These Coconut Macadamia Nut cookies are rich, buttery, filled with coconut, macadamia nuts, and topped with a coconut-infused drizzle. If anything says summer in a cookie form, it’s these! Or maybe it’s a tie between these and our Key Lime Pie Thumbprints. They both have light, refreshing flavors reminiscent of summer. A little crisp around the edges with a soft, slightly chewy center, this cookie is sweet from the coconut yet has a nice balance of earthiness from the macadamia nuts.
Even though most macadamia nuts are produced in Hawaii, they actually originated in Australia. They were introduced to Hawaii in the late 1800’s by William H. Purvis, a sugarcane plantation investor. These creamy, crunchy nuts are not picked from trees but are actually harvested when they fall to the ground, which means they are fully ripened. Incredibly, these trees may not begin producing nuts until at least 7 years old. Full production is not reached until 10-12 years of age.
Coconut Macadamia Nut Cookie Key Ingredients
Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients that make up this delicious cookie.
Butter
I prefer to use salted butter in most of my recipes but if you are using unsalted, you may need to increase the amount of salt in the recipe a little.
Sugars
We use both brown sugar and granulated in this cookie. Each plays a different role with regard to both flavor and texture. Granulated sugar, when creamed with butter, aerates the dough creating a light, puffy cookie. Meanwhile, brown sugar contains molasses which helps to make the cookie soft and chewy.
Eggs
Eggs give your cookie structure and serve as a binder. We add an egg yolk to provide a little extra chewiness.
Vanilla Extract
Vanilla extract acts as a flavor enhancer. I always use pure vanilla extract in my baking. It really elevates the quality of your baked goods.
Flour
I use King Arthur flour for all of my baking needs. (Not an affiliate – just really like their flour!) This specific all-purpose flour has a higher protein percentage (11.7%) than most other brands. A higher protein percentage equates to a stronger flour. All-purpose flour serves a wide variety of baking needs from cakes to pies to some breads.
Baking Soda
Baking soda helps to leaven the cookie by releasing carbon dioxide. This is a chemical reaction that occurs when the baking soda mixes with brown sugar.
Salt
Salt acts to enhance the flavor of the cookie, balancing the sweetness.
Coconut
We use sweetened shredded coconut in this recipe to provide the coconut flavor.
Macadamia Nuts
We use dry roasted macadamia nuts with sea salt in this recipe.
Coconut Drizzle
The coconut drizzle is optional but does add an extra bit of coconut flavor. We infuse the coconut flavor from shredded coconut into the coconut milk by blending the two and then straining out the solids. The liquid is then mixed with confectioners’ sugar to create a thin drizzle.
Coconut Macadamia Nut Cookie Process
This recipe is easy to come together and the drizzle is completely optional but provides a nice additional coconut touch. While not necessary, chilling the formed cookies in the freezer prior to baking gives them extra lift.
Prep Oven and Baking Sheets
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Make Cookie Dough
Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Add the vanilla extract and eggs. Mix until combined. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and beat until just combined. Stir in coconut and chopped macadamia nuts. (I use a food processor to roughly chop up the nuts. It’s okay if they are different sizes. I prefer them this way!)
Chill and Bake
Roll into balls and place on a plate lined with waxed paper. Freeze for 15-20 minutes and then place onto parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake 11-13 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Make Drizzle
Using a blender, mix the shredded coconut and coconut milk until the coconut has broken down into fine pieces. Pour the mixture over a fine mesh strainer into a medium bowl to remove the coconut pieces. Add the confectioners’ sugar and whisk until blended. If the drizzle is too thin, add more confectioners’ sugar. If it is too thick, add more coconut milk until you reach the desired consistency. Using a piping bag (or Ziploc bag with the end snipped off), drizzle the icing over the cooled cookies.
Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer up to 3 months.
Tips
- Measure correctly – I highly recommend using a kitchen scale when baking. Because baking measurements need to be exact, using a scale helps to measure as precisely as possible. It quite honestly was a complete game changer for me when I first started using one! I would be lost without it now.
- Room temperature is important! When certain ingredients (eggs, cream cheese, butter, etc.) are listed as room temperature, there are scientific reasons behind this. At room temperature, these ingredients blend together better and result in a smoother batter. Ultimately, you will end up with a better final product!
- To soften butter quickly, slice into small pieces and let sit on the counter while you gather the rest of your ingredients. Room temperature butter may be cooler than you think. You will know it is ready when you press your finger into it, it leaves an indent but does not sink into the butter.
- Drizzle – The drizzle is completely optional and can be left off if desired.
- Chill dough – I highly recommend chilling the dough prior to baking for extra lift.
- Macadamia nuts – I sometimes have a hard time finding salted dry-roasted macadamia nuts in food stores. I typically purchase these online instead.
My Preferred Tools
You may already have many of these items in your kitchen. I recommend the following for this recipe:
- Kitchen Scale – precisely measure ingredients
- Food Processor – to chop macadamia nuts
- Baker’s Half Sheet – to bake cookies
- Cooling Racks – to cool cookies and dishwasher friendly!!
- Stand Mixer – to mix dough
- Blender – to make drizzle
- Fine mesh strainer – to make drizzle
- Piping Bags – to apply drizzle
If you liked this recipe, try our
Coconut Macadamia Nut Cookies
These Coconut Macadamia Nut cookies are rich, buttery, filled with coconut, macadamia nuts, and topped with a coconut-infused drizzle.
Ingredients
- COOKIE DOUGH:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (159 g) brown sugar
- ¾ cup (149 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 egg, room temp
- 1 egg yolk, room temp
- 2 ¼ cups (270 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup (85 g) sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 ½ cups (200 g) macadamia nuts, chopped
- DRIZZLE (Optional):
- 1 cup (114 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 4 Tbsp full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup (21 g) sweetened shredded coconut
Directions
- Step 1 PREP: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Step 2 DOUGH: Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl with spatula as needed. Add vanilla and eggs. Mix until combined. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture and beat until just combined. Stir in coconut and chopped macadamia nuts.
- Step 3 BAKE: Roll into balls and place on a plate lined with waxed paper. Freeze for 15-20 minutes and then place onto parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake 11-13 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes before fully cooling on wire rack.
- Step 4 DRIZZLE: Using a blender, mix the shredded coconut and coconut milk until the coconut has broken down into fine pieces. Pour mixture over a fine mesh strainer into a medium bowl to remove coconut pieces. Add confectioners’ sugar and whisk until blended. If drizzle is too thin, add more confectioners’ sugar. If too thick, add more coconut milk until you reach desired consistency. Using a piping bag (or Ziploc bag with end snipped off), drizzle icing over cooled cookies.
- Step 5 STORAGE: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer up to 3 months.
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Have a wonderful day!
