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If you love one-bowl, no-mixer, cookies with crisp edges and chewy centers, raise your hand. Hello, Lemon Coconut Sugar Cookies!
Wondering if your long-lost friend, that crazy cooking girl from The Café Sucre Farine has disappeared off the face of the earth? I don't blame you one bit. She hasn't disappeared permanently, just has been in the midst of the whirlwind. Scott and I are relocating from Raleigh, where we've lived for the past 37 years, to the mountains of North Carolina, near Asheville. We are back and forth between the two homes until we close on the Raleigh house in mid-August. Our personal belongings (including kitchen equipment) is divided between the two places and, on top of that, the mountain house is still without internet. Consequently, there hasn't been a lot of time and/or ability for cooking and blogging. I did manage, however, to make several batches of these super easy, super delicious Lemon Coconut Sugar Cookies last week. And when everyone fell in love after the first bite, I knew I had to share this recipe with you!
Let the kids loose with this easy cookie recipe!
In addition to making 11 trips to Asheville (4 hours from Raleigh) in the past few months, we've also had the pleasure of spending sweet time with our children and grandchildren. A few of the grandkids spent last week with us, and I had a wonderful assistant with these Lemon Coconut Sugar Cookies, our second oldest granddaughter, Elle.
Actually, in all fairness, I should probably call myself the assistant - Elle did most of the work in this baking endeavor. Either way, we had lots of fun together and she declared that these cookies were most "definitely blog-worthy" (the highest accolade possible at The Café kitchen).
Café Tips for making these Lemon Coconut Sugar Cookies
- Unlike most cookie recipes, you want to start with cold butter for these Lemon Coconut Sugar Cookies. You will partially melt the butter in the microwave (or on the stovetop). This is what makes it a one-bowl, no-mixer recipe. The butter has to be slightly liquid, but not completely melted, to create the right consistency for scooping and baking.
- These Lemon Coconut Sugar Cookies include the finely grated zest from two lemons. I use my Microplane zester/grater for this. It's a wonderful, inexpensive tool to have for zesting any kind of citrus; and it also works well for chocolate, garlic, ginger and more.
- Once the lemons are zested, go ahead and squeeze out all the juice. Zested citrus dries out quickly and you don't want to waste that delicious juice. You'll only need a tablespoon for the cookies, but lemon juice can be frozen for future use.
- If you like your cookies with crisp edges and chewy interiors, be careful to not overbake them. Remove them from the oven right when the edges are slightly golden (about 13-15 minutes). If you like your cookies crisp all the way through, bake them a few minutes longer.
- I like to use a cookie scoop for consistent size cookies. It makes scooping up the dough super quick and easy. I have a selection of different sized scoops so I can make small, medium or large cookies.
- The recipe calls for Demerara or Turbinado sugar to roll the balls of dough in before baking. These are both coarse sugars which give the cookies a little extra crunch. Feel free to use regular sugar if you don't have or can't find either of the coarser sugars. Demerara and Turbinado sugars can be found in most larger grocery stores in the same section as the granulated sugar.
Check out seasonal recipes we've posted in the past in July...
1 year ago - 10-Minute Summer Berry Galette
2 years ago - My Favorite Trick for Summer Herbs
3 years ago - Lemon, Garlic, and Rosemary Chicken Skewers
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Lemon Coconut Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup Demerara, Turbinado or raw sugar, for rolling
- 1 cup cold butter
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- finely grated zest from two medium-size lemons
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups flour
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Pour ½ cups Demerara or Turbinado sugar in a shallow bowl. You can use regular granulated sugar if you can't find Demerara or Turbinado. See Café Tips above.
- Place butter in a microwave-safe medium-large bowl and microwave on high power until partially melted, about 45 seconds. (see Café Tips above).
- Remove from microwave and add the 1 ½ cups sugar. Stir until well blended then add egg, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Stir again until the egg is completely incorporated.
