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Home / Dessert

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

4.59
/5
1 hour hour 24 minutes minutes
189 Comments
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By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 02/05/2024

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

These bakery-style white chocolate macadamia nut cookies are soft and chewy, and oh so delicious! Perfect for cookie exchanges, dessert trays, or a fun afternoon treat.
These bakery-style white chocolate macadamia nut cookies are soft and chewy, and oh so delicious! Perfect for cookie exchanges, dessert trays, or a fun afternoon treat.
These bakery-style white chocolate macadamia nut cookies are soft and chewy, and oh so delicious! Perfect for cookie exchanges, dessert trays, or a fun afternoon treat.

These bakery-style white chocolate macadamia nut cookies are soft and chewy, and oh so delicious! Perfect for cookie exchanges, dessert trays, or a fun afternoon treat.

This is one of my Cookie recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!

pile of macadamia nut cookies on a plate.
Pin this recipe for later!

When most people think of their favorite cookie, they tend to go for a classic, like chocolate chip cookies.

For me though, it’s these white chocolate macadamia nut cookies!

They’re so easy to make and they taste like they came from a bakery!!

When it comes to cookies, what is your preference… thin and crispy or thick and chewy?  For me, it’s definitely thick and chewy…. like practically dough.  

Not much makes me happier than a freshly baked, warm from the oven cookie that is so soft, thick and chewy that it just about melts in your mouth!!  

So let’s go over how to make them, so you can have a warm and gooey cookie on your plate in no time.

How to make white chocolate macadamia nut cookies?

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

step by step photos of how to make white chocolate macadamia nut cookies.
  1. Combine dry ingredients. I like to use a whisk or fork, and doing this helps the ingredients blend into the wet ingredients better.
  2. Cream butter and sugars. The name of this is a bit of a misnomer, as there’s no actual cream in this recipe. Creaming the butter and sugars together is just a term that means that the butter and sugars are fully incorporated.
  3. Add other wet ingredients. In this recipe that’s the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Then just mix until combined.
  4. Add flour mixture. I find it’s best to do this in batches, about a cup at a time, mixing in between each addition.
  5. Stir in chocolate and nuts. At first, it may seem like there’s too much of these, compared to the amount of dough, but trust me and keep mixing (I find this is best done with a rubber spatula).
  6. Chill. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. This helps prevent any spreading and yields a thick and chewy cookie.
  7. Scoop dough. I’ve linked to the cookie scoop that I use below, but you’re looking for balls of dough around an inch or so in diameter.
  8. Press. Press a couple of extra chocolate chips and macadamia nuts into the top of each dough ball (don’t press down enough to flatten them though).
  9. Bake. You’re just looking for the edges to be very lightly browned, and the centers will still look puffy and soft.
  10. Cool. Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack. The cookies will sort of deflate a little, which is totally normal.

Helpful Tip!

Using a cookie scoop is the best way to make uniform looking cookies. I like to use this scoop. Once you scoop some dough, just a quick roll in between your palms should give you a great looking cookie.

white chocolate macadamia nut cookies on a baking sheet.

Variations of this recipe

  • Mixer – if you don’t have a stand mixer, or would rather not clean it afterwards, you can use a hand-mixer.  I do recommend using a mixer of some kind to make sure the ingredients are properly mixed.  However, you can use a sturdy whisk and your good ol’ arm muscles to mix the ingredients if that’s all you have available.
  • More chilled – if you would like an even chewier cookie, feel free to chill the dough for longer than the 2 hours mentioned in the recipe.
  • Chocolate – for a fun presentation and flavor, try drizzling the cookies in melted white or even milk chocolate. You could also dip half the cookie in the chocolate as well, and add some fun sprinkles.
  • Salt – to finish these cookies off with a bit of decadence, when the cookies are fresh out of the oven, try sprinkling them with a bit of flaky sea salt. Maldon is my favorite brand. The salt brings out all the flavors of the cookie!
These bakery-style white chocolate macadamia nut cookies are soft and chewy, and oh so delicious! Perfect for cookie exchanges, dessert trays, or a fun afternoon treat.

FAQ’s

Do you have to use a mixer for these cookies?

While it’s not required, I do highly recommend it. Using a mixer (stand mixer or hand-held) allows the butter and sugars to really mix together well, as well as the other ingredients.

How soft should the butter be for this recipe?

The butter should be softened to room temperature, but not melted or overly warm. A good trick is to gently press your finger into the stick of butter. It should indent, but not completely smush under the gentle pressure.

Making macadamia nut cookies ahead of time

These cookies are so easy, but you can even make them easier by mixing up the dough ahead of time!

The dough needs to be chilled for at least 1 hour, but can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

That way when the baking mood strikes, all you have to do it pull out the pre-made dough and bake!

white chocolate macadamia nut cookies on baking sheet with parchment paper.

Freezing

The dough can also be frozen into individual balls.

