White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Posted Dec 10, 2023, Updated Jun 23, 2024
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These White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies are crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, buttery and sweet. They’re easy to make (no chilling), and are better than your favorite bakery!
White chocolate macadamia nut cookies are a classic cookie served in lunchrooms and at bakeries everywhere.
This macadamia nut cookies recipe is even better than your favorite bakery! They’re rich, buttery & chewy with tons of white chocolate and macadamia pieces in every bite. Also try these white chocolate chip cookies & coconut chocolate chip cookies – yum!
Plus, they’re easy to make with simple ingredients and no chilling!
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut cookies: Ingredients & Substitutions
- All-purpose flour. For a gluten-free version use 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour.
- Fine sea salt. Use fine (not coarse) sea salt. If using iodized table salt, decrease the amount by half.
- Salted Butter. Unsalted butter or vegan butter sticks (like Earth’s Balance) work well.
- Granulated sugar. I recommend using organic cane sugar or regular white sugar.
- Light brown sugar. I don’t recommend making substitutions for the light brown sugar in this white chocolate macadamia nut cookie. Using dark brown sugar works, but it will impart a bolder molasses taste which isn’t preferred with this cookie.
- White chocolate chips. Use a high-quality, white chocolate chip made with real cocoa butter (read the ingredients)!! Some brands I recommend: Whole Foods 365 White Chocolate Baking Chips, Cacaoholic, and Callebaut. I used Ghirardelli in this post but they’re not made with real cocoa butter.
- Macadamia nuts. Use roasted and salted or unsalted nuts for the best flavor.
How to Make Macadamia Nut Cookies
These cookies are easy to make, no chilling required! Don’t forget to watch the video.
Begin by combining the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt in a medium bowl, then set the dry ingredients aside.
Then, beat the butter, white sugar and brown sugar together either in a standing mixer or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, on medium-high for 1 minute.
Next, add the egg and vanilla and beat until light – about 1 minute.
Then, add the dry ingredients and beat until combined.
Next, add the white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts and stir until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Once the dough is ready, use a 1 ½ Tablespoon cookie scoop to measure out portions of dough, roll them into balls and place them evenly spaced on a baking sheet. Repeat until all the dough is used.
Then, bake the white chocolate macadamia nut cookies in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the top is just set and is just barely beginning to turn light golden brown.
Remove the macadamia nut cookies from oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes.
After 5-10 minutes, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store
Once cooled, store these white chocolate macadamia nut cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.
Freeze
You can freeze these macadamia nut cookies two ways:
- Freeze the dough before baking. Portion out the dough and roll it into balls. Then place it on a baking sheet and flash-freeze the balls until hardened. Once hardened, transfer to an airtight container until you’re ready to bake.
- To bake: remove the dough from the freezer and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for 1-2 hours before baking according to the recipe instructions.
- Freeze baked cookies. To freeze baked cookies, let them cool to room temperature. Then store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 mont
- To thaw: let the cookies sit at room temperature until thawed. You can also warm them in the oven set to 250 degrees F, in a baking dish covered with foil (or a lid) until warmed through.
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies Recipe FAQs
Absolutely, this recipe doubles very well. You can click on the “2X” button in the recipe card for ingredient measurements of a double recipe.
Use a high-quality, white chocolate chip made with real cocoa butter (read the ingredients)! Some brands I recommend: Whole Foods 365 White Chocolate Baking Chips, Cacaoholic, and Callebaut. I used Ghirardelli in this post but they’re not made with real cocoa butter!
Yes. You can chill the dough in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Then portion, roll and bake when ready.
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White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter softened
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
- ½ cup macadamia nuts coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper silicone baking mats, set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar on medium-high speed for 1 minute.
- Add egg and vanilla and beat until light – about 1 minute.
- Ad the dry ingredients and beat until combined.
- Add white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts and stir until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Use a 1 ½ Tablespoon cookie scoop to measure out portions of dough, roll them into balls and place them evenly spaced on a baking sheet. Repeat until all the dough is used.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the top is just set and just barely beginning to turn light golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes.
- Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
- All-purpose flour. For a gluten-free version use 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour.
- Fine sea salt. Use fine (not coarse) sea salt. If using iodized table salt, decrease the amount by half.
- Salted Butter. Unsalted butter or vegan butter sticks (like Earth’s Balance) work well.
- Granulated sugar. I recommend using organic cane sugar or regular white sugar.
- Light brown sugar. I don’t recommend making substitutions for the light brown sugar in this white chocolate macadamia nut cookie. Using dark brown sugar works, but it will impart a bolder molasses taste which isn’t preferred with this cookie.
- White chocolate chips. Use a high-quality, white chocolate chip made with real cocoa butter (read the ingredients)!! Some brands I recommend: Whole Foods 365 White Chocolate Baking Chips, Cacaoholic, and Callebaut. I used Ghirardelli in this post but they’re not made with real cocoa butter.
- Macadamia nuts. Use roasted and salted or unsalted nuts for the best flavor.
- Freeze the dough before baking. Portion out the dough and roll it into balls. Then place it on a baking sheet and flash-freeze the balls until hardened. Once hardened, transfer to an airtight container until you’re ready to bake.
- To bake: remove the dough from the freezer and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for 1-2 hours before baking according to the recipe instructions.
- Freeze baked cookies. To freeze baked cookies, let them cool to room temperature. Then store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- To thaw: let the cookies sit at room temperature until thawed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Best ever macadamia nut cookies! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
I’m SO glad you love them, Ramona!
could walnuts be substituted and the light brown sugar for dark brown. thank you. Kathleen
Yes!