- Sprinkle baking soda, baking powder, salt, flour, and coconut over the top of the butter mixture and stir just until all of the flour is incorporated. Be sure to check the bottom of the bowl to make sure all flour is mixed in.
- Scoop up the dough (I use a cookie scoop) into roll 2 tablespoon balls and roll them in the Demerara or Turbinado sugar. Place sugared balls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing approximately 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes or until just barely golden at the edges. Don't overbake. Allow to cool on the pan for 2-3 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
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Hello! I love love this recipe and have made many times! My question for you is can the batter be made a day ahead and refrigerated with baking the next day?? I'm asking because of the specific butter instructions.
Thank you
Ginny Franklin
Hi Ginny, so happy that you have enjoyed this recipe.
Regarding your question, it will work well to make the dough a day ahead and refrigerate then bake the next day. Enjoy!
I've been making this recipe for years and it's a top favorite among family and friends! So easy, so delicious. Thank you for sharing!
Wonderful! Thank you for letting us know, Alaina!
FIVE STARS! Wow, these are scrumpcious. Thank you!
Yay! Thanks for letting us know, Carol!
5-Star recipe! This will become one of my favorite recipes! I made them for church. I’m sure I’ll have some requests for the recipe.
They have the tang of the lemon that contrasts nicely with the crunch of the sugar. Yum!!
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Rebecca 🙂
Just made these yummy cookies , they taste lovely but ….. they did not go flat like biscuits!!
I rolled them into balls and placed on baking tray in oven …. They stayed in ball shaped lol
This is the first time this has happened to me …. Strange but still yummy
Hi Kathy, it's hard to say without having been right there in the kitchen with you. It sounds like too much flour but I can't say for sure.
I made these cookies and they're so good. They are soft on the inside with a little bit of a hard covering. I made them smaller so I would have more to go around.
Thanks so much, Trina!
Chris, can I omit the coconut? If so, will that alter the recipe?
Hi Amy, you could skip the coconut and they will still be delicious!
I have made these cookies twice and they were amazing! I loved the chewy but crispy texture. This will definitely go in my regular cookie baking rotation! As much as I love lemon, my kids have asked if this could be adapted to make a chocolate cookie (they love the chewy texture too but love chocolate)? Any suggestions how to do that? I wondered if a more experienced baker would know how to do this. Thanks in advance! Now off to try some of your other recipes!
Hi Rebecca, I would have to test this recipe with chocolate before I could give you advice on this. We do have these two recipes though, which are delicious!
https://thecafesucrefarine.com/flourless-toffee-chocolate-cookies/
https://thecafesucrefarine.com/chocolate-sugar-cookies/
Thanks, I will check them out!
Love Lemons🍋
I often ask for labels from you guys because your cookies are fun to bake and lots of choices and fun to give out as gifts. Is there a way you guys could just have a place we could choose labels from the recipes we choose?
Merci et Bonne Journée
With live from Montréal,Québec
Booge
Hi Booge,
There’s not, at this time. We don’t mind at all send you labels though for the recipes you request. I don’t have labels for all of my recipes, just the ones that mention it in the post.
Let me start off by saying that your cookie recipes are delightful. I have made many of them. I just made these cookies today and they did not turn out as well as expected. I live in Colorado at high altitude, so I ended up having to make a few adjustments. I original cookies made following the recipe produced cookie balls out of the oven. They did not spread at all. I attempted to flatten some of them before they went into the oven and that helped a little, but they were still too thick and dense. Not light like a lemon cookie should be. I ended up reducing the flour to 2.5 cups. That did the trick. They spread nicely in the oven and produced a cookie that was nice and crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. I wish there was a little more lemon flavor to it, so I might add a little more juice into the next batch.
Thank you, Dhipanee for your kind words. I'm so happy you share your adaptations for high altitude with us as I'm sure it will be helpful to other readers who live in the mountains. We live in the mountains of NC but are just at 2600 ft and the altitude does not seem to affect any of my baking.
