Coconut Filled Chocolate Cookies
Determined to create fun cookie flavours, I set out to make a Bounty-inspired recipe. I love the pairing of coconut and chocolate and think Bounties get a bad rap. My first attempt used a coconut ladoo-style filling, but it wasn’t coconutty enough. Then, while melting creamed coconut for dinner, I had a lightbulb moment. The result is a less sweet, more toasty filling that captures the spirit of a Bounty bar. Letting the filling caramelise slightly adds a nice depth, but it’s not essential—just a reassurance if you heat it too much.
Makes 16
Hands-on Time 20 minutes plus chilling (overnight)
Baking Time 15 minutes
Ingredients
150g creamed coconut
100ml water
100g icing sugar
150g desiccated coconut
300g unsalted butter (softened)
200g light brown sugar
175g caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
300g plain flour
100g cocoa powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp fine salt
1 tbsp instant coffee powder (fine)
Equipment
Saucepan
Spatula
Baking parchment
Freestanding mixer with paddle attachment
Baking sheet (ideally aluminium)
Knife
Wire rack
Method
1. Make the coconut filling
Melt the creamed coconut and water in a saucepan over medium heat.
Stir in 50g butter, icing sugar, and desiccated coconut until combined.
When cool enough to handle, shape the mixture into a 3–4cm wide log on parchment and let cool.
2. Make the cookie dough
In a freestanding mixer, beat 250g butter, light brown sugar, and caster sugar for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add the vanilla extract and eggs, mixing briefly to combine.
Add the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, and instant coffee. Mix until just combined, scraping down the sides with a spatula.
Shape the dough into a log, wrap in parchment, and chill for at least 1 hour.
3. Assemble the cookies
Slice the coconut filling into 16 discs and the cookie dough into 32 discs.
Sandwich each filling disc between two flattened dough discs, sealing the edges and rolling into a ball.
Place the balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill overnight.
4. Bake the cookies
Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C (fan)/325°F/Gas Mark 3.
Bake 6–8 cookies at a time, spaced 10cm apart, for 15 minutes.
Let the cookies rest for a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy!
