Make Ahead

Almond Butter, Dark Chocolate & Coconut Cookies

by:
May 13, 2013
4
7 Ratings
Almond Butter, Dark Chocolate & Coconut Cookies
Photo by James Ransom
  • Makes 2 dozen cookies
Author Notes

These cookies bake up gorgeously, with a crackled top and chewy interior. They are delicious as is or with a handful of dried cherries stirred in with the chocolate and coconut. —Sarah Fioritto

Test Kitchen Notes

Wow. These cookies were a revelation in subtle taste experience. Having never baked with almond butter before, I was not prepared for the quiet sophistication of the flavor and texture it provided. The coconut was also very subtle, yet added a crunch and flavor note that was very pleasing. The cookies were wonderful just out of the oven and, in the name of testing, some actually made it to the next day where their deliciousness was proved once again. We will be making these over and over -- I can already think of all kinds of additions and variations I want to try. —lmikkel

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup almond butter
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 1/2 cup whole almonds, coarsely chopped
  • 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (or 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips)
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Cream butter, almond butter, and sugars until smooth. Add egg and vanilla, then beat until well incorporated. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the creamed butters and sugars and mix on a low speed until just combined. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
  3. Make 1-inch balls of dough (about 2 tablespoons) and place on prepared baking sheets. These are pretty big cookies -- don’t crowd them. I baked just 6 per pan. Bake until lightly golden around the edges but still quite soft in the center, 12 to 14 minutes. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Serve with ice cold milk.
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37 Reviews

SophieL
SophieL March 13, 2024
These cookies were SO good! I especially loved the crispy but tender texture. I used Big Spoon Roasters Toasted Coconut Almond Butter, a specialty nut butter. I also subbed 1/4 cup almond butter for some of the AP flour. Easy recipe that I will make again with other flavor variations.
 
SophieL
SophieL March 13, 2024
I meant 1/4 cup almond flour for AP flour.
 
Leslie B.
Leslie B. October 12, 2017
Our friend Monte baked these incredibly delicious cookies for us. it was so hard to share them. I probably ate half the plate that evening. The other half I had for breakfast the next morning, of course after my smoothie 😉
 
Monica J.
Monica J. February 16, 2017
I made these for my husband this Valentine's day. Very dense, and yummy.
 
Sheila R.
Sheila R. July 23, 2015
Made these tonight. Super hit. My husband hates coconut and ate these. I think the unsweetened coconut was less noticeable. Tasty!
 
VanessaJo
VanessaJo June 14, 2015
Oh my, but these are delicious. My husband is literally licking his plate. I used TJ's almond butter and subbed white wheat flour for 1/2 of the AP flour called for. I also used salted butter and TJ's pound-sized chocolate bar as the chocolate source. The cookies didn't spread as much as I expected; I could have probably fit 8 on a standard-sized jelly roll pan.
 
VanessaJo
VanessaJo June 14, 2015
oops - edit that to read i subbed the white wheat flour for 1/2 CUP of the AP flour.
 
morgan
morgan April 17, 2015
Can I substitute whole wheat flour instead of white flour?
 
Nancy C.
Nancy C. March 16, 2015
I tried subbing almond butter for peanut and almonds for peanuts in a recipe some time ago, and it was a fiasco. I'm eager to try this. I'd like to take them to a vegetarian potluck. Would it work to sub coconut oil or Nutiva shortening for the butter? I love the sound of this recipe and will try it soon.
 
Anneline
Anneline September 11, 2016
I made these last night and used coconut oil instead of butter 1:1 ratio. But I used almond butter as well and almonds. they came out great! :)
 
Josie M.
Josie M. March 12, 2015
Very good. I subbed out 1 cup of the flour for a light whole wheat flour and they are great.
 
Josie M.
Josie M. March 14, 2015
And added 1/2 t of baking powder.
 
jen_bellenger
jen_bellenger November 10, 2014
This recipe sounded so good that I had to make it, but some of the comments concerned me. I ended up following the directions except pressed the dough down with a fork and chilled before baking. I also was able to fit nine cookies on the sheet without a problem. They came out perfectly when I baked for 12 min.
 
Cathy C.
Cathy C. September 10, 2014
Followed the recipe exactly, but my cookies didn't brown up like the picture. plus the choc chips didn't melt. They look dry.
 
Paige H.
Paige H. September 4, 2014
I substituted a quarter cup of the white sugar for an extra quarter cup of brown sugar and switched the baking soda for powder. They didn't really spread (as I expected), but the exteriors were crispy and the interiors super soft. Definitely making again!
 
Josie M.
Josie M. August 10, 2014
These are great. I subbed walnuts for the whole almonds.
 
