Five ingredients, easy to make, gluten-free, and addictive. This is a recipe I come back to again and again despite the fact I typically lack the patience for the monotonous repetition of baking cookies. These couldn’t be easier to make and are a great baking project to do with kids. The addition of delicate fleur de sel sea salt plays beautifully off of the sweetness of the cookies. My family and I mow through these at an alarming rate.
I have been making these for years from Swedish chef Marcus Samuelsson’s Aquavit cookbook. Although his list of ingredients and proportions are essentially the same as the coconut cookie recipes in common Swedish cookbooks his method is a bit different and I really like the result. I prefer to flatten the drops of batter before baking them so the cookies get really crisp and golden. More like chips than cookies.
The last time I made them it dawned on me to sprinkle fleur de sel sea salt over the tops just before baking. That inspiration came from the olive oil and fleur de sel crispie treats recipe posted by fellow blogger movita beaucoup. I can tell you those crispie treats are delicious as well, and just as challenging to my self-control as these coconut cookies.
The cookies will keep in an air-tight container for a week or they freeze beautifully and can even be eaten directly from the freezer which works out well if you have unexpected guests or you just can’t go another second without a salty-sweet coconut fix. If you are going for the crunch of chip-like cookies keep an eye on them as soon as they start to get golden on the edges. It won’t take long before they get too brown but I can attest that those taste good too even though they may not have as much eye-appeal. If you prefer a chewier cookie don’t flatten the drops of batter and remove the cookies when the edges are just golden. And for a real treat, use them in place of graham crackers for s’mores with nutella instead of chocolate as I suggested in my forget s’mores post. Make them large or small, chewy or crunchy, with or without the fleur de sel, but make them. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Coconut cookies with fleur de sel adapted from Marcus Samuelsson’s Coconut Cookies in the Aquavit cookbook
makes 4-5 dozen cookies
3 tablespoons (40g) butter
2 1/2 cups (200g) unsweetened shredded coconut
2 large eggs
2/3 cup (130g) sugar
1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons fleur de sel for sprinkling
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and add the coconut. Mix well so the coconut is well-coated with the butter.
3. Beat the eggs with a mixer on medium speed just until blended. Add the sugar and beat on medium-high until the mixture is light-colored and fluffy. Combine the butter-covered coconut gently with the egg mixture and mix well.
4. Drop the batter onto the parchment-covered baking sheets and press down gently on the mound until it is relatively flat. A teaspoon of batter works well but you can make them smaller or larger adjusting the baking time accordingly. Keep about an inch (2.5cm) of space between each cookie, more if you aren’t flattening them. Bake for 7-10 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the tops of each cookie with a pinch of the fleur de sel. If the cookies sit and cool too much the fleur de sel won’t stick. You could apply the salt before baking but since it dissolves so quickly you will lost the visual effect of the beautiful crystals and the pleasant crunch when you bite into one. Slide the entire sheet of parchment with the cookies intact onto a wire cooling rack. As soon as they are cool, put them in an air-tight container otherwise they will lose their crispness.
semiswede 
Those look wonderful. I love the texture of baked goods made with coconut – they’re always fabulously crunchy.
Baking these flat like chips takes crunchy coconut to a whole new level. And that little fleck of fleur de sel is to die for. Both of my kids were climbing up to the counter to take ‘sneak’ more.
Thanks Maia! I have been looking for another gluten free cookie to make. Josh can no longer eat wheat since 2010. I will try this one, they look delicious.
Is it just wheat for Josh, or is it gluten altogether? I have to be gluten free now too so most of the recipes I post will reflect that.
It’s just wheat gluten and now he has turned mainly vegetarian! I will look to you for some ideas. These cookies are great-next time I am going to dip half of them in chocolate.
These sound so good. Alas, coconut is a banned item in this house (tree nut issues). Eat some extras for me please. I love coconut.
Bummer. Those allergies are not to be messed with for sure. I can definitely consume some extras for you. 🙂
Thanks for the shout out!! Also, thanks for encouraging me to make more treats with fleur de sel. Aaaaaand thanks for helping me grow out of my pants…
You are more than welcome. Your recipe sent my rice crispie treats addiction to a new level, and my pants size, so I thought it only proper to return the favor. 🙂
I have to try these. Tonight :).
One of the great things about these is the ease of having the ingredients on hand. If you do give them a try, I’d love to know what you thought.
This looks like a fabulous treat. So happy to have found a treat that I can add to my now wheat free diet. Thank you so much.
I have another wheat-free treat coming up if you aren’t allergic to almonds or dairy. I hope to post it in the next week so stay tuned.
I look forward to it. Thank you.
