Sweet coconut, chewy oats, and salty toasted sunflower seeds pair in these delightful and delicious Coconut Sunflower Seed Cookies!
Sunflowers are such happy flowers and it’s hard not to feel cheered up just by looking at them.Ā I’ve always wanted to visit a huge field of sunflowers, but on the rare occasions I’ve been in an area that grows them en masse they weren’t in season.Ā So until then I’ll have to content myself with enjoying sunflowers in my vases, artwork, and by eating these yummy Coconut Sunflower Cookies!
A Brief History of the Sunflower
Sunflowers are native to North America and have a long history where they were one of the first crops to be grown.Ā Some sources say they were domesticated even before corn and that American Indians used sunflowers for food as long as 3,000 years ago.
Though native to North America, it was actually Russia, under Peter the Great, who bred and cultivated the sunflower into the plant we know today. Ā In the 18th century, sunflower seeds were transported from the New World to the Old World. Ā Peter the Great became fascinated by them and Russia began growing them en masse – two million acres of them a year! Ā By 1830 the sunflower made its way back to the Americas. Ā But it wasn’t until 1926, when the Missouri Sunflower Growers Association started producing oil from the plants, that the sunflower really took off and it has been an appreciated resource ever since.
Sunflower heads consist of 1,000 to 2,000 individual flowers joined together by a receptacle base.Ā The Native Sunflower grows to 15 feet tall with flower heads up to 2 feet in diameter, and can produce over 1,000 seeds from one plant!Ā Sunflower seeds are rich in protein and yield a high-quality cooking oil.
Ā© Ivan Feoktistov | Dreamstime
Sunflowers are such happy, stunning flowers, don’t you think? Ā Kansas did well when it designated the sunflower as it’s official State flower. Ā Sunflowers cover the state each summer. Ā So much so that historically they were regarded as an infectious weed and lawmakers had actually attempted at one point to get rid of the “noxious weed.” Ā But one year in the late 1800’s a Kansas state lawmaker attended an out-of-state rodeo and he noticed something that would forever change Kansas’ perception of the flower. Ā His fellow Kansans were wearing sunflowers as a way of identifying to others their state of origin. Ā And so this lawmaker went back home to Kansas and filed the legislation that would make the sunflower the state’s official floral emblem in 1903. Ā Today the noble sunflower stands as a symbol of pride. Ā And what a beautiful symbol is it!
Sunflower seed cookies are a traditional treat in Kansas where they’re often made using a combination of sunflower seeds, rolled oats, and shredded coconut.Ā They’re delicious bites of happiness and this Coconut Sunflower Seed Cookie recipe is my tribute to the Sunflower State of Kansas!
Coconut Sunflower Seed Cookie Recipe
Let’s get started!
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars with an electric mixer until fluffy and pale in color, about 4-5 minutes.
Add the coconut oil, eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and beat just until combined.
Stir in the oats, shredded coconut, sunflower seeds.
Drop the cookie batter by the spoonful onto a prepared cookie sheet.
In an oven preheated to 350 degrees F, bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are beginning to turn golden.
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For more delicious cookie recipes check out our:
- White Chocolate Cranberry Pistachio CookiesĀ
- Whole Grain Molasses Cookies
- Scottish Shortbread
- Butterscotch Coconut Cookies
- Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies
- Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies
- Pfeffernusse
- Zimtsterne
- Linzer Cookies
- SpeculoosĀ
- Vanillekipferl
- ANZAC Biscuits
Coconut Sunflower Seed Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , room temperature
- 1/2 cup coconut oil , room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar , packed
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs , room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup roasted and salted sunflower seed kernels
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars with an electric mixer until fluffy and pale in color, about 4-5 minutes. Add the coconut oil, eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and beat just until combined. Stir in the oats, shredded coconut, and sunflower seeds.Drop the cookie batter by the spoonful onto a prepared cookie sheet.Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are beginning to turn golden. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet August 5, 2013
Cynthia Fetty says
Could you use unsweetened coconut instead of sweetened? That’s what I have on hand.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Cynthia, yes you can and the cookies will still be plenty sweet. Happy baking!
Lynette says
I just made these and they are the best. Everyone liked them, even the non coconut lovers. I will make them again.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Lynette, I’m so glad they were a hit – thank you!
Anthony says
Do you just drop them onto the sheet and they flatten during bake or do you flatten as in second picture prior to baking ?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Anthony, just drop and bake, they’ll flatten on their own.
Clyde Treco says
Waiting on first batch to go into the oven. I mean what else do you do on your lunch hour while you work from home and itās the holiday season
Sandra Irick says
So glad this recipe made a lot of cookies because they are delicious. What a nice departure from chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin. I baked about 6 dozen cookies so obviously made them smaller than the recipe intends. Everyone loves them, even froze some to enjoy next week.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Sandra, I’m so glad you enjoyed them! :)
Shweta says
It looks so delicious! Canāt wait to make this!!
Ton Smit says
By using “cups” a large part of the world population (like us Europeans) will struggle with this recipe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Ton, yes and that’s why I also provide the ingredients in metric: To the right of the ingredients you’ll see a red box that says “US Customary” and to the right of it “Metric.” Click on metric and it will give you the measurements in metric. Happy cooking!
Ann says
What can you use in place of coconut oil?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Ann, you can replace it with butter instead.
Kathi says
I absolute hate the taste of coconut but I love sun flower seeds – eat them all the time. So, I left out the coconut and added that amount to the flour. These cookies are so good!!! (Now without the coconut in them!!) Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m glad you enjoyed them, Kathi, even without the coconut!
Alissa says
I made these last year and they were so good! Made them again this year but used oat flour in place of regular flour and they are still so good! Unique flavor, texture is chewy, airy, but hearty!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Alissa, thanks so much and thanks also for the GF tip using oat flour!
Jennie says
Hello
I love the layout of the site and your instructions
Are these cookies similar to Pride of Kansas cookies?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Jennie :) I haven’t tried those so I can’t compare, sorry.
Patti says
I was given about 5pds of hulled raw sunflower seeds and saw this recipe when I googled what to do with them. I am somewhat lazy so I didnāt roast them, but added them raw. The cookies are still so very good. A definite keeper. If I didnāt want to use coconut oil, what could I substitute, just more butter?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Patti, I’m glad you enjoyed them, thank you! Yes, just substitute more butter.
Miranda says
A friend shared this recipe with me–they sound delicious! Do you use unsweetened coconut in them?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Miranda! You can use either depending on how sweet you want the cookies. I usually use sweetened coconut. Happy baking!