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Ambrosia Cookies are sweet and chewy sugar cookies with oatmeal, coconut, pecans, citrus zest, and dried fruit in every bite!
Insanely Delicious Ambrosia Cookies
A local bakery in our hometown sells some incredible Ambrosia Cookies. They are sweet and chewy oatmeal coconut sugar cookies studded with chopped pecans, dried apricots, and citrus zest throughout.
We love these cookies so much, we buy a package every single time we’re at the bakery. I’ve long aspired to recreate those cookies at home – and I finally did it!
Most Ambrosia Cookie recipes call for raisins or chopped dried dates – but our recipe includes dried apricots, just like my favorite bakery version.
We also tweaked the flavorings a bit – using half vanilla extract and half Fiore di Sicilia – an Italian extract with a mysterious citrus, vanilla, and floral flavor. (It’s a small change that adds something special to these cookies!)
After one taste, I think you’ll understand our obsession with these Ambrosia Cookies. They are simply incredible and the perfect cookie to add to your holiday dessert tray.
What is Ambrosia?
In the world of Greek and Roman mythology, ambrosia is the food of the Gods – believed to bestow immortality or longevity to anyone who tasted it.
In the culinary world, ambrosia is used to name recipes that are so delicious or fragrant, it seems divine. These Ambrosia Cookies ARE absolutely divine!
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Unsalted Butter – We recommend Kerrygold butter for baking.
- Sugar – Both granulated and light brown sugar.
- Eggs
- Extracts – Both vanilla extract and Fiore di Sicilia (see Product Recommendation below)
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda
- Table Salt
- Sweetened Flaked Coconut
- Rolled Oats
- Pecans – Or walnuts can be used instead.
- Dried Apricots – Chopped into small pieces
- Lemon Zest
- Orange Zest
Product Recommendation
Fiori di Sicilia is a wonderful Italian extract that will add a distinctive vanilla, citrus, and floral flavor to your baked goods.
It’s often used in pannetone, biscotti, and breads – and it’s the secret ingredient in these Ambrosia Cookies.
We use King Arthur brand Fiori Di Sicilia (it has 15,000+ 5-star reviews). You can buy it at the link below, or you can buy other brands on Amazon here.
Once you have this on hand, you can add it to bread pudding, french toast, muffins, and so many more baked goods.
Tips & Tricks
- This recipe makes a generous quantity of cookies. Feel free to cut the recipe in half for a smaller quantity. (But you won’t be sorry if you bake up the full amount!)
- Although we love the dried apricots in this cookie recipe, feel free to swap in other dried, chopped fruits if you prefer.
We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
Ambrosia Cookies
Ambrosia Cookies are sweet and chewy sugar cookies with oatmeal, coconut, pecans, citrus zest, and dried fruit in every bite!
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar, plus another 1/2 cup more for rolling
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, well beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon Fiore di Sicilia extract (or use another 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup sweetened flake coconut
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats, uncooked
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 2 cups chopped dried apricots (or other dried fruit such as raisins or dates)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
Instructions
- Position oven rack to center of the oven, then preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl cream butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add both sugars, mixing well until smooth. Add beaten eggs and mix well again. Stir in vanilla and Fiore di Sicilia extracts, and mixing once more to combine.
- In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, coconut, oats, pecans, apricots, lemon zest, and orange zest. Stir to combine.
- Add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix well.
- Portion cookie dough into balls using a medium scoop (1 ½ teaspoon).
- Roll each portion into balls, then roll the balls in granulated sugar and place on prepared cookies sheets about two inches apart.
- Bake for approximately 12 minutes per cookie sheet or until the edges of the cookies are just slightly golden.
- Cool cookies slightly on baking sheet, then transfer to cooling racks to finish cooling.
- Store cooled cookies in airtight container at room temperature.
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Notes
Recipe adapted from this Christmas Cookies cookbook.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make Ambrosia Cookies ahead of time? Yes, you can.
- How do I store these cookies? Cool completely after baking, then store in an air-tight container for up to three days. For longer term storage, freeze them for up to three months, thawing before eating.
- Can I freeze Ambrosia Cookies? Yes – these cookies are very sturdy and freeze very well. Freeze them in a single layer on baking sheet. Once frozen, place them in a freezer bag, squeezing out as much air as possible to avoid freezer burn.
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