Vegan Coconut Pecan Cookies

These easy Vegan Coconut Pecan Cookies are so good, they are bound to be your new favorite cookie. They’re filled with sweet coconut, tart cranberries, and crunchy pecans for the perfect flavor combination.

These chewy cookies are easy to make gluten-free, so they’re a great option for a crowd. Pair them with a hot cup of coffee or cold glass of milk (plant milk of course)!

For more vegan cookie recipes, try these Sweet Potato Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, or these classic Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies. 

For more recipes featuring coconut or pecans, try these Gluten-Free Vegan Pecan Pie Bars or Coconut Mango Chia Pudding. 

Why You’ll Love These Cookies

• Chewy texture – These cookies have the perfect combination of a chewy cookie base with a crunch from the pecans. Add more pecans for more crunch!
• Simple ingredients – These cookies are made with basic ingredients that are easy to find in stores or that you may already have in your pantry. No crazy vegan ingredients here!
• Easy to customize – Have a nut allergy? Swap out the pecans for pumpkin seeds. These delicious cookies are easy to customize with different add-ins to suit any allergy or flavor preference. 

Ingredients For Easy Coconut Pecan Cookies

Dry Ingredients

• All-purpose flour – I use all-purpose flour in most of my baking, but you can swap for 1:1 gluten-free baking flour to make this recipe gluten-free.
• Rolled oats – Make sure to select a certified gluten-free variety if you are making this recipe gluten-free. 
• Brown sugar* – See notes to ensure you’ve selected a vegan variety. Dark or light brown sugar are both fine for this recipe. Use whatever you have.
• Cane sugar* – You can substitute cane sugar with white sugar, but make sure you’ve selected a vegan variety (see notes).
• Coconut flakes – I chose unsweetened shredded coconut with smaller pieces so that the coconut flavor is more dispersed throughout the cookie. You can use larger pieces if you prefer. 
• Pecan pieces – I use roughly chopped pecans. You can leave the pieces as large or as small as you’d like. Add more or less depending on your flavor preferences!
• Dried cranberries – You can use sweetened or unsweetened dried cranberries for this recipe.
• Cinnamon – Just a bit of cinnamon helps round out the flavors. 
• Baking soda – A cookie baking essential.
• Salt – The salt is used in mixing the dough. Optionally, you can also sprinkle flaky sea salt on top of the finished cookies before serving. 

Wet Ingredients

• Avocado oil – Any neutral-flavored oil will work for this recipe. You can also substitute for melted vegan unsalted butter or melted coconut oil if you prefer.
• Coconut extract – This provides a stronger coconut flavor. If you want your coconut flavor to be more subtle, substitute with vanilla extract.
• Coconut milk – Use the boxed variety for these cookies, not the full-fat version that comes in cans. You can swap for any non-dairy milk that meets your dietary restrictions. 

Helpful Equipment

In addition to measuring cups and spoons, the following equipment is helpful for this recipe:

• Large bowl
• Large cookie sheet
• Medium cookie scoop – A medium scoop will yield about 15 cookies, a large cookie scoop will yield fewer.
• Cooling rack (optional)

How to Make Pecan Coconut Cookies

This is a detailed step-by-step guide on how to make this recipe including photographs. For the quick version, skip ahead to the recipe card below!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

In a large mixing bowl, add the avocado oil, coconut milk, both sugars, and the coconut extract. Stir until the sugars begin to dissolve. This is usually less than 20 seconds. 

Combine the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt in the mixing bowl. Mix until a dough has formed. If the dough is too dry to stay formed, add 1-2 more tbsp coconut milk and mix again.  Add the chopped pecans, coconut flakes, and dried cranberries. Mix until all of the pieces are evenly distributed.

Use a medium cookie scoop to portion out evenly-sized cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  

Transfer the baking sheet to the preheated oven. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 13-15 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. 

Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool to room temperature. For a firmer cookie, let them cool on the baking sheet. For a chewier cookie, transfer them to a wire rack to cool. 

There you have it! Chewy Coconut Pecan cookies that everyone will love!

Variations for Coconut Pecan Cookies

There are so many different add-ins you could use to make these cookies your own!

Add 1/3 cup chocolate chips or butterscotch chips. Swap the dried cranberries for raisins or chopped date pieces. Use toasted pecans instead of raw for a different flavor.

How to Store Vegan Coconut Pecan Cookies

• Room temperature: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days. 
• Freezer: Freeze cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months for the best flavor. 

More Tips

• Not vegan? Swap the oil for melted unsalted butter. Use dairy milk instead of plant-based milk.
• Gluten-free? Swap the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free 1:1 baking flour and select certified gluten-free rolled oats.
• Nut-free? Swap the pecans for pumpkin seeds to still get a nice crunch!