Regarding the lemon flavor, you might want to add the zest of an additional lemon as adding juice might affect the texture of the cookies. Thanks again!
Tried these today! Yummy! Definitely printed recipe.
Thank you for the review, Angela!
Amazing and delicious cookies! The texture of the cookie is spot on and the flavor is absolutely delicious!! Can't beat a one-bowl recipe that comes out sooooo good!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Sarah 😊
Delightful and delicious! I'm a sucker for anything LEMON and these cookies hit the spot! Very easy to make and the results are great!
Thanks, Erin! So happy you had great results 💕
Wonderful cookie. I tripled lemon juice and added more coconut for extra punch and it worked well. I bet you could use lime if you don't have lemon. Try this recipe!!!
Thanks so much, Catherine, for sharing your results! Yes, I think these could be great with lime!
Great cookies! Just came out of the oven and are smelling delicious! Will definitely make them again!
Thanks, Lily! I appreciate your taking the time to leave a comment!
Delicious! I halved the recipe and it made 24 with my small cookie scoop. I accidentally added the full amount of lemon juice but they still turned out great! Thank you- will definitely bake these again!
Yay! So happy you enjoyed these cookies, Marie! Thanks so much for sharing your results!
A new favorite of my 94 year old Dad. Made them twice already! Definitely better with fresh lemon juice and I used unsweetened coconut both times. Easy and reliable recipe 😊
That is so sweet that you make cookies for your dad! I know he loves that! Thanks for sharing your review, Bernie!
I was looking for a “different” cookie recipe that used ingredients I had on hand, and I found it! Delicious! I looked at a lot of lemon-coconut recipes before I settled on this one. There were recipes that called for chilling the dough, recipes that called for toasting the coconut, recipes that only made 20 cookies...this one was just right. It’s a keeper!
Yay! Thanks so much, Sally, for taking the time to share your results! I'm so happy you enjoyed these cookies. We love them too!
If you are looking for a different cookie, you have to try these. I have never eaten a sugar cookie like these. Easy to make. Great recipe.
Thanks, Debbie! We love these cookies too!
I just made a batch! I switch the lemon for lime (because that’s what I had in the house), and they turned out great! Love this recipe!
Yum, lime sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing your results, Rebecca!
They tasted really great - but for some reason the dough was too crumbly to roll into balls. I followed the recipe exactly but it seemed like it needed a little liquid so I could roll them?
Hi Gaye, It's hard to say what the problem is without having been right there in the kitchen with you, Gaye. Your flour measurement might have been a bit heavy. Did you stir the flour to lighten it before scooping? Not doing that can sometimes cause the dough to be crumbly as you'll end up with too much flour.
Just finished baking these, and they look and smell fabulous. Your recipe was spot on with timing and as easy a cookie recipe I can remember making ( and I make alot of late night cookies after work). Can't wait to taste them.
Yay! So happy you had success with these, Kelly! Hope you enjoy them!
Baked cookies for my grandchildren today. Yummy.
First batch, thought dough balls would melt and flatten in oven but it stayed puffy. I flattened the second batch, came out a bit crunchy, but still good.
Recipe a keeper for me.
Will have to email copy of recipe when I get home to South Africa to my grandsons in NZ, so they can get baking.
Thanks so much, Deidre, for sharing your results. I'm so happy you enjoyed them and I love that this recipe is traveling round the world!
Was searching for a thin lemon coconut cookie and this worked out great! I chilled the batter in the fridge a few minutes so they wouldn’t spread too thin but they did anyway. Mine turned out much flatter than yours but that’s what I wanted- crispy thin with chewy center! Yum 😋
Family enjoyed them very much- re Ike is a keeper- thank you!
So happy to hear you enjoyed these cookies, Rebecca! Thanks for taking the time to let us know!
