Looking for the ultimate Coconut Biscuits Recipe? That was me, too. Until I found this one!
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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
Store biscuits in an airtight container for up to a week.
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.
Coconut Biscuits
Equipment
- 2 baking trays
Ingredients
- 125 grams desiccated coconut (unsweetened) (1 ½ cups)
- 215 grams caster sugar (superfine sugar) (1 cup)
- 2 medium-sized (60 gram) eggs (100 ml whisked egg)
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to moderate (180 degrees celsius/355 degrees fahrenheit).
- Grease baking trays.
- Place coconut and sugar into a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Beat eggs lightly and add to the mixture. Mix well with a wooden spoon to form a soft, dough-like consistency.
- Spoon out mixture (about a tablespoon) and shape into small balls. (See tip 2 below if your mixture isn't holding together.) Place at least 5cm apart on baking trays.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 180 degrees celsius (fan-forced).
- Allow to cool completely in trays.
Video
Notes
- Make sure you use unsweetened desiccated coconut rather than shredded coconut or coconut flakes.
- If 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.
- Use a spatula to gently lift the biscuits from the tray if necessary.
Elizabeth
When you stated fan forced, did you mean using a convection oven or an air fryer?
Libby Hakim
An oven 🙂
Carolyn
Hi Libby
I was in Australia recently and visited your area of Maitland, it made me a clear picture of where you do the trying and testing. keep up the lovely baking
Adam
Great recipe, but I keep having them come out looking like fried eggs. All spread out lol. Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?
Libby Hakim
Hi Adam. Sorry about that! I've tested and re-tested this recipe and am still struggling to pinpoint why some people have problems. Spreading too quickly normally means - mixture too "wet" (add more coconut), you didn't pre-heat oven or the temp is too low.
Marisa
I made these and you cannot stop at one!! Super easy, delicious and fast.
Baking paper and let cool definately recommended. Thank you
Libby Hakim
Awesome - thanks for the review and feedback, Marisa. Enjoy!
Cookie muncher
Don't know why, as I followed the recipe to the letter, but the biscuits stuck like glue to the greased trays. Do you think baking paper would help?
Libby Hakim
Thanks for the feedback. I'll be re-testing this one again soon and will test both methods. Thanks again!
Daz
I used baking paper today and they came off easily. The biscuits tasted ok, not quite how I remember them as a kid though.
Scarlet
soo easy and fast
Libby Hakim
Awesome - thanks for the rating and review, Scarlet 🙂
Marina
I loved the recipe. The cookies turned light and tasty. Will definitely add it to my go to recipes. Thank you!
Libby Hakim
You're very welcome! Happy cooking, Marina 🙂
glynis
Made these and dipped the base in dark chocolate,- then ate them all- YUM! YUM!
Libby Hakim
Oh, thanks for the great idea, Glynis! Enjoy x
Roxanne
My whole family loves these
Libby Hakim
Yay! Thanks for the rating and review, Roxanne. Keep enjoying the biscuits!
Bernard Spilsbury
What is a hot oven? Please state a temperature in Centigrade.
Libby Hakim
Hi Bernard. I've just updated this recipe. I use a moderate oven instead of hot (as in the original recipe) and this is now noted more clearly in the recipe. A moderate oven is 180 degrees celsius/355 degrees fahrenheit. Thanks for the question. Happy cooking!
Cate
Lovely,
Thanks for a great recipe, these biscuits are lovely, I just used only 1/4 cup of sugar (as I don’t have a very sweet tooth) they are sooo good. I love anything with coconut.
Libby Hakim
You're welcome, Cate 🙂 I might try these with less sugar, too. Thanks for the feedback and rating. Much appreciated 🙂