Coconut Caramel Cookies

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No refrigeration needed for these sweet & salty Coconut Caramel Cookies with macadamia nuts. Quick & easy…ready in under 30 minutes.

plate full of caramel coconut cookies

Have you ever cleaned out the pantry and come across partial bags of coconut, nuts, chocolate chips or caramels? These cookies are the answer to that problem.

Coconut Caramel Cookies are SO good. They have a sweet & salty flavor that is so addicting. I made them up when cleaning out my cabinets, so in a way they are a sort of kitchen sink cookie. And guess what? There’s no chilling the cookie dough. You’ll love them.

About this Coconut Caramel Cookies recipe:

  • Flavor: Sweet coconut and caramel pair so well with the nutty macadamia nuts and sea salt. The cookies are buttery & rich, but the nuts and sea salt tone down the sweetness.
  • Texture: The butter and eggs in this recipe keep them soft and chewy. You’ll love the different textures of soft cookie paired with macadamia nuts, coconut and caramel.

How to Make Coconut Caramel Cookies

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars for 2 minutes (used medium speed – Kitchenaid 4). 
  • Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the egg and vanilla. Beat again until combined. 
  • In a small bowl whisk together the flour and baking soda. Add to the butter mixer and stir just until combined. 
  • Add in the coconut flakes, caramel bits and macadamia nuts. Mix until combined. 
caramel coconut macadamia nut cookie dough in a bowl
  1. Scoop cookies onto the prepared cookie sheet using a 2” cookie scoop. You don’t have to roll them in balls if you don’t want to, but make sure they are a nice round shape with no scraggly edges.
unbaked cookie dough on a baking sheet
  1. Press half of a square caramel in the top of the cookie dough balls. Don’t flatten the cookies too much when you do this. 
  2. Bake for 10-11 minutes, or until the edges are set. See our note below for perfectly round cookies!
  3. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with sea salt right as they come out of the oven. Allow to cool a few minutes on the pan before transferring to a cooling rack

The secret to making perfectly round cookies.

Here’s the trick to making perfectly round coconut caramel cookies:

Place a large round cookie cutter (or a wide mouth mason jar ring) over the hot cookie. Use your hand to make quick circles on the pan, which will spin the cookie on the inside of the ring and round out the cookie.

You have to do this when the cookies is hot, so work quickly immediately after the cookies come out of the oven.

Recipe Variations

  • If you love Levain Bakery caramel coconut chocolate chip cookie recipe, add 1 ½ cups of chocolate chips to this cookie dough. It’s a unique copycat recipe an easy way to get that flavor you love.
  • Love the caramel coconut cookies from the Girl Scouts ? Drizzle melted chocolate over the top of the cookies for a similar flavor.
caramel topped coconut macadamia nut cookies on a spatula

Yes. For freshly baked coconut caramel cookies anytime you’d like, freeze the cookie dough. We have a complete article about freezing cookie dough that will give you all the tips.

Storage Instructions

Store the coconut caramel cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Then freeze any leftovers.

coconut cookies with caramel on a wire rack
coconut cookies with caramel on a wire rack

Coconut Caramel Cookies

4.77 from 17 votes
No refrigeration needed for these sweet & salty Coconut Caramel Cookies with macadamia nuts. Quick & easy…ready in under 30 minutes.
Servings 24
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

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Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup salted butter at room temperature 226 grams
  • 1 cup light brown sugar 213 grams
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100 grams
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 grams
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 325 grams
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda 7 grams
  • cup sweetened coconut flakes 37 grams
  • 2/3 cup caramel bits 130 grams
  • 2/3 cup chopped macadamia nuts 92 grams
  • 12 Kraft caramel squares unwrapped and cut in half
  • sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or non-stick baking mats.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer cream together the butter and sugars for 2 minutes (used medium speed – Kitchenaid 4). 1 cup salted butter, 1 cup light brown sugar , ½ cup granulated sugar
  • Scrape down the side of the bowl, then add the egg and vanilla. Beat again until combined. 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • In a small bowl whisk together the flour and baking soda. Add to the butter mixer and stir just until combined. 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • Add in the coconut flakes, caramel bits and macadamia nuts. Mix until combined. ⅔ cup sweetened coconut flakes , 2/3 cup caramel bits , 2/3 cup chopped macadamia nuts
  • Scoop cookies onto the prepared cookie sheet using a 2” cookie scoop. You don’t have to roll them in balls if you don’t want to, but make sure they are a nice round shape with no scraggly edges.
  • Press half of a square caramel in the top of the dough ball. Don’t flatten the cookies too much when you do this. 12 Kraft caramel squares
  • Bake for 10-11 minutes, or until the edges are set.
  • Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with sea salt right as they come out of the oven. Allow to cool a few minutes on the pan before transferring to a cooling rack. sea salt

Notes

  • Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
  • These cookies are best served warm when the caramel is soft. If you can’t serve them right away, warm them for a few seconds in the microwave before eating to soften the caramel.
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
The calories shown are based on the recipe making 24 cookies, with 1 serving being 1 cookie. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**

Nutrition

Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 148mg | Potassium: 79mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 252IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Calories 251
Keyword caramel cookies, easy cookies
About JulieJulie Clark

About Julie Clark

I'm Julie Clark, CEO and recipe developer of Tastes of Lizzy T. With my B.A. in Education and over 30 years of cooking and baking, I want to teach YOU the best of our family recipes.

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4.77 from 17 votes (15 ratings without comment)
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Lori
2 years ago

5 stars
Terrific cookie – a keeper to add to the rotation for sure.

Barbie
2 years ago

5 stars
My new favorite cookie!! I just took these out of the oven and they are amazing! Soft and chewy and little crunchy bits of coconut! Yum!
I took a small amount of the dough out before adding the coconut and added white chocolate chip because a coworker does not like coconut, they are also amazing! Thank you! Love your recipes!