Coconut Drops

A platter of cookies is always a welcome sight. And with ruby centers set inside golden nests, these lovely coconut drops will be the most enticing cookies on the plate. The red raspberry filling fits the color schemes of cookie-centric holidays like Christmas and Valentine’s Day, but it also works for autumn get-togethers. Their elegant, tidy appearance makes them a pretty choice for parties and celebrations. Plus, it’s one of our favorite coconut recipes to make any time we need to easily satisfy our sweet tooth.

This coconut drops recipe blends sweetened shredded coconut and cream cheese to make a moist, tender crumb with a little chew. Raspberry preserves are dolloped into the centers after baking. Coconut drops are similar to thumbprint cookies, except with coconut as the star ingredient.

Ingredients for Coconut Drops

• Shredded coconut: The coconut is used two ways: It’s folded into the cookie dough, and it coats the dough balls before they’re baked. Use sweetened, shredded coconut for a fine texture in these cookies, rather than larger-sized flaked coconut.
• Cream cheese: Cream cheese is blended into the dough, which keeps these cookies moist and contributes a little tang. To properly soften cream cheese, leave it at room temperature for 35 to 45 minutes or microwave it in five-second intervals, turning it over each time, for about 20 seconds total.
• Butter: When creamed with sugar, butter holds pockets of air that give the finished cookies a lighter texture.
• Sugar: Use granulated sugar to sweeten the cookie dough. Be sure to measure ingredients like sugar and flour correctly—scooping with the measuring cup isn’t necessarily the best way.
• Raspberry preserves: Use your favorite brand or even home-canned raspberry preserves for the center of each cookie. The sweet, fruity flavor pairs well with coconut.
• Egg yolk: A single egg yolk helps to bind this coconut drop dough together, and creates a richer texture too. Use a slotted spoon or the shells to separate eggs.
• Flour: All-purpose flour is fine to use in this recipe. Sifting the flour with a strainer or whisk before adding it to the cookie dough means no lumps of dry flour will find their way into the baked cookies.
• Baking powder: To give coconut drops a lighter and more tender texture, we include baking powder. Don’t use baking soda; it could result in thinner, denser cookies.
• Orange juice: There is just enough orange juice in the recipe to lend a hint of citrus flavor and to balance the sweet ingredients with a little acidity.
• Almond extract: We can’t resist adding a little of our best almond extract to this recipe; the flavor is a natural pairing with coconut. Not an almond fan? Use another extract flavor like vanilla or rum.
• Salt: Just a pinch of salt in the coconut drop dough makes the other flavors really pop.

Directions

Step 1: Make the dough

Cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until they’re light and fluffy, about five to seven minutes. Beat in the egg yolk, orange juice and almond extract. Prepare the dry ingredients in a separate bowl by whisking together flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually beat the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. Stir in 3 cups of sweetened, shredded coconut. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough until it’s easy to handle, about 30 minutes.

Editor’s Tip: Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to easily combine these ingredients. Creaming the butter, cream cheese and sugar helps aerate the dough for lighter cookies.

Step 2: Shape and bake

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Shape the rounded tablespoons of dough into balls. Roll the balls in the remaining shredded coconut. Place them 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Press a deep indentation in the center of each cookie with the end of a wooden spoon handle. Bake the cookies until their edges are light brown, 8 to 10 minutes.

Step 3: Fill with preserves

Let the cookies cool for one minute, then use the end of a wooden spoon handle to enlarge any indentations that narrowed or closed up. Use a spatula to carefully move the cookies to a wire rack. Fill the center of each cookie with raspberry preserves and then let the cookies cool completely.

Taste of Home

Recipe Variations

• Try other jams or preserves: While we love the combination of sweet-tart raspberry with coconut, there are many other fruit flavors to try in the center of these coconut drops. Make them with strawberry, apricot, blackberry or sour cherry jams. Or, try blueberry or mixed berry preserves. Orange marmalade is also great in coconut drops.
• Fill the centers with curd: Add dollops of lemon curd to the centers of your coconut drops—either jarred varieties or homemade lemon curd will work. For an extra tropical vibe, try key lime curd in these coconut cookies.
• Go for chocolate: Though coconut drops made with chocolate centers won’t have the pretty jewel tones of fruit preserves, they’ll still be quite delectable! Add a small puddle of chocolate ganache, chocolate frosting or Nutella to the centers.

How to Store Coconut Drops

It’s important to let coconut drops cool completely; sealing up cookies while they’re still warm is a common cookie storage mistake. Once the cookies are cool, stack them in an airtight container with layers of waxed paper or parchment between the layers. Seal the container tightly and store the coconut drops at room temperature. If made with temperature-sensitive ingredients such as lemon curd, store the container in the fridge.

How long do coconut drops last?

In our opinion, coconut drops don’t last very long at all—because they’re just so irresistibly delicious! Any coconut drops you do have left over will last for up to three days when stored at room temperature in an airtight container.

Coconut Drops Tips

Taste of Home

Can you use toasted shredded coconut to make coconut drops?

When made according to the recipe, the shredded coconut will toast only on the outside of the coconut drop. To get that toasty flavor and light crunch throughout the cookie, you can use toasted coconut in the recipe instead. There are several ways to easily toast shredded coconut, including in an air fryer or in the oven. Keep in mind that the toasted coconut on the outside of the cookies will brown even further once baked. One way to prevent this is to use toasted, shredded coconut in the coconut drop dough, but roll the dough balls in untoasted coconut.

Why are my coconut drops hard?

When coconut drops are hard rather than soft and slightly chewy, it’s likely a result of overbaking. The cookies should be baked just until the edges turn light brown; any longer and the cookies will lose moisture in the centers and become too dry.

How can I keep my coconut drops from falling apart?

Roll the coconut dough into balls so that it holds its shape when baked. Chilling the dough for 30 minutes will make the dough easier to work with, and you can always chill it longer if it still seems too sticky. Once baked, cool the cookies on the cookie sheet for at least a minute so that they can firm up, then carefully move them to a cooling rack. To make things even easier, line your pan with parchment. Once the cookies come out of the oven, slide the paper with the cookies right onto a cooling rack.