Barknewt@sympatico.ca
[email protected] April 24, 2014
Followed the recipe exactly and they turned out perfect ! Remember almond butter is the new peanut butter. My mother would have used sweetened peanut butter back in the day.
These were just the right level of sweet when made with natural almond butter. I flattened the balls of dough with a fork before baking. I will definitely make again.
 
Lisa
Lisa April 23, 2014
Could I substitute Smart Balance for the butter? I am allergic to milk :(
 
Sarah F.
Sarah F. April 23, 2014
I'm afraid I've never used smart balance so I really don't know if it's an even substitute when baking. If you try it, I hope you'll let us know how it works out.
 
Lisa
Lisa April 24, 2014
I will let you know. I use the Organic Smart Balance for other things, but have not baked with it, yet.
 
Janet949
Janet949 March 9, 2014
Made the standard 3 ingredient gluten free almond butter cookies added the coconut, and chunk chopped 72% Dark. All gone, none left!
 
Shallot
Shallot February 17, 2014
Very tasty, but mine didn't spread much at all either, and I ended up flattening the second batch. I also found them a bit on the dry side, and I made no substitutions at all. I used Trader Joe's natural almond butter.
 
Diana N.
Diana N. November 14, 2013
I used toasted almonds and served them to guests. My husband who does not eat sweets loved them, so did everyone else. Thank you.
I also froze them and baked them the next day as needed.
 
gustus
gustus June 16, 2013
Which state of almonds do you use...raw, roasted, dry roasted, or something else?
 
Sarah F.
Sarah F. June 18, 2013
I used raw almonds, but I think roasted would be excellent as well.
 
Arathi
Arathi June 15, 2013
Do you think it would be OK to leave out the coconut? I'm not a fan of coconut in cookies (or generally in desserts) but everything else about this recipe sounds SO delicious. Is there something else I could sub in, or just leave it out entirely?
 
Sarah F.
Sarah F. June 18, 2013
I think you could leave it out completely or you could try adding a little oatmeal instead or stirring in some dried fruit if you want something more.
 
ChefJune
ChefJune June 7, 2013
I'm saving these. I'm sure my eaters would gobble these up, but I'm also thinking they'd be a great addition to my christmas cookie platter.
 
AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames June 6, 2013
Saved to my must-try-soon collection. What a great idea, using big chunks of almond. ;o)
 
Hilarybee
Hilarybee June 6, 2013
I made these this morning. They are SO delicious--I actually had to give away half the batch. I was worried I'd consume them all before anyone could stop me.
 
AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames June 6, 2013
I can certainly see how that would be a serious risk, which is why I won't be making these until my son returns later this month, or we have company -- whichever comes first!! ;o)
 
mstv
mstv May 28, 2013
Oops, typing on iPad. This cookie is not too sweet - I meant to say.
 
mstv
mstv May 28, 2013
I made these using a natural almond butter. They did not spread as much as the picture. Next time I would flatten them a bit before baking. I baked for 14 minutes since they looked very wet at 12. I think I would pull them out at 12 minutes next time even if they look wet, they were drier than I expected but still chewy and very tasty even a few days later. This cookie is not to sweet, very tasty, and keeps well.
 
Sarah F.
Sarah F. May 25, 2013
Anna--sorry the cookies didn't work out for you. I've never baked with coconut oil...perhaps it's not a direct substitute for butter?
 
AnnaChris
AnnaChris May 25, 2013
I jumped to make this recipe when I saw it - what a perfect combination of flavors! Unfortunately, something went awry and I don't think they came out as they were supposed to. The flavors are pronounced and delicious, but the batter was extremely dry and once baked the consistency of the cookie was more "pecan sandy" than "crackled top/chewy interior." I had to flatten the cookies with a fork before baking them as they did not spread out on their own.
I did modify the recipe slightly by subbing in organic virgin coconut oil for about a 1/3 of the butter, thinking that it would highlight the flavors of the cookie even more, but I don't see how that could have resulted in such a dry dough. Everything else was the same as the recipe - what am I missing?
 
Hilarybee
Hilarybee June 6, 2013
Anna, I think the sub of coconut oil was the contributing factor. Coconut Oil is 100% fat--it doesn't have milk solids and water that butter contains. The cookie already has a lot of protein and fat from the almond butter. Serious tweaking would be involved to sub out traditional dairy butter for coconut oil, given the almond butter involved. If I were subbing, I'd be inclined to diminish the almond butter in favor of the coconut.
But I like the recipe as is, personally. The cookies turned out lovely for me.
 
LeBec F.
LeBec F. December 16, 2013
what excellent advice!