These chunky yet somehow delicate almond coconut cookies are the perfect chewy cookie with a rich almond and coconut flavour. They’re so easy to make, they’re perfect for when friends stop by. One batch is never enough.

You’ll love these orange almond crescent cookies too.

A batch of almond coconut cookies on a rose gold coloured baking tray.

Why you’ll love it

With a taste somewhere between a coconut macaroon and an amaretti cookie, these almond and coconut cookies are totally addictive. The soft and chewy texture inside but lightly crisp exterior makes them the perfect cookie to go with a coffee.

Just a little kick of lemon takes them to another level and they’re just so incredibly simple to make. Just one bowl, no fancy equipment and no chilling the dough means you can have these ready in 25 minutes.

These cookies also happen to be, accidentally, gluten-free. By replacing the butter with coconut oil, you can also make them dairy free.

Ingredients you’ll need

Ingredients for almond coconut cookies on a marble surface.

Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.

  • Almond meal: Almond meal may be called almond flour where you are. Not actually flour, almond meal / flour is very finely ground blanched almonds.
  • Desiccated coconut: Desiccated coconut is coconut that has also been very finely cut. It’s the smallest cut of coconut you can get before you turn to coconut flour. Shredded may work in a pinch but it’s worth placing it in a food processor to grind it down to a finer cut.
  • Sugar: These cookies use two types of flour – brown in the cookie dough and icing sugar (powdered sugar) on the outside. You can certainly skip the icing sugar if you prefer but it does add a nice crispness to the outside.
  • Baking powder: Baking powder gives these almond cookies a slight lift. Don’t use baking soda as it works differently.
  • Salt: A little salt balances the sweetness and intensifies the flavours.
  • Egg: Egg works here as a binding agent.
  • Butter: I use unsalted butter. If you use salted, just leave out the additional salt in the recipe.
  • Lemon zest: The zest of one large lemon will give you a lovely hit of lemon but it can also be swapped for orange or lime zest.
  • Sliced almonds: A sliced almond is added to the top of each cookie but you can also use whole almonds if you prefer.

If you want to make them extra-special, drizzle them with some melted chocolate – you won’t regret it. If you want to increase the almond flaovour, add just ¼ teaspoon of almond extract. To increase the coconut flavour you can add a touch of coconut extract or use coconut oil in place of the butter.

How to make coconut almond cookies

A collage of 4 images showing how to make almond coconut cookies.

Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.

  1. The dry ingredients: Simply mix together the almond meal, coconut, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make sure there are no lumps.
  2. The wet ingredients: Add the egg, melted butter and lemon zest and mix it to a sticky dough.
  3. Portion: Roll the dough into small balls (about 1 ½ tablespoons worth). Roll the balls in icing sugar and place them an inch or two apart on a baking tray. Press a sliced almond into the top then gently press down on the cookie dough to flatten a little.
  4. Bake: Bake the cookies for 14-16 minutes or until they start turning golden on top.

These gluten free almond cookies are just as lovely slightly warm as they are once they’ve completely cooled so no need to wait too long to dig in either.

The cookie dough, while extremely quick to make, can be made the day before and stored in the fridge, covered overnight. This way you can just roll them and bake first thing in the morning.

A cookie broken in half the show the texture inside.

Storage

Almond coconut cookies store well. Keep them in an airtight container for up to a week in a cool place, like the pantry.

The dough can be frozen. It’s best portioned into cookies first, then freeze until solid on a baking tray before transferring them to an airtight container. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.

More recipes you’ll love

Top down view of a batch of almond coconut cookies on a baking tray.

IF YOU TRY THIS almond coconut cookie recipe, please take a moment to leave a rating and comment below. I love hearing from you, and it helps other readers too!

Closeup of 10 almond coconut cookies.

Almond Coconut Cookies

Yield: 17 cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
5 from 15 ratings
Almond coconut cookies are chewy with a slightly crisp exterior and filled with the flavour of almond and coconut. These gluten-free almond cookies also have a zingy lemon kick.
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Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ cups almond meal (almond flour) (160g / 5.7oz) (notes 1)
  • ½ cup unsweetened fine desiccated coconut (40g / 1.4oz)
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar (70g / 2.5oz)
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • Zest of one large lemon
  • ¼ cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)
  • 17 sliced almonds

For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / 160C fan forced. Line a large baking sheet or cookie sheet with baking paper.
  • In a large bowl, stir together the almond meal, desiccated coconut, brown sugar, baking powder and salt until well dispersed and there are no lumps.
  • Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and add the egg, butter and lemon zest. Mix well with a spatula until it comes together into a sticky dough.
  • Roll small balls, about 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons worth (you can use a cookie scoop if you like), then roll them in the icing sugar.
  • Place the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking tray at least 1 1/2 inches apart, the press a sliced almond into the top of each one. Gently press down on the balls to about 1 ½ cm thick (½ inch).
  • Bake for 14-16 minutes, turning the tray at the halfway point, until the tops turn golden.
  • Let them cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  • Please take a moment to rate this recipe. It's so, so helpful.

Notes

  1. The names almond meal and almond flour are generally interchangeable. Not actually a flour at all, almond meal / flour is very finely ground blanched almonds.
  2. Desiccated coconut is very finely cut coconut. If you can only get the larger shredded coconut, you can cut it finer in your food processor or blender.
  3. Baking powder and baking soda are different so make sure to use the correct one.
MORE AMAZING COOKIE RECIPES!
Calories: 122kcal
Author: Marie Roffey
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: World
Have you tried this recipe?Don’t forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.