I love anything with an Island-y flare, and this coconut shortbread is my latest favorite thing. Full of butter and toasted coconut, the flavor is rich but light at the same time. These are perfect for a quick snack, and I’ve served them at baby showers, bridal showers, and more. I know you’ll love these as much as I do!
Easy Shortbread Recipe
Shortbread is so simple to make. It’s essentially a mixture of butter, flour and a small amount of powdered sugar which results in a rich, buttery cookie. You can make shortbread as individual cookies, or you can make them up bar style, like how we did here. Both ways are great, however if you’re making individual cookies, they’ll take less time to bake than bars do.
Coconut Shortbread Ingredients
- Flour
- Butter
- Powdered Sugar
- Toasted Coconut
- Vanilla Extract
- Coconut Extract
- White Chocolate Chips
Making Shortbread with Coconut
I like to toast the coconut first so it has time to cool. You want to use cooled toasted coconut so that it doesn’t melt the butter in the shortbread dough.
- First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
- When the oven is fully heated, add sweetened shredded coconut to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
- Keep a close eye on the coconut, it toasts fast. Toss about every 1-2 minutes, until the coconut is toasted to your liking.
- Next, combine room temperature butter in a bowl, along with powdered sugar, and flour. Mix to combine. Then, add in vanilla and coconut extracts.
- Once the dough is mixed, fold in the cooled toasted coconut.
- Optional: you can add white chocolate chips to the dough if you want some added sweetness. Fold in 1/2 cup if so.
Bake Shortbread on Parchment Lined Baking Sheet
Parchment paper works great for shortbread because it is naturally nonstick. I like that when I make shortbread and use parchment paper, I can lift up the shortbread to see if it’s fully cooked. Bake the shortbread until it’s lightly brown on the underside.
Once the shortbread is fully baked, I like to add some white chocolate chips to the top while it’s still warm. This helps them melt, and when you sprinkle the excess toasted coconut on top, it gives it something to stick to!
Sprinkle the excess toasted coconut on top of the shortbread bars, and slice them. These are so good served with a side of vanilla ice cream, or just on their own!
Storing, Freezing & Serving Shortbread
- You can make the dough ahead of time, and bake the cookies later. Make the dough up to 5 days in advance, and store it in the refrigerator.
- Additionally, you can freeze the dough for up to 3 months. Be sure to store it in an airtight method, like plastic wrap.
- To bake refrigerated dough, simply bake as directed.
- To bake frozen dough, allow dough to thaw until almost room temperature. Bake as directed.
- You can store this shortbread in an airtight container for up to 4 days on the counter.
If you like this recipe, you may also like Easy Pineapple Bars, White Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Rosemary Shortbread!
What do you think about this recipe? Have questions? Comment below! Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and connect with us on Instagram and tag your @Laughingspatula recipes with #laughingspatula,while you’re at it…We love to see your pics! Hey and check out our new YouTube Channel!
Enjoy these delicious, tropical, island-y shortbread cookies! – Kathi and Rachel
Coconut Shortbread
Equipment
- 1 9x13 inch baking sheet
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups sweetened coconut flakes (1 cup for the shortbread, 1/2 cup for the topping)
- 1 cup salted butter (room temperature)
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp coconut extract
- 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Line a 9x13 inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Before making cookie dough, toast 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut on sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Toast for 2 minutes at a time, tossing frequently to prevent burning. Allow to fully cool. *Use a new piece of parchment paper for shortbread.
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer (or in a standmixer), mix butter, powdered sugar, flour, vanilla extract and coconut extract until fully combined.
- Fold in 1 cup cooled toasted coconut to shortbread.
- Add shortbread dough to parchment lined baking sheet, and spread evenly. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until slightly golden brown on edges and bottom.
- Add white chocolate chips to top of shortbread bars while warm out of oven. Sprinkle with remaining toasted coconut.
- Slice and serve!
Leave a Reply