decrease the amount of flour you add by a couple of Tablespoons and that should help. Let me know how it goes! I want these cookies to be perfect for you because they are so tasty!