Chewy inside with a slight crunch outside, Coconut Macadamia Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies have texture, flavor and go above and beyond your typical chocolate chip cookie!
Cookies are a simple pleasure in life. But so often, cookies seem to dry out way too fast, at least homemade cookies. And then, I just don’t want to eat a two day old, dried out cookie, that tastes like it’s at least a week old. It’s just not worth it! So what is one to do?
I’ve been testing cookie recipes using whole wheat flour and at first, I was thinking that this could be the reason why my cookies seemed dry. Or maybe, perhaps, SOMEONE was leaving the cookie jar lid off… But after thinking more about cookies, and making cookies, I knew there was something I was missing.
Sugar, a main ingredient in cookies, is hygroscopic (the ability to hold water from the surrounding environment). So, if the moisture in the surrounding environment is increased (i.e. the cooke jar), then, the cookies should stay nice and chewy. So, I tried something I read or heard somewhere, sometime… maybe while in school, Google or was it from my MamMaw? I had forgotten about it, until I started testing some new recipes.
Something so easy and simple to do. And to think that it could extend the pleasure, the sheer joy of a fresh-baked cookie into day two or three? I’ll take it!
How to Keep Cookies Moist and Tender!
Here’s the solution; put a piece of bread in the cookie jar. The sugar in the cookie will draw moisture away from the sacrificial bread slice. The cookies stay moist and chewy. After about two days, the bread dries out so just replace it with a new slice. I was munching on cookies far longer than I normally do.
How to Make Coconut Macadamia Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies:
- First, sift together the all purpose, whole wheat and almond flours together with the baking soda, salt and cornstarch. Set aside.
- Next, with the paddle attachment on a stand mixer, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until smooth about 2 minutes on medium speed.
- Continuing, drop one eggs into the butter mixture and mix until just incorporated.
- Add the nuts, chocolate chips and shredded coconut mixing on low speed.
- Scoop the cookie dough and last, bake.
These Coconut Macadamia Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies or Royal Cookies as some call them, have a fabulous texture. I used a bit of whole wheat white flour and almond flour in this recipe to garner some nutrition, for a deeper flavor and a perfect crumb.
They’re nutty, moist, chewy and with loads of texture. The ingredient combination takes these sweet treats a step beyond your regular (but never boring) chocolate chip cookies.
And they’re big cookies! – least we’d want a small cookie.
A Few Coconut Macadamia Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies Notes:
- Freezer friendly? Yes please! Cookies freeze with ease. Place scooped cookies on a sheet pan in the freezer. Once frozen, place them in an old plastic bread bag or freezer bag and back in the freezer for future use. It’s easy to thaw them out on short notice when friends pop in, or you want to take a few to share at work or, or, or….. Or, you just want to indulge in a fresh-baked cookie, and not share. The cookies take about 40 minutes to thaw, then bake at 350F.
- Put a piece of bread in the cookie jar. The sugar in the cookie will draw moisture away from the sacrificial bread slice. The cookies stay moist and chewy!
- I’ve never had or heard of a Royal Cookie, but Florence, a commenter below compared these cookies to them. What do you think?
- A #20 cookie scoop makes whipping these cookies up a snap! It also portions perfect cupcakes.
Coconut Macadamia Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 Sticks of Unsalted Butter at room temperature (8 oz )
- 2/3 C Granulated Sugar 5 oz
- 1 1/4 C Brown Sugar 8 oz
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 Large Eggs at room temperature
- 1 C All Purpose Flour 5 oz
- 1 C Whole Wheat White Flour 5 oz
- 1/4 C Almond Meal 1 oz
- 1/4 C Corn Starch 1 1/4 oz
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 C Macadamia Nuts roughly chopped (4 oz)
- 3 C Unsweetened Shredded Coconut 8 1/2 oz
- 1 1/2 C Dark Chocolate Chips 10 oz
Instructions
- All ingredients should be at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350F and line a sheet pan with parchment (or Silpat).
- Sift together the all purpose, whole wheat and almond flours together with the baking soda, salt and cornstarch. Set aside.
- With the paddle attachment on a stand mixer, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until smooth about 2 minutes on medium speed.
- Drop one egg into the butter mixture and mix until just incorporated. Scrape the bowl down. Drop the second egg in and mix just until incorporated. Add the flour mixture in two separate batches, pulsing the flour in and scraping the bowl down after each batch of flour is mixed in. Mix just until incorporated.
