Toasted Coconut Brown Butter Cookies
Coconut Brown Butter Cookies
Crisp-edged coconut cookies made with nutty brown butter, toasted coconut flakes, vanilla, and a measured hit of flaky salt.
Nutrition (per serving)
These coconut brown butter cookies sit between a classic drop cookie and a thin, buttery coconut crisp. The dough is packed with coconut flakes, so the cookies spread into golden rounds with lacy edges, chewy centers, and a toasted aroma that shows up before the tray leaves the oven.
Brown butter gives the dough its depth. Cooking the butter until the milk solids turn amber adds a nutty flavor that works especially well with coconut, but it also drives off moisture. A spoonful of water stirred in after browning keeps the finished cookie from turning sandy or overly thick.
A short chill is important here. The brown butter needs to cool until creamy rather than liquid, and the coconut needs a few minutes to hydrate in the dough. Once the dough is scoopable, flatten each mound slightly so the cookies bake evenly and develop crisp rims.
The first tray is your test tray because butter brands and coconut cuts vary. If the cookies stay too tall, mix an extra teaspoon of water into the remaining dough before baking the rest. Pull the cookies when the edges are deep golden and the centers still look a touch soft; they will firm as they cool.
Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter:1 cup
- Water:1 tbsp
- Unsweetened Coconut Flakes:3 cups
- All-Purpose Flour:1 1/3 cups
- Baking Soda:3/4 tsp
- Fine Sea Salt:1/2 tsp
- Light Brown Sugar:2/3 cup
- Granulated Sugar:1/2 cup
- Large Egg:1
- Large Egg Yolk:1
- Vanilla Extract:1 1/2 tsp
- Flaky Sea Salt For Finishing:1/2 tsp
Instructions
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Melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until it foams, smells nutty, and the milk solids on the bottom turn amber brown.
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Immediately scrape the browned butter and browned bits into a heatproof mixing bowl. Stir in the water, then let the butter cool until thick and creamy but not hard, about 20 minutes.
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While the butter cools, heat the oven to 350°F. Spread 1 cup of the coconut flakes on a baking sheet and toast for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring once, until lightly golden. Let cool.
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Whisk the flour, baking soda, and fine sea salt in a medium bowl. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the cooled brown butter and beat until smooth and slightly lighter.
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Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until the mixture looks glossy. Add the flour mixture and stir just until no dry streaks remain.
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Fold in the toasted coconut and the remaining untoasted coconut. Let the dough stand for 10 minutes so the coconut softens and the dough becomes scoopable.
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Line two baking sheets with parchment. Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon mounds, space them 3 inches apart, and press each mound into a thick disk. Sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt.
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Bake one sheet at a time for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the edges are deep golden and the centers are set but still slightly soft.
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Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a rack. If the first tray does not spread enough, mix 1 teaspoon water into the remaining dough before baking the next sheet.
Tips & Notes
- Use large, unsweetened coconut flakes for the best crisp-chewy texture; fine shredded coconut makes a denser cookie.
- Do not walk away from browning butter once it begins to smell nutty because the milk solids darken quickly.
- If the dough becomes too firm after standing, press each scoop flatter before baking rather than adding more flour.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