Bake from frozen, as directed, adding an additional minute or two to the cook time.

Storage

Leftover cookies will keep at room temperature (in an airtight container) for about a week.

More Cookie Recipes:

chocolate cookie with chocolate chips and sea salt.
Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
salted chocolate chip cookies
Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies
closeup of a classic peanut butter cookie with fork pattern
Classic Peanut Butter Cookies
cowboy cookies in basket
Chewy Cowboy Cookies

Tips for Cookie Success

  • Mixer – if you don’t have a stand mixer, or would rather not clean it afterwards, you can use a hand-mixer.  I do recommend using a mixer of some kind to make sure the ingredients are properly mixed.  You can use a sturdy whisk and your good ol’ arm muscles to mix the ingredients if that’s all you have available.
  • Cookie scoop – I find using a cookie scoop (or old fashioned ice cream scoop) makes scooping the dough a breeze.  This is the one I use.
  • Room temperature ingredients – typically, for the best results when baking cookies, your cold ingredients (like the butter and eggs) should be at room temperature so it can easily be whipped and creamed.
  • Use real butter – this isn’t the time to use shortening or margarine.  Those perform differently in baking recipes, and this recipe was only tested using real butter.
  • Use fresh ingredients – did you know using older baking soda/baking powder can affect the way your cookies bake?  Over time, leavening agents, (which is what baking soda and powder are) lose their efficacy, and won’t give your cookies that classic texture.

If you’re unsure if your baking soda or powder are still good, drop a pinch in some hot water.  If it fizzes, it’s still good!  If not, then you’re in need of some new ingredients.

medium cookie scoop

My Favorite Cookie Scoop!

Cookie scoops are the most versatile kitchen tool… you can use them for cookies, meatballs, ice cream, and more! This scoop is the exact size you’ll need for these cookies!

Get on amazon

This recipe was originally published in June 2015, and has been updated in February 2024 with new photos and additional information.

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

pile of macadamia nut cookies on a plate.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

4.59 from 87 votes
Author: The Chunky Chef
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes minutes
Chill Time: 1 hour hour
Total Time: 1 hour hour 24 minutes minutes
Calories: 165
Servings: 30 cookies
(hover over # to adjust)
Print Rate Pin
The ultimate white chocolate macadamia nut cookies… baked to soft and chewy perfection!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup butter softened (1 1/2 sticks)
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg at room temperature
  • 1 egg yolk at room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts

Instructions

Combine dry ingredients

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt, then set aside.

Combine wet ingredients

  • In a separate mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) add the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar, and beat together with a mixer (stand or hand-held) until combined and smooth.
  • Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well until combined.

Combine dry and wet

  • To the mixing bowl with the wet ingredients, add half of the flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture.

Stir in add-ins

  • Add the white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts, and stir together with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.

Chill

  • Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap (or a tight fitting lid) and chill dough for at least an hour.

Prepare to bake

  • Preheat oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Scoop

  • Scoop about 1 – 1.5" tablespoons of dough, and roll in between your hands until it forms a ball. The balls of dough should be about 1 inch in diameter. Add to prepared baking sheet, about 1.5 inches apart (you'll have to bake the cookies in batches, as they all won't fit on one baking sheet).

** optional step for bakery-style cookies **

  • Gently press a few extra white chocolate chips and macadamia nut pieces onto the tops of the balls of dough.

Bake

  • Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. The centers of the cookies will look soft and a little puffy.

Cool

  • Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack. The cookies will sort of sink down a bit as they cool, creating that craggy texture.

Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!

Chef Tips

  1. This recipe should yield about 30 cookies, which you’re free to divide up into as many servings as you’d like.
  2. In between batches, the dough should be kept cold to prevent spreading.
  3. If you’d like to use salted butter, omit the salt from the recipe.

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

Did You Make This?Tag @the_chunky_chef on Instagram and hashtag it #thechunkychef so I can see what you made!
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Recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction

The ultimate white chocolate macadamia nut cookies... baked to soft and chewy perfection!

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Meet The Chunky Chef

Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

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4.59 from 87 votes (34 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




  1. Amanda says

    Posted on 11/14 at 5:15 pm

    I followed the recipe to a T and they came out so flat 🙁 so sad. 

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 11/14 at 9:38 pm

      So disappointing! I know you said you followed the recipe to a “T”, but I’ve had this issue come up with a other readers and it turns out they ended up using margarine instead of butter, or didn’t chill the dough. If you truly used real butter, it sounds like your dough just needed to be chilled longer. All refrigerators are set to different temperatures, so this can vary a bit.

      Reply
  2. Cookie MOMster says

    Posted on 11/5 at 7:13 pm

    These cookies turned out so delicious!!!

    Reply
  3. Linda says

    Posted on 5/13 at 9:30 pm

    I’m totally making these this week! How do you store them and how long do they last? Thanks! 

