1-Bowl Vegan Coconut “Snowball” Cookies

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Sprinkling shredded coconut onto a stack of Vegan Coconut Snowball Cookies

It’s about that time of year—time to bake cookies all day and lounge in stretchy pants, am I right?

These cookies are a riff off our Easy Vegan Macaroon Cookies (but somehow even better)! They’re tender, perfectly sweet, and coconut-y, which is why they remind me of snowballs. I couldn’t resist. Let’s do this!

Wood cutting board with ingredients for making our Vegan Coconut Snowball Cookies recipe

This recipe requires just 7 ingredients, 1 bowl, and less than 30 minutes to make! Yes, baking can be that easy.

It all happens in the food processor where you’ll blend some shredded unsweetened coconut into a fine meal.

Food processor filled with shredded coconut for making Coconut Snowball Cookies
Spoonful of pulsed shredded coconut resting on a food processor

Next comes coconut oil for moisture and to help them brown. Maple syrup adds natural sweetness, vanilla a subtle vanilla flavor, and aquafaba more moisture plus binding power!

All that’s left is a little salt to balance the sweetness, and some cornstarch (or arrowroot), which helps add structure and more binding to the cookies. Then, it’s off to the oven.

Food processor with coconut and other ingredients for making naturally-sweetened Coconut Cookies
Food processor with freshly mixed dough for our Coconut Snowball Cookies recipe

After a short bake, these little guys are ready to enjoy. Crisp and golden on the outside, tender and sweet on the inside. Swoon!

You can dig in right away, or let them cool and dunk or drizzle them in dark chocolate! Either way, it’s a total win-win.

Parchment-lined baking sheet with a batch of freshly baked Vegan Coconut Snowball Cookies

We hope you LOVE these cookies! They’re:

Tender on the inside
Crisp on the outside
Coconut-y
Perfectly (and naturally) sweet
Easy & quick to make
& Seriously delicious

These cookies would make the perfect treat for the holiday table or cookie exchange. Make them even more festive by adding some peppermint extract and topping with crushed candy canes or drizzling with melted dairy-free dark chocolate.

For more coconut goodies, be sure to check out our Coconut Yogurt No-Bake Cheesecake, Sugar-Free Coconut Carob Bars, Dark Chocolate Coconut Butter Cups, or Coconut Cacao Tahini Snack Bites!

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a picture #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers and happy baking, friends!

Bowl of stacked Vegan Coconut Snowball Cookies for a delicious gluten-free dessert

Vegan Coconut “Snowball” Cookies

Fluffy, 7-ingredient vegan coconut cookies that are reminiscent of a snowball! Naturally sweetened, easy to make, and perfect for the holidays and winter!
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Bowl piled high with a batch of Gluten-Free Vegan Coconut Snowball Cookies
4.33 from 49 votes
Prep Time 8 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 23 minutes
Servings 9 (Cookies)
Course Dessert
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly 1 month
Does it keep? 4-5 Days

Ingredients

  • 3 cups shredded unsweetened coconut (not coconut chips)
  • 1 ½ Tbsp coconut oil
  • 3 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 ½ Tbsp aquafaba* (unwhipped chickpea brine // for binding + moisture)
  • Pinch sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch (for structure // or sub arrowroot*)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Add coconut flakes to food processor and blend for about 1 minute or a little more, until the coconut flakes start clumping together. When you squeeze some of the coconut in between your fingers, it should stick together like a gritty loose dough (see photo), kind of let wet sand.
  • Add coconut oil, maple syrup, aquafaba (unwhipped chickpea brine), salt, and vanilla and mix for 20 seconds to combine. Add cornstarch and pulse several times to combine until a wet dough has formed (see photo).
  • Scoop out into 1 ½ Tbsp mounds (I like using this scoop) and gently transfer onto your parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving a little room in between each cookie. They can be gentle, so scooping directly from the bowl and placing on the parchment without any additional handling is ideal.
  • Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until tops are lightly golden brown and bottoms appear golden brown. They should puff up a little while baking, too. Be careful not to burn the undersides.
  • Let cool on pan for 10 minutes, then gently transfer to a plate or cooling rack to cool completely. For an optional kick of flavor, you could also dip these in dark chocolate (see method here).
  • These cookies are best enjoyed at room temperature. Store leftovers covered at room temperature for 4-5 days, or in the freezer up to 1 month.

