Learn how to make the best white chocolate macadamia cookies with this easy recipe. This white chocolate chip cookie dough doesn't have to be chilled so you can mix it, bake it, and enjoy the cookies right away.
White chocolate macadamia nut cookies are possibly my favourite type of chocolate chip cookie. I really love the combination of nuts and chocolate generally (as you can tell from my spelt chocolate chip cookies with walnuts and these pecan chocolate chip cookies).
This recipe follows a similar formula to my ultimate chewy chocolate chip cookies. If you struggle to bake thick cookies like this, please read this about the reasons your cookies are spreading when they bake. Alternatively, if your cookies are lumpy and don't budge in the oven, you can read about why cookies don't spread for more information and troubleshooting.
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Ingredients
These white chocolate chip cookies with macadamia nuts have a fairly simple list of ingredients. Here's what you need to make these:
- flour—I bake with bleached all-purpose flour but the recipe should work with unbleached. The resulting texture and spread may differ slightly
- salt—the recipe was developed with Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt or use half the amount if you are baking with table salt
- leavening—these cookies are made with baking soda, not baking powder. Read about baking powder versus baking soda if you aren't sure what the difference is
- butter—I usually bake with unsalted butter. If using salted butter, adjust the salt added to avoid making cookies that are over-salted
- sugar—use light brown sugar to help promote a softer texture and give the cookies a mild molasses flavour
- eggs—I always use large eggs. If using smaller or larger eggs, the texture and spread of the cookies may differe
- flavouring—I bake with pure vanilla extract. If using artificial, you may adjust the quantities
- chocolate—I used a combination of white chocolate chips (also called white cream or white baking chips) and chopped white chocolate bars, plus a little extra for garnishing before baking
- nuts—I used whole, raw macadamia nuts, that I coarsely chopped
See the recipe card for the exact ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
This is a very simple recipe with only a few substitution and variation options:
- White chocolate—use white chocolate bars, chopped, or white chocolate chip (also called white cream chips or white baking chips). If you don't love white chocolate, use milk chocolate or dark.
- Sugar—use brown sugar for a chewier texture, or white granulated sugar for a crispy texture. The texture is also dependent on how long you bake the cookies (longer in the oven means crispy cookies). Dark brown sugar will add more flavour than light brown sugar. I prefer light brown sugar in this recipe, personally.
- Salt—if using table salt instead of Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt, add half the amount. Otherwise, your cookies will be too salty.
- Nuts—obviously the macadamia nuts play an integral part in this recipe, but you could use any nut you like (pistachios or almonds would be great, for example).
- Coconut—coconut and white chocolate are great paired together. You can replace half or all the macadamia nuts with coconut flakes.
Instructions
To make white chocolate macadamia cookies, you will use the creaming mixing method. Please read about mixing methods used in baking if you are unsure what this means.
Step 1—If you are using a bar of white chocolate (as opposed to chocolate chips), then chop it into small bite-sized pieces that will mix nicely into cookie dough (image 1). You should also coarsely chop the macadamia nuts (image 2).
Step 2—Cream the butter and the sugar in the bowl of a mixer with the paddle attachment (or using an electric hand mixer) (image 3), then add the egg and vanilla (image 4). Whip the mixture until fluffy (image 5).
Step 3—Whisk the dry ingredients in a separate bowl (image 6) before adding them to the mixer (image 7). Stir them in to form a thick cookie dough (image 8).
Step 4—Add the chopped chocolate and macadamia nuts (image 9) and stir the dough until it comes together (image 10). Portion out the dough using a medium scoop into 40–50 gram scoops (image 11).
Step 5—Place 6 scoops of cookie dough per half-sheet pan to allow for air flow while baking (image 12). Bake them until the edges are set and beginning to turn. golden brown (image 13).
Hint: If you like underbaked cookies, pull them out of the oven before the centre looks set to ensure they stay softer. Otherwise, your cookies will be more crispy-chewy.
Top Cookie Baking Tip
The texture of these cookies is dependent on the ingredients you use (white sugar versus brown sugar) but also how much you bake them. The more you allow the cookies to set and brown in the oven, the crunchier they will be. Bake them for 10–12 minutes for a softer texture and 14–16 minutes for a more crunchy texture.
Chocolate Chip Cookie FAQs
Store your freshly baked cookies in an airtight container with a brown sugar saver to keep them soft and chewy. You can also store them in the freezer for longer-term storage, and defrost them in a low oven (250—300 °F). You can also freeze scoops of unbaked cookie dough and bake them from frozen. Add a few minutes to the baking time.
Chop up leftover cookies and freeze them to make cookie ice cream.
Related
Looking for other easy drop cookie recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this recipe for white chocolate macadamia cookies (or any other recipe on my website), please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
📖 Recipe
White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Cookies
Ingredients
- 156 grams bleached all-purpose flour
- 5 mL Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt or 2.5 mL (½ tsp) table salt
- 2.5 mL baking soda
- 115 grams unsalted butter
- 200 grams light brown sugar
- 1 large egg(s)
- 15 mL pure vanilla extract
- 175 grams white chocolate either chips or chopped white chocolate, plus a little extra for garnishing before baking
- 115 grams macadamia nuts chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Line two large half-sheet pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, cream together the butter and the brown sugar until it's very light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla, and mix well until the mixture is light and fluffy again. Make sure to clean down the sides of the bowl as needed with a big spatula.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. If there are lumps, use a sifter. The salt may not pass through so dump it into the mixer bowl.
- Pour the whisked dry ingredients into the mixer bowl, and incorporate them either on low or by hand with a big wooden spoon.
- Mix in the chocolate chips and chopped macadamia nuts. The dough should be thick but sticky.
- Scoop approximately 40–50 gram portions of the dough, rolling them into balls.
- Place 6 cookies per cookie sheet, being sure to space them apart and stagger them. Garnish each scoop with a few extra chocolate chips and nuts if you have some.
- Bake the cookies one sheet pan at a time until the edges are set (this takes about 14 minutes). Don't overbake the cookies.
- Let the cookies cool completely on the sheet pan while you bake the second pan.
- Store in an airtight container.
Notes
- For the salt, use 5 mL (1 tsp) of Diamond Crystal Fine Kosher salt or 2.5 mL (½ tsp) table salt
- Want to swap nuts? Replace the macadamias with pistachios or almonds, but toast the almonds first
- You can also replace half the nuts with coconut flakes.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion out the cookie dough easily. Then roll each scoop into a smooth ball so that it bakes perfectly. Evenly scooped cookies will bake at the same time, whereas if you portion out dough unevenly, they will not.
- For a gooey chocolate chip cookie, bake them for less time and serve them freshly baked and still warm. For a chewier cookie, let them cool down. For a crisper cookie, bake them for longer.
- If you want your cookies to spread out more, try baking them at a slightly lower temperature, like 325 °F (165 °C) to allow the dough to spread more before setting. For a thicker cookie, bake them at a higher temperature, like 375 °F (190 °C).
- If sealed properly, these cookies will last 3 or 4 days in an airtight container. To help them retain moisture, try adding a brown sugar saver or a slice of white bread. A marshmallow will also work!
- You can freeze the portioned-out cookie dough or even the baked cookies! Bake frozen scoops of cookie dough the same way, just add a couple of minutes to the baking time. Reheat the frozen baked cookies in a moderate-low oven (250–300 ºF) until warm.
- Please note that I bake with uncoated aluminum sheet pans that are light in colour. If you are baking this recipe with darker bakeware, you may have to drop the oven temperature to 325 °F (165 °C) in order to prevent your baked goods from browning too quickly.
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