Coconut Brownies with Macadamia Nuts

Thanks to the use of store-bought brownie mix, you'll love how easy these coconut brownies are to make. Coconut Brownies with Macadamia Nuts are rich, fudgy, and ultra-indulgent.

When you have a desire for something rich and chocolaty, I hope you'll enjoy these additional chocolate desserts: Double Chocolate Cherry Bundt Cake is a real showstopper for looks and taste, Chocolate Velvet Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting is what chocolate dreams are made of, and don't even get me started on this Chocolate Chip S'mores Cheesecake. *swoon*

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Jump to:

• The ingredient list:
• Ingredient information:
• Substitution and add-in suggestions:
• Coconut Brownies for the win! What I wrote about this recipe in 2015:
• Scratch brownie recipes you'll enjoy:
• Can coconut brownies with macadamia nuts be made in a brownie pan?
• Can an 8 x 8 pan be used instead of a 13 x 9 pan?
• Tip for easier drizzling of sweetened condensed milk:
• Top tip for making coconut brownies:
• When to add the toppings to the brownies:
• More of my recipes featuring coconut:
• Printable Recipe Card

*Note - I originally shared this magic coconut brownie bar recipe in 2015. The recipe itself has not changed but I've gone in and added additional information to this post along with a video and recipe card that I hope you will find useful and entertaining. Please enjoy this recipe!

The ingredient list:

Ingredient information:

• The Box Brownie Mix I used was Ghirardelli. I like this particular brand because it includes additional chocolate chips. I also used one egg and water. The box calls for vegetable oil, but I used grapeseed oil instead.
•  One can of sweetened condensed milk is drizzled on top to combine all the ingredients into one cohesive brownie. It also adds richness, sweetness, and an extra delicious flavor.
•  The Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips are sprinkled evenly over the partially cooked brownies before they are returned to the oven for the final bake.
•  Sweetened Coconut Flakes may be considered overkill (by some), but if you're a sweets and coconut lover, this ingredient takes these brownies to epic flavor proportions. Unsweetened coconut may also be used.
•  Macadamia Nuts pair so well with the flaked coconut and give these coconut brownies additional tropical flair. They're buttery, lightly crunchy, and downright delicious.
•  Sprinkling a very light touch of Flaky Sea Salt over the top of all the other ingredients before baking will add a teeny tiny salty bite that rounds out all the other flavors and (believe it or not) helps balance out the sweetness.

Substitution and add-in suggestions:

Feel free to swap out any baking chips for the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Milk chocolate would be delicious, as would peanut butter, caramel, and even white chocolate chips if you really love a super sweet dessert.

The macadamia nuts aren't set in stone, but they pair well with the coconut flakes and give these coconut brownies a tropical touch. Chopped pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, or even peanuts would be a delicious replacement for the macadamia nuts.

If you're a fan of raisins, why not add some to the mix? You can stir them into the brownie batter or sprinkle them on top when adding all the other toppings. Chopped dates or dried cranberries would also be yummy.

Lastly, if you're looking for a little texture and crunch in your brownies, why not add a light sprinkling of puffed rice cereal just for the crunch? Wouldn't that be delicious…and unusual?

Coconut Brownies for the win! What I wrote about this recipe in 2015:

I'm not a huge brownie lover, so I rarely make them. However, all that changed after I tasted these amazing coconut brownie bars!

What I like best about these Coconut Brownies is that they can be made with either your favorite "scratch" brownie recipe or from your favorite box mix.

For this particular post, I used the Ghirardelli brownie box mix to keep things quick and simple. Plus, if you're in a pinch for time, the box brownie mix is definitely the way to go!

Scratch brownie recipes you'll enjoy:

These Fudgy Brownies from Jenni Field's Pastry Chef Online have a depth of flavor like no other thanks to her addition of molasses and espresso powder.

Once Upon a Chef brings her best scratch homemade brownie that's fudgy in the center and cakey on the outside thanks to the use of bittersweet chocolate.

Can coconut brownies with macadamia nuts be made in a brownie pan?

Yes, of course.

If you're all about the crispier edges of brownies and not so much about the gooey middle, an ALL-EDGE BROWNIE PAN is the way to go. However, if using an all-edge brownie pan instead of a 13 x 9 baker, be aware that the bake time will be slightly less than what is written on the printable recipe card.

Can an 8 x 8 pan be used instead of a 13 x 9 pan?

You bet. However, due to the thickness of the ingredients in a smaller pan, the bake time will be longer than what is written in the recipe card.

Tip for easier drizzling of sweetened condensed milk:

If you've ever had a can of sweetened condensed milk that doesn't want to pour easily and readily from the can, use a spatula to scoop out every last drop of the thick and rich milk and add it to a glass (or microwave-safe) bowl or measuring cup. Microwave for 10-15 seconds, stir, and proceed as planned.

*Important Note* - DO NOT ADD THE CAN ITSELF INTO THE MICROWAVE!

Top tip for making coconut brownies:

The key to making these coconut brownies extra moist and delicious is to remove them from the oven after they've baked for 10 minutes. After the 10-minute pre-bake, the outer rim of the brownies will look almost set and ready, but the inside of the brownies will still be undercooked and pudding-like.

When to add the toppings to the brownies:

Remove the partially cooked brownies from the oven, and top them with flaked coconut, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and macadamia nuts, and then drizzle the entire surface of the pan with a can of sweetened condensed milk.

For those of you who eat sweetened condensed milk out of the can with a spoon (you know who you are), this is where the magic actually happens!

The photos below are from 2015.

*Note - In the photos, you'll notice that I doubled the recipe and made two pans of brownies. The recipe as it is written below makes only one pan. Feel free to double the recipe ingredients to make two pans (if desired). 

More of my recipes featuring coconut:

You can either thank me for this Coconut Pecan Praline Candy recipe or curse me out! They're so good and addicting that you may eat them all by yourself! Sorry. Not sorry!

Coconut Cream Puffs take some time and effort to make, but they're well worth every minute spent in the kitchen. They're completely delicious and are a tasty new take on coconut cream pie, only in puff form.

Beautifully elegant Coconut Cake Cookies look like they took a lot of time and effort, but they're super easy to make because they utilize store-bought boxed cake mix.

Printable Recipe Card

I sincerely hope you'll enjoy this recipe for rich and fudgy coconut brownies as much as I've enjoyed bringing it to you.