I made these last night. They taste ok and I like the crunch of the sugar, but they don't have the texture or appearance that yours do. I'm not sure what went wrong--I followed the recipe exactly with the possible exception of the coconut. The coconut I used is the larger "chips" that I get at Kroger (unsweetened Simple Truth organic coconut chips). Maybe the coconut wasn't moist enough or was too large. I made the first pan of cookies too big. The balls of dough never settled--they baked up as big, kind of dense puffs that never flattened out as they cooled. I made the rest smaller, and flattened them out a little before putting them in the oven, but they turned out just the same--a little dense without any of the crackled appearance you get when a cookie cools and flattens. I just had two for breakfast and I can tell they are going to dry out quickly. They already feel like a cookie that was baked days ago, rather than just last night. I know it is next to impossible to diagnose the problem from an online comment, and since nobody else seems to have had a problem, I will assume I did something wrong. I think I should have sifted and weighed the flour rather than just do a dip into the flour canister and then level it off. It's the only thing I can think of.
Hi Terri, so sorry these didn't turn out well for you. You're right, it's almost impossible to say what went wrong without having been right there in the kitchen with you. I hope you try them again and have great results!
I just made these and they are DELICIOUS and super easy. I slightly underbaked them for 13 minutes as per the instructions and they came out perfectly slightly crisp on the edges and soft in the middle. Will definitely make these again. Thanks for sharing!
Yay!! So happy you enjoyed them, Angela! Thanks so much for sharing your results.
Cookies turned out great! I would also try not rolling in sugar but drizzling with a lemon glacé instead for stronger lemon taste.
Thanks, Marilyn! So happy you enjoyed them!
HEllo,
the recipe seems attractive, just that I don't eat egg and would like to make it eggfree coconut cookie, so what do I replace egg with?
Hi Tanima, I am not an egg-free cook so I'm sorry to say I can't advise you on this. But I know there are lots of blogs out there that specialize in restricted diets.
Egg Substitute:
https://www.pccmarkets.com/taste/2013-03/egg_substitutes/
I just ran to the store to grab 2 lkemons this recipe looks ssooooosooosos good! Will update on the "YUMMY" factor.
THANX Chris!!!!!
Enjoy!
Wonderful recipe. So easy and oh so good. Did not roll in sugar - was sweet enough without it. May add some lemon glaze next time as I like tart lemon taste. Will definitely be making this over and over again.
What do you think of substituting coconut oil for the butter? I bake a lot of cookies and am always looking for new recipes.
Hi Mary, I would guess that would work but I haven't tried that so I don't want to say for sure.
I made these a few days ago. I wish I had made them sooner they are that good! It's not often a recipe description is exactly what you get when you yourself make the recipe, but the description of crunchy edges and chewy centers is perfect, and the best kind of cookie. And without eating any of the dough, I got exactly 38 cookies with the cookie scoop. Amazing. Add in lemon and coconut . . . delicious! Here is the funny part: When I was mixing up the dough with my three-year old little boy helper, I wondered why the dough was so crumbly. I wondered how I was supposed to scoop it into dough balls to bake. I scrutinized the recipe again to see if I had misread the directions, and there it was, ONE cup of butter. That means TWO sticks, not one! So, wondering no more, I lightly microwaved the second stick and stirred it into my crumbly dough and it was much better, and scoopable! My helper rolled them in the sugar and plopped them on the tray. I love it when he asks if he can have one of those lemon cookies after his lunch!
I love that you have a little cooking helper, Sarah! You are not only having fun but teaching him life-long lessons. Thanks for sharing your review, so happy you enjoyed these cookies as much as we do!
This cookie is incredible. I didn't have time to make several batches of "cookies" so I made them as sheet pan cookies with the raw sugar sprinkled on top -- cooked for 22 minutes and cut into squares after they cooled. They turned out beautiful.
What a great idea, Kellie! Thanks so much for sharing your results and technique, it sounds wonderful.
I will be baking these for ME! No one in my family eats coconut, but who cares. They look delicious. Where have I been not knowing about your move? I know! It have been babysitting my year old grandson.
