Royal Coconut Macadamia Chocolate Chunk Cookies
A Cookie That Eats Like A Meal
These thick, royal coconut macadamia chocolate chunk cookies are loaded with toasted coconut, buttery macadamia nuts, and melty chocolate chunks. This makes for the perfect balance of crisp edges and soft, chewy centers. Chilling the dough and pulling them just slightly under baked gives you that rich, indulgent texture just like the famous Nordstrom cookies.
This past week I took a little working mini vacation to Southern California to meet my graphic designer Roxy at Disneyland. This was a splurge trip. My goal was to enjoy the Grand Californian Hotel. I also wanted to spend a little time at the spa. I really just needed a change of scenery, some sunshine, and a bit of a reset after losing Gus. It also gave me a chance to sit down with Roxy and work on the cookbook, which felt really good.
Exploring Food and The Spa At The Grand Californian
While I was there, I booked an appointment at Tenaya Stone Spa, which I’ve been to many times and absolutely love. They have a relaxation room with light bites, flavored waters, and little treats. This time they had these cookies called “royal cookies” that I had never seen before.
Normally it’s scones or banana bread which are great. But these cookies were something else. I ate one before my massage and thought about it the entire time. I’m almost embarrassed to admit I took two back to my room and rationed them for two days because I didn’t want them to be gone.
I ended up booking another spa appointment partly because it helped my knee. If I am being honest, it was also because I was fully planning on getting another one of those cookies. Of course, when I went back, they didn’t have them. What a genuine disappointment. I did what I always do and started digging around to figure them out. I found out they were similar to the famous “royal cookies” tied to Nordstrom, and after talking to someone at the spa about the ingredients and doing a little internet research, I decided to try recreating them at home.
As you know, I’m not much of a baker, but these turned out so good that I knew I had to share them. Honestly, they’re one of the best cookies I’ve ever had, and now I don’t have to go back to the spa to get them… although I probably still will.
The Nuts
I was so excited to make these cookies. I ordered macadamia nuts online to have waiting for me the minute I walked in the door. I’ll link the ones I used here because they were actually really good. They are also way more affordable than what I’ve seen at the grocery store. It just made it that much easier to hit the ground running and get these baked right away. *this is an amazon affiliate link, if you use the link Amazon pays me a small commission, at not extra cost to you.
It also reminded me of this old restaurant up north at the lake called the Redman that used to have the most incredible macadamia nut chicken. Now that I have a big bag of macadamia nuts on hand, I’m thinking I need to try and recreate that too. I might even reach out to the old owner and see if he’ll share the recipe. If he does, we’re absolutely putting these nuts to work in more than just cookies.
Room Temperature
One of the biggest mistakes I used to make when baking was not letting my butter and eggs come to room temperature first. This really does make a difference. Softened butter creams properly with the sugar, creating a light, smooth base that helps give the cookies structure and that perfect texture. If the butter is too cold, it won’t mix evenly. If it’s too melted, the cookies can spread too much. Room temperature eggs also blend more easily into the dough, which helps everything come together evenly and results in a better, more consistent bake.
Don’t Make The Same Mistake As Me
The first mistake I made when baking these cookies was not chilling the dough before baking. They spread a lot and came out flat and crispy. If that’s your kind of cookie, you’ll actually love them that way because they were still absolutely delicious. But I was going for that chewy center with crispy edges like the ones I had at the spa.
To get that texture, I chilled the dough for about two hours. It does make the dough a little tougher to work with, so I let it sit out for a few minutes just to soften slightly while still staying cold. Then I formed large cookie dough balls and placed them on a baking sheet, leaving room because they will still spread a bit. I baked them for about 12 minutes, just until the edges and bottoms were golden and set while the centers still looked slightly underbaked. I pulled them out and let them sit on top of the warm stove to finish, and they came out perfectly with crisp edges and a soft, chewy center.
Butter Extract For The Win
Another unique ingredient I used in this recipe is butter extract. I originally ordered when I was testing my vanilla wafer cake. There are a lot of options out there, especially on Amazon. This just adds a really rich, bakery-style flavor that makes these cookies feel a little extra special.
That said, it is completely optional. If you don’t want to order another ingredient, you can absolutely skip it and still have a delicious cookie.
Royal Coconut Macadamia Chocolate Chunk Cookies
A thick, chewy bakery-style cookie loaded with toasted coconut, buttery macadamia nuts, and melty chocolate chunks. Crisp edges with a soft center just like the famous Nordstrom cookies.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter, softened but not melted
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons butter extract (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract or coconut extract (optional)
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 3/4 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
- 12 ounces chocolate chunks
- Flaky salt for finishing (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Add the shredded coconut and chopped macadamia nuts to a skillet over medium heat. Toast, stirring frequently, until lightly golden and fragrant. Keep a close eye on it so it does not burn. Remove from heat and let cool.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Make sure the butter is soft but not greasy or melted.
- Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and butter extract and mix until combined. Add the almond or coconut extract if using. I did use Almond and it added great flavor.
- Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Fold in the toasted coconut, macadamia nuts, and chocolate chunks. Make sure you let this cool first.
- Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. If the dough chills longer than 2 hours, let it sit at room temperature for a bit so it softens slightly and is easier to scoop. It should still be slightly cool when going into the oven. Alternatively, you can scoop the cookies first onto the baking sheets and then refrigerate.
- Scoop the dough into large portions about 2 1/2 inches wide. The dough will be a little firm and harder to scoop, but it is worth it for how the cookies bake up. Shape into tall mounds rather than smooth balls.
- Place the dough on the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each cookie.
- Bake directly from the refrigerator for about 12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the centers still look slightly underdone.
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 10 minutes on a warm stovetop to finish setting. This creates a crisp edge with a soft, chewy center.
- If needed, gently push the edges inward with a spatula or glass to create a thicker bakery-style shape. You do this right when they come from the oven, before they cool.
- Sprinkle with flaky salt if desired and let cool before serving.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is key for thick cookies. If you bake the dough right away without chilling, the cookies will spread more and be flatter and crisp throughout. They are still delicious, just a different texture.
- For a cookie like the ones pictured, bake the dough cold and pull them when the centers still look slightly doughy.
- Toasting the coconut and macadamia nuts in a skillet adds deeper flavor but requires close attention so it does not burn.
- Butter extract adds a rich bakery-style flavor and is optional but recommended.
- Using chocolate chunks instead of chips gives a more melty texture.