Coconut Biscuits

Name: Coconut Biscuits
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 125 grams desiccated coconut (unsweetened) ((1 1/2 cups)); 215 grams caster sugar (superfine sugar) ((1 cup)); 2 medium-sized (60 gram) eggs ((100 ml whisked egg))

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Looking for the ultimate Coconut Biscuits Recipe? That was me, too. Until I found this one!

coconut biscuits on plate with Royal Albert jug in background.

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The (perfect) recipe for Coconut Biscuits
Ingredient notes
How to make Coconut Biscuits
Variation ideas
Recipe FAQs
Coconut Biscuits

The (perfect) recipe for Coconut Biscuits

I have to admit my expectations weren't high when I first found this recipe in Nana Ling's handwritten cookbook. It just seemed too simple. Way too easy.

But these biscuits blew me away!

Yum!

The recipe produces a sweet biscuit with a crunchy shell, chewy centre and plenty of coconut goodness.

You'll also love this recipe because it's super easy, takes just 5 minutes to whip up the mixture and the baking time is just 15 minutes.

If you're a fan of coconut biscuits, it's definitely worth investing 20 minutes of your day to create a batch of Nana Ling's old fashioned coconut biscuits.

Okay, have I sold you?

Let's get going with the recipe.

Pictured above is Nana Ling's easy 3-ingredient recipe. I've made a few tiny tweaks, including the oven temperature, so keep scrolling to find the recipe card at the bottom of this post rather than relying on the original recipe pictured below. Plus you'll find plenty of useful tips in the updated recipe.

Ingredient notes

The ingredients you'll need are:

desiccated coconut – the unsweetened variety
caster sugar – also known as superfine sugar
eggs – fresh is best and always try to use eggs at room temperature when baking.

That's right. This is a 3-ingredient recipe!

The ingredient measurements can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

(No coconut in the cupboard? Make Meringue Kisses instead with just sugar and egg whites.)

How to make Coconut Biscuits

The method is simple. Super, super simple.

It's all in the recipe card below.

But I'm going to run through it all here too in detail (there aren't many!)

Prepping

Pre-heat the oven to moderate (180 degrees celsius/355 degrees fahrenheit).

(Yes, Nana Ling's original recipe says bake in a hot oven but I found a hot oven burnt the biscuits. Moderate is perfect.)

Grease the baking trays. You'll need two of them.

Mixing

Place the coconut and sugar into a mixing bowl and whisk together to combine well.

Beat the eggs lightly and add to the mixture.

Mix well with a wooden spoon to form a soft, dough-like consistency.

Spoon out the mixture (about a tablespoon) and shape into small balls.

TIP: If the mixture is too soft to form balls, add a little extra coconut or place in the fridge for 15 minutes before attempting to roll again.

You should end up with about 18 balls in total.

Place at least 5cm apart on the baking trays. This leaves room for the biscuits to spread.

Baking

Okay, into the pre-heated oven they go.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Allow these biscuits to cool completely on the trays.

TIP: Use a spatula to gently lift the biscuits from the tray if necessary.

Variation ideas

This is absolutely my go-to recipe. It's quick, easy and the results are excellent.

It reminded me of a principle one of my first bosses used to remind me of regularly, the KISS ("Keep it simple, stupid") principle.

It really does pay to cut out unnecessary complexity and do it the simple way.

However, if you do want to switch things up a bit, here are some ideas for how you can adapt this recipe:

Substitute the sugar with a sugar sweetener. I haven't tried this myself, so I'd love to hear from you in the comments below if you do try this substitution.
Add some lemon zest when adding the egg for lemon coconut biscuits.
Drizzle some melted chocolate over the biscuits once they are cooled for some added indulgence.

Recipe FAQs

How long will these biscuits keep?

Store biscuits in an airtight container for up to a week.

Can you freeze these biscuits?

Freeze biscuits for up to 3 months. Make sure biscuits are completely cooled before wrapping individually and freezing in an airtight container.

And if you love this recipe, you might also like one of these recipes: Coconut Ice, Coconut Cake, Mars Bar Slice, Jelly Slice, Chocolate Ripple Cake, Cornflake Cookies, Cream Scones, Iced Vovos and Honey Joys.