Video

Notes

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with cornstarch.
*In place of aquafaba, you can sub egg white if not vegan. Otherwise, you can experiment with egg replacers or flax eggs. But we haven’t tested other variations and can’t guarantee the results.
*We didn’t test the recipe with arrowroot, but suspect it would work.
*Make these cookies even more festive by adding some peppermint extract to the batter and topping with crushed candy canes post-bake right out of the oven. Or, let them cool and use melted dairy-free dark chocolate to coat the bottoms or drizzle the tops (or both), similar to this method.

Nutrition (1 of 9 servings)

Serving: 1 Cookies Calories: 218 Carbohydrates: 11.6 g Protein: 1.9 g Fat: 19.5 g Saturated Fat: 17.1 g Sodium: 19 mg Potassium: 159 mg Fiber: 4.4 g Sugar: 6 g Vitamin C: 0.8 mg Calcium: 10 mg Iron: 0.9 mg

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  1. prashanthi aturi says

    These are under nut free in filters but are coconut based. Are these coming with a nut free option for some reason.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi, we used to include coconut as nut-free since some people with a nut allergy can have coconut. More recently we stopped including it to avoid confusion and it’s on our list to update the older posts as time allows!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Christine, we aren’t sure it would work with this one. It might make the dough too dry, causing the cookies to be crumbly. You could try adding a little extra of the wet ingredients to prevent that, or just freeze the already cooked cookies. Hope that helps!

  2. Jojo says

    Cookies themselves turned out great. I didn’t have to make any modifications to that.
    I just used melted chocolate for the drizzle. Adding coconut oil to the chocolate made it very difficult to set and harden.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoyed the cookies, Jojo. Thank you for sharing your experience! Transferring to the fridge should help the melted chocolate to set because coconut oil melts above 78 degrees F. Hope that helps!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Chris, we haven’t tried freezing the dough and aren’t sure it would work with this one. It might make the dough too dry, causing the cookies to be crumbly. You could try adding a little extra of the wet ingredients to prevent that, or just freeze the already cooked cookies. Hope that helps!

  3. NM says

    I’ve not yet made this recipe but this troubleshooting guide may help with the crumble problem.

    Pasted from
    Cookie Troubleshooting Guide

    If your cookies are too crumbly . . .
    They may have too much sugar, shortening, or leavening or may not be thoroughly mixed. Try adding more eggs.

  4. SARAH ASHRAF says

    Really delicious and so incredibly easy to make. I resisted dunking them in dark chocolate (where’s my medal?) and they came out crispy yet chewy. One quick note I didn’t have aquafaba so subbed for some oat milk and they tuned out delicious! Thanks!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Whoop! We’re so happy you enjoyed them, Sarah. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo

  5. mariam says

    Hi!
    I’m not sure how much coconut i should use, bc if I convert it to metric it say’s 360 grams but if i google it, it tells me to use 210 grams. And I don’t have something to measure cups.
    Thanks!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Mariam, there may be some variability based on the moisture content of the dried coconut and storage conditions. You could start with the lesser weight and add more if the mixture is too wet.

  6. Goli K says

    Thank you so much for this great recipe! I have an egg allergy and I love coconut macaroons so it was wonderful to be able to get such delicious results. I followed the recipe exactly and they came out beautifully. Drizzled white vegan chocolate on top and yummmm.
    For those of you who said your mixture did not stick together well, it might be cause you didn’t blend the coconut long enough … if you do, you will start noticing that as it releases it’s oil, it starts to stick together better.
    Thank you again! Really enjoyed this recipe and will make it again.

