Are you a fan of the classic almond joy candy bar? The trio of coconut, almonds and chocolate is incredibly popular for good reason. All of the dessert “must haves” are represented… saltiness from the almonds, sweetness from the coconut and just a hint of bitterness from the chocolate plus crunchiness, creaminess and chewiness. Everything is covered in this classic trio.
Now what if you happen to be a person who loves this trio, but also happens to be craving a warm, gooey cookie too? Well, then these chocolate, almond and coconut cookies are for you!
Let’s get started…
Begin by combining 2 large eggs with 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil, 3/4 cup of melted butter and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract in a large bowl. Whisk vigorously until everything is fully incorporated and a beautiful pale yellow color.
In a separate bowl, whisk 1 3/4 cups of all purpose flour with 3/4 cup of unsweetened Dutch cocoa, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of espresso powder, which is optional, but highly recommended as it really helps bring the best out of the chocolate flavor.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and use a silicone spatula to mix until the they are just combined.
Now comes the fun part… add 4 ounces of roughly chopped chocolate, 3/4 cup of chopped almonds and a heaping cup of sweetened coconut flakes into the cookie dough…
Mix until the chocolate, coconut and almonds are evenly distributed.
Now, you have a decision to make. These cookies can be baked up right away, but they will spread quite a bit becoming thin and chewy. If you prefer a thicker, more brownie like cookie then you will need to chill the cookie dough for about 30 minutes.
I always chill this dough. I love the thick, gooey version of them, so for me, it is well worth the extra time.
The easiest way to chill this dough is to spray a cookie dough scoop with some non-stick spray and drop 2 tablespoon balls of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Transfer the baking sheet into your freezer for about 30 minutes and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
After 30 minutes in the freezer, this dough should be pretty firm, but still a little shapeable, so take 8 of them out of the freezer and roll them into round balls and transfer them onto a parchment lined baking sheet leaving 2-3 inches between each portion.
Bake the cookies in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are set, but the center is still a little soft and gooey. The cookies will continue to set as they cool, but if you bake them until they are fully set, they will not be gooey once they have cooled. The moral of the story…. do not overbake these cookies.
If you want to dress these cookies up a little, add a few shreds of coconut and some finely chopped almonds and chocolate over top of each cookie as soon as you pull them out of the oven. I’m fairly certain that pretty cookies taste better, but you may want to do your own research on this…
Would you take a look at how moist and gooey these cookies are inside? Just like fabulous little brownies full of sweet, chewy coconut shreds and salty, crunchy almonds.
If you are looking for a super chocolatey cookie recipe with a little nod to a classic candy bar then you should definitely give these chocolate, almond and coconut cookies a try. I know you are going to love them!
Chocolate, Almond & Coconut Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup of vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup of butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 cups of all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup of unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon of espresso powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 4 ounces of chocolate, roughly chopped
- 3/4 cup of almonds, chopped
- 1 cup of sweetened coconut shreds
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine 2 large eggs with 1/3 cup of vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, 3/4 cup of melted butter and 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar and use an electric hand mixer to beat until creamy
- Sift 1 3/4 cups of all purpose flour, 3/4 cup of unsweetened Dutch cocoa, 1 teaspoon of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt into the bowl and mix until just combined
- Add 3/4 cup of chopped chocolate, 3/4 cup of chopped almonds and 1 cup of sweetened coconut flakes and fold in until evenly distributed
- Use a large greased cookie dough scoop to form balls of dough and place them onto a parchment lined plate
- Chill the dough for either 30 minutes in the freezer or 60 minutes in the refrigerator
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
- Place the balls of dough 2-3 inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until they are gently set, but still a little soft in the middle (do not over bake)
- Transfer the baking sheet onto a cooling rack and let the cookies cool for about 5 minutes before transferring them directly onto the cooling rack
