Go Back

Lemon Coconut Cheesecake Cookies

Lemon coconut cheesecake cookies are soft, pillowy cookies made with a fluffy cream-cheese base and golden toasted coconut pressed on top. They’re baked until the edges set but centers stay slightly underdone, then finished with a bright lemon glaze drizzle.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
chilling dough 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 2 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 290
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cookies
  • 8 oz cream cheese Softened to room temperature.
  • 0.5 cup butter 1 stick, softened.
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg Large.
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp coconut extract
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut Toasted, for rolling.
For the lemon glaze
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice Fresh lemon juice.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Make and chill the cookie dough
  1. Beat cream cheese, butter, and granulated sugar until very fluffy, about 2-3 minutes, then scrape down the bowl. Add egg, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, vanilla extract, and coconut extract and stir until smooth.
  2. Stir in all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt just until no dry streaks remain. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes, until firm enough to scoop.
Bake
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. This keeps the cookies from sticking and helps them bake evenly.
  2. Roll dough into 1.5-inch balls, then roll each ball in toasted sweetened shredded coconut so it’s fully coated. Place the balls on the prepared sheets with space between them.
  3. Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes, until the edges look set. The centers should look slightly underdone so they stay soft as they cool.
  4. Cool the cookies completely on the baking sheets. This prevents the glaze from melting or sliding.
Glaze and set
  1. Whisk powdered sugar with lemon juice until smooth and pourable. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies in thin ribbons.
  2. Let the glaze set for 15 minutes before serving. The topping should look matte and ready to eat.

Notes

Pro tip: toast the shredded coconut until golden and fragrant, then cool it before rolling so it adheres without clumping. Store baked cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days; the glaze stays best within that window. Freezing is yes—freeze unglazed cookies for up to 2 months and add glaze after thawing. Dietary swap: use a gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose flour blend to make gluten-free coconut lemon cookies.