  7. Emily H says

    I made this with an egg white instead of the aquafaba . It came out really good I actually ended up melting some chocolate and dipping them in it and put it in the freezer oh my gosh these were sooo good.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Sorry to hear that, Amy! Is it possible your coconut was on the older side? It becomes dry over time. Adding more maple syrup would help with texture and sweetness.

  8. Hannah says

    CRUNCHY COCONUT BAR COOKIES! I don’t mean to post one of those “I heavily modified this and had different results” comments but i want to speak to the versatility of this recipe! I used coconut flakes. after reading other comments, I added extra aquafaba and cornstarch. I threw in a handful of cacao nibs for fun. The dough was DELICIOUS but still quite crumbly even though it was plenty moist, so I decided to press it into a nonstick baking sheet granola-bar style. Baked 20 minutes and the edges were deliciously crispy and the center squishy soft. The crispy bits were sooo good that I impulsively cut the entire sheet’s worth of dough into squares and toasted them at 250 degrees until they were all golden brown. They are ADDICTIVE. like the best coconut granola cookies. Crunchy and delicious, perfect amount of sweet. No regrets.

  9. Marlina says

    Hey there,

    Just wondering if freshly grated coconut could be used instead of shredded unsweetened coconut? Looking forward to making them! :)

    Thanks in advance.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Marlina, we haven’t tried using fresh coconut. We don’t think it would hold together as well, but let us know if you try it!

  10. Janelle says

    Didn’t hold together at all. I tried the tips provided by other commenters, to no avail. Seems like people are having wildly different outcomes with this recipe – not sure why.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Oh no! So sorry to hear this, Janelle. Thanks so much for sharing your experience, we will take a look at the recipe. You didn’t happen to make any modifications to the recipe?

  11. Steph says

    Oh yeah, it was sooo yum! And so easy to make! I did have to add extra liquid to achieve the right consistency, I added an extra tbsp of aquafaba, maple syrup and coconut oil. This is probably because I only had desiccated coconut at home, instead of shredded. I’ll definitely try again! Thank you!!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thank you for sharing, Steph! Glad to hear you enjoyed it with some modifications! xo

  12. Chell Linz says

    Didn’t work :(
    I added loads more coconut oil to try get it to stick together but it was still just powder. I’m wondering what to do with it now as I don’t want to waste the ingredients?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Sorry to hear that, Chell! Is it possible your food processor isn’t powerful enough? We think it could be delicious as granola!

  13. Thomas says

    These are super tasty, but I had trouble getting the texture right- mine were quite dry and crumbly. My problem was probably that I used reduced fat shredded coconut. I tried adding some coconut oil while they were in the food processor, but that didn’t make much difference. In the end, however, they tasted good, looked fun, and with some chocolate on top, held together alright.

  14. Eleanor says

    Hello, I’m based in Ireland and the closest thing we have to shredded coconut is coconut flakes. Am I better off using coconut flakes and blitzing them really well, or would dessicated coconut work better?
    Thanks in advance!

    • Liz says

      I was unclear on whether to just use brine or whip into aquafaba. The recipe said to follow the aquafaba link so I made the whip. They are in the oven now so we shall see 🤞

      • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

        Sorry for the confusion, Liz! This recipe doesn’t require whipping the aquafaba. We’ll take another look and see if we can improve clarity!

  15. Ray says

    Does this recipe really only make 9 cookies? I’m planning on making them for Christmas cookie boxes and trying to make grocery lists, and it seems like an incredibly small amount of cookies based on the ingredients!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Ray, that’s correct. If you modify the number of servings, the recipe will automatically change the amount of ingredients. Hope that helps!

    • Lex says

      Hi Ray, I expect you’ve already figured this out, but I made this recipe in the quantities listed and it made about two dozen cookies. There must be some kind of miscommunication somewhere about the expected yield.