I have tried this recipe twice and the cookies do not get crisp at all the taste wonderful but they get fluffy and don’t look anything like this finished product. I am doing everything in the recipe. Any tips ladies? Thanks! 🙂
Hi Sonia. Where are you located? I know that sometimes the coconut in the U.S. can be quite moist. What we get here in Sweden is very dry to begin with. Perhaps if there is too much moisture in the coconut to begin with, they will stay chewy. If the flakes feel soft, rather than crunchy straight out of the bag, try leaving them spread out on a baking sheet overnight, or even try drying them out in the oven a bit by turning it on the lowest heat just until it warms up, then turn it off and let the coconut sit on the baking sheet. Also, be sure to flatten out the cookies as much as possible before you bake them so they get really crisp. Good luck, and do write back and let me know if drying out the coconut worked.
Hi– yes, I’m in the U.S. What I used was organic unsweetened coconut that I bought in bulk. It appeared to be a lot dryer than what I’ve seen in packages, but never having bought coconut outside the U.S., I don’t have anything to compare it to 😉 I was trying to duplicate some crispy cookies that I’d just purchased, but had accidentally tossed the ingredients list. These came pretty close!
Hi –I was concerned that I’d end up with something a little too macaroon-like, so I used only one egg and one cup of coconut and the cookies are VERY crisp, with just a hint of chewy-ness. I flattened them slightly and I also baked them for 14 min. to really brown them up. A nice variation, if you’re not into extra salt, is to sprinkle them with some black sesame seeds. Thank you for the inspiration, Maia!
Hi Mary Ann. Are you located in the U.S.? Coconut there tends to have much more moisture in it, so it’s good to know if that is what you were using. Interesting twist with the black sesame seeds! Thanks for your comment and for sharing your tips. 🙂
These look delicious!! I love coconut, and coconut cookies?! Sounds amazing. Can’t wait to try these!
Thanks for taking the time to comment. I really do love them. Just made them last week in fact. 🙂
Any suggestion for swapping the sugar for maybe honey or agave? We are trying to avoid processed sugar, but these look so good I may consider using turbinado!
I tried making them once with brown sugar, but preferred them with white. Honey might be interesting to try. I’d love to konow if you try an alternative sweetener and how it works out.
Are you using the whole egg or just the whites? It appears to be whites only in your mixer shot?
Hi Cassi, it’s actually the whole egg. But you beat them on high speed with the sugar until they become light and fluffy, so that is what you are seeing in the photo. 🙂
I cannot find the fleur de sel anywhere local. Is it ok to use plain old sea salt? I am hoping to make these two days from now for a potluck.
Hi Amy. I don’t know that I would recommend plain sea salt in this case. Fleur de Sel is really a finishing salt that is very delicate in it’s flavor, and appearance. Here is a good article about basic salt differences. http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-deal-1-6515
Since the salt is the last step, you could always try sprinkling a couple of test cookies with ordinary sea salt to see if you like the taste. Otherwise, you can skip the salt on top all together. If you do try the sea salt and end up liking it, please come back and post. It would be interesting to hear.
Although you won’t have fleur de sel for this batch of cookies, I do recommend ordering some for future use. It really is exceptional and worth the money. Not just for an extra something special in these cookies, but on so many things as an elegant, last touch.
Can you make these with stevia instead of sugar? Will they still turn out chewy/crisp?
Please excuse my late reply. Your message came to me while I was out on vacation and then got buried in the inbox. I don’t know if stevia will make a difference in the end result. If you have given it a try, please do let me know how it turned out.
These look sublime. You had me at “mow at an alarming rate”. Making today!
added cinnamon vanilla and 1/2 a cup of bisquick glutin free makes a nice chewy cookie that gets eaten faster than i can cook them
Thanks for the tip! If only I could get gluten free bisquick. I would also really appreciate some gluten free rice krispies.
Just made them..taste like macaroons..:-)
after cooling – spread the bottom with nutella or any hazelnut chocolate spread. YUM!
ALWAYS a good idea. Did you see the idea to make them like s’mores with a melted marshmallow and nutella. Super yum.
I tried your recipe and the result was great. However being an older guy, shredded coconut was a bit difficult for me to chew. So I made few modifications
1. I grinded the coconut in a coffee grinder
2. Reduced the sugar to 1/2 cup
3. Added 1 cup dried cranberry to the batter.
The cookies were fantastic. Relative and friends who tasted them asked for the recipe.
Many many thanks for your wonderful recipe, and greetings from Canada
Hi!! I made these cookies 3 times nlw, and they are WONDERFIL but mine are very dull in color and look nothing like yours. I also take photos of the food I cook w my Canon D30. In the first batch I used the ingredient amount to a tee and there was not enough coconut. So the 2nd and third I added more and that was better. But how did you get them so shiny? I wish i could send you the photo I did take of them so you can see what im talking about!
