These white chocolate macadamia nut cookies are soft and buttery. And they’re sure to delight the entire family.
I like to enjoy them straight out of the oven while they’re still warm and chewy. There’s nothing like that first buttery bite melting in your mouth.
Chunks of buttery macadamia nuts. Gooey white chocolate chips. All nestled in moist and chewy cookies.
Yeah. It’s no surprise that white chocolate macadamia nut cookies are classic favorites.
And if you love them as much as I do, you really should learn to make them for yourself.
Easy White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies
White chocolate macadamia nut cookies have been a favorite in my family for years. And there’s nothing like baking a fresh, warm batch at home.
Sure. Buying a dozen or so from your favorite bakery is much easier. But there’s nothing like baking fresh cookies in the oven.
And honestly, the recipe isn’t a difficult one. In fact, it’s so straightforward that you can have four dozen cookies ready in about 30 minutes.
The ingredients list is a little long, but everything you need is pretty common. And the prep work is simple – 15 minutes or less.
So, skip the bakery line. Because you’re definitely up to the challenge of these white chocolate macadamia nut cookies.
What You Need for this Recipe
Don’t let the ingredient list scare you away. Most everything on it is something you probably already have at home.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Butter. You can use salted or unsalted. However, if you use salted butter, you may not want to add as much additional salt as the recipe calls for.
- Sugars. You’ll use a mix of white sugar and light brown sugar for these cookies. White sugar will sweeten the cookies. Brown sugar will give them that rich, warm, caramel-like flavor.
- Eggs. Eggs add moisture and help the cookies rise.
- Vanilla extract. For those rich vanilla undertones.
- Flour. Regular all-purpose flour is fine. It’s inexpensive, easy to work with, and perfect for the recipe.
- Baking soda. This ingredient, too, will help the cookies rise.
- Salt. A flavor enhancer. Add less if you’re using salted butter.
- Macadamia nuts. These are the star of the show, so purchase high-quality nuts. Coarsely chop them before adding them to the batter.
- White chocolate. Again, find a high-quality white chocolate that you enjoy. Also, make sure it’s real white chocolate. Some things marketed as white chocolate aren’t actually the real thing.
How to Make White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Whipping up a batch of these chewy and buttery cookies is a breeze. Here are the basic steps:
1. Preheat. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Mix the dry ingredients. Mix the baking soda, flour, and salt. Set the mixture aside for later.
3. Mix the sugars and butter. Combine the white and brown sugar with the butter. I recommend mixing the batter by hand so you don’t add too much heat.
Don’t take this step for granted. This process incorporates air into your dough, which is what gives your cookies volume.
If you aren’t sure how to do it, here are some tips for how to properly cream butter and sugar.
4. Add the eggs and vanilla. Once you’ve turned the butter and sugar into a smooth mixture, add the eggs one at a time. Then, add the vanilla extract.
5. Mix in the dry ingredients. Carefully add your dry ingredient mixture into the butter and egg mixture.
Whisk gradually until you form a creamy batter. Don’t over-mix, though, or your cookies will be tough!
6. Add the nuts and chocolate. Finally, fold in the white chocolate and macadamia nuts.
7. Bake. Place tablespoons of cookie dough onto cookie sheets. Then, bake for 10 minutes or until the edges become golden brown.
Remove the cookies from the oven and cool for a bit before devouring!
Tips & Tricks for Making the Best Cookies
Here are some tips and tricks for making the very best white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. They’ll help ensure you get soft, buttery cookies that melt-in-your-mouth.
- Measure carefully. I’m sure you already know this, but baking is part art and part science. As such, it’s important to measure your ingredients accurately. To do so, spoon and level your dry ingredients into the measuring cup. Don’t scoop it from the container because you’ll risk packing the cup with too much.
- Don’t add the sugars equally. Instead, add more brown than white sugar for this recipe. It’s the brown sugar that gives cookies their moist and chewy consistency.
- Use unsalted butter. It’s hard to determine the amount of salt in salted butter. If you have no choice but to use salted butter, subtract 1/2 teaspoon of salt from the recipe. Also, be sure you’re using real butter. Trust me. It makes a difference.
- Use room temperature eggs and butter. Allow your eggs and butter to naturally reach room temperature for best results. Doing so will yield light and airy cookies.
- Chill your cookie dough before cooking. Allow your batter to rest in the fridge for a few minutes before placing it in the oven. Chilling the dough will avoid unwanted cookie spreading. Don’t leave them too long, though, or your cookies will be flat.
- Roast your nuts. Roasted nuts offer so much more flavor and aroma than raw ones. Take your cookies to an entirely new level by roasting the macadamias before adding it to the mix.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few variations to try:
- Use milk or dark chocolate. White chocolate macadamia nut cookies are a classic. But did you know the recipe also tastes great with darker chocolates? Give it a try. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.
- Add dried cranberries. They add a tart tanginess to the cookies that makes them irresistible.
- Make them citrusy. Add some orange zest or even a tablespoon of freshly squeezed orange juice for a citrusy finish.
- Vary the nuts. Try the recipe with almonds, pistachios, or another favorite nut.
- Make them extra nutty. Keep the macadamia nuts, but add a little almond extract to enhance the overall nuttiness.
How Long Can I Freeze White Macadamia Nut Cookies?
These cookies don’t last long around our house. But, if you want to make a few dozen and store them in the freezer, they will last up to three months!
Just be sure to store them properly in an air-tight container. You’ll be set for many a late-night craving.
In fact, I often prefer my cookies frozen. It’s my second favorite way to eat cookies. Straight from the oven is #1 of course.
You can also make the batter ahead of time for baking later. Here’s how:
- Follow the recipe instructions to make the cookie dough.
- Form your dough into teaspoon-sized balls.
- Put them on a cookie sheet and flash-freeze them.
- Once they’re completely frozen, place them in a Ziploc bag.
- Seal, date, and label the bag.
- Place the bag of dough balls in the freezer.
When it’s time for baking, you can either thaw them out first or bake them straight from frozen.
If you choose the second option, just leave the cookies in the oven for 2 additional minutes.
But if you’re like me, I like to freeze the cookies once they’re already made. That way I can steal one at a moment’s notice.
More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
48
servings15
minutes10
minutes122
kcalIngredients
1 cup butter (softened)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
1 cup coarsely chopped white chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, mix together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until smooth.
- Beat in the eggs (one at a time).
- Stir in the vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Then gradually stir into the creamed mixture.
- Mix in the macadamia nuts and white chocolate. Drop dough by tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
- Enjoy!
Kim at Chrismas my Mom made what she called short’n’bread cookies- think my sister calls them just butter cookies- do you have a special recipe for these
Thank you for all the tips and tricks. My cookies should turn out wonderful with all these hints. I will try all of them when making my cookies…Thank you.