Hawaiian Chocolate Chip Cookies

These chocolate chip cookies go full island mode with macadamia nuts, shredded coconut, and oats packed into every bite alongside the chocolate chips. They are thick, chewy, and nothing like a standard Toll House.

The dough gets shaped into 1½-inch balls and then flattened with the bottom of a flour-dipped glass before baking. That press is what gives you a wide cookie with a chewy center and slightly crisp edges instead of a puffy dome that is soft all the way through.

Butter-flavored shortening instead of real butter is a deliberate choice here. Shortening melts at a higher temperature, so the cookies hold their shape better in the oven and stay chewy for days instead of crisping up as they cool.

Pro Tips

• Dip the glass in flour between each press or the dough will stick and tear. A light coating is all you need.
• Bake at a lower temperature than most cookie recipes call for. The coconut and macadamia nuts burn easily at higher heat, and the lower temp lets the center set without scorching the add-ins.
• Do not overbake. Pull them when the edges are barely golden. They firm up significantly as they cool on the sheet.
• Chop the macadamia nuts coarsely so you get big, buttery chunks in every cookie.

Variations

• Use white chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet for a sweeter, more tropical flavor combination.
• Add ½ cup of dried pineapple pieces for an extra Hawaiian punch.
• Swap macadamias for toasted cashews if you want a similar richness at a lower price point.