Delicious macadamia nut shortbread cookies dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with coconut. Free of gluten, eggs, and refined sugar!
Every state has something that truly makes it unique and we’re celebrating that diversity in cookie form!
50 bloggers from all 50 states are partnering together to bring you 50 different cookies, with one mission — to celebrate our wonderful nation!
These tender gluten-free macadamia nut shortbread cookies dipped in white chocolate are inspired by some of my favorite tropical ingredients from my home state of Hawaii!
I came across the cutest pineapple cutter at a local baking supply store and it reminded me of these shortbread cookies I used to eat in Hawaii. I thought it would be fun to recreate these shortbread cookies to give out to family and friends so they could have a taste of the tropics this holiday season!
I took my standard shortbread recipe and made it a little healthier by reducing the amount of butter and substituting pure maple syrup for the refined sugar. I also swapped out regular all-purpose flour with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking flour, my go-to flour that I’ve been using for years. It’s my absolute favorite gluten-free flour blend for a few reasons:
- It is perfectly formulated for baked goods with terrific taste and texture – no additional specialty ingredients or custom recipes required.
- This flour combines finely ground brown rice flour, sweet white rice flour, whole grain sorghum flour, potato starch, and tapioca flour with a touch of xanthan gum—just enough xanthan gum to create chewy cookies and springy muffins.
- The protein in the sorghum flour helps give baked goods an almost wheat-like texture and aids in browning, for those times you need a perfectly golden brown chocolate chip cookie. You can use this blend for cookies, cakes, and brownies!
To the shortbread dough, I added chunks of roasted macadamia nuts, which give a deliciously nutty crunch to the cookie. Macadamia nuts, are actually native to Australia, but were introduced to Hawaii in the late 1800’s, where it thrived. Wherever you go in Hawaii, you’re bound to see boxes of the popular chocolate covered macadamia nuts or cans of dry roasted macadamia nuts for sale. Hawaii is now the single largest producer in the world of the nut (which is technically not a nut at all, it’s a seed!)
Speaking of nuts, I dipped the baked cookies in white chocolate and sprinkled them with shredded coconut, another popular Hawaiian flavor! Coconuts, like macadamia nuts, were introduced to the islands hundreds of years ago by the Polynesians, and interestingly, can be classified as a nut, seed, or fruit!
I hope you get a chance to try these delicious cookies! They’re perfect for gift giving and can be made into any shape you wish, although I did find some similar pineapple cutters online, which I linked in the recipe below. Be sure to visit The United States of Cookies page periodically to see the cookies being added from all 50 states! There’s even a coupon to use towards your Bob’s Red Mill flour, so you can get your bake on and save some money too!
Did you find your home state in the list? What special flavors or ingredients would you use if you were creating a cookie from your state or country? Let me know in the comments below!
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Macadamia Nut Shortbread Cookies Dipped in White chocolate
- Total Time: 12 mins
- Yield: 2.5 dozen 1x
Description
Delicious gluten-free macadamia nut shortbread cookies dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with coconut for a taste of aloha in the comfort of your own kitchen!
Ingredients
Shortbread Cookies:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (vegan butter or coconut oil can also be use, but cookies may spread a little more)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour + extra for dusting
- 1 cup finely chopped macadamia nuts
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
White Chocolate:
- 8 oz. quality white chocolate, chopped
- 1 tablespoon palm shortening or 2 teaspoons coconut oil
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup shredded coconut, cacao nibs, sprinkles, etc. for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine softened butter and maple syrup. Mix until well blended. Add 2 cups of flour and salt. Blend until well incorporated, about 1-2 minutes, and then mix in vanilla extract and macadamia nuts. Dough should be similar in consistency to the photo above. If your dough is too dry for some reason, you can add a splash of water to bring it together; too loose add flour a tablespoon at a time until it forms a soft dough.
- Roll dough between to large pieces of parchment paper. Dust with a little flour if it gets sticky. Use any cookie cutter to cut out shapes and place 2-inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. I found similar pineapple shaped ones here
(double the size, perfect if you want them larger. My cutter is 2-3 inches tall) and here (small like mine).
- Place pans in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to chill the dough. This helps the cookies hold their shape.
- Ten minutes before baking, preheat oven to 350F. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned and center is set. The cookies will be pretty light in color. Allow to cool slightly on the pan and then transfer cookies to a rack to cool thoroughly. They can be crumbly if handled when they’re hot.
- While cookies are cooling, begin to melt your chocolate. Place chocolate and oil in a heat-safe bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir constantly until chocolate and oil are melted and mixture is smooth.
- Dip cooled cookies halfway into the melted chocolate and place on parchment paper or a wire rack. Sprinkle immediately with shredded coconut or other topping of choice before chocolate hardens.
- Stack finished cookies in an airtight container between pieces of parchment or wax paper. Makes about 2 1/2 to 3 dozen cookies, depending on the cutter you use.
