Lemongrass Coconut Cookies
These delicate, buttery cookies infuse the bright, citrusy essence of fresh lemongrass with tropical coconut for a sophisticated Thai-inspired treat. Crispy edges give way to a tender center, and the subtle coconut milk undertone creates richness without overwhelming sweetness. Perfect with tea or as an elegant dessert.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Wait
- 15 min
- Total
- 47 min
- Makes
- 24 cookies (about 1½ inches each)
Steps
Before you start
- Bring butter to room temperature (about 1 hour ahead)
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
- Use fresh lemongrass if possible; if using dried, rehydrate in warm water for 5 minutes first
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper
Prepare lemongrass and zest
- Remove the outermost dry layer from the lemongrass stalks.
- Trim the dark green tops and root ends.
- Using a sharp knife or microplane, mince the white and pale green parts very finely until you have about 2 tablespoons (30 g) of fragrant pieces.
- The finer the cut, the better the flavor distributes.
- Zest the lime using a microplane or fine grater, collecting just the colored part without the bitter white pith.
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Ready when: lemongrass is uniformly minced to about the size of sesame seeds; lime zest is fragrant and bright
Tip: Use only the tender white and pale green parts of lemongrass; the tough dark green parts are too fibrous. Don't use a food processor—it damages the lemongrass and releases oils unevenly.
Cream butter and sugars
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), combine the softened butter, granulated sugar, and coconut sugar.
- Beat on medium-high speed for 2–3 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale, almost doubled in volume.
- Scrape down the bowl halfway through.
- This creaming incorporates air and ensures tender cookies.
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Ready when: mixture is pale, light, and fluffy; takes 2–3 minutes at medium-high speed
Tip: If your butter is too cold, the mixture will be grainy; too warm and you won't trap air. Room temperature is key.
Add egg and aromatics
- Add the egg yolk to the creamed butter mixture and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds until fully incorporated.
- Pour in the coconut milk and add the minced lemongrass, lime zest, and vanilla extract.
- Beat on medium speed for 1–2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed, until the mixture is smooth and the lemongrass and zest are evenly distributed.
- The batter should be pale yellow with flecks of green throughout.
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Ready when: egg and coconut milk are fully incorporated; lemongrass and zest appear evenly throughout the pale yellow batter
Tip: Scrape the bowl frequently to ensure the delicate lemongrass pieces don't clump on the sides.
Mix dry ingredients
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and unsweetened coconut flakes.
- Whisking aerates the flour and ensures even distribution of the leavening agent and salt.
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Ready when: dry ingredients are combined with no streaks of flour and coconut flakes are evenly dispersed
Tip: Don't skip whisking; this is where you aerate the flour and distribute the baking powder evenly.
Combine wet and dry
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture.
- Using a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula, fold gently until just combined, about 15–20 folds.
- Do not overmix.
- The dough should look slightly shaggy, with some flour visible, when you stop.
- Overmixing develops gluten, making cookies tough.
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Ready when: dry ingredients are mostly combined with perhaps a few flour streaks remaining; dough is not uniform
Tip: Stop as soon as you don't see streaks of dry flour. Gentle folding keeps cookies tender, not tough.
Scoop and space on baking sheet
- Using a 1½-tablespoon (22 ml) cookie scoop or a regular tablespoon, drop heaping portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches (5 cm) apart.
- You should fit 12 cookies per sheet.
- If you don't have a scoop, use two spoons to divide the dough evenly.
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Ready when: dough balls are evenly portioned and spaced far enough apart to spread without touching
Tip: Even spacing ensures even baking. If cookies touch while baking, they will fuse together.
Bake first batchOven 350°F / 175°C
- Place the first baking sheet in the preheated 350°F (175°C) oven.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes until the edges are light golden brown and feel firm to the touch, but the centers are still very slightly soft.
- The cookies will firm up as they cool on the sheet.
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Ready when: edges are pale to light golden brown and feel dry to touch; centers jiggle very slightly when shaken gently but are not raw-looking
Tip: Bake cookies until they appear slightly underdone; they continue cooking as they cool on the sheet. Overbaking makes them dry.
Cool on sheet and transfer
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies rest on the hot sheet for 3 minutes.
- The carryover heat will firm up the centers.
- Using a thin metal spatula, carefully transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack.
- If the cookies are too soft to lift, wait another minute.
- Repeat the baking process with the second batch while the first cools.
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Ready when: cookies hold together and transfer without breaking; they are set but still slightly soft in the center
Tip: Don't remove cookies from the hot sheet immediately—they will fall apart. The 3-minute rest is essential.
Bake second batchOven 350°F / 175°C
- While the first batch cools, place the second baking sheet in the 350°F (175°C) oven.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes until the edges are light golden and the centers are just set.
- Transfer to a cooling rack using the same method as the first batch.
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Ready when: edges are pale to light golden brown and centers are just firm
Tip: Oven temperatures can vary; watch the cookies starting at 10 minutes rather than relying solely on the timer.
Cool completely before serving
- Allow all cookies to cool on the wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving or storing.
- As they cool, they will become crispier on the edges while maintaining a tender center.
- Serve with tea or coffee.
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Ready when: cookies are cool to the touch and crispy on the edges
Tip: Warm cookies are fragile; cooling hardens the structure so they taste and crunch as intended.
Good to know
Tips
- For extra floral notes, brush warm cookies lightly with jasmine tea infusion or a touch of coconut glaze made from 2 tablespoons (30 ml) coconut milk mixed with 2 tablespoons (25 g) powdered sugar.
- Toasting the shredded coconut in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–4 minutes before adding to the dough intensifies coconut flavor and adds visual appeal, though it's optional.
- Fresh lemongrass begins to lose potency within a week. Buy it as close to baking as possible, or freeze whole stalks in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
- If the dough feels too sticky to scoop cleanly, refrigerate for 15 minutes before portioning. A slightly cool dough is much easier to handle.
Make ahead
Dough can be prepared up to 2 days ahead: after folding in the dry ingredients (step 5), cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature for 10 minutes before scooping and baking. Alternatively, scoop the dough onto a baking sheet, freeze for 2 hours or overnight, then bake directly from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the baking time.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Fridge: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week; warm briefly in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 2 minutes to restore crispness. Freezer: Freeze baked cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer to an airtight freezer bag for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature for 15 minutes or warm in a 300°F oven for 3–4 minutes.
Substitutions
- fresh lemongrass → 1½ tablespoons (7 g) finely grated lemon zest plus ¼ teaspoon dried lemongrass powder, if available. Fresh lemongrass is ideal, but dried cannot fully replicate its bright flavor. If using only lemon zest, the cookies will be more citrusy than tropical.
- unsweetened coconut milk → Heavy cream or whole milk. The cookies will be less rich and tropical-tasting but still tender and good. Use the same 3 tablespoons (45 ml).
- unsweetened shredded coconut → Finely ground toasted almonds or additional all-purpose flour. Almonds add nuttiness; flour makes the cookies more delicate. If substituting with flour, reduce total flour by ¼ cup (30 g) to maintain the right texture.
- coconut sugar → Granulated sugar, turbinado sugar, or light brown sugar. Coconut sugar adds subtle caramel notes, but regular sugar works fine. Keep the total sugar amount the same.