- Add the nuts, chocolate chips and shredded coconut, pulsing to incorporate first, then mixing on low speed until the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Use a #20 scoop (1.75 oz ea or 3.25 TBS ea) to scoop 6 cookies per sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes in a 350F oven. Rotate sheet pan 1/2 way through baking. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes on the sheet pan. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before placing in a lidded container. Add a small slice of bread to the cookie jar to keep the cookies fresh.
Recipe Notes
To freeze cookies, place fresh cookies on a sheet pan. Place the sheet pan in the freezer. Freeze for 1 hour, remove and place in plastic bag. Seal tightly and place back in freezer. To bake, thaw cookies for 45 minutes and bake as indicated in recipe.
Adapted from Chef Christopher Harris' CocoMacs
Thank you for reading! If you make this recipe, be sure to post it to Facebook or Instagram, notify me @vanillaandbean and tag #vanillaandbean. I’d love to see what you’ve made! Also, follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Twitter for more deliciousness!
Ann says
December 29, 2018 at 2:07 pmAny suggestions for adding oatmeal to these cookies?
Traci says
December 31, 2018 at 10:43 amHi Ann! That sounds delightful, but adding oats would make it a different recipe all together. I’d have to rework/reformulate. Please feel free to play with that ingredient, tho! It would be a delicious cookie!
suzi says
October 23, 2018 at 2:13 pmWHOA!!! The texture of this cookie is incredible! I used up the bottom of the bag of cashew meal in place of almond meal and used flax eggs, as we are vegan. I also subbed coconut sugar for white. Let it be known, they aren’t super sweet, which is to my liking!! Took a chance and doubled the recipe. Baked a dozen and froze 5 dozen for later. MAKE THESE, PEOPLE!!!
Traci says
October 23, 2018 at 2:18 pmOh yummm! Love those subs and so happy to hear the flax eggs worked! Thank you for sharing your tips and coming back to leave a note! Hooray!
Suzanne says
October 13, 2018 at 10:54 amThese cookies turned out great! I didn’t have macadamia nuts on hand so I subbed walnuts. I’m sure they’d be even better with macadamias, but no complaints the way mine turned out. I like that they are somewhat crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside. To the people worried about carbs/butter, it’s a freakin’ cookie, not meant to be a part of your steady diet. Enjoy it for what it is and remember: everything in moderation.
Traci says
October 13, 2018 at 10:58 amHi Suzanne! For the love of walnuts…how delicious! I’m with you on the crunchy outside, tender inside.. and the cookie/carbs/butter thing. Moderation is the spice of life! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note and a smile! :D
Florence Hahn says
February 10, 2018 at 5:50 pmThese cookies are absolutely fabulous and a must have in anyone’s repertoire! I was trying to replicate “Royal” cookies sold in one of the restaurants at work … and your recipe is even better! They were a hit with my husband, boys & coworkers! Thank you for sharing.
Traci says
February 19, 2018 at 10:25 amThank you for your note, Florence! So happy you enjoyed them and were able to find that “Royal” cookie you were after! Hooray!!
Gary Pollington says
June 19, 2018 at 5:11 pmHello Traci,
What’s the carb count for the Coconut Macadamia Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies. Thank You in advance.
Traci says
June 19, 2018 at 6:54 pmHi Gary! I don’t have that information. Please feel free to plug in the ingredients to any online calculator you feel has accurate information.
Margo says
February 6, 2017 at 8:38 pmCould you please clarify how much butter is used in this recipe? Thanks.
Traci says
February 6, 2017 at 8:55 pmHi Margo… 2 sticks (8 oz).
Michel Chapman says
June 27, 2017 at 12:40 pmAlso, would you clarify if it should be sweetened or unsweetened coconut?
Traci says
June 27, 2017 at 1:00 pmHi Michel! Shredded coconut is unsweetened.
Kelly says
July 23, 2016 at 5:33 pmHi Traci
Is it possible to sub the corn starch? Can you replace almond meal with LSA?
What does the corn starch do to texture of the cookies?
