White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

These white chocolate macadamia nut cookies are extra-chewy, buttery, and soft-baked. Every bite is packed with creamy white chocolate chips and salty toasted macadamia nuts!

 

The Best White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

These white chocolate macadamia nut cookies totally hit the spot whenever a craving for a thick and chewy cookie strikes. They’re soft in the center and just the right amount of crisp at the edges, with the best sweet, creamy flavor (thank you, white chocolate chips), and a touch of salty, toasty crunch (thank you, macadamia nuts!). The balance is deliciously buttery and perfectly sugary, with the most satisfying texture ever. 

Why You’ll Love This Macadamia Nut Cookie Recipe

• The BEST texture. These cookies are incredibly soft and chewy with a slight crispiness around the edges, just like you’ll find in a bakery. They’re filled with pockets of melty chocolate and a delightful crunch. SO GOOD.
• Sweet, buttery flavor. White chocolate adds a rich and creamy sweetness, while the toasted macadamia nuts bring delicious buttery flavor to the cookies.
• Easy to make. This recipe uses easy ingredients, comes together quickly, and there’s no need to chill the dough. 
• Freezer-friendly. Make a double batch of macadamia nut cookies and freeze the rest for later!

What Makes These Cookies Soft and Chewy?

So, what’s the secret to making a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie that’s perfectly soft and chewy? Our recipe has brown sugar not only for sweetness but also because the extra moisture helps create a thicker, chewier cookie that stays soft for longer. Meanwhile, the protein from an additional egg yolk makes a more rich and tender cookie.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Now that you know what sets these macadamia nut cookies apart, below is an overview of what you’ll need. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card for the full measurements, recipe instructions, and nutritional information.

• Butter – Softened butter helps maintain a rich, buttery flavor. I recommend unsalted butter, especially if you’re using salted macadamia nuts.
• Sugar – You’ll need both granulated sugar and brown sugar.
• Eggs – Two whole eggs plus an extra egg yolk add extra chewiness (see above).
• Vanilla – Real vanilla extract is a must (skip the imitation kind for this recipe!).
• Flour, Baking Soda, and Salt
• White Chocolate – I recommend using the best white chocolate chips or chunks that you can find. Set aside about a ½-cup of chips for pressing into the tops of the cookies before baking for pretty-looking cookies. 
• Macadamia Nuts – Roasted macadamia nuts add another layer of toasty, nutty flavor and delicious crunch. You can use raw salted or unsalted macadamia nuts if you prefer.

Should I Roast the Macadamia Nuts?

For this recipe, we used salted, dry-roasted macadamia nuts. Roasted macadamia nuts have a buttery flavor and an extra crunchy texture, and their saltiness compliments the sweetness of the white chocolate. 

If you only have raw nuts, you can certainly use those or you can roast them yourself. To roast macadamia nuts, place them on a large baking sheet in a single layer in an oven preheated to 325ºF for 12-15 minutes. The nuts should be golden brown and will have a fragrant aroma when they’re done. Make sure that they’re cooled completely before adding them to the cookie dough.

How to Make White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

If you’re looking for the perfect homemade cookies to bake on your next free afternoon, make these! You’ll love how quickly the dough comes together for these easy macadamia nut cookies, with no chilling required.

• Mix the wet ingredients. First, cream together softened butter with both sugars. Incorporate the eggs one at a time, and then beat in the vanilla.

• Add the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt, and add these to the wet batter, mixing to form a dough. Finally, fold in the macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips.
• Scoop the dough. Next, portion the cookie dough into balls using a cookie scoop or your hands. Place the dough balls onto a lined baking sheet, leaving about 2” between each cookie.

• Bake. Now, bake your macadamia nut cookies at 350ºF for 12-14 minutes. For soft-baked cookies, you’ll want the edges a little brown and the centers slightly underbaked when the cookies come out of the oven.
• Finish and enjoy! For a bakery-style finish, press extra white chocolate chips into the tops of the cookies while they’re still warm from the oven. Afterward, let the cookies cool.

Tips for Success

What makes white chocolate macadamia nut cookies so good? For us, it’s the perfect balance of softness, nutty crunch, and white chocolate sweetness that isn’t overpowering. Here are some final tips for getting this cookie recipe right every time:

• You don’t need to chill the dough. However, if you’d prefer to chill the dough or if you’re making your cookie dough ahead, increase the baking time to 14-16 minutes to take the chill off.
• Bake in batches. You may need more baking sheets depending on the size as well as the number of cookies you’re making. I baked six 3” cookies at a time on a half-sheet pan (13”x18”). Baking one batch at a time is the best way to ensure that your cookies bake evenly.
• Use roasted macadamia nuts for the taste, texture, and ease (see the FAQ section below). However, macadamia nuts that come already chopped are usually not roasted. If you’re chopping the nuts yourself, make sure they’re coarsely chopped and not finely chopped.
• Reshape the cookies. If you notice that your freshly baked white chocolate macadamia nut cookies are looking a little lumpy and misshapen, don’t worry. They’ll still taste great, but you can also use a spoon or the round rim of a glass to gently press the edges into a rounder shape. You’ll need to do this while the cookies are still warm.
• Make these cookies photo-ready. Add extra white chocolate chips after baking rather than before, as the heat causes the chips to brown.

Are macadamia Nuts expensive? 

One of the main reasons that macadamia nuts are more expensive than other nuts is because of their supply. Macadamias grow on trees, and this leads to a delay from planting to harvest. You can make this recipe with another type of nut if needed, see below.

Can I use a different type of nut or a mix of nuts?

You can, although it wouldn’t be a macadamia nut cookie then (obviously).  Feel free to substitute macadamias with another nut though, like almonds or hazelnuts. We recommend keeping the amount the same as in the recipe.

Make These Macadamia Nut Cookies Your Own

• Different chocolate. You can use dark or semi-sweet chocolate instead of white chocolate chips if you’d like.
• Dried fruit. Stir in dried cranberries or raisins for extra sweetness.
• Flavoring extracts. Add a dash of lemon, orange, peppermint, or almond extract for more flavor.
• Add-ins. Try other yummy add-ins like shredded coconut, toffee bits, colorful M&Ms, or rainbow sprinkles (make sure to use jimmies, which won’t bleed their color into the dough).
• Add icing. Borrow the cookie icing from my iced oatmeal cookies.
• Dipped. Dip one half of each cookie in melted white or dark chocolate for some extra indulgence. 

Make-Ahead, Storage, and Freezing

• To Store. Store your baked white chocolate macadamia nut cookies airtight in a covered container or storage bag for up to 5 days. If you need to stack them, make sure to use parchment paper in between the layers.
• Make-ahead. You can prepare and scoop the cookie dough in advance and refrigerate the dough for up to 4 days. Bake the chilled dough balls from the fridge at 350ºF for 14-16 minutes. You can also freeze the dough balls for up to 3 months and bake them from frozen, adding an additional minute to the baking time.
• Freezer. Freeze the baked cookies in an airtight freezer-safe container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature before serving.