(double the size, perfect if you want them larger. My cutter is 2-3 inches tall) and - Cook Time: 12 mins
- Category: gluten free, dessert
You may also enjoy these similar recipes:
Gluten and Refined Sugar Free Gingerbread Cookies
Gluten and Refined Sugar Free Shortbread
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
I made these last night with my 2 year old so the first step (blend butter and maple syrup well) was more like a quick stir. I only realised after I had incorporated all other ingredients and then dropped half on the floor (two toddlers running around!) that I had made this mistake, HOWEVER, I persevered, didn’t chill cookie dough after cutting and quickly dropped over melted white chocolate (rather than dipping them – no time!) and they are absolutely *^+% delicious! Taste just like those Honolulu cookie co ones! And they were so quick and easy to make! These are my new replacement for sugar cookies (when my kids have their parties I usually make them sugar cookies with the theme or the first letter of the name). They are so much healthier and so much more delicious! Only thing is Bob’s red mill 1-1 costs AUD $13.75 for 620gm and macadamias (even though they come from Australia and I’m in Australia) are ridiculously expensive, so they will be limited to special occasions only until I figure out substitutions for the macadamia nuts. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Hi Noellia! I’m so happy you and your family enjoyed these cookies! They are very easy to make and delicious, although macadamia nuts so seem to be expensive everywhere! I also have this simple cut-out “sugar” cookie recipe that’s just like these macadamia nut ones but without the nuts, if you’re interested! They’re a lot more economical to make (aside from gf flour) and are made with maple syrup as well! They work perfectly using cookie cutters too! Here’s the link: http://www.wifemamafoodie.com/simple-cut-cookies/
Let me know how these turn out for you if you give them a try!! Thanks again for your feedback! Have a wonderful week! 🙂
These are SO pretty! They would make a great gift if wrapped in pretty paper and pout in a basket/
That’s a good idea Jasmine! Thank you for the kind words. Merry Christmas to you!
These cookies look delicious and such a cute shape! WOW a 50 blogger cookie exchange sounds incredible!
You are right Joscelyn that every place has something unique in terms of food and I fully believe that food is that one thing which brings us together.No matter where we are, isn’t it?
BTW these cookies looks great, thanks for sharing… 🙂
These look delicious! My family would go nuts over these!
Yes, they’re sooo much fun to make and eat 🙂
I adore shortbread and these are the cutest – love that tropical flair! I went to Hawaii in September for a wedding, and stuffed my suitcase with macadamia nuts to bring back for baking. They are long gone… as is my tan 😉
Haha, that’s the way to do it! I love macadamia nuts. They are really are great to bake with. Yeah, you know, the Hawaii tan, there’s nothing like it (sigh).
Gah these cookies are so much fun!! Every Christmas growing up my mom, sister, and I would bake sugar cookies with a simple white frosting. The whole kitchen would smell SO GOOD.
Yes they are friend! The smell of freshly baked cookies in the house, you’re taking me back to my childhood 🙂 It’s a tradition I really want my kiddos to continue on when they’re adults. Elayna, my daughter, already loves to bake. She’s becoming quite the baker.
Looks so yummy! I love shortbread cookies 🙂
Yes, me too, Yana! They’re so fun and festive for the holiday season. I hope your having a great weekend xoxo
I just love a good shortbread cookie, and these look amazing! I bet the white chocolate goes beautifully with the shortbread. I am really looking forward to giving these a try for the holidays.
Thank you Cait! Shortbread cookies around Christmas time with some warm, hot cocoa by the fire. It’s the best 🙂 Please let me know how you like them if you get a chance to try them out. I always love hearing feedback from people who take the time to make my recipes.
You had me at macadamia shortbread. My two favourite things in the whole world.. COMBINED!? I’m dead.
This sounds delicious – I must try your recipe over the Christmas break. 🙂
Christie’s Take on Life. x
Haha, I love your play on words here. You are a wordsmith! Thank you for the encouragement. I really enjoyed making this recipe. It goes great with this Christmas season we’re in. Please let me know how you like it if you get a chance to try them over your break.
My mother would absolutely love these. She’s a huge fanatic of macadamia nuts and white chocolate. I’m going to forward her this recipe.
Thank you for the forward, friend. This was so much fun to make. Cookies, a cozy fire when it’s cold outside (and Christmas movies on Netflix, of course), these cookies make for such a great complement to hot cocoa or coffee. I hope your mom loves them as much as we did. Have a wonderful week!
Oh yum! These look so amazing and delicious!
Aw, thanks Samantha! I really appreciate your kind words. Have a lovely day!
These are adorable… love macadamias
Thanks Michelle. Me too. Macadamias and cookies? How can you go wrong 🙂 Thanks for your post. Have a beautiful Sunday!
Love a good shortbread cookie recipe. Adding the white chocolate even better.
Yes, the white chocolate is a wonderfully great addition. I hope you’re having a great weekend. Thank you for stopping by, Candy!