I was drinking a cup of coffee the other morning and thinking back on all the cookies I have made. One flavor I have not really explored much was coconut.

The problem with coconut is it can be really sweet. I love macaroons. But wanted something that did not have chocolate and was not as sweet.
Types of Coconut for Baking
The first consideration is sweetened or unsweetened. So unsweetened is just plain coconut, and sweetened has added sugar. I choose unsweetened since I already had a cup of sugar in my cookie recipe. Plus, I am adding the caramel sea salt chips. I did not want to add any more sugar.
My next choice was shredded or flaked. Flaked coconut is bigger pieces than shredded coconut. Since this was for a cookie, I opted for the smaller shredded. Both of these are much drier than the sweetened coconut, but you can really see it in a cookie.
Banana and Caramel Sea Salt Chips
Because the shredded coconut is a little drier, I wanted to add some moisture back in, so I added ½ of a banana smashed. This works so well with the caramel sea salt chips. I also only put ¼ of a teaspoon of kosher salt in the recipe.
This cookie is chewy and packed full of flavor, I hope you enjoy them.
Recipe

Chewy Coconut and Caramel Sea Salt Cookies
Barbara HallIngredients
- ½ cup room temperature Butter unsalted 1 stick
- ¾ cup Light brown sugar 160 g
- ¼ cup Sugar white 50 g
- ½ smashed Banana
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Egg
- 1-½ cups All-purpose flour 180 g
- ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1-½ cups unsweetened Coconut shredded
- ½ cup Caramel Chips with Sea Salt
Instructions
- Weigh or measure the white and light brown sugars into a bowl and set them aside. In another bowl, weigh or measure the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and whisk to blend. Take ½ banana and, using a fork smash the banana down. It will mix easier into the cookie dough.
- Using a hand-held or stand mixer, add the sugars and the butter turning the mixer to a medium speed blend for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the mixer off and scrape down the sides. Add the banana and vanilla extract and blend. In a small bowl, crack the egg into it to make sure there are no eggshells, and then add it to the cookie dough. Mix for about a minute. Scrape down the side and turn the mixer on to a low speed. Gradually add the flour mixture and blend till incorporated. Scrape down the sides to make sure all the flour is incorporated. Next, add the coconut (shredded) and mix for about a minute, then add the caramel chips and blend for about 30 seconds. Take the bowl and wrap loosely with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour,
- Preheat your oven to 350°. Using a medium cookie scoop, add 12 scoops to a parchment-lined cookie sheet pan. Bake for 11-13 minutes. What you are looking for is a little browning around the edges. The middle should not look shiny, but it will be soft. When you take the cookies out of the oven, leave them on the pan for one to two minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Keep in mind anytime you use brown sugar; the bottoms are going to be browner. These cookies are so chewy and good you will have a hard time not eating them all! I got 22 cookies using the medium scoop.
NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.
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