Easy coconut biscuit recipe (Oaties)

These easy coconut biscuits are syrupy and chewy, superfast and so simple to make!

They are a world away from the light and airy coconut macaroons you may be used to. No, this coconut biscuit recipe creates biscuits that are delightfully substantial, packed with a generous amount of oats, coconut, dark brown sugar and golden syrup.

You could call them the love child of an Aussie Anzac cookie and British flapjacks.

So, with just a few basic ingredients you can have these coconut cookies on the table, a cup of tea in hand, in no time. They are also great for a filling snack on the go.

If you like a chunky biscuit, try this recipe for Decadent coffee cookies. They are out of this world!

Jump to:

• What's to love about this recipe
• Key ingredient notes and substitutions
• How to make coconut biscuits
• Decoration ideas
• Variations on this coconut biscuit recipe
• The biscuit sizes
• Storage
• Can you freeze coconut biscuits?
• More recipes with coconut you can try
• Other easy recipes for cookies you might enjoy
• Recipe

Key ingredient notes and substitutions

**Please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the complete list of ingredients.

Oatmeal

Rolled oats is available in almost every supermarket. These often come in various textures, use the one you prefer (for instance, fine-milled or coarse).

Dark brown sugar

Dark brown sugar contains molasses, which gives the biscuits a rich, caramel-like flavour. Not only does it add flavour, but it also helps the cookies to be more moist and chewy.

At a push, you can replace it with light brown sugar.

Desiccated coconut

This is the finely shredded and dried flesh from a coconut, found in most baking aisles. It will be clearly marked as 'desiccated coconut' on the packet, not to be mistaken for 'coconut flakes'.

Golden syrup

Golden syrup is widely available in most countries now. According to Martha Stewart, most US supermarkets stock it. This should hopefully be the case when searching for it! 

Lyle's Golden Syrup is the most widely loved and popular brand of golden syrup in the UK and many other countries.

To make things easier, the four tablespoons of golden syrup in the recipe equate to 80g. Weighing sticky golden syrup is much simpler than measuring it with a tablespoon!

How to make coconut biscuits

• Preheat the oven to 170℃/338℉/gas mark 3. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper/baking paper.

• Combine together the oatmeal, all-purpose flour, dark brown sugar and desiccated coconut in a large mixing bowl.

• Dark brown sugar can occasionally form lumps, so it's crucial to break apart any clumps that you can see.

• In a small saucepan, add the butter, golden syrup and vanilla extract.

• Over a gentle heat, melt all the ingredients together.

• Measure the boiling water into a small bowl and add the bicarbonate of soda. Give it a quick stir.

• Immediately pour the bicarb into the melted butter mixture. It will foam a little bit.

• Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the butter mixture. Combine together with a large spoon.

• Ensure you incorporate all the dry ingredients hiding in the bottom of the bowl.

• Using your hands, take large pieces of cookie dough and roll them into balls.
  
  If you prefer to be more precise, you can weigh each dough ball. We recommend aiming for 50g per ball, which should yield approximately 16 biscuits.

• Place the balls on the prepared baking tray. With the palm of your hand, push down on the balls until they are about 1cm/0.4" thick.

• Because of the oatmeal, this will be a coarse, thick dough. When you flatten the dough balls, you might notice cracks appearing on the sides of the biscuits.
  
  If this happens, just pinch the cracks closed to ensure the dough stays intact.

• Space the biscuits about 5cm/2" apart on the baking sheet. These biscuits don't rise a great deal, so the way you shape them now is pretty much how they will come out of the oven.

• Bake for 14-15 minutes in the preheated oven until the biscuits are light golden brown on top.

• Allow the biscuits to cool completely on their trays for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling or wire rack.

Decoration ideas

We like these butter coconut biscuits plain, but you can...

• Drizzle them with chocolate.

• Dip half of each cookie in chocolate.

• Sprinkle with toasted desiccated coconut.

Variations on this coconut biscuit recipe

• Swap the vanilla extract for caramel or almond extract.

• Chocolate Chip: Add a handful of chocolate chips to the dough for a chocolate twist.

• Make it nutty: Mix in chopped nuts such as almonds, pecans or walnuts to add a crunchy texture and nutty flavour.

• Tropical twist: Include dried fruits like diced pineapple, mango or papaya to give the biscuits a tropical flair.

• Cinnamon spice: Sprinkle some ground cinnamon into the dough for a warm and comforting flavour.

• Lemon Zest: Add a pinch of lemon zest to the dough for a burst of citrusy freshness.

• Berry bliss: Fold in dried cranberries, blueberries or raspberries to add a burst of fruity flavour and a pop of colour to the biscuits.

• Almonds and chocolate: Mix in chopped almonds and mini chocolate chips.

• Peanut butter: Incorporate a dollop of peanut butter into the dough for a rich and nutty twist.

• Spiced pumpkin: Add a tablespoon of pumpkin puree and a sprinkle of pumpkin spice to the dough for a cosy fall-inspired variation.

• Matcha: Mix in a teaspoon of matcha powder to infuse the biscuits with a subtle green tea flavour.

• Orange zest: Add some grated orange zest to the dough for a citrusy twist.

• Chai spice: Incorporate chai spice mix, such as cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and cloves into the dough for a warm and aromatic flavour.

• Toasted coconut: Toast shredded coconut in a dry pan until golden brown, then fold it into the dough. This adds an extra layer of nutty and crispy texture to the biscuits.

• Maple pecan: Mix in chopped pecans and a drizzle of maple syrup into the dough.

• Gingerbread: Incorporate gingerbread spice mixes like ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves into the dough.

The biscuit sizes

We like to weigh out each dough ball to ensure our biscuits are all the same size. A 50g weight makes a perfect standard-sized biscuit, and you'll end up with around 16 cookies from this recipe.

But hey, if you're feeling adventurous and want a colossal treat, go ahead and double the weight to a whopping 100g per cookie! Just be warned, one of these giant biscuits might leave you happily stuffed for the rest of the week! Enjoy responsibly.

If you don't feel like weighing the dough, you can simply eyeball it and shape the dough into balls based on your intuition.

Storage

These biscuits have a good shelf life and can be stored in an airtight container for up to three weeks.

Can you freeze coconut biscuits?

Yes! You can batch-bake them and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Alternatively, you can freeze the dough before baking. Wrap it thoroughly in plastic wrap before placing it in the freezer. To defrost, place the frozen cookie dough in the fridge overnight. The next day, roll into balls and bake following the same instructions as for the recipe.

More recipes with coconut you can try

A syrupy, sweet and moist coconut tart

Tropical coconut rice

Coconut yoghurt milkshake

Coconut date balls with Christmas flavours

Coconut milk beef curry

Easy peasy coconut ice

Other easy recipes for cookies you might enjoy

Recipe

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