These soft-textured, light coconut-flavored cookies are ideal for accompanying a hot drink on these Autumn days when temperatures are beginning to drop.

At home, we usually eat cookies along with coffee after lunch, so I decided to start experimenting with more cookie and biscuits recipes. One of these experiments was these cookies made only with coconut flour, and therefore gluten-free, which everyone enjoyed a lot.

The original recipe of this blog called them cookies but they are more like flattened cakes with a slight coconut flavor, because they have a fluffy texture and less crunch than cookies.

  

Ingredients for these coconut cookies

Apart from coconut flour, which many may not have in their pantry, all other ingredients are quite common and affordable: eggs, sugar, butter, baking powder, vanilla and milk.

Anyone wanting to intensify the coconut flavor can substitute the milk for coconut milk (drink from carton), and instead of butter use only coconut oil - about 2 to 3 tablespoons - but in this case it is best before shaping the cookies, to place the preparation at least half an hour in the refrigerator so that it's firmer to handle.

Coconut flour vs shredded coconut

For many who are not yet familiar with this flour widely used in low-carb, paleo and gluten-free diets, coconut flour is not the same as shredded coconut.

This flour is a byproduct resulting from the manufacture of coconut milk, where after the dried coconut pulp is pressed, it is dehydrated at low temperature and then finely ground.
Coconut flour is particularly absorbent and a very small amount of flour absorbs a very large amount of liquid. The best way to counteract this absorption effect is to add moist elements to the recipe, notably many eggs. The protein in the egg whites helps to provide structure, while yolks provide moisture.

Shredded coconut, as the name implies, is the white flesh of fresh fruit that is simply grated. As it is no longer processed, grated coconut has more moisture, so what is made with this ingredient in addition to having more texture always is less dry in its consistency.

How to make

When it comes to preparing these coconut cookies, it is a relatively quick and simple process. We start by mixing the butter and sugar, then adding the liquid elements: eggs, milk (can be animal or vegetable milk) and vanilla.

Then we add the dry ingredients: coconut flour and baking powder, wrapping until a shapeable dough forms from which we create about 12 small balls.

We distribute the 12 balls in a baking tray (previously greased or covered with a silicone film or parchment paper), and then by hand or with the help of some utensil (I used the bottom of a large glass), we flatten the balls giving them the shape of cookies.

Coconut flour soft cookies Recipe

60 gr of coconut flour
100 gr of sugar
2 eggs (small) or 1 large egg
60 gr of butter
1 tsp milk
½ tsp vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt

1. Beat butter with sugar until it becomes creamy.
2. Add the eggs one by one.
3. Add the milk and vanilla.
4. In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt.
5. Gradually wrap the flour mixture in the egg, butter and sugar preparation.
6. Using your hands, form small balls of dough, and then flatten them into a circular shape.
7. Place them on a tray, and bake at 190ºC for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they begin to brown in the edges.