These delicious homemade coconut macadamia cookies deliver on taste, texture, and indulgence. What’s not to love? Each salty-sweet treat contains flecks of rich coconut and chunks of big buttery macadamia nuts. Add a drizzle of sweet white chocolate for a lovely finishing touch.
If a cookie could taste like paradise, coconut macadamia nut cookies would be it! The recipe is just like my super-chunk white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, but the addition of sweet coconut adds a major flavor and texture boost.
Tell Me About these Coconut Macadamia Nut Cookies
- Texture: With super soft centers and crisp edges, these cookies are loaded with macadamia nuts, coconut flakes, and thin ribbons of white chocolate drizzle. Each work together to create layers of texture in every bite.
- Flavor: The combination of coconut, macadamia nuts, butter, and white chocolate creates a rich cookie that is both salty and sweet.
- Ease: No mixer is required for this easy-to-make recipe, just like chocolate chip cookies. There is even a make-ahead option. You can make them now and bake them later (see Note).
- Time: The ingredients come together quickly and easily, but allow 2 hours for the dough to chill before baking. This is essential.
Recipe Testing Coconut Macadamia Nut Cookies: What Works & What Doesn’t
Developing the perfect cookie dough is a science. You keep trying until you hit that sweet spot—the best ratio of ingredients for a tasty cookie with the right amount of spread. I started with the base dough from my popular dark chocolate cranberry almond cookies since it’s a reader favorite. Plus, it’s sturdy enough to hold up to all of those yummy add-ins! I wanted a chewy cookie with a crisp edge, though, so I made a few adjustments:
- Melted butter. Creamed butter yields soft cookies, while melted butter produces a chewier cookie. Using melted butter here will produce cookies that are still ultrasoft but with a chewier texture.
- Egg yolk. The addition of a single egg yolk creates an incredibly rich and chewy cookie. I use this trick in my chewy chocolate chip cookies too.
- No cornstarch. Adding cornstarch creates a softer dough and a tender cookie. So for today’s cookie, I didn’t add cornstarch. They are still soft, but they have a crispier edge and top—I think you’ll really like it.
- Equal amounts of sugar. Balancing the amount of granulated sugar and brown sugar is important to obtain a crisp cookie edge. Brown sugar creates a soft and more flavorful cookie, while granulated sugar helps with spread.
Choosing the Right Ingredients: Best Macadamia Nuts to Use
I LOVE using salted, dry-roasted macadamia nuts in these coconut macadamia nut cookies. The salty roasted flavor pairs beautifully with the sweet white chocolate—it’s a salty-sweet dream! If you prefer unsalted, raw, or other type of macadamia nut, you can substitute for your favorite.
Overview: How to Make Coconut Macadamia Nut Cookies
The full printable recipe is below, but let’s walk through it quickly so you understand each step before you get started.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together.
- Mix the wet ingredients together. Wet ingredients include the sugars.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Then add the coconut and macadamia nuts to the dough.
- Chill the cookie dough. Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- Roll the cookie dough into balls. Use 1.5 Tablespoons of dough per cookie. I like using this medium cookie scoop.
- Bake. Place each cookie 3 inches apart and bake until the sides are lightly browned. The center will still look soft.
- Cool first, then drizzle. Wait until the cookies have cooled, and then drizzle each one with melted white chocolate.
Similar Recipes
- White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
- Key Lime Pie (with Macadamia Nut Crust)
- White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Oatmeal Cookies
Coconut Macadamia Nut Cookies
- Prep Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: 30 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Coconut macadamia nut cookies feature golden crisp edges, sweet soft centers, flecks of coconut, and chunks of big buttery macadamia nuts and a white chocolate drizzle!
Ingredients
- 2 cups + 2 Tablespoons (265g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, melted + slightly cooled
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) roughly chopped macadamia nuts*
- 1 cup (80g) sweetened shredded coconut
- optional: 4 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract together until combined. Pour into dry ingredients and mix everything together until completely combined. Fold in the macadamia nuts and coconut. (You can use a mixer for this step if needed.)
- Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 4 days. If chilling for longer than 2 hours, allow to sit at room temperature for at least 20-30 minutes before rolling and baking because the dough will be quite hard.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Roll cookie dough into balls, about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough per cookie (I like using this medium cookie scoop), and arrange 3 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 12-13 minutes or until lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look soft.
- Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the optional white chocolate drizzle: Melt the chopped white chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave in 15-second increments, stopping and stirring after each until completely smooth. Drizzle over cookies. Allow chocolate to set completely, about 30 minutes.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Allow to come to room temperature then continue with step 4. Baked cookies, with or without white chocolate drizzle, freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Here are my tips and trips about how to freeze cookie dough.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Rubber Spatula | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Medium Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack | Double Boiler (for optional white chocolate drizzle)
- Macadamia Nuts: I used salted dry-roasted macadamia nuts. You can use unsalted, raw, and/or whichever macadamia nuts you love most.
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
Keywords: coconut macadamia nut cookies
Can I omit the coconut? (asthma irritant to me). If so, do I have to adjust anything else in the recipe?
Hi Norah, If you wish to skip the coconut I recommend following the recipe for Super-Chunk White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies.
Love these cookies. My changes: I toasted the coconut; I used toasted pecans in place of macadamia nuts; I made a simple icing with evaporated milk, confectioners sugar, and coconut extract. I’m thinking of using your basic recipe and keep the coconut, but add unsweetened cocoa powder and using hazelnuts instead of macadamia nuts. Then drizzle with a Nutella based glaze. Sort of a Nutella/Mounds cookie?
Did not feel there was a lot of flavor to these cookies.. Also, my white chocolate bar never got to a real drizzle consistency.
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Hi Sally,
I cant wait to try this recipe. I’d like to add white chocolate chips to the dough and am wondering how much you recommend. Also, by making this addition, does it require any other changes to be made in order to keep them soft chewy? Thanks!
Hi Melissa, Yes, absolutely! I recommend sticking to 1.5 – 2 cups total add-ins (nuts, coconut, and white chocolate chips).
My mother has her own version of these and they are one of my favorite cookies. I highly reccommed trying these out. Great recipe. Thanks Sally!!!
Hi Sally,
I cannot wait to try this delicious looking cookie! Question though, if i want it to be as soft as your chewy chocolate chip cookie, do i just add the cornstarch? Do i need to make any other changes to the recipe?
TIA!
Hi Leilani! These cookies are pretty soft as is, bu you can definitely add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch to the dry ingredients. No other changes necessary.
These are delicious! I only regret not doubling the recipe.
My husband just texted me and told me this was his new favorite cookie! I threw white chocolate chips into the cookie dough because I was feeling lazy, and didn’t want to drizzle. Turned out perfectly!
I would probably drizzle them if I were taking them somewhere, but these were just a treat for my family on a snowy day. Delicious! Thank you!
I just stumbled onto your site, and can’t wait to try more of your recipes. I have already learned a lot from reading some of your tips. Awesome!
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These are wonderful ! I made them last night for Christmas Cookies. I made a couple very small changes. I used 1 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp coconut. I added a small amount of fresh orange zest to the melted white chocolate. If I make again I will increase the amount of zest…I made it too subtle.
I also played around with mango nectar and white chocolate but only wound up with more of a glaze sort or consistency…..could be great for a cake, but not a stand up cookie.
These are really good.
★★★★★
Omg they came out perfect and this is only the 2nd time I’ve ever done cookies I bought the cookie scoop like you said and the silicon baking sheet. I’m so happy with your recipe.
