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Coconut Biscuits

Crunchy, chewy and soft all wrapped into one biscuit – and only 3 ingredients. A brillliant Coconut Biscuits recipe.
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coconut biscuits on plate.

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.

The (perfect) recipe for Coconut Biscuits

I’ve tried countless recipes over the years, some quite fiddly, searching for the perfect biscuit (or coconut macaroon as they are sometimes called).

However, I’ve never quite been satisfied with my coconut creations.

Until now.

I’ve been trying too hard, it seems! 

Here, I’ve used my Nana Ling’s easy 3-ingredient recipe.

(With 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 I’ve added a few useful tips.)

coconut biscuits recipe

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.

Ingredients for Easy Coconut Biscuits

The ingredients you’ll need are:

  • desiccated coconut (unsweetened)
  • caster sugar (superfine sugar)
  • eggs.

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.

coconut biscuits ingredients

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.

how to make coconut biscuits

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.

Enjoying your Coconut Biscuits

  • 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.
coconut biscuits

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.

If you love the recipe, please leave a rating or comment below. Thanks! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This recipe is another of Nana Ling’s handwritten recipes that stands the test of time.

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 on plate.

Coconut Biscuits

Crunchy, chewy and soft all wrapped into one biscuit – and only 3 ingredients. A brillliant Coconut Biscuits recipe.
4.80 from 70 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American, Australian, British
Keyword: coconut biscuits
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 18 biscuits
Calories: 99kcal

Equipment

  • 2 baking trays

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)

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

RECIPE TIPS
  1. Make sure you use unsweetened desiccated coconut rather than shredded coconut or coconut flakes.
  2. 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.
  3. Use a spatula to gently lift the biscuits from the tray if necessary.

Nutrition

Calories: 99kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 45mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 26IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Recipe Rating




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glynis

Thursday 21st of September 2023

Made these and dipped the base in dark chocolate,- then ate them all- YUM! YUM!

Libby Hakim

Thursday 21st of September 2023

Oh, thanks for the great idea, Glynis! Enjoy x

Roxanne

Sunday 3rd of September 2023

My whole family loves these

Libby Hakim

Sunday 3rd of September 2023

Yay! Thanks for the rating and review, Roxanne. Keep enjoying the biscuits!

Bernard Spilsbury

Sunday 20th of August 2023

What is a hot oven? Please state a temperature in Centigrade.

Libby Hakim

Saturday 26th of August 2023

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

Wednesday 7th of June 2023

Lovely,

Thanks for a great recipe, these biscuits are lovely, I just used only 1/4 cup of sugar (as I donโ€™t have a very sweet tooth) they are sooo good. I love anything with coconut.

Libby Hakim

Wednesday 7th of June 2023

You're welcome, Cate :) I might try these with less sugar, too. Thanks for the feedback and rating. Much appreciated :)

Taratan

Sunday 28th of May 2023

These sound easy, quick and delicious. I'm wondering if they can be made ahead. How long will they keep in an airtight container? Thanks!

Libby Hakim

Sunday 28th of May 2023

Hi. Yes, they should last about a week if stored in an airtight container. I'll add that info to the post when I'm updating it. Thanks!

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