Coconut Straciatella Shortbread Cookies
Looking for the perfect cookie to ship to friends and family this holiday? These Coconut Straciatella Shortbread Cookies are the answer! With a tender crunch and tons of chocolate and coconut flavor, they're dairy-free and sturdy enough to withstand the journey.
It's all cookies, all the time around here!
In the last few weeks, I've shared soft ginger cookies, tender-crunchy gingerbread boys and girls, homemade mint milanos, and I've even made a couple batches of my favorite vanilla sugar cookies, just for the fun of it. 'Tis the season, right?
But today I'm sharing my favorite of all. These things are so addictive!
It's a basic rolled sugar/cutout cookie, but instead of butter, we're subbing in coconut oil. And, we're sprinkling the dough with finely chopped chocolate all throughout. And, as if that weren't enough, let's also dip them in melted chocolate and garnish with toasted coconut.
If you want to send homemade treats to friends and family this holiday, this is the perfect recipe. They keep their tender, crunchy texture for weeks on end, and they package up perfectly. Nobody's finding broken, stale cookies on their doorstep this year!
Click on over to KitchenAid's blog, The Kitchenthusiast, for the full recipe and how to! And for more great Christmas cookie recipes, check out the "Cookies" category of my recipe index!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (436 g) coconut oil, (solid)
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs,, large
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) coconut extract
- 3 ½ cups (437.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 ounces (85.05 g) semisweet chocolate,, finely chopped
- ¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 6 ounces (170.1 g) semisweet chocolate,, melted
- ¼ cup (20 g) shredded coconut,, toasted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the coconut oil, and sugar in a large mixing bowl, and cream on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, or until very light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and extracts, and stir together on medium-low until smooth and well-incorporated.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, chocolate, and salt, and mix on medium speed until the dough gathers itself into a ball and pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl.
- Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper, and use a rolling pin to roll to a thickness of about 3/16-inch.
- Cut shapes, using a 2-inch square fluted cookie cutter.
- Place on the prepared baking sheets, and bake for 10-12 minutes or until firm around the edges and set in the middle.
- Allow to cool on the baking sheets.
- Optional: Dip the cookies partway in melted chocolate, and garnish with toasted coconut.
- NOTE: To toast the coconut, place it in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.
I used a sunshine cookie cutter and stamp, dipped half in chocolate it was perfect for solstice!
What a fun idea! I love it!
I made these for a cookie swap that I held over the holidays. I asked my guests to bring between 2-3 dozen cookies, and this recipe made plenty. They are beautiful little things, and very sturdy too! Perfect for mailing! They are not very sweet tasting, which I liked very much. They go well with coffee too. I was out of semi-sweet chocolate but had plenty of bittersweet, and I liked the outcome very much. Some of the cookies I left the coconut off and put a cute little holly berry sprinkle on them. I found that these cookies did not fair well with my "non adventurous" guests who like more traditional cookies (or who dislike coconut). Therefore, if you are making them for a "non adventurous palate" crowd, I might consider choosing a different cookie or leaving the toasted coconut off. I will personally be making them again!
Great to know! And the holly berry sprinkle sounds adorable. Thanks Holly!
Hi! Thank you for sharing this recipe. It sounds fantastic! I'm planning on making them very soon. Just wondering if you can give tips on how to best store them?
Hey Mandy! I'm so happy you're going to make these! I would just keep them in an airtight container at room temp- they hold up really well! Hope you enjoy 🙂
Does the chocolate have to be dairy free? Will regular chocolate still work in this recipe?
It's not necessary for the chocolate to be dairy-free. It's only listed that way because the recipe is characterized as such, but it will work just fine with regular chocolate too. Hope that helps!
Allie, you're my baking hero! These look so beautiful and delicious...I've been looking for something to make as a little treat for our neighbors and these are perfect! xo
Oh wonderful! I'm so happy you like these- I had a lot of fun making them and I hope you do too. Hugs Marissa!
Oh, these look totally heavenly Allie! I LOVE the chocolate and coconut combo! I would not be able to control myself around a plate full of these!
Lol thank you so much Mary Ann! I have to admit, I am having trouble controlling myself! Hope your week is off to a great start, my friend 🙂
Oh wow, Allie! These look so tasty! I can just imagine the little bits of chocolate melting in every bite... Plus they're gorgeous.
Thank you so much Lindsey! I hope your week is off to a really great start!
These are gorgeous!!! I love the coconut oil (duh!!) and chocolate combination!!
I had a feeling you would like these! You are the coconut queen. Thank you my dear!
Shortbread cookies are my FAVORITE Christmas cookies EVER. And that coconut and chocolate combo? OUT OF THIS WORLD! Pinned!
Thank you so much Taylor! I'm so happy you like these!
Allie, these are so lovely! Not only do they taste amazing (even though I haven't made them yet, I can just tell they're super yummy), but they're beautiful too! Great recipe!
Thank you Roxana! I have been munching on these cookies for a couple weeks now and not getting tired of them any time soon! Have a great weekend hon!
I love these, Allie! Might have to sneak in another baking session before the holidays just for these cookies. 🙂
Thanks Steph! I hope you do get a chance to give these a try- I really loved them! 🙂
omg coconut oil shortbread! and it looks amazing---and those little flecks of chocolate are the best part!
Thank you so much Kayle! I loved the chocolate + coconut combo- so glad you like them too!
This shortbread looks so stunning! Love the coconut on top 🙂
Thank you so much Medha! I did too- it gave such a nice added texture. Have a great weekend, sweetie!
These are some kick a** shortbread cookies, Allie! I love all the coconut action, and dipping them in chocolate is always a plus in my book. Gorgeous cookies!
Hahaha! Thank you so much Marcie I'm so happy you like these! Have a great weekend, dear!
These beauties would make any holiday cookie plate a hit! They're so simple, yet so beautiful!
Thank you so much Nora! I really loved the coconut oil in there. It was such a nice flavor! Hope you have a great weekend, sweetie!
These look amazing! Could you sub butter for the oil? If so, what ratio? Thanks!
Thanks Marci! You certainly could, and I would do so in equal measure. You won't have the same subtle coconut flavor, but it's still a darn good cookie. Basically what I've done here: https://bakingamoment.com/how-to-bake-easy-and-delicious-cutout-cookies-with-neat-edges/. Thanks so much for reading and for the great question!