Hawaiian Shortbread Cookie Recipe

Buttery & delicious, this Hawaiian Shortbread Cookie Recipe has chocolate chips & macadamia nuts...it's definitely one of my best shortbread recipes, these cookies are so good!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

If you've ever been to Hawaii, they are known - among many other wonderful things, for their outstanding shortbread. This is great news if you happen to have a sweet tooth, and you can find them pretty easily (plus the Honolulu Cookie Company sells the pineapple-shaped ones online).

Some of the best shortbread cookies I've tasted are from home cooks who sell at the little farmer's markets that are scattered around the big island. While this isn't the exact recipe, it's a delicious version worth a try.

Here's a few good reasons to make this recipe:

• This recipe is different thanks to a generous amount of chocolate chips and pieces of macadamia nuts. They look kind of like sugar cookies, but these are crispy, buttery, sweet and so, so good.

• The cookies are crumbly, a little delicate, even. But they really kind of melt in your mouth, which we like very much.

• Super simple ingredients here, and they can be frozen if well wrapped for up to 60 days.

For the full recipe and list of ingredients, please scroll to the recipe card below.

• Flour: Regular old all-purpose flour

• Baking Soda & Salt: For tenderness and flavor

• Unsalted Butter: One cup butter, well softened for easier combining

• Vanilla Extract: For that special flavor you can't get anywhere else

• Sugar: Baker's Sugar (superfine) if you can, regular sugar is fine too

• Chocolate Chips: The semi-sweet variety

• Macadamia Nuts: Chopped small so there's some in every bite

For the full list of instructions and ingredients, please scroll to the recipe card below.

1. Start by pre-heating the oven and letting the butter sit out for an hour to soften

2. Cream butter & sugar in a large bowl until very light (3 minutes)

3. Add the dry ingredients in two batches and mix gently to combine and make the shortbread dough

4. Pulse macadamia nuts in a food processor, or chop them into small pieces with a knife

5. Add the macadamia nuts and chocolate chips to the cookie dough

6. Shape dough into balls and place on cookie sheet

After you've shaped the cookie dough balls, lightly flatten them with the bottom of a jar, then bake!

Nut shortbread cookies are wonderful with a cup of tea or Kona coffee

• Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper before baking so the cookies don't stick.

• Cream butter at room temperature.... If it's too cold, it won't mix well.

• You can leave the macadamia nuts out if you like, or try an equal amount of toasted pecans instead.

• Use a small ice cream scoop to form the cookie dough...this is the best way to do it to get a consistent size for overall even baking.

• Use superfine Baker's Sugar in this recipe if you can find it, found in what looks like a milk carton in the baking aisle of well-stocked grocery stores. Otherwise, use regular granulated sugar.

• Do a mini chocolate chip version! You can find semi-sweet and white chocolate mini chips in the baking section.

How do you store shortbread?

Best in an airtight container, and they'll stay fresh for a couple of days.

Can I double this recipe?

Sure can, and you can freeze half (well-wrapped) for at least 60 days.

Hawaiian Shortbread Cookie Recipe

A buttery & delicious shortbread recipe with chocolate chips & macadamia nuts.

Course: Cookies

Total Time: 35 minutes

Servings: about 24

Ingredients

• ▢ 1¾ Cup Flour, all-purpose

• ▢ ½ Teaspoon Baking Powder

• ▢ ¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt

• ▢ 1 Cup Butter, unsalted, softened

• ▢ ½ Cup Sugar, superfine see notes

• ▢ 1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract

• ▢ ¾ Cup Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

• ▢ ½ Cup Macadamia Nuts, chopped

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees, and prepare a large baking sheet (cookie sheet) with parchment paper. Set your butter out to soften for at least 30 minutes.

• Sift the dry ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl, set aside.

  In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until it's light and fluffy, about 3 minutes using an electric mixer. Add the vanilla and mix to combine.

  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture – about half the amount at a time – just mixing it together until the flour disappears into the butter, 30 seconds or so. Mix the rest of the flour in until just combined.

  Stir the chocolate chips and macadamia nuts in the batter until combined.

• Scoop the batter with an ice cream or cookie scoop (or a spoon) – about 1 ½ tablespoons per cookie – onto the prepared baking sheet. Flatten the tops down slightly with a flat-bottom jar or glass and bake for 18-20 minutes. The outside edges will be very light brown.

  Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes until set, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.

  Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Notes

• Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper before baking so the cookies don’t stick.

• Make sure your butter is soft before starting. If it’s too cold, it won’t mix well.

• You can leave the macadamia nuts out if you like, or try an equal amount of toasted pecans instead.

• Use a small ice cream scoop to form the cookie dough…this is the best way to do it to get a consistent size for overall even baking.

• Use superfine Baker’s Sugar in this recipe, found in what looks like a milk carton in the baking aisle of well-stocked grocery stores. Otherwise, use regular granulated sugar.