Hello,
First and foremost I want to say how amazing these cookies are. Thanks to your cookies I need to find some larger jeans to wear! Lol. My entire family loved these cookies. We enjoyed them plain and with coffee and earl grey tea they are a fabulous compliment.
I wanted to say, however, that I had to add an extra 2 cups or so of coconut to the butter mic in order to make the cookies hold together. I saw another lady did the same thing. So atleast I know Im.bot going crazy, as I did follow the recipe strictly.
I also.was curious, how come.in your picture, your eggs and sugar look white? I mixed mine for 5 minutes trying to see if it n would turn white with no luck 😦
Still incredible cookies. Thanks sooo much for sharing your recipe:-) God Bless!!!
Glad to hear you enjoyed the cookies! I don’t know where you are located, but if you are in the U.S., I think the coconut there is quite different than what I buy here in Sweden which is very dry. My theory would be that if the coconut is really dry, it absorbs more moisture from the egg mixture, thus holding together more so than if the coconut you are using has a higher moisture content. As for the white eggs and sugar, that may come down to how the fresh the eggs you are using tend to be. If you have farm fresh eggs, the yolks will be a much brighter yellow. Those would be my guesses.
Thank you very much for the reply. Do you think leaving the coconut to dry a few hours or more would dry it out and not.spoil it? Making them for a 3rd time tomorrow 😉
Hey Maia, I finally made these tonight for Scott and the kids after having this recipe saved for a couple years. They were quick & delicious, and I just realized my gluten-free cousin would love these!
Hi Beth! So nice to hear from you, and so nice to know that you enjoyed the cookies. I hope you are all well! Another good cookie recipe for your gluten free cousin is this one; https://semiswede.com/2012/03/06/almond-meringues-with-buttercream-filling/
But make them at your own risk. I haven’t made them in ages because I can’t stop eating them.
Soooooo….. I just made these and they’re almost gone. Everything worked just like it was supposed to 🙂 I made one minor adjustment, sort of, in that I used 1.75 cups shredded coconut and .25 cup coconut that had previously been used to infuse a bottle of rum. Wow. Thanks for the great recipe!
Ooooooooh…rum infused coconut is brilliant! So glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Amy,
I also added much more coconut than the original called for. I believe it has to do with the moisture or lack there of that will allow them to shape.
I love your idea of using rum soaked coconut! Sounds delicious! Cheers! Lucy
Can you use sweetened coconut and omit the sugar?
I keep coming back to this recipe!!!!!! I still have the rum soaked coconut in the freezer and wanted to make these for a friend who is gluten, dairy, practiallyeverythingilove intolerant. I substituted organic, unrefined coconut oil one to one for the butter, used 2 cups of the rummed up coconut and .5 cup of shredded and they turned out PERFECT. I’m so excited to send these! Thanks again for this amazing recipe!
So great to hear how much you are enjoying the recipe. I haven’t made these in ages. You’ve inspired me to make them again. Maybe with rum!
I’m not sure what went wrong, but the batter was very runny, so I only scooped out enough cookies to fill one pan, put it into the oven and watched to see what would happen. As you can probably guess – I ended up with one very large, flat cookie. So I added about 1/8 cup flour to the remaining batter; those cookies were slightly better but more like ‘splats’ on the cookie sheet than cookies. Help!
Not sure how I missed this comment until now. Very bizarre! I would try adding more coconut to a batter that seems to be too runny. Hope you were able to get it to work.
Thanks for the suggestion. I haven’t given up on a recipe that looks so good, so I’ll try it again this year when I start my Christmas baking. Cheers!
Hi,
I put my cookies in the oven 11 minutes ago and they are still quit the same. Although I had follow the recipe step by step, my eggs didn’t get as clear color as yours. Not even fluffy. How long do I need to beat the eggs for? Also, my “dough” is not as firm as yours. It is a little watery. What did I do wrong? I have my fingers crossed. Thanks for the recipe!
You need to beat the eggs on high for quite a long time until they look fluffy. If the batter looks too runny, try adding more coconut to thicken it up. Hope it will work for you, and sorry for the late reply.
Read your recipe and definetly going to try it. Making for my grandchildren including myself. Thank you for such a good recipe.
Finally made these cookies. Had on hand unsweetened shredded coconut. My eggs were out too long so they didn’t fluff up just got foamy. The first baked batch were crumbly and tasteless. Why, because I forgot the sugar. That’s not like me. Added the sugar after the fact and didn’t have any hope but they came out great. A bit delicate but stayed together if you were gentle and the taste was very good. The first batch will be used on top of something as they are in the freezer waiting their turn. Thank you for the recipe!
These are the best! They are so easy to make and in the short time since I found the recipe I probably have made them 50 times! ha ha thank you so much!
Thanks for taking the time to write. I’m so glad you enjoy them! I made them the other day too and used smoked sea salt on the top. Yum!