These amazing chewy Coconut Sugar Cookies are made without refined sugar. What’s more, they are crisp on the edges with wonderfully chewy centers.
These wonderful chewy Coconut Sugar Cookies are an adaption of my Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies. Those are some of the best cookies I have ever made and many of you that made them, agree.
Crisp edges with perfectly chewy centers are the stuff my cookie dreams are made of. And this new version has the same qualities.
The original recipe uses a mix of white and brown sugar. However, I wanted to see if I could eliminate refined sugar and use only coconut sugar in this recipe. Well, the cookies came out amazing!
Coconut Sugar Just Absolutely Rocks
Coconut sugar has a rich caramel-like flavor that adds another layer of depth to the cookies. So much so that Konrad took some of these to work (while we were still in Canada) and apparently one co-worker exclaimed those were the BEST cookies he had ever tasted!
I believe it is the use of coconut oil and cornstarch that are key for the crisp edges and chewy-center goodness. In addition, I added chunks of dark chocolate to some (because I love it so much), but they are also great without.
I also tried eliminating all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour but I wasn’t too impressed with the results. Whole grain flour seems to work better with stronger flavors like my spelt flour double chocolate cookies.

Chewy Coconut Sugar Cookies
These amazing chewy Coconut Sugar Cookies are made without refined sugar. They are crisp on the edges with wonderfully chewy centers. YUM!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil soft or melted
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons more, if needed
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 - 1 cup dark chocolate chunks optional
Instructions
- Cream together softened coconut oil, coconut sugar, egg, and vanilla extract with your mixer until light and fluffy (1-2 minutes).
- Add flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt and mix in until just combined. If the dough seems too thin and oily, add 1-2 more tablespoons of flour. If desired, fold in 3/4 cup chocolate chunks by hand.
- Form about 20 tablespoon-sized dough balls. If using chocolate chunks, press 2-3 more chunks into the top of each dough ball. Cover with plastic wrap and chill the dough balls for at least 1-2 hours (I usually put them in the fridge overnight).
- Preheat oven to 350 F and place chilled dough balls 2 inches apart on a lined baking sheet (when using coconut oil unlined sheets often result in too dark cookie bottoms).
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges are just set. Centers can still look slightly uncooked.
- Cool cookies on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then move to wire rack to cool fully. Store airtight.
More Coconut-Infused Recipes
We love coconut around here and all its many uses. It’s healthy, alternative, and DELICIOUS. Check out these similar recipes!
Sara
I made them for my birthday party and they they were a hit was looking for a good coconut sugar recipy thank you!!
Christine Van Hoose
The edges are crispy and delicious but the centers came out floury. I skipped the refrigerating step. I guess that makes them moister? Also, I don’t have cornstarch so I substituted with arrowroot and wonder if my conversion was wrong (2 tbsps). Floury not chewy but still edible and not too bad since I added a little extra coconut oil and dark morsels. Regina or anyone, please tell me why refrigerate the dough. Thanks.
Regina
Do you mean they tasted like uncooked flour in the center or that they were kind of mealy? I wonder if they were too undercooked still in the center. Refrigeration usually helps to get thicker cookies that don’t spread as much in the oven. This is what makes the crispy edges chewy center possible. But it could also be that you are more sensitive to the flavor of arrowroot?
Pam
Hi Regina,
I made your cookies and I love them. I would love to make them with oat flour or rolled oats. I was wondering if you have ever made them like that? Unfortunately I made 3 batches of oatmeal cookies, following other Pinterest recipes, with oat flour and had to throw all 3 of them out because they came out like a sponge cake. I’m so upset because I used expensive ingredients. I’m sure I did something wrong, even though I followed their recipes exactly.
If you are still checking this sight, I’d love to know your thoughts on your cookies with the oat flour..
Thanks,
Pam
Regina
Hi Pam, I am not sure about replacing oat flour. I haven’t tried making cookies with it before. I am thinking it wouldn’t work in a 1 to 1 conversion because of the missing gluten in oat flour.
Pam
Oh, thank you for reaching out. And thanks again for the yummy recipe!!!
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
September
Hello Regina! Thank you for the recipe! I am a beginner at baking. I followed your recipe but my cookies all turned out cakey and dry……They still tasted good but did not have the chewy texture that I was looking for. Would you please give me some advice on what might have gone wrong?
Thank you very much!
Regina
Hi could it be that you used too much flour? This can cause a cakey texture. Flour should be measured by spooning it into the measuring cup. Overbaking could be the other issue. The cookies should be just barely set when you take them from the oven. That will give them the chewy centers.
Sara @ Life's Little Sweets
I bake with coconut sugar all the time! I am so glad to see someone else out there doing the same thing! These look so delicious! Pinning!
Regina
Yay to a fellow coconut sugar lover! I’ll have to check out your recipes as well
jacquee | i sugar coat it!
I’ll have all the dark chocolate ones please and thank you!! Yes, coconut sugar makes for an amazing tasting cookie, heck anything for that matter! Love the crinkly look of these – reminds me of ginger-molasses cookies.
Regina
I’d love to make a Christmas cookie version of these. Ginger would be so great for that!
Thalia @ butter and brioche
I LOVE chewy soft cookies and can imagine these taste just as perfect as their appearance. I think though that I definitely would need the addition of chocolate. Coconut and chocolate go so well together.
Regina
Love coconut and chocolate!
Ana Fernandez
Oh my gosh this cookies! I have a soft spot for chewy cookies
Regina
I am the same. Chewy centers with a little crisp on the edge. That spells a perfect cookie to me 🙂
Denise | Sweet Peas & Saffron
Wow, those look amazing! I can’t believe there’s no refined sugar in there 🙂
Regina
Right? These cookies are quite unbelievable
Marie Compton
So do they taste like coconut? I have never had coconut sugar??
Olivia @ livforcake
These cookies are pure torture. I’m on day 3 of a juice cleanse (last day, thank GOD) and all I want to do is stuff my face with 2 dozen of these cookies. Definitely trying this recipe!
Regina
Kudos to you for making it through a juice cleanse! I’d love to hear how you like the cookies.