  16. Marie says

    I made mine with egg white and they were great! a little dry and very delicate but nothing extra chocolate on top didnt fix

  17. Karen says

    I loved the cookies. I had to process my coconut for quite a while to get the texture you say you need in the recipe as follows ( until the coconut flakes start clumping together when you squeeze some of the coconut in between your fingers, it should stick together like a gritty loose dough). Once I did that, the recipe was perfectly moist with no needed additional ingredients. I think that may be the issue people are having with being too dry & crumbly. It may have taken 4-5 min to get the right consistency. Maybe my coconut was older and more dry? I don’t know, but it worked and they are delicious! Thanks for another great recipe!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Perhaps! Coconut flakes can vary greatly in freshness / dryness. Glad you found the perfect texture, Karen!

  18. Mel says

    When I took these out of the oven. I told my husband to not have high expectations because something so easy can’t turn out that good. I was wrong! These beauties are absolutely perfect, crunchy on the outside, slightly soft on the inside- just delicious and comforting. thank you, Dana! You did it again ;)

  19. Luna says

    SO. GOOD. These have become one of my go-to snack attack recipes, because they are so quick and easy to make. And super satisfying.
    I’ve made the recipe both ways, as written with aquafaba, and alternately, with egg white in a pinch. They’re delicious either way, but I prefer the slightly crispier texture of the egg white. I always make them with arrowroot, and they come out great.
    After making these many times, I’ve learned not to over-process the coconut, or the cookies will be super crumbly and difficult to pick up, which really hinders the process of me shoveling them in my mouth.
    I haven’t tried making them with peppermint extract yet, but dang that sounds delightful.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoy this recipe, Luna! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications!

  20. Melissa says

    Oh, man. These are so good. I added a little extra aquafaba because my coconut flakes were so dry and i drizzle some chocolate on top. So. Good.

  21. Jess says

    Wow these are amazing! They turned out perfectly, and were so easy and quick to make :)
    I left half the batch as per the recipe, and to the other half I added some freeze dries raspberries and strawberries. Impossible to pick one flavor over the other for deliciousness factor!!
    Will most definitely be making again, and will have to make a double batch from now on :)
    Thanks from NZ

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Love the creativity, Jess! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Shanthi! Thanks so much for the lovely review!

  22. Susan says

    I’ve made these three times now during lockdown and we love them. They’re so easy and require so few ingredients. I use desiccated coconut and granulated stevia in place of some of the syrup and let them firm up in the fridge once cooled. Perfect every time. Thank you for sharing.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoy them, Susan! Thanks so much for the lovely review!

  23. Genie M. says

    Hi. Really wanted these to work…followed recipe carefully but they fell apart like dandelion fluff : ((
    I used unsweetened flake coconut but didn’t ever achieve the “wet sand” feel, also added a bit more coconut oil as it wasn’t coming together. Oh well?!

  24. Dee says

    This is the first recipe of yours I have tried and it was fab! I little dry at first so I added a little more coconut oil and aguafaba. I never heard of aguafaba before and it was fun telling everyone on Xmas eve what they were eating. Funny, but everyone enjoyed them! Thanks

  25. Courtney says

    These were easy to make, delicious and a hit with all the coconut lovers in the family. I modified the recipe as I mixed based on the moisture consistency and taste. I used the recipe based on 9 servings, but with my little 1.5 Tbsp scoop I ended up with probably about 18-20 little “cookies.”

    I added more coconut oil and aquafaba to add moisture and tackiness to the mixture as well as some improv additions of a few tablespoons of apple sauce and and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, as well as more sea salt and vanilla to taste.

    From scooping forward, I tried not to mess with them much and was gentle when handling. They golden beautifully and while they were a bit delicate I only lost one moving them around while they were still warm from the baking sheet. After cooling, I chilled them briefly in the fridge and then very carefully dipped the bottoms in dark chocolate using a double boiler and spatula. Once set they were much less fragile and I transported them with no problem stacked in a cookie tin. Mine turned out dense and rich and I loved the soft “snowball” texture. I definitely will be making these again! Thank you for another fantastic recipe!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review, Courtney. We are so glad you enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

  26. Brie says

    These cookies are light, crumbly, and have a toasted coconut flavor. The batter was quite dry. I gradually added almond milk until it was appropriately moist to scoop. I’d recommend adding more binding agent or moisture. Thank you for sharing this recipe, it was enjoyed by the family.