Kelly
Traci says
July 24, 2016 at 8:49 amHey Kelly! Leave the corn starch out if you like. I add corn starch (always organic) to tenderize the crumb and to assist in a bit of crunch for the outside of the cookie. Can you clarify LSA? I don’t know what it is. I hope this helps.
Bethany says
June 7, 2016 at 12:25 amJust made my first batch and I have to admit I was super excited. I tried a cookie like this at a local restaurant and then went on the hunt until I found this! I’ve been talking about it for weeks (to my husbands shagrin).
So I finally made them today… And I must admit I’m a little disappointed. But perhaps I did something wrong. Mine came out looking beautifully, but when I tried them they were just crispy all the way through which seemed to evaporate all the flavor. I didn’t get any of that ooey gooey chocolately goodness that chocolate chip cookies are known for. I didn’t even want to waste the calories to finisb it (yikes!). I followed the recipe to the T with no substitutions … But perhaps I made them too small (I didn’t have the proper scoop) or perhaps I over mixed them just a bit too much… What happened? I only made 1 batch and then froze the rest until I could figure it out. After all, a beautiful cookie is great, but a tasty one is what we really want, right?
Please help?
Traci says
June 7, 2016 at 5:38 amHi Bethany! I’m so sorry you’re disappointed in these cookies. These are not ooey gooey cookies, rather they are chewy, moist on the inside with a light crunch on the outside (I wrote about this in the post and headnote). Making the cookies smaller than indicated, then cooking at 350F for 20 min would probably dry the cookies out. Can you tell me the size and/or weight of the cookies? You could try baking them for perhaps 15 minutes and start checking them for doneness. They’re done when they’re lightly golden on top and a bit darker on the bottom. I hope this helps.
Bethany says
June 12, 2016 at 3:07 pmI figure out that I did indeed make them too small. Thankfully I used your rdommebdstiom of freezing them and didn’t waste the whole batch. I thought my ice cream scoop was too big, so I halved them, but that was wrong… But I did figure out that if you do half them (for twice as many cookies! Who doesn’t love that!?) then you should only bake 10-12 minutes. Now they are a hit and I’m super happy with them! I can’t seem to make enough!
Traci says
June 12, 2016 at 4:09 pmHooray! Thank you so much for letting us know, Bethany. I’m thrilled the frozen cookies came out with the reduction in baking time! Hooray! :D
[email protected] says
May 17, 2015 at 7:53 pmLove the look and combination of these cookies Traci. Scrumptious. Always on the lookout for a great, chunky cookie, so these are definitely up for baking this week!
beeta @ Mon Petit Four says
May 15, 2015 at 1:56 pmThese look delicious, Traci! I love macadamia nuts in cookies, and to pair it with the coconut is perfect! Yummy yummy!
Traci says
May 16, 2015 at 8:10 amOh, we love these, Beeta! I hope you enjoy them! :D
Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen says
February 28, 2015 at 7:17 amOh my goodness, I honestly want to reach into my screen and sneak some of that delicious looking cookie dough!! These cookies sound absolutely fabulous Traci and with SO MUCH FLAVOR! I wonder how they’d taste with flax eggs and coconut oil (subbing for the egg and butter!). Adding these to the “to make” list! Pinned :)
Traci says
March 1, 2015 at 5:10 pmHey Ceara! I love these cookies just as they are. BUT, I think subbing coconut oil and a flax egg would turn these cookies into something everyone can enjoy! DO IT! Thank you for your pin! :D
Its Jello says
August 11, 2014 at 11:39 pmHmmm, i can’t wait to make these.
Jeff Winett says
May 7, 2014 at 8:13 amI never thought I’d be adding yet another version of chocolate chip cookie to my repertoire, but this recipe is that happy exception. The almond meal and cornstarch…wow, did these ingredients give the cookies indescribable texture. Very appreciated that Traci listed ingredient “weights”, as well as volume measurements, as is this how I try to approach all of my baking. There was crunch, there was chew, there was everything you could want in a cookie…that being said, I turned off the oven, removed half of the cookies after the 20 minutes, and then after letting out a goodly amount of the heat, I shut the oven door to let the remaining cookies dwell until cool. Those cookies became totally crispy, and I’ve fallen for both versions.
Cheers all,
Jeff
Traci says
May 7, 2014 at 11:25 amHi Jeff!
So happy you enjoyed the recipe! Love the oven tip! I’m on it!