Thank you Sally
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Hi Sally, I made these cookies and sent them to my husband’s office for sharing and they were a BIG hit. But because they went to the office, I couldn’t keep them refrigerated as you suggested in your post. I really like the flavor that the white chocolate drizzle adds but it never set up. That didn’t seem to bother anyone at the office but I would have prefer the chocolate to harden. I’m a Texan living in Singapore and don’t always have ready access to ingredients so used Lindt white chocolate in the candy aisle. I googled the problem afterward and a chef instructor, Lorie Fangio, suggested a quick temper which means heat 2/3 of the chocolate in the microwave and when melted, add the final 1/3 of the chocolate. I’m going to try that next time. Unless you have a better suggestion like just using white chocolate chips. What do you think, Sally? I can usually find what I need online or at a baking supplies store.
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Hi Jeanne, As I was reading your post my first thought was to use white chocolate chips! That would be the easiest if they are readily available in Singapore. You can absolutely take the extra step to temper the chocolate also. I’m so glad that they were a hit!
Would it work to roll the cookies into balls and then chill them before baking?
Yes, absolutely!
Hi Sally! Would this work if I scooped the dough immediately after mixing everything together, THEN chilling the balls of dough?
Absolutely! That’s a wonderful alternative to chilling the dough as a whole.
When I want to bake cookies I don’t even look at anywhere else but your recipes. I made these ones a day ago and they are sooooo delicious I can’t just stop eating them. They are heaven with a cup of strong coffee in the mornings. I am not even a fan of coconut but I will make this recipe again and again. <3
★★★★★
Just made these and now my kitchen smells heavenly! I substituted roasted almonds for the macadamia nuts since I didn’t have any on hand. Also going to be skipping the white chocolate drizzle since I’m bringing these to a picnic and there’s someone who’s allergic to cocoa. I tried one already and it was delicious! My cookies didn’t spread as much though, but I just pressed them down with a spatula straight out of the oven, and problem solved!
I made these cookies for a Hawaiian-themed church fundraiser party. They were a huge hit! Highly recommended!
So perfect for the theme! I’m so happy they were a hit!
I made these tonight and they were delicious! I used plain macadamia nuts and they were under salted, even with a sprinkle of salt on top after baking. Something to keep in mind if you are using unsweetened nuts as well! I only had 2 hours to chill them but I saved half of the dough to “marinade” for 2 days and am looking forward to trying them then.
Next time try them with salted dry-roasted macadamia nuts if you want a saltier flavor!
I made a batch of these, and omitted about half the recommended amount of granulated sugar (I also didn’t add the white chocolate drizzle on top), to my taste. As Sally said—she is SO good st making the science of baking accessible to novice bakers like myself—sugar creates spread, so, true to form, my cookies were more puffy and scone-like in texture than the photos. That being said, they were a huge hit when I served them!
Really yummy cookies! We added about 1 1/2 cups of white chocolate chips to the batter instead of drizzling (lazy!). Otherwise, followed to the letter. Teenage boys poured large glasses of milk and devoured….do they even taste food?! Thanks Sally!
This works so well with the white chocolate chips too! I’m glad they were a hit!
Such good cookies! I bake LOTS of cookies and love trying new recipes. Thank you, Sally.
YUM! Can’t wait to make these. I have unsweetened coconut in my pantry. Would that work OK?
Hi Samantha! Yes, you can use unsweetened coconut. Same amount. The cookies should still be plenty sweet.
I just made these and they are very good. I ended up placing white chocolate chips on the tops before baking instead of drizzling it. Very pretty. Anything with coconut is good! Another winner by Sally! (Everything I make from this blog is awesome!)
Not a coconut fan. Can I omit it and not change anything else?
You can simply leave it out!
These sound AMAZING!! Can we crown a Queen of summer cookie every summer?? That sounds like it needs to be a thing, like national ice cream day. Oh and I think that was a great cookie to person ratio, 7 people and 30 cookies. Who only wants 2 cookies, not me!! I may have to make and immediately freeze some of these though. I don’t think I’d trust myself around them for too long.
I highly suggest baking and freezing some. They’re 100% ADDICTING!!! I think it’s the sweet & salty component. You can’t stop eating them.