Love the flavors in these crisp & chewy cookies, Chris! After being so long in one home, that move must be bittersweet. But how exciting for another fresh start! I wish you lots of happiness in your new place! 🙂
Heaven in a cookie! Could not have been easier to make. Great lemon and coconut flavor. I did not roll in sugar and thought they were plenty sweet without. Also, wasn't sure about flattening on the tray before baking so some I flattened and some I did not - no need to flatten. Everyone loved them and I will be sharing this blog post so they have the recipe. A perfect addition to my cookie repertoire. Thank you for taking the time away from your move to post - I hope the final push to Asheville goes easy.
I keep making these and they keep disappearing! An incredibly easy and delicious cookie. I hate to share the recipe because then my friends know how easy they are to make - but I do share, because perhaps they will make some for me!
Beautiful cookies, Chris! I can never resist a lemon dessert 🙂
Perfect combination!! I really love coconut when it comes to sweets. Actually I love coconut in any way. Coconut water is very healthy. Ok no more coconut talk. Your cookies look amazing!! I bet they're delicious. Lovely recipe.
Haha! Thank so much Susana, hope you enjoy them!
I just finished making these and they are delicately delicious!
But just an FYI, you don’t include directive for when to add the lemon zest and juice. I had originally sent these to my daughter who noticed , so I baked them for her instead. 🍪
Thanks so much, Miriam! I have amended the recipe to include the lemon zest and juice!
Thank you so much! My 81 yr old mom also bakes for the nuns at her church so this will make it easier for her too when I fwd the recipe.
These are scrumptious! My husband does not care for anything lemon or coconut but keeps sneaking into the cookie jar for these 😁
Really like your site and look fwd to finding more goodies within!!
What a delicious combination Chris! And what a beautiful little kitchen assistant!
Correction needed in Metric conversion: 1 cup shredded coconut = 100 g, not 237 g!
Thanks, Janette! I have a recipe plugin that does the converting. It looks like they were off on this one!
They look amazing, Chris! How wonderful that you had the lovely, young lady to help you. What a sweetheart! Our lives have been very hectic too with our house rehab going on this past month that I've only had time for the most important extracurricular activities...my family, grandchildren and golf with my husband during are far-too-short Midwest summer 🙂 Wishing you and Scott an easy closing and move ahead!
Lemon and coconut is a winning combination, so I know I'll love these pretty cookies! So excited to see more of your new home/area 🙂
I'm not seeing when you added the zest and the juice to the recipe.
Thanks, Misti, I have added that to the recipe.
When I heard coconut, I knew I'd love these! I love that you're passing along your love of baking to your grandchildren. So far, my kids just have a love of eating 😉 Good luck with the transition!!
These look Amazing! So great to see your name pop up in my inbox.
Just a question about rolling the balls in sugar. I read about that step in your post but then didn't see it in the recipe so just clarifying that you roll the whole ball in the demerara sugar before baking?
And lastly do you flatten the balls pre baking or do they flatten themselves?
Can't wait to try them, my lemon tree just produced it's first lemons ever!
I bet you're going to love the mountains - Asheville is a pretty phenomenal place and Ed and I often talk about living there. But who can leave the kids and grandkids behind? Anyway - love the cookies, the flavor, the texture and your beautiful granddaughter. Happy moving!
Hi, Chris--
Best wishes on your move.
I'm eager to try these cookies but am not sure when to roll them in the sugar. The sugar looks like a pleasingly crunchy addition.
Thank you,
Susan from Ohio
Thanks so much, Susan! I added the sugar step, thanks for noticing.
I would have been a tad worried about you, but I knew you are moving. So is this to be closer to where your family has moved? I do hope you can get a really good internet connection!! Now I want cookies immediately!
I'm so excited about your move Chris, and I can't wait to see what you whip up in your new mountain kitchen! I'm amazed that you were able to make anything, much less these gorgeous cookies, with all that you've got going on ~ good luck!!
These cookies look crisp yet chewy..reminds me of my favourite oatmeal cookies, only better because of coconut :-))