      • Angie says

        I too had a problem I’m being quite crumbly to the point where they wouldn’t hold together in the scoop. So I did as Bree suggested and I just gradually added a little bit of unsweetened almond milk and stir it together until they held together nicely and that really seemed to work great.

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          That’s great news! Thanks so much for the review and for sharing your modifications, Angie!

  27. Mandy says

    We followed the recipe carefully, used Trader Joes for everything but the mixture wouldn’t bind in the blender – we tried adding more of the aquafaba but it didn’t make a difference – it would help if you could recommend what ingredient one should add to help bind it if its staying crumbly. The end result was that we had little coconut mashes that fell apart when you touched them. It tastes excellent though so we put it all in a big bowl to put in the fridge and its great added to yogurt or eaten by the spoonful!

  28. sandra forte says

    AMMMMMAZING! Got to love a great ball of coconut bliss. If you love coconut this will take you to coconut heaven. Followed recipe to the T and worked out perfectly.

  29. Lauren says

    Hi! I just made these cookies from the exact steps listed in your recipe, but my batch of cookies came out extremely dry. Any suggestions?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hmm, this can depend on the freshness and coarseness of your shredded coconut. Did you use shredded, flaked, or desiccated? Also, could it be possible that they were just slightly overbaked? Would love to help troubleshoot!

      • Lauren says

        I used organic unsweetened shredded coconut. The dough seemed a bit dry before putting it in the oven, so I figured it had something to do with what I put in the food processor.

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

          Hmm, which brand. In any case case I am thinking they were potentially slightly over-baked.

  30. Elisa says

    Made them yesterday and they came out amazing and exactly like yours!
    As I live in Italy I used the shredded coconut I found at the supermarket, which is not trader’s Joe? and might be a little more wet, so I had to rearrange a little bit the ingredients (I used 4-5 tbsp acquafaba, 2 and 1/2 tbsp coconut oil) but the video helped me so much to reach the correct result in terms of consistency.
    I only have to say that, they were moist and crunchy at the same time eaten 15minutes after baking, while the day after they became a bit fluffy and unctuos (even if kept closed inside a tupperware). This might be for the additional tablespoon of coconut oil I used, anyway the taste was good as well.
    Thanks for sharing this fabolous recipe and for making my house smell of coconut all day long!?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review, Elisa. We are so glad you enjoyed these! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo

  31. Jess B. says

    This recipe was the best find I’ve had in a while! It is a bit tedious because it has to be done precisely as is written in the instructions, but I’ve had some success with a few substitutes: I’ve subbed one egg white for the aquafaba and I’ve also subbed liquid stevia for the maple syrup (adding a but of coconut milk so it would bind). I much prefer to follow the recipe exact (except I always use the egg white sub), but its depth possible to sub the syrup if you have some patience. I’ve made this recipe the last 6 weeks in a row & everyone loves it! I also always add lily’s choc chips to the mix after done processing and they always turn out awesome! One thing I will note: the dough didnt seem to bind as well with liquid coconut oil, so maybe try to use standard coconut oil and melt it yourself.

  32. Obsidian says

    Hey there, I subbed the maple sirup with inverted sugar (had some leftovers) and had a smaller scope so I got 18 cookies with one batch. Now I am not sure if my oven just went mad or if the smaller portions have been the reason for the cookies to become brown enough after half of the suggestet time (7 min). So just a shout out for people with smaller scopes, watch your cookies closely!

  33. Sue Scarre says

    I found these so simple to make and bake. Didn’t crumble, as someone mentioned. Left them in a tad too long, so they went slightly brown, but it didn’t affect the taste. Thank goodness I buy my dessicated coconut by the kilo! Love the 4-ingredient brownies too! Going to try the chocolate chip cookies next.

