Description
These Lemon Coconut Butter Cookies are buttery, tender, and packed with bright citrus flavor and sweet coconut. Made with fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and finely chopped shredded coconut, they bake into delicate cookies with lightly golden edges and a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Finished with a smooth lemon glaze and optional toasted coconut garnish, these homemade cookies are a delicious treat for holidays, cookie trays, and special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Cookie Dough:
- 226 g (1 cup / 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 90 g (3/4 cup) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp coconut extract
- 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
- 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 281 g (2 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
- 80 g (1 cup) sweetened shredded coconut, finely chopped
- For the Lemon Glaze & Garnish:
- 120 g (1 cup) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp whole milk
- Optional Garnish: Toasted shredded coconut and fresh lemon zest
Instructions
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the powdered sugar, pure vanilla extract, coconut extract, and fresh lemon zest, beating until light and smooth.
- Combine Dry Mix, Juice, and Coconut: Add the fresh lemon juice, salt, all-purpose flour, and finely chopped sweetened shredded coconut. Mix on low speed. The dough will appear crumbly at first before gathering into a smooth, cohesive dough.
- Chill Dough for 30 Minutes: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes until firm enough to roll cleanly.
- Preheat Oven and Portion Dough: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll tablespoon-sized portions (~15 g each) of dough into smooth balls and arrange them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake Until Bottom Edges Are Golden: Bake for 14–15 minutes, or until the bottom edges turn a delicate light golden brown while the tops remain pale.
- Cool and Set: Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before glazing.
- Glaze and Garnish: In a small bowl, whisk together the 120 g powdered sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of whole milk until smooth and glossy. Spoon the glaze over completely cooled cookies, top with optional toasted shredded coconut and fresh lemon zest, and let set for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Chop Coconut Finely: Finely chopping the sweetened shredded coconut ensures the dough holds together into smooth, compact balls without stray strands poking out and scorching in the oven.
- Cool Cookies FULLY Before Glazing: If cookies are even slightly warm, the thin powdered sugar glaze will melt into liquid and run off onto the cooling rack instead of forming an opaque white shell.
- Use Fresh Lemon Juice and Zest: Avoid bottled lemon juice. Fresh lemon juice provides clean acidity, while fresh zest supplies the aromatic oils essential for genuine citrus flavor.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 125
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 20mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 15mg