Guava Coco Cookie Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Measure and have all ingredients ready.

Chop the guava paste into small 1/4-inch pieces so it will disperse through the dough. If guava paste is very sticky, dust the knife and board lightly with flour to prevent sticking.

If your shredded coconut is large-flaked, lightly chop it so pieces are roughly uniform and will mix evenly in the dough.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle), beat the softened unsalted butter on medium speed until smooth, about 30–45 seconds.

Add the granulated sugar and light brown sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale, about 2–3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until incorporated. Mix in the vanilla extract and lime zest (if using).

Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the dry flour mixture in three additions, mixing just until combined after each addition. Do not overmix; stop when no streaks of flour remain.

Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chopped guava paste, white chocolate chips, and shredded coconut until distributed evenly. The dough will be somewhat sticky; if guava paste creates small clumps, gently break them apart as you fold so pieces are spread throughout the dough.

Using a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop (or spoon), portion dough into rounded mounds about 1.5 inches in diameter and place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies to allow for spreading.

If desired, gently press a few extra white chocolate chips onto the tops of the dough mounds and sprinkle a pinch of coarse sugar over each cookie for a sparkly finish. For a sweet-salty contrast, sprinkle a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt on a few cookies.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10–12 minutes, rotating pans halfway through for even browning. Cookies should be golden at the edges but still slightly soft in the centers — they will continue to set as they cool.

Remove baking sheets from the oven and let cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes to set. Then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze baked cookies (well wrapped) for up to 1 month. Unbaked dough balls can be chilled in a single layer for up to 48 hours or frozen for longer; if baking from chilled/frozen, add 1–2 minutes to bake time.