  34. Judy says

    I made these and they are very good. I substituted applesauce for the oil and used arrowroot. I think I’ll drizzle melted chocolate over them. Thank you!

  35. Kari says

    These are amazing and so easy to make! I made them yesterday, followed the recipe and couldn’t be happier with the results. Everyone liked them! I’m getting ready to make a second batch.

  36. Stephanie says

    These were amazing! Thank you so much for this simple and easy recipe!! With so many food restrictions/allergies, I’m so happy to have found this recipe. I will definitely be making these again.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Julie! These cookies are best enjoyed at room temperature. Store leftovers covered at room temperature for 4-5 days, or in the freezer up to 1 month.

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          Yes you can freeze aquafaba. We recommend using an ice cube tray to measure out easy pre-defined amounts.

  37. Mollie says

    I like these. I was able to make the aquafaba with my immersion blender. I had sweetened coconut, so I used only 1TB of maple syrup, and they came out plenty sweet. I didn’t have a cookie scoop and did a mixture of using my 2TB measuring cup and molding on the cookie sheet with my hands when it didn’t come out together. Pretty easy to make. Nobody else likes coconut, so these are all mine. =)

  38. Liana says

    I made this, the flavor was bomb, but the texture was super crumbly. I added more aquafaba than the recipe asked for until my “batter” looked like the picture and that worked a little better. Thanks for the recipe!

  39. Debi Spillan says

    Dear Minimalist Baker,

    I made these yesterday, but I think I may have done something wrong? They are a bit heavy? I am thinking I made them too big and packed them in the scoop? I am going to try again but want to see if you had any tips. I am going to watch the video again before my second attempt.

    They looked so easy to make.

    Thanks you,
    Debi

  40. Kristen says

    I used my vitamix instead of a food processor to make these and (accidentally) whipped the aquafaba beforehand. They turned out great though!! I was delighted by how surprisingly fluffy they were.

    Apparently, you aren’t suppose to whip the aquafaba, but luckily mine still held together.

    I would definitely make again!

  41. Ashley says

    I made these and while I just loved the flavour of them, mine too were quite fragile and crumbly. I blended the coconut shreds for well over 2 minutes but couldn’t seem to achieve the desired texture. I used my hands to tightly shape them into mounds for baking but it wasn’t easy. Thankfully, after baking and cooling completely they did firm up a bit more. I really enjoyed the taste but I’m thinking I might have overloaded my food processor to begin with.

  42. Vishnu Singh says

    made these last night and man oh man they did not work – melted into a weird sweet mess – almost like some kind of coconut tray bake.
    Reviewing the recipe i found my mistake – i may had misread and added 1 ½ CUPS coconut oil rather than 1 ½ Tbsp coconut oil.
    Yeah, i’m trying again tonight.

  43. Trendy Women Fashion says

    It was very useful for me. Keep sharing such ideas in the future as well. This was actually what I was looking for, and I am glad to came here! Thanks for sharing the such information with us.

  44. Jan says

    I made this (Or attempted to make them) today. The flavor was delicious but they were super crumbly. I could barely get it to stay in the scoop and when I removed the pan from the oven, just the move from oven to countertop caused one to collapse into a pile of crumbs. Any idea what I could have done wrong?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hmm, like others perhaps it was your coconut flakes, or an issue of under-blending. I recommend a shredded unsweetened coconut as opposed to desiccated or coconut chips. Hope that helps!

  45. Melissa Gillaume Cappaert says

    I liked this version better than the vegan coconut macaroons because these weren’t as fragile. Also, FYI for those on WFPB diet and don’t cook with added oil: I didn’t use any coconut oil, and they turned out great.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks for sharing, Melissa!! The oil adds moisture and can help them brown. But I’m glad to hear you had success without!

