Coconut Rice Krispie Cookies

Sugar cookie meets Coconut Rice Krispie Treats in these delectable tender-crisp Coconut Rice Krispie Cookies.

This cookie is a textural Bombshell with a capital B. It’s like a sugar cookie met a Coconut Rice Krispie Treat. It’s tender-crisp with layers of texture that make it an enjoyable eat beyond the bangin’ flavor of the cookie itself. The exterior provides a delightful crunch that yields to a tender-flaky-airy interior. The taste is sugary heaven with pronounced coconut flavor. I consider my willpower strong if I can manage to eat no more than three of these in a day. 

Cookies with Rice Krispies in them, who knew such a thing would be so good?

My Mom and I discovered a Rice Krispie cookie recipe in an old church cookbook. We had to make a few interpretations and added some preferential tweaks, but the results were amazing. And worth repeating. 

What ingredients do I need to make Coconut Rice Krispie Cookies?

You will need the following to make these bomb @$$ cookies with Rice Krispies in them:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar (light)
• 1 cup shortening (Crisco)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups Rice Krispies
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• ¼ cup sugar (optional, for dipping cookies in before baking)

The extra 1/4 cup of sugar is optional, but I love the texture of the sugar on top of the baked cookie. It makes the finished product even better texturally. 

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Shortening… or bust?

Note: I have not tried this recipe with butter or margarine. If you would like to substitute butter or margarine, I suggest chilling the dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour or two before baking. I suspect the cookie dough may spread out too much on you during baking if you don’t chill out a batch of Coconut Rice Krispie cookies made with butter or margarine beforehand. 

What is shortening?

By definition, shortening is any fat that is solid at room temperature and used in baking. In my novice baker’s mind, shortening = Criso. But it’s a little more complex than that. The term shortening also includes things like lard, margarine, and hydrogenated vegetable oils. Using shortening in baked goods imparts a delicate, crumbly texture to the finished product. This is a fascinating read on what shortening is (and isn’t) and I highly suggest checking it out.

While technically using shortening and Crisco interchangeably isn’t completely correct, when I say shortening for this Rice Krispie Cookie recipe I mean Crisco. Using Crisco here results in a cookie with a lovely tender-crisp texture.

How do you make Coconut Rice Krispie Cookies?

The process for making this Rice Krispie cookie recipe is fairly similar to making an OG batch of chocolate chip cookies. Here’s what you’ll need to do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Add 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup white sugar, and 1 cup shortening to a mixing bowl. Beat with a hand mixer until incorporated.
3. Add 2 large eggs and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Beat with a hand mixer until incorporated.
4. Combine 2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon baking soda to a separate bowl.
5. Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl, a bit at a time, beating after each addition until completely incorporated. I add about 1/3 of the flour mixture at one time.
6. Add 1 cup of coconut flakes and 2 cups of Rice Krispies cereal. Stir with a spatula until just combined.
7. Use a cookie scoop to scoop into evenly sized balls.
8. Dip each cookie ball into white sugar, then flatten each cookie ball slightly with the bottom of a drinking glass.
9. Put 9-12 cookie balls to a baking sheet, evenly spaced.
10. Bake for 9-10 minutes. But seriously, check them at 9 minutes! 
11. Remove from oven, let sit for 30-45 seconds, then transfer to a cooling rack.
12. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
13. Makes 48 cookies.

Cookie Storage

Store Coconut Rice Krispie cookies in a lidded container or resealable plastic bag.

Hot Cookie Storage Tip

Put a slice of bread in the container or bag to prevent the cookies from hardening and keep ’em nice and moist. It really works! The slice of bread will be a casualty (or become destined for croutons) but keeping your cookies textually perfect is worth the sacrifice.

If you like this Rice Krispie Cookie recipe, you may also like:

• White Chocolate Cranberry Walnut Cookies
• Coconut Rice Krispie Treats
• Blackberry Coconut Cobbler
• Ghirardelli Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cookies

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