Need a cookie mix that feels a little more special than plain sugar cookies without turning your pantry into a full-scale baking project? Hawaiian Cookie Mix gives you a sweet, chewy drop cookie loaded with coconut, macadamia nuts, and dates, and it works beautifully as a jar gift or a make-ahead pantry mix.
Once you add butter, egg, and vanilla, you get soft cookies with crisp edges and plenty of texture. They’re the kind of cookies that disappear one by one while everyone claims they’re “just trying one.”
Ingredients for Hawaiian Cookie Mix
Layer the dry ingredients in a jar for gifting, or seal them in a large zip-top bag if you’re stocking your own pantry. Keep the butter, egg, and vanilla separate until you’re ready to bake.
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup packed flaked coconut
- 2/3 cup chopped macadamia nuts
- 2/3 cup chopped dates
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
If you like keeping cookie mixes on hand, you’ll probably also want to bookmark this Sugar Cookie Mix in a Jar and this White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Cookie Mix. Same smart pantry idea, different payoff.
How to Make Hawaiian Cookie Mix
These directions stay simple on purpose. Mix, shape, bake, and get out of your own way.
- Measure the sugar, brown sugar, coconut, macadamia nuts, dates, flour, baking soda, and baking powder into layers in a jar, or combine them in a large zip-top bag and seal.
- When you’re ready to bake, combine the cookie mix with 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 slightly beaten egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
- Mix until the dough is completely blended and no dry pockets remain.
- Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls.
- Place the dough balls 2 inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
- Press each cookie down slightly with a fork.
- Bake at 350°F for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a rack to finish cooling.
Tips for Best Results
Soften the butter, don’t melt it. Soft butter blends into the mix evenly and gives you a thicker dough that bakes up with better texture.
Chop the dates if they’re clumped. Sticky date pieces love to glue themselves together just to be difficult. Separate them before mixing so they spread through the dough instead of landing in one chewy lump.
Don’t overbake. Pull the cookies when the edges are set and the centers still look slightly soft. They’ll finish setting as they cool.
Use a real airtight container for storage. For the unbaked dry mix, quality holds best in a cool, dry place away from heat and light. Since nuts are the shortest-lived ingredient here, a conservative pantry estimate is about 3 months for best quality in an airtight jar or sealed bag. For longer storage, refrigerating or freezing nuts helps delay rancidity, and the UC Davis Postharvest Research and Extension Center notes that nuts keep better when sealed and chilled or frozen.
Easy Variations
Use chopped pecans or walnuts if macadamia nuts are out of budget or hard to find. You’ll lose a little of that buttery island vibe, but you’ll still get a good cookie.
Swap the dates for raisins if that’s what you have. Dates give a richer, chewier bite, while raisins make the cookies a little lighter and less sticky.
Add a gift tag with the baking directions. If you’re giving this as a jar mix, attach the butter, egg, vanilla, and baking directions so the recipient doesn’t have to guess. Guessing is for game night, not baking powder.
Storage and Shelf Life
Dry mix: Store the sealed mix in an airtight jar or bag in a cool, dry pantry for up to 3 months for best quality. That’s a practical estimate based on the nuts and coconut, which lose quality faster than flour and sugar.
Prepared dough: Once you add the butter and egg, refrigerate the dough promptly and use it within 2 to 4 days. If you want to hold it longer, portion the dough and freeze it.
Baked cookies: Store fully cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 weeks, or refrigerate them for up to 2 months. Texture is best at room temperature, as long as the container stays tightly closed.
Serving Suggestions
These cookies pair well with coffee, hot tea, or a cold glass of milk. They’re also a nice addition to a cookie tray because the coconut and macadamia nuts break up the usual chocolate-chip parade.
If you want to turn the mix into a simple gift set, tuck it into a basket with a wooden spoon, parchment paper, and a copy of these directions. Or go full cookie mode and serve them beside Easy Vanilla Pudding Cookies for a soft-cookie platter with two very different personalities.
💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown: Hawaiian Cookie Mix
Ingredient |
Walmart Item |
Pkg Price |
Amount Used |
Cost Used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Sugar |
$2.98 |
1/3 C. |
$0.11 |
|
Packed brown sugar |
$2.24 |
1/2 C. |
$0.27 |
|
Packed flaked coconut |
$2.24 |
1/3 C. |
$0.17 |
|
Chopped macadamia nuts |
$5.98 |
2/3 C. |
$4.64 |
|
Chopped dates |
$2.48 |
2/3 C. |
$1.09 |
|
Flour |
$2.96 |
2 C. |
$0.31 |
|
Baking soda |
$0.92 |
1 t. |
$0.01 |
|
Baking powder |
$1.24 |
1 t. |
$0.02 |
|
Softened butter |
$2.98 |
1/2 C. |
$0.75 |
|
Egg |
$1.47 |
1 |
$0.12 |
|
Vanilla |
$5.94 |
1 t. |
$0.50 |
💸 |
Cost |
|---|---|
🧾 Total Batch Cost |
$7.99 |
👨👩👧👦 Cost Per Serving |
$0.22 |
📅 Walmart prices last verified August 26, 2026. Prices may vary by location and are subject to change. Learn how to calculate the cost of a recipe on your own!
🛒 Walmart Grocery List
- Granulated Sugar, 4 lb
- Light Brown Sugar, 32 oz
- Sweetened Coconut Flakes, 14 oz
- Chopped Macadamia Nuts, 4 oz
- Chopped Dates, 8 oz
- All-Purpose Flour, 5 lb
- Baking Powder, 8.1 oz
- Baking Soda, 16 oz
- Salted Butter, 16 oz
- Large White Eggs, 12 count
- Pure Vanilla Extract, 2 fl oz
Not sure exactly what this batch costs you per serving? Here’s how to break down the real cost of any recipe so you know before you shop.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hawaiian Cookie Mix
Absolutely. Pack the dry mix in a tightly sealed jar or bag and keep it in a cool, dry spot for up to 3 months for best quality. Since the nuts are the touchiest ingredient here, heat and light will turn them stale faster than the flour or sugar ever will.
A 1-quart jar usually works best for this amount of dry mix. If your coconut is especially fluffy or your chopped dates are chunky, pack the layers neatly and tap the jar gently on the counter so everything settles without crushing it into building material.
Yes, chopped pecans or walnuts are the easiest swaps. Use the same 2/3 cup amount, but expect a slightly less buttery flavor and a little more bite than you get from macadamias.
Raisins are the simplest substitute and you can swap them cup for cup. If your dates are stuck together, chop and separate them before mixing so you don’t end up with one giant chewy surprise in the middle of a cookie.
That little press helps the dough spread more evenly because this mix is fairly chunky from the coconut, nuts, and dates. If you skip it, the centers can stay too rounded while the edges bake faster than they should.
Plan on about 36 walnut-sized cookies. That’s an estimate, of course, because your actual yield depends on how generous you are with each dough ball, and some of us are a little too optimistic with the word walnut.
You can, and it often makes shaping easier. Cover the dough well and refrigerate it for up to 2 to 4 days, then let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes if it feels too firm to roll.
Yes. Scoop or roll the dough into portions first, freeze them on a tray until firm, then transfer them to a freezer bag or airtight container. That way you can bake a few at a time instead of committing to a full sheet pan every time a craving wanders by.
Pull them when the edges are lightly golden and the centers look just set, usually around 11 to 13 minutes at 350°F. If you wait until the whole cookie looks deeply browned, you’ll trade soft centers for dry cookies in a hurry.
They pair nicely with vanilla-forward cookies, shortbread, or dark chocolate desserts because the coconut and dates bring sweetness while the nuts add richness. If you’re building a tray, mix these with plainer cookies so their flavor actually stands out instead of getting lost in a sugar stampede.
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Did you make this recipe? Tell us how it turned out in the comments, or share your favorite twist if you swapped the dates or nuts. Practical kitchen intel helps everybody.
🖨️ Print-Friendly Hawaiian Cookie Mix
Hawaiian Cookie Mix
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ⅓ cup packed flaked coconut
- ⅔ cup chopped macadamia nuts
- ⅔ cup chopped dates
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup softened butter
- 1 egg slightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Equipment
Instructions
- Measure the sugar, brown sugar, coconut, macadamia nuts, dates, flour, baking soda, and baking powder into layers in a jar, or combine them in a large zip-top bag and seal.
- When ready to bake, combine the cookie mix with the softened butter, slightly beaten egg, and vanilla.
- Mix until completely blended.
- Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls.
- Place the dough balls 2 inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
- Press each cookie down slightly with a fork.
- Bake at 350°F for 11 to 13 minutes.
Recipe Size Alteration
💡 If you altered the ingredients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cook time.
Notes
Prep time is estimated from mixing, shaping, and setting up the pans.
Store the dry mix in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months for best quality.
Refrigerate prepared dough and use within 2 to 4 days.
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 weeks.