  46. LeeAnne says

    I made these as a treat to celebrate my son’s birthday for his class. I don’t have their feedback yet, but I’m very happy. Super easy to make, light and delicious. I will for sure add this recipe to my ‘will definitely make again another day’ pile! I drizzled some chocolate on the top and added a little crushed candy cane too.

  47. Molly Giles says

    Dana, I don’t think my first comment posted. I, too, have had the snowballs fall apart. In fact, the finely shredded coconut (fine and dry) would not clump in the food processor either before or after adding the coconut oil and aquafaba. Yes, please share your recommended brand of coconut flakes. Also, should the coconut oil be solid or melted? Thanks!

    PS I love your Persian lentil stew!

  48. Katie says

    As like for a few people, they fell apart when I picked them up from the sheet :( I’ll try adding more aqua faba next time. Wondering, what would be the brand you’d recommend for coconut flakes? Thanks!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hmm, so strange! Maybe they were under-blended and not tightly packed…I use Trader Joe’s unsweetened shredded coconut.

  49. Sue says

    Made these today with my daughter. They turned out wonderful. We used a cookie scoop and packed it pretty tight. They turned out just like your pictures! Loved how easy and delicious these were. Thank you!

  50. Sarah says

    I don’t know what happened, but these flattened out so much that they look like a fried egg! Half of the ball just spread out and burnt. I followed the recipe exactly!!

  51. Kimberly McMaster says

    I made these today and well it was a flop. My mixture was definitely wet and seemed like it bonded but they completely crumble when picking up :( going to try an egg substitute and see if it will work. They smell amazing hahaha

  52. Melissa Rose says

    I just made these& they were Amazing. We enjoied with homemade pecan milk. ; ) I used arrowroot& it worked great. I dipped 2 bottoms in chocolate & coated 2 others with chocolate & then coconut shreds. My family loved every variation. I feel like they will hold together well enough to make for my son’s school Christmas party.

  53. Alice says

    I made these this morning and it was oh so delicious! My whole family was very impressed and I will definitely make these again!

      • Lola says

        Thank you, Dana! I used a spices blender and did it in batches. Cookies came out really well, thank you for the recipe!! The only thing I need to do differently next time is adjust for a fan assisted oven (I am in the UK), so likely 160C. Moving to your vegan brownies next :) PS: I love how you have metric conversion built in, really helpful!

    • Emily says

      I’m curious to know this as well. Going to try shredding the coconut it in small batches with the straight blade of my magic bullet mixer, and do the rest of mixing by hand.

      • Lola says

        This is what I did, Emily. I used a spices blender as the large blender was largely useless. Cookies came out really nice but I either need to invest into a processor or make these only for rare occasions.

        • Emily says

          Thank you Lola! I mixed the coconut in batches with my magic bullet blender using the nut blade. I did the rest by hand. They turned out very good. I, too, may need to invest in a food processor eventually!

  54. Katie says

    Hi Dana! I looked at your method for dipping in chocolate from your macaroon recipe. I know the recipes are very similar – can you tell me what the difference in texture is between the two? I’m guessing the taste is about the same since the difference in ingredients is just binding, not flavor, additions. I just can’t decide which one to make :)

    However, I will use an egg if I make this one because I don’t have chickpeas on hand right now and I eat eggs. Thanks so much! Love all your recipes.

  55. Don Urban says

    Can I sub eggs for the aqua faba, use avocado instead of coconut and use peanut butter instead of the oil? (just kidding)
    Ingredients ready for cooking day tomorrow- can’t wait to try these.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hmm, those are a lot of swaps. I wouldn’t recommend swapping all of them. But if you give it a try let us know how it goes!

  56. Julie says

    Can you just use the liquid from chick peas, w/o whipping it? I see that some recipes call for this. What would b the difference?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Yep! This recipe doesn’t require it to be whipped. When you whip aquafaba it mocks whipped egg white, adding air / lightness in a recipe. The aquafaba in this recipe is un-whipped and acts more as binder that adds moisture.

