Coconut Caramel Cookies With Chocolate Chips

Name: Coconut Caramel Cookies With Chocolate Chips
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons; 1 cup light brown sugar; 1/4 cup sugar; 2 eggs; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon Kosher salt (3/4 tsp if using salted butter); 1 - 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips; 1 cup shredded coconut; 3/4 cup chopped caramels or caramel bits

Jump to Recipe

These coconut caramel cookies are the best way to satisfy a sweet tooth! They feature toasted coconut, melted caramel, and rich chocolate to create an amazing flavor combination.

A stack of four coconut caramel cookies.

Jump to:

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

These caramel coconut chocolate chip cookies are similar to the iconic cookies at Levain Bakery in New York City. The Levain Bakery caramel coconut chocolate chip cookie is a newer flavor on the menu that many claim to be the best cookies! This Levain-style cookie resembles the one you know and love with a crispy exterior with the iconic gooey center.
The flavor combination is also similar to the well-loved Caramel deLites/Samoas girl scout cookie.
These are big cookies that use simple ingredients needed for basic chocolate chip cookies with the addition of coconut and caramel.
They have the perfect balance of sweet and salty with the addition of Maldon sea salt flakes on top!
These cookies are fun to take to a gathering during the holiday seasons and also make for the perfect gift.

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients needed for coconut caramel cookies.

Unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons - there is no need to wait around to have room temperature butter for this recipe, you can use cold butter! The trick is to cut it into tablespoons and then beat it on high until fluffy.
Light brown sugar
White sugar
Eggs
Vanilla extract - we love to buy a large bottle of vanilla from Costco.
All-purpose flour - no need to buy additional types of flour like cake flour or bread flour to make a flour mixture for this recipe. AP flour is all you'll need.
Baking soda
Kosher salt - if you are using salted butter you can reduce the amount of salt to ¾ tsp.
Chocolate chips - semisweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, or milk chocolate chips will work in this recipe. We prefer to use semisweet or dark to provide a little bit of contrast to the additional sweetness that comes from adding the caramel to this recipe.
Shredded coconut - you can use unsweetened or sweetened coconut. Coconut flakes will work too, just make sure you don't use coconut chips as they will not incorporate as well into the cookie base. The chewy coconut provides a light coconut flavor that is not too strong or overpowering and also adds a great texture to the cookies.
Chopped caramels or caramel bits - Kraft caramels are the easiest way to add caramel to this recipe. You can buy the large soft caramels that come individually wrapped and cut them into small pieces, or the Kraft caramel bits that come unwrapped in small spheres. You usually can find these at a regular grocery store. If you aren't a fan of chewy caramel in a cookie but want the caramel flavor, you can also try using caramel chips or toffee bits instead.

See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.

Equipment You’ll Need

Cookie sheets/baking tray
Parchment paper*
Measuring cups and spoons
Electric mixer, such as a Kitchenaid* - we recommend this over an electric hand mixer as the dough is very stiff and heavy.
Kitchen scale* or cookie scoop*

Step by Step Directions

For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

A large mixing bowl with butter that has been cut into tablespoons.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper for easy clean up.

Next, unwrap the butter, cut it into tablespoons, and place it into the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl. There is no need to soften the butter for this recipe! By cutting it into small pieces, the mixer can cream butter for you without having to soften it beforehand. Using the colder butter also creates a stiffer dough that better holds its shape when baking. Use the paddle attachment on medium-high speed to mix the butter until it is light in color and fluffy with no lumps. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl in between steps to ensure all ingredients are incorporated well.

A large mixing bowl with creamed butter and white sugar and brown sugar.

Add the brown and white sugar to the bowl. Cream the butter and sugar for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture is airy and fluffy.

A large mixing bowl with creamed butter and sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

Next, add the eggs and vanilla. Mix until just combined.

A large bowl with the dry ingredients needed for the cookies.

Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

A large mixing bowl with the dry ingredients added to the wet ingredients of the cookies.

Mix together on low speed until the wet and dry ingredients are just combined.

A large mixing bowl with coconut, chocolate chips, and caramel bits added to the cookie dough.

Add the semisweet chocolate chips, coconut, and caramel to the dough. Pulse the mixer on a low speed until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.

A parchment-lined baking sheet with 6 cookie dough balls.

Divide the chocolate chip cookie dough into pieces about 3-ounces in size (if you don't have a scale to measure exactly, this is about 2 scoops from this cookie scoop*). This recipe should yield about 18, 3-oz cookies.

Bake 6 cookies at a time on one baking sheet to ensure there is enough room for the cookies without them running into each other. When you place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, do not flatten them or shape them in your hands. Keep the dough “rough-looking,” “stacked,” and upright to maintain the structure of the cookie. To make the cookies more decorative, place a few chocolate chips on top of the cookies before baking.

An overhead shot of baked coconut caramel cookies.

Place in the preheated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until there are a few spots that are golden brown on top.

Do not over bake. These cookies are best just slightly golden brown and still gooey in the middle. You can place the other unbaked cookies on the cookie sheet in the fridge while the other sheets are baking to prevent the last batch from spreading more.

Once the cookies are removed from the oven, sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired. We love Maldon sea salt flakes*!

Let the cookies cool on a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Tips & Variations

Please note that the caramel bits can be sticky on the bottom of the cookies when trying to move them from the pan to the cooling rack (even with using parchment paper). To help with this, you can check each cookie dough ball before placing it on the baking sheet and make sure no caramel bits will be exposed to the pan or wait until the cookies are cooled to move them.
If you place caramel bits on the top of the cookie dough balls, make sure it is in the center of the cookie so that it doesn't run off when baking.
For additional decoration, you can melt some chocolate chips and add a chocolate drizzle across the top of each cookie.
If you don't like chewy caramel in your cookies you can swap the caramel for caramel chips (similar to chocolate chips but caramel flavored) or toffee bits.
If you want a stronger coconut flavor you can add a little bit of coconut extract.

FAQ

How should I store the cookies?

For optimal freshness, we recommend storing the cookies in an airtight container or ziploc bag in the freezer. Then when ready to eat, remove a cookie and let it thaw before eating. You can also store in a ziploc bag on the counter. We would recommend eating them within 2-3 days for the best quality.

Is it (GF/DF/V/VG)?

These cookies are not gluten-free, dairy-free, or vegan. They are vegetarian.

If you like this recipe, check out…

If you make these coconut caramel cookies, please let us know how they turn out in the comments below and/or rate the recipe! Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram to show us your finished product. It makes our day every time we see you trying the recipes we love!