Easy coconut pecan cookies recipe that you'll make again and again! The soft and chewy texture, touch of cinnamon and vanilla make these the best coconut pecan cookies ever! Or try a variation and make oatmeal coconut pecan cookies!
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If you like these cookies, you'll love my Pie Crust Cookie Twists, my S'mores Brownies, and my Biscoff Blondies with White Chocolate!
Easy Coconut Pecan Cookies Recipe
There's something irresistible about the flavor combination of toasted coconut and crunchy pecans in chewy cookies. When you take a bite, you're greeted with a symphony of flavors and textures!
There's the nuttiness of the pecans, the sweetness of the coconut, and the buttery richness of the cookie dough. Plus a hint of spice in the batter for additional flavor. It's a delightful contrast that keeps you coming back for more, just like my Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars!
Plus, the aroma that fills your kitchen as these cookies bake is simply heavenly. Whether you're a fan of classic flavors or just looking to try something new, this easy coconut pecan cookie recipe is a must-make for anyone with a sweet tooth, and perfect with a cup of coffee! For even more cozy treats, don’t miss my list of the 36 Best Fall Desserts to sweeten up your season!
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Are coconut pecan cookies healthy?
I'm no nutrition expert, so it's best to decide on your own or with medical advice whether these yummy cookies fit your dietary needs. I do love that they contain pecans, which are a great source of protein, fiber, and healthy fats.
Otherwise, these delicious cookies are a sweet treat that I like more for their taste than their health benefits. Everything in moderation, right?
Ingredients
Check the recipe card below for the full ingredients and quantities, but here's a quick look at the simple ingredients you'll need to make these easy coconut pecan cookies:
- flour - to get the right chewy texture in your cookies, your all purpose flour should be measured by weight with a kitchen scale or fluffed using the spoon-and-level method
- cinnamon - perfect spice to complement the other flavors in these cookies! And if you love the spice in this recipe, you'll definitely want to check out my Chai Spice Bundt Cake or my Cinnamon Rolls Peach Cobbler!
- cornstarch - I like adding a little cornstarch to keep the texture soft in these coconut pecan cookies!
- baking soda - adding a little baking soda helps to give these cookies a bit of a lift.
- butter - I mostly use salted butter in baking, but you can use unsalted butter and just add ¼ teaspoon of salt to your dry ingredients.
- brown sugar - I like to use light brown sugar for these cookies, but you can also you dark brown sugar for even more flavor!
- egg - your egg should be room temperature before adding it into the dough.
- vanilla - make sure it's the good stuff -- pure vanilla extract. I like to make my own!
- shredded coconut - I recommend using sweetened coconut, but you can also substitute unsweetened shredded coconut, but I would just recommend adding about a tablespoon of extra brown sugar to boost the sweetness a bit.
- pecans - you'll need chopped pecans for this pecan coconut cookies recipe. I love the buttery crunch they add to these cookies! You can toast the pecan pieces and the coconut ahead of time for even more flavor -- see recipe card below for instructions! And if you love pecans like I do, try my Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie!
Equipment
To make this easy coconut pecan cookies recipe, you'll want to grab a kitchen scale to help you measure your flour with perfect accuracy to get that chewy, gooey texture that you like. You can also use an electric mixer to make prep a little easier. Also, an oven thermometer will help to correct any temperature disparities to make sure that your cookies bake perfectly.
Using a #40 cookie scoop will help to measure out your cookies to the exact size you'll need. You'll also want to grab a large baking sheet -- I use the Nordicware Baker's Big Sheet Pan lined with a Silpat ¾ sheet liner. You may also want a wire rack to cool your baked cookies.
Instructions
You can check the recipe card below for more detailed instructions, but here are the basic steps for these chewy coconut pecan cookies!
Combine melted butter and brown sugar in a large bowl and whisk together until smooth. Whisk in egg and vanilla.
Sift in flour, cornstarch, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and fold in until just combined.
Fold in pecans and coconut flakes. Cover with plastic wrap and chill.
Scoop cookie dough balls onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake in preheated oven!
Hint: use a round cookie cutter or a mug to round out the cookies on the baking sheet just after you remove your batch of cookies from the oven.
