Hawaiian Brownie Cookies

Part brownie, part cookie, coated in coconut. These Hawaiian brownie cookies start with a rich chocolate dough loaded with semi-sweet chocolate chips, then get rolled in flaked coconut before baking. The result is a fudgy center with a lightly toasted coconut shell.

Brown sugar is doing the heavy flavor work in the dough. It adds moisture and a caramel depth that cocoa powder alone can’t deliver. Combined with shortening instead of butter, you get a cookie that stays chewy rather than crisping up.

Mix the dry ingredients into the creamed base at low speed and stop the second everything comes together. Overmixing pushes these from fudgy to cakey, and fudgy is the whole point.

The all-caps “DO NOT OVERBAKE” in the original directions is there for a reason. Pull them at 7-9 minutes when they still look slightly underdone. They firm up as they cool on the sheet.

Chef Tips

• Roll the dough balls firmly so they hold their shape, then press the coconut on gently
• Bake one sheet at a time for even heat distribution
• Cool on foil, not a wire rack; these are too soft when warm to handle on a rack without breaking

Variations

• Use toasted coconut for a nuttier, deeper flavor on the outside
• Add ½ cup chopped macadamia nuts to the dough for a true Hawaiian touch
• Swap semi-sweet chips for white chocolate chips for a coconut-white chocolate version