These Almond Joy cookies taste like an Almond Joy candy bar with sweetened shredded coconut, sliced almonds, chocolate chips and Almond Joy candy pieces.
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Almond Joy Cookie Recipe
If I had to name my top ten favorite foods, cookies and Almond Joy candy bars would be on the list. So I created these Almond Joy cookies by adding chopped candy bar pieces to my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and it’s incredible!
The coconut adds great texture just like in my coconut cookies recipe, and the gooey chocolate, crunchy almonds, and sweet Almond Joy pieces make every bite of the Almond Joy candy bar cookies delicious.
Ingredient Notes
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Butter: The creamy fat is an important element needed to achieve the perfect cookie.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar gives sweetness but allows the other flavors to shine.
- Egg: The egg acts as a binder to bring everything together.
- Flour: I like to use all-purpose for this recipe.
- Baking soda: The necessary leavening agent so the cookies aren’t too dense.
- Salt: Just a little bit goes a long way to enhance the flavors.
- Extracts: These cookies are made all the better thanks to the combination of vanilla and coconut extract.
- Almond Joy: Cutting the beloved candy bar into small, bite-sized pieces puts these cookies over the top.
- Shredded coconut: Folding coconut into the cookies and sprinkling on top is the ultimate in indulgence.
- Sliced almonds: The nuttiness helps balance out the sweetness of the coconut and chocolate.
- Mini chocolate chips: The smaller chocolate chips cover a lot more ground and just add the right amount of chocolate to every bite. You can use milk chocolate chips for milk chocolate coconut almond cookies, though.
How to Make Almond Joy Cookies
- Beat. Combine the butter and sugar and beat until creamy, pale, and fluffy. Stir in the egg, vanilla extract, and coconut extract. Then add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until smooth.
- Fold. Gently fold in the shredded coconut, almond slices, Almond Joy pieces, and chocolate chips.
- Roll. Create golf ball-sized balls by rolling the dough between your fingers. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with coconut.
- Bake and cool. Put in the oven and bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden. Let cool 5 minutes on the sheet before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Tips for the Best Almond Joy Cookies
- Rolling the dough. I rolled my dough into golf-ball sized balls, which made for big, fat, soft cookies. It’s important to give them plenty of space on the cookie sheet, because they will spread quite a bit.
- Chopping the candy. The candy bar pieces mixed in with the cookie dough are what makes this recipe so delicious. Chop them small enough so that they’ll easily mix in with the dough, but don’t chop them too small. I like mine to still be a little chunky so that you get the perfect bite in each cookie.
- Chill the dough. This definitely isn’t a necessity, but if you have the time, consider chilling the cookie dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes prior to baking. It makes the cookies extra thick and chewy.
- Add extra coconut on top. I love to sprinkle a little extra coconut on top of each cookie dough ball so that it can get golden and toasted in the oven.
- Chocolate Almond Joy cookies. This variation is a chocolate cookie with a gooey coconut filling like the candy bar:
- Let cool on pan. After baking, let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes. The edges will get perfectly crispy this way, while the centers will remain soft and chewy.
Storing and Freezing Cookies
- To store: Store in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freeze unbaked cookies: Freeze cookie dough by rolling dough into balls, placing them on a baking sheet and flash freezing. Store in a freezer safe bag once frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, place cookie dough balls on a baking sheet on top of the oven while it preheats. Increase baking time by a few minutes.
- To freeze baked cookies: Let Almond Joy cookies cool completely, then add to a freezer bag or container. Store in freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, let sit at room temperature until no longer frozen or heat in microwave or oven until warm.
More candy-inspired cookies include coconut caramel cookies, Rolo cookies, peanut butter cup cookies and Twix cookies!
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Almond Joy Cookies
These Almond Joy cookies taste like an Almond Joy candy bar with sweetened shredded coconut, sliced almonds, chocolate chips and Almond Joy candy pieces.
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter , softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup shredded coconut , divided
- ¾ cup mini chocolate chips
- 2-3 Tablespoons sliced almonds
- 2-3 Almond Joy full size candy bars , chopped (or 6 snack size candy bars)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.
- Wet ingredients. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together 1/2 cup butter and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 teaspoon coconut extract and beat until smooth.
- Dry ingredients. Stir in 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda until combined. Gently fold in 1/2 cup coconut, 3/4 cup chocolate chips, 2-3 Tablespoons sliced almonds, and 2-3 full sized Almond Joy candy bar chopped into pieces.
- Roll the dough into golf ball-sized balls and place on prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup coconut.
- Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges are golden. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheets for about 5 minutes.
- Move cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. Once cooled, store in a covered container up to 3 days.
Notes
To store: Store cookies in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
To freeze baked cookies: Let cool completely, then add to a freezer bag or container. Store in freezer for up to 3 months. Let sit at room temperature to thaw or heat in microwave or oven until warm.
To freeze the dough: Roll dough into balls, then place on baking sheet. Freeze for about 30 minutes to harden. Then add to a freezer bag and store in freezer. When ready to bake, place dough on baking sheet on top of the oven while it preheats. Cookies may need to bake a few minutes longer since they were frozen.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 82mg | Potassium: 61mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 192IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Recipe contributed by Alicia from The Baker Upstairs.
Categorized as: American, Chocolate, Cookies, Desserts, Freezer-Friendly, Vegetarian
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
Oh my goodness, these turned out perfect! I wish that there was capability to post pictures in the comment thread. Instead of sprinkling coconut on the top, I rolled them in coconut. I followed the recipe exactly and the ratios were absolutely perfect! Thank you for some perfect cookies! ❤️ ❤️
This makes me SO happy to hear, Jamie! Rolling them in coconut is a great idea too :) So glad you loved them :)
Almond joys are one of my top favorites, so these cookies hit the spot every time!
Tasted great but dough was very dry and hard to get it to stick together. I had to add vegetable oil. Also had to bake longer, not sure if this is bc of high altitude in CO?
I can’t wait to try these, I am a huge Almond Joy fan!
My family has been begging me to make these again!
Love almond joys! Such a great idea to add to a cookie :) Delicious!
So glad you enjoyed these! Thanks for leaving a comment! :)
O boy now you totally won me I really am swooning over these. Almond joy is one of my favorites since I was a young girl.. Have to make these. Lol I will probably be dreamimng if them. With love Janice
These have got to be one of the most perfect cookies ever!!