What is in cowboy cookies?
Cowboy cookies are a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe, with coconut, pecans, and oats added for amazing texture! You can turn these coconut pecan cookies into cowboy cookies by adding about ½ cup chocolate chips and replacing ½ cup of the flour with rolled oats! Or try my Chocolate Filled Cookies for a fun variation on traditional chocolate chip cookies!
Substitutions & Variations
It's easy to adapt this easy coconut pecan cookies recipe to fit your needs or preferences!
- dairy free - if you prefer, you can use vegan or dairy free butter, as well as dairy free chocolate and chunks of dairy free chocolate chip cookies to make this a dairy free recipe, like my Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe!
- egg-free - I like to use Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer for an easy substitute for eggs. Or you can make a flax egg and add that in to replace the egg!
- cowboy cookies - check above for instructions on how to turn these old fashioned coconut pecan cookies into cowboy cookies! And if you love M&Ms, you need to try my Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies!
Storage
This coconut pecan cookies recipe keeps well at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Or they can be frozen, well wrapped in a freezer-safe bag, for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Each of these coconut pecan cookies has 156 calories. You can check the recipe card below for full nutrition information.
You may have under-measured your flour, or you didn't allow your cookies to chill for the full hour.
As always, for best results be sure to measure your flour correctly (preferably with a kitchen scale instead of a measuring cup) so that you don't use too much flour. If your dough is dry, your cookies are too thick, or they don't spread while baking, that's probably the reason! For more, see How to Fix Dry Crumbly Cookie Dough.
If you're a real cookie lover, you'll definitely want to check out my Samoas Cookie Pie, my Matcha Chocolate Chip Cookies, and my Crumbl Sugar Cookies Recipe! Biscoff cookie lovers will adore my Biscoff Brownies!
Top Tip
Toast your coconut and pecans for even more flavor in these incredible cookies! I'll include toasting instructions below in the recipe card.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you try this recipe, I would love it if you could leave a star review rating and comment below! It’s so wonderful hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to share your creations with me by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram!
📖 Recipe
Equipment you may need
Ingredients
- 1 cup light brown sugar - packed
- ½ cup salted butter - melted
- 1 large egg - room temperature
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour - measured by weight or fluffed using the spoon-and-level method
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut - toasted, preferably (see note)
- ¾ cup chopped pecans - toasted, preferably (see note)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter and brown sugar until well combined.1 cup light brown sugar, ½ cup salted butter
- Add in egg and vanilla and whisk until smooth.1 large egg, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Sift in flour, cornstarch, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Fold in until just combined.1 ¼ cup all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Fold in coconut and pecans until just combined. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least one hour.1 cup sweetened shredded coconut, ¾ cup chopped pecans
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375℉ and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking liner.
- Using a small cookie scoop, scoop dough balls and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes or golden brown around the edges.
- Let cookies cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Last Updated on October 25, 2025 by Chenée Lewis
Cindy Gadbois says
I have made these cookies twice. They were very good the first time but the second time I added cranberries to the mix. I used salad topping cranberry and candied pecans. I removed the pecans and ground them because they were quite large, and used the cranberries as is. I did not have to toast the pecans, but I did toast the coconut. The results were probably the best cookie I have ever tasted! Don't get me wrong, I love a good chocolate chip, but these were fabulous! My only question is how much salt to use because it was not listed as an ingredient in the recipe?( Step 3 in the instruction) I guessed about 1/4 tsp.
Chenée Lewis says
I'm gonna try that too! Sounds amazing! Actually there isn't any added salt in the recipe since we use salted butter, so I'll correct that. Thanks!
Carla says
I went with the variation and made these oatmeal pecan and they were so delicious! Perfect texture and so flavorful. I think I'm going to make another batch today and freeze them for later.
Chenée Lewis says
Great idea! these freeze very well!
Harriet Young says
YUMMY! These were soft, chewy and delicious. Thank you!
Chenée Lewis says
Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed them!
Elisa says
Love this coconut pecan cookies recipe, so easy and delicious!! we love pecans, so will make them soon for the family. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Sky says
My family loved these cookies! I'll have to try turning them into cowboy cookies next!
Chenée Lewis says
What a great idea!