Soft, buttery, flaky coconut cookies rolled in festive red and green coconut. Perfect for Christmas gifting, cookie trays, and make-ahead freezer baking.

Prep: 25 minutes + chilling

Bake: 12–14 minutes per batch

Makes: About 4 dozen cookies

Why You’ll Love These Cookies

These Coconut Slice & Bake Cookies are the kind of holiday treat that look fancy but take almost no effort.

You’ll love them because:

• They’re festive with Christmas-colored coconut flakes.
• The texture is buttery, soft, and slightly crisp on the edges.
• The dough is slice-and-bake, so you can make it ahead.
• They are freezer-friendly — keep logs in the freezer and bake anytime.
• Beautiful for Christmas trays, holiday parties, or gifting.
• The coconut looks like sparkling snowflakes under holiday lights.

Ingredients

Tinted Coconut Coating

• 3 cups sweetened shredded coconut, divided
• 15 drops red food coloring
• 10 drops green food coloring

Cookie Dough

• 1 cup butter, softened
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions (Full Detailed Version)

1. Tint the Coconut

You will create two bowls of festive coconut: one red, one green.

• Place 1 cup of shredded coconut into each of two bowls (2 cups total).
• In the first bowl, add 15 drops of red food coloring.
  Cover the bowl or use a spoon and toss until all flakes are evenly tinted.
• In the second bowl, add 10 drops of green food coloring and repeat the process.

These colorful flakes will coat the outside of your cookie dough logs for a beautiful holiday look.

The remaining 1 cup of plain coconut will be mixed into the dough.

Make the Dough

• In a large mixing bowl, cream together 1 cup softened butter and ¼ cup sugar until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale.
• Gradually beat in the 2 cups all-purpose flour.
• Stir in the remaining 1 cup of plain shredded coconut.
• The dough will be soft and slightly crumbly — perfect for shaping.

Shape the Dough Logs

• Divide the dough into two equal portions.
• Shape the first portion into a 7-inch log using your hands or parchment paper.
• Roll this log in the red-tinted coconut, pressing firmly so the flakes fully adhere.
• Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
• Repeat the same process with the second dough portion using the green coconut.

Refrigerate both logs for 1 to 2 hours, or until they’re firm enough to slice cleanly.

Slice and Bake

• Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C).
• Unwrap each dough log.
• Using a sharp knife, cut into ¼-inch slices.
• Place the cookies 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until:

• the bottoms are lightly golden, and
• the tops look set but not browned.

Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Nutrition (Per Cookie)

• Calories: 84
• Fat: 5g (4g saturated)
• Cholesterol: 9mg
• Sodium: 41mg
• Carbohydrates: 9g (5g sugar)
• Fiber: 0g
• Protein: 1g

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Enjoy

Serve these cookies:

• Warm with hot cocoa or coffee
• On a Christmas cookie tray
• In a holiday cookie box for gifting
• With tea or a holiday charcuterie dessert board

These cookies look beautiful next to peppermint bark, sugar cookies, and gingerbread men.

Storage & Freezing Tips

Refrigerator:

Keep baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Freezer – Dough Logs:

• Roll logs in coconut
• Wrap tightly
• Freeze up to 3 months
• Slice and bake straight from frozen — just add +1–2 minutes to the baking time.

Freezer – Baked Cookies:

• Freeze for 2 months
• Separate layers with parchment paper
• Thaw at room temp or warm 20 seconds in the microwave

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Serve It With

These cookies pair beautifully with:

• Hot chocolate
• Chai latte
• Eggnog
• Vanilla ice cream
• Holiday punch
• Coffee or a cappuccino
• Christmas dessert spreads