Almond Joy Cookies

almond joy chocolate cookies on a cooling rack

These decadent almond joy cookies are the sticky sweet reincarnate of the coconut candy Hershey’s pumps out by the truckload, only better!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Almond Cookies, Almond Joy Cookies, coconut cookies

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 12

Total Time 22

Servings -30 Cookies

Calories 253kcal

Author Kathleen

Ingredients

1 (14-ounce) bag sweetened flake coconut
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup almonds chopped
2 cups chocolate chips divided
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
24-30 whole almonds

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and line cookie sheets with Silpat mats or parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together coconut (1 bag), flour (2/3 cup), salt (1/4 teaspoon), almonds (3/4 cup), and 1 cup of chocolate chips.
In a small bowl mix together vanilla extract (1 1/2 teaspoons), coconut extract (1/2 teaspoon), and sweetened condensed milk (1 can). Stir in to the coconut mixture.
Scoop out a golf ball size ball of dough and drop it onto the prepared cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Flatten cookie dough with your fingers (dip them in water or spray them with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking).
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown.
Place the remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on 50% for 30 seconds, and stir until completely melted. Spoon melted chocolate into a small ziplock. Cut off one corner and drizzle each cookie with chocolate. Top each cookie with one whole almond in the melted chocolate.
Allow the cookies to cool completely and set. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

Shaping: You’ll have to flatten each cookie with wet fingertips to prevent sticking or you can use a simple hack.
- Put all the little cookie balls on the pan spaced 2 inches apart and cover with wax paper. Then gently press the bottom of another cookie pan on top of the wax paper to evenly flatten all your cookies simultaneously. This will also keep them uniform, so they bake evenly.
Sweetened Flake Coconut –Flaked coconut is larger and wider than shredded coconut and it’ll give your almond joy cookies more substance. If you can only find shredded coconut, that will work too but it may change the texture of your cookies a little.
Sweetened Condensed Milk – This helps develop that sticky chewy coconut texture we’re duplicating from the candy bar we all remember and it’s crucial to the recipe.
Salt – Don’t skip the little pinch of salt. It may seem counterintuitive, but this tiny amount actually reduces bitterness and intensifies the sweet factor.
Chocolate Chips – Oh, here’s the yummy! You’ll need to divide the chocolate chips because half will go in the almond joy cookies recipe and the other half will be melted and drizzled on top to ‘glue’ the almond in place. Choosing semi-sweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips is up to you.
Almonds – You’ll need close to 30 whole almonds and nearly a cup of chopped almonds. The chopped almonds add a little extra crunch to this almond joy cookies recipe and if you have the time you can toast them for the added crunch factor.

Nutrition