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coconut sugar cookies on a wire rack
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Frosted Coconut Sugar Cookies

These Lofthouse-style coconut sugar cookies are incredibly soft, fluffy, and moist! With the help of coconut extract (so good!) and toasted coconut flakes, these bakery-worthy cookies have a delicious coconut flavor and are easy to whip!
Makes 6 large Crumbl-sized cookies or 9 medium-sized cookies.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Cookie
Keyword frosted sugar cookies
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 Large (Crumbl Style) Cookies (or about 9 medium)
Calories 664kcal

Ingredients

  • ½ cup unsalted butter (i.e. 1 stick) softened to room temperature
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon coconut extract
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup Fun fact: this is not the same thing as high fructose corn syrup! If desired, you can replace with honey or omit.
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder not baking soda!
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting (double if you like thick layers of frosting on your cookies!)

  • ½ cup unsalted butter (i.e. 1 stick) softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon coconut extract see substitution notes below
  • teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar

Topping

  • ¼ cup coconut flakes optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat unsalted butter (½ cup, i.e. 1 stick), powdered sugar (¾ cup), and granulated sugar (¼ cup) on medium speed for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. 
  • While mixer is still on medium speed, add in egg (1 large), vanilla extract (2 teaspoons)coconut extract (¼ teaspoon), and light corn syrup (1 tablespoon).
  • Once mixed, add in baking powder (1 teaspoon), salt (½ teaspoon), and all-purpose flour (1 ¾ cups); adding flour half-cup at a time on low speed.
    Mix until all flour disappears (it may look crumbly at first but will come together). When pinched between your fingers, dough should be similar to a thick playdoh consistency.
  • For large Crumbl-style cookies: Scoop dough into 4-tablespoon sized scoops, roll into balls, then gently flatten each dough ball into a ½" thick disc. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake in preheated oven at 350°F for 11-12 minutes, or until most of the tops no longer look wet.
    For medium-sized cookies: Use a 3-tablespoon-sized scoop and bake for 10-11 minutes.
    For mini cookies: Use 1-tablespoon-sized scoop and bake for 8-9 minutes.
    Don't overbake or they won't be soft; they may look slightly underdone in the very center, but they will finish baking on the hot cookie sheet after you take it out of the oven. (Of course, because ovens bake differently use your best judgment to keep them in a minute longer if they look severely under baked.)
  • After removing from oven, allow the cookies to cool on the hot baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing them from cookie sheet. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

To Make Frosting:

  • Note before you start: I recommend using a stand mixer for this if you have one, as it will make the frosting come together easier. However, if you are using a hand mixer and are having trouble getting it to be light & fluffy, I recommend adding 1-2 teaspoons of milk after the powdered sugar to help thin it out.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add unsalted butter (½ cup, i.e. 1 stick), vanilla extract (1 teaspoon), coconut extract (¼ teaspoon), and salt (⅛ teaspoon). Cream together on medium speed for 30 seconds, or until blended together.
  • On medium/low speed begin adding in powdered sugar (1 ½ cups); half-cup at a time until all is incorporated.
  • Turn mixer to high speed, and beat for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. If needed, you can add 1-2 teaspoons of milk to help thin it out.
  • Spread on top of cooled sugar cookies or place frosting in a large piping bag with a metal tip (see post above for my favorite tips) to achieve a more intricate design. Top with sprinkles and enjoy!

Notes

Light Corn Syrup: We're only using 1 tablespoon of light corn syrup in this recipe but it gives the cookies that special, moist texture and also helps the cookies stay moist for days...a must when giving them as gifts! If you don't want to use it, you can replace it with thick honey or just leave it out entirely (FYI that light corn syrup is not the same thing as high fructose corn syrup!). But if you've made my soft frosted sugar cookies or cosmic brownie cookies, you know how much of a difference just a little corn syrup can make!
Storing: If using the cream cheese frosting, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Freezing: These coconut sugar cookies freeze beautifully. That said, the coconut flakes can lose their texture after freezing, so if you want to avoid that entirely, I recommend freezing them unfrosted. When ready to serve, thaw cookies and top with frosting and coconut flakes.
To freeze, store in an airtight container for up to 1 month for optimal flavor and texture.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.

Nutrition

Calories: 664kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 264mg | Potassium: 151mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 56g | Vitamin A: 990IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 2mg