Pina Colada Cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with pineapple and coconut. This tropical cookie recipe is so easy to make and everyone loves these delicious cookies!
We love cookies and we love adding fruit to cookies, but somehow I’ve never tried pina colada cookies until now. If you love pineapple and coconut, you’ve got to try these!
PINA COLADA COOKIES
Pina Colada Cookies are made with butter, sugar, eggs, and a few other basic cookie ingredients. Add coconut extract, pineapple ice cream topping, and shredded coconut to make the cookies taste just like a pina colada. Make a simple glaze with pineapple juice and coconut extract and drizzle on top of the cookies before adding more shredded coconut on top.
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST COOKIES
- Make sure you use softened butter – DON’T melt it! One of the most common errors in cookie making is using butter that is either cold and hard, or using butter that is too warm and melted. If you have time, just leave butter out on the counter for about 1-2 hours before making your cookies. If you are like me and don’t plan your cookie cravings that far in advance, just place the butter in your microwave and soften in 5-second intervals, being very careful to pull it out before it melts. I like to use the defrost setting on my microwave to soften butter- I don’t know the technical reasons behind it, but it seems to soften the butter more evenly and takes a little bit longer so I’m less likely to start melting it!
- Most cookie recipes require that you mix the dry ingredients separately before adding the wet ingredients. This is an important step!
- Spend a little extra time when you mix the butter and sugars. Creaming them together for 2-3 minutes will improve the consistency of your cookies.
- Use a cookie scoop if you want all your cookies to be perfectly shaped and have them all be exactly the same size.
- Preheat the oven. This will help your cookies turn out right every time!
- Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Doing this will make it easier to remove the cookies from your cookie sheet so that you don’t have to scrape them off the pan. They will just slide right off in perfect shape!
- Make sure not to overbake your cookies. They may not even look done on the tops, but if the bottoms start to brown, I take mine out and they are perfect!
INGREDIENTS IN PINA COLADA COOKIES
COOKIE DOUGH
Sugar – You can’t make cookies without sugar, so don’t leave this out!
Butter – I use salted butter, but you can use unsalted if you prefer. No margarine! Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature before adding to the recipe.
Coconut extract – The coconut extract really gives the cookies the strong coconut flavor that goes so well with the pineapple.
Pineapple ice cream topping – The pineapple flavor in the cookies comes from pineapple ice cream topping. If you have a hard time finding pineapple topping, you can use pineapple jam/preserves instead.
Eggs – Two large eggs bind all of the other ingredients together.
Flour – All-purpose flour works best.
Baking powder and baking soda – These are the leavening agents in the cookies. For best results, make sure they aren’t old or expired.
Coconut – Shredded coconut adds texture and more coconut flavor to the cookie dough.
PINA COLADA GLAZE
Powdered sugar – Powdered sugar adds just the right amount of sweetness and smoothness to the glaze.
Butter – Melted butter adds flavor and creaminess to the glaze.
Pineapple juice – Pineapple juice is what gives the glaze a hint of pineapple flavor.
Milk – Just a little bit of milk adds liquid and creaminess to the glaze. Add a little more or a little less to achieve the consistency you desire.
Coconut extract – The coconut extract has a very strong flavor, so be careful not to add too much!
COOKIE TOPPING
Coconut – Make sure to sprinkle the shredded coconut on top of the glaze while it is still wet.
How to make Pina Colada Cookies
Preheat oven to 350°.
MAKE THE COOKIE DOUGH
Cream butter and sugar together for 2-3 minutes.
Add coconut extract, pineapple topping, and eggs. Mix for another 2-3 minutes.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, coconut, and salt until well combined.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix just until combined.
Use a cookie scoop (tablespoon-sized) to scoop the dough 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
BAKE THE COOKIES
Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool on a baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
ADD THE GLAZE AND TOPPING
Once the cookies are cooled, make the glaze. Whisk together all of the glaze ingredients until no lumps appear. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies and then sprinkle the shredded coconut on top.
HOW DO YOU KEEP COOKIES SOFT?
After the cookies have cooled, simply place them in an airtight container to keep them fresh for as long as possible. If they start to get hard, you can place a piece of bread in the container to keep the cookies fresh and soft for longer.
CAN I MAKE THE COOKIES IN ADVANCE?
Yes, you can make the cookies up to 2-3 days in advance and store them in an airtight container until ready to serve. They can also be frozen and thawed as needed (without the glaze and topping). You can freeze the baked cookies, but I actually prefer to freeze the dough pre-scooped into balls so that I can make them fresh every time! And then just add the glaze and topping right after baking.
MORE DELICIOUS COOKIES WITH FRUIT:
- BEST FRUIT PIZZA COOKIES
- FROSTED STRAWBERRY COOKIES
- LEMON BLUEBERRY COOKIES
- STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE SUGAR COOKIES
- BLUEBERRY OATMEAL COOKIES
- PEACHES & CREAM COOKIES
- BLACKBERRY OATMEAL COOKIES
- PEACH SNICKERDOODLES
- LEMON RASPBERRY COOKIES
- RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
- STRAWBERRY COOKIES
- BLUEBERRY BANANA COOKIES
- RASPBERRY COOKIES
Pina Colada Cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with pineapple and coconut. This tropical cookie recipe is so easy to make and everyone loves these delicious cookies!
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