Caramel Coconut Crunch Cookies

Caramel coconut crunch cookies are truly unique! Made with brown butter, toasted shredded coconut, caramel, and crushed cornflakes, these cookies are crispy, chewy, and packed with toasty and nutty flavor.

Caramel Coconut Crunch Cookie Ingredients

• Brown butter: Brown butter is butter that has been cooked to the point that the milk solids brown and take on a toasty, nutty flavor. It compliments the other flavors in these cookies perfectly! Check out my blog post on How to Make Brown Butter.
• Brown sugar: Brown sugar adds sweetness, chewiness, and a more complex molasses flavor. For this recipe, we are only adding brown sugar, no granulated sugar.
• Eggs: Be sure your eggs are at room temperature for easy creaming.
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract adds a great flavor and compliments the brown butter flavor.
• All-purpose flour: Be sure to level off the flour when measuring. I like to use the back of a knife.
• Baking soda & baking powder: Both are used as leavening agents. Baking soda helps the cookies spread and causes the cookies to brown and baking powder helps the cookies rise.
• Salt: Salt enhances the flavor of the cookies.
• Coconut: Use shredded sweetened coconut. Toast the coconut before adding to the cookie dough. Simply spread the shredded coconut on a baking tray and toast for 10 minutes in a 350 degree F oven. Give the coconut a stir halfway through so that it toasts evenly and does not burn.
• Cornflakes: For another layer of crunch, I add crushed cornflakes to the cookie dough. The best way to crush the cornflakes is to pour them into a sealing plastic sandwich bag and gently crush them with your hand. We are looking to break up the cornflakes slightly, but not finely grinding them.
• Caramel bits: Caramel bits are life changing! Caramel bits are small, spherical bits of chewy caramel that are perfect for cookies. Prior to discovering them, I used to tediously unwrap and cut caramel squares. These bits cut down on time and effort!

How to Make Brown Butter

Brown butter is simple to make and adds toasty, nutty flavor to the cookies. I have a blog post dedicated to brown butter I recommend checking out! Here are the steps to make brown butter.

1. Place the butter in a medium-sized pan and melt over medium-low heat.
2. Continue to cook the butter stirring occasionally. The butter will start to foam.
3. The milk solids in the butter will start to turn a golden brown color. Continue mixing so the milk solids do not burn.
4. Once you achieve a nice, medium brown color, remove the brown butter from the stove and transfer to a heat-safe bowl.
5. Allow the brown butter to come to room temperature. Then, transfer to the refrigerator to firm up the butter. We are looking for a soft, peanut butter-like texture.

If you desire, you can make the brown butter a day ahead to streamline the cookie making process. The day of, simply pull the butter out of the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. The butter should be soft prior to creaming with the brown sugar.

How to Make the Caramel Coconut Crunch Cookies

The cookie dough can be made using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer.

1. Combine brown butter and brown sugar and cream on medium speed until light and fluffy.
2. Add in eggs and vanilla extract. Continue to mix until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
4. On low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
5. Add in toasted coconut, crushed cornflakes, and caramel bits. Mix on low speed or fold in using a spatula.
6. Portion the dough using a cookie scoop or kitchen scale. Chill the portioned out dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line baking sheet trays with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
8. Place cookie dough on the baking sheet trays allowing space in between the dough for spreading. Bake for approximately 12 minutes. Be careful not to overbake.
9. Remove cookies from the oven and cool the cookies on the baking tray for about 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Caramel Coconut Crunch Cookies

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Chill Time 30 minutes mins

Yield: 3 dozen

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Caramel coconut crunch cookies are unique and delicious. With the flavors of toasted coconut, brown butter, and caramel, these cookies are delicious and have an extra crunch with the special ingredient – cornflakes! These cookies are hard to resist!

Equipment

• Stand mixer or electric hand mixer

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

US CustomaryMetric

• ▢ 1 ¼ cups unsalted butter to make brown butter
• ▢ 1 ¾ cups light brown sugar
• ▢ 2 eggs room temperature
• ▢ 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 tsp baking soda
• ▢ ½ tsp baking powder
• ▢ 1 tsp salt
• ▢ 2 ¾ cups all purpose flour
• ▢ 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut toasted
• ▢ 1 cup cornflakes cereal crushed
• ▢ 1 cup caramel bits

Instructions

Brown Butter

• Place butter in a medium pan on the stove over medium heat. Continue to heat butter until it is fully melted.
• Once the butter is melted, gently stir the butter with a spatula and continue to cook. The butter will begin to turn a brown color and foam. Continue to mix.
• Remove from the heat and carefully pour into a heat proof bowl. Allow butter to cool to room temperature. Once the butter is at room temperature, place in refrigerator to chill. Chill until the butter is soft but solid.

Caramel Coconut Crunch Cookies

• In a mixing bowl, combine brown butter and light brown sugar. Using an electric hand mixer on medium speed, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs and vanilla extract and continue to mix on medium speed until fully combined.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined with the wet ingredients.
• Add in toasted shredded coconut, crushed cornflakes, and caramel bits. Mix on the lowest speed until combined or fold into the cookie dough until dispersed.
• Scoop the dough using a cookie scoop. Do not roll the balls.
• Place the dough balls onto a tray and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
• While your dough is chilling, preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking tray with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
• Place chilled cookie dough balls on cookie sheet, giving them space to spread and double in width.
• Bake in oven for about 10-14 minutes (dependent on the size of the cookie scoop). The cookies will be ready when they are golden brown on the outside.
• Remove from oven. Allow cookies to cool on the tray for 2-3 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack an cool to room temperature.

Notes

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

Metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

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