  57. Melissa Dinwiddie says

    I just made these, and they taste delicious… but they disintegrated as soon as I touched them. I’m not sure what I did wrong. Did I perhaps overprocess the coconut flakes? (I used unsweetened, as specified.) It was almost as if there was no binder at all in the recipe.

    They looked beautiful on the cookie sheet, and held up okay being slid off with a spatula, but as soon as I picked them up with my fingers they crumbled to bits.

    It didn’t deter my husband and me—we ate them with spoons. So yummy! But I’d love to know how to adjust things so they hold together next time. :)

  58. Marie says

    Thank you for the great food!
    More and more of us don’t eat any oil anymore, and I love that you usually suggest a substitute for oil in your recipes. Please keep it up as often as possible!

  59. Mandie says

    I’m a little confused on the servings. How many cookies does the recipe yield? I see 9 servings but am unsure of how many cookies per serving that is unless I overlooked that.

  60. MARIA A CHOUINARD says

    What can I sub for coconut oil? Very allergic to both palm oil and coconut oil, my face gets all puffy and itchy, and then it peels. I can eat coconut. There are SO MANY wonderful recipes and they all call for COCONUT oil, please help! Thank you!

    • Denise says

      Wow, that’s a puzzling situation. There’s oil in the whole pure coconut, too. Do you break out if you eat too much raw coconut?? Have you tried coconut manna? It’s basically whole coconut blended up into a creamy mixture. If it sits on the store shelf it will separate into top layer of pure coconut cream (oily) and bottom will be drier coconut fiber. Maybe use the top layer for oil sub in recipes. See if you react to the manna first….

  61. Becca says

    Perfect for a holiday party! I doubled the recipe and drizzled with chocolate. I also sprinkled with holiday themed sprinkles.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Yay! So glad you enjoyed them. Next time would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. xoxo!

  62. Claudia says

    I’ll try this version later, I’ve just bought coconut yesterday. Thanks! I don’t know if you’ve tried substituting sweetened condensed coconut milk as an option for recipes that call for sweetened condensed milk but I’ve had great results with old fav recipes like fudge. I only found Nature’s Brand here in Canada. There’s also an evaporated coconut milk option for recipes that call for carnation-like milk. That way both hubby and I can enjoy old decadent favourites.

  63. Annette Webb says

    Dana, another follower here who’d like to know if the coconut oil can be omitted from this recipe. I avoid adding oil of any kind. Thanks!

  64. Sierra Bellinger says

    My boyfriend accidentally bought sweetened coconut flakes, and I’m not sure what to do with them. Could I skip the maple syrup and use them in this recipe?

    • Sierra Bellinger says

      Okay – I couldn’t wait to find out and I gave it a try. They are quite good! I would prefer using a more natural sweetener like the syrup, but I’m glad I’m butting the sweetened coconut to use.

      My new question – while they are delicious, they are also incredibly crumbly. I tried to pick one up and it basically disintegrated on the pan. There’s no hope for bagging them up and sending them out. Is this just a part of what to expect with this type of cookie? Or could it have something to do with using the sweetened flakes instead of the syrup? I had a hard time getting the flakes to clump together, so I suspect they are part of the problem.

      • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

        That was likely the issue. I haven’t tested it with sweetened coconut flakes. Perhaps the lack of maple syrup made them too tender?

  65. Nicole says

    Made these as soon as I saw the recipe and they are amazing and so easy to make! Thank you for another winner! Can’t get enough of your recipes!! You make the switch to vegan and GF so yummy!

  66. Kate says

    Made these today for a cookie exchange. They were super easy to make (I even had a toddler helping) and were a big hit! Thanks for another great recipe!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      In place of aquafaba, you can sub egg white if not vegan. Otherwise, you can experiment with egg replacers or flax eggs. But we haven’t tested other variations and can’t guarantee the results.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      I think so! In place of aquafaba, you can sub egg white if not vegan. Otherwise, you can experiment with egg replacers or flax eggs. But we haven’t tested other variations and can’t guarantee the results.