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 5/15 at 9:40 am

      You can store these however you normally store cookies. I usually put them in a resealable bag. They should last up to a week.

      Reply
  4. Lynda says

    Posted on 4/22 at 11:57 am

    Do you need to make an altitude adjustment at 4300 feet?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 4/22 at 9:25 pm

      I’m sure you might have to, but here in Ohio we’re at a much lower altitude so I don’t know anything about baking at higher altitudes. This is a great resource that may help you out though https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking

      Reply
  5. Karen says

    Posted on 2/16 at 4:25 pm

    Oh my goodness…..so good! My husband is diabetic and I’m keto so I made a low carb sugar free version of these and they turned out simply amazing! I just substituted monkfruit golden brown sugar and Erythritol for the white sugar and some smart foods all purpose low carb flour. Oh and sugar free chips of course. 😉Thanks so much for posting this recipe. I’m so thrilled they turned out since I’ve been craving some for a while. Definitely a versatile easy recipe I will be making these again soon! 

    Reply
  6. Courtney Mahala says

    Posted on 12/7 at 11:16 pm

    how did you measure the flour?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 12/9 at 10:03 pm

      I always use a fork to stir around my flour in the container to get it not so compact, then lightly scoop and sweep off the top with the back of a butter knife.

      Reply
  7. Lisa Fields says

    Posted on 9/24 at 5:35 pm

    Been out after foot surgery and this recipe came across my Pinterest…..Chilling an hour gave me the little “nap” break I needed.   These cookies are on the top of my list with Neiman Marcus cookies.  They will definitely be my go-to.  325 degrees for 9 mins, was perfect…..Thank you for sharing!!!!!

    Reply
  8. Therese says

    Posted on 9/20 at 11:04 am

    AWESOME recipe!!! I cooked them about 4 minutes longer as they were a bit underdone after posted recipe time. I also used gluten free flour with excellent results.

    Reply
  9. Caroline says

    Posted on 9/8 at 11:27 am

    WOW! These cookies are AMAZING! I have doubled the recipe, made as is, and done each a few times ***grins sheepishly*** Everyone that I have made these for has LOVED them, so much so that my mother asked me where I bought the cookies and how much I paid for them ;D.
    Thank you so much for such a wonderful addition to my baking repertoire, and my most favorite study break as I make my way through nursing school!

    Reply
  10. Jae says

    Posted on 8/3 at 7:53 pm

    Can this cookie dough be frozen? It is only me and my husband at home now so I like to bake half the dough then freeze the other half for later but wanted to check first. Thanks!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 8/7 at 9:24 am

      Yes that should be totally fine 🙂

      Reply
  11. Jefe says

    Posted on 6/5 at 10:34 pm

    I made these to the recipe specs. I used really good butter and double-strength vanilla in this batch and they were awesome! It really helped to put the extra chips and nuts on top. I used a convection oven set to 325F for 11 minutes since the first tray came out a little light. They are my wife’s favorite cookie and my daughter requested them, so this recipe really came through for me!

    Reply
  12. Ashlee says

    Posted on 3/31 at 7:08 pm

    Absolutely hands down my all time favorite white chocolate macademia nut cookie recipe! Thank you for sharing!!

    Reply
  13. Melina says

    Posted on 3/29 at 2:21 pm

    Hello, can you tell me about how many cookies will I get out of one batch of dough?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 3/30 at 8:09 am

      Hi Melina, per the recipe, it makes about 36 cookies.

      Reply
  14. Valen says

    Posted on 1/27 at 4:12 pm

    Hi, I was wondering are the macadamia nuts salted or unsalted. Could you use salted? It’s so hard to find unsalted.
    Thank you

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 1/27 at 8:02 pm

      Yes, salted should be fine, maybe add slightly less salt to the dough to compensate for that 🙂

      Reply
  15. Taryn says

    Posted on 12/24 at 11:46 am

    So I tried this recipe last week. I was looking for one that came close to my moms cookies and this is it! These cookies are so amazing! I have made 540 of them this year for the Christmas holiday! 

    Reply
  16. Kari says

    Posted on 12/18 at 9:01 am

    These cookies are unreal! So good. I threw in some chopped candied ginger for a little zing and made some altitude adjustments since I live at 8,000 feet. Came out 💯

    Reply
  17. Kimberly Webb says

    Posted on 12/14 at 3:41 pm

    Thank you for your recipes! My Fiancé Love white choc and macadamia cookies!

    Reply
  18. Joseph P Whitlock says

    Posted on 11/11 at 10:00 am

    I just wanted to thank you and tell you that these cookies are fantastic! I have the recipe memorized by now and cook them for my kids constantly. I cook 12 at a time and put the remainder in the fridge, although they don’t last long 2 days tops! Thank you!

    Reply
  19. Sherry says

    Posted on 9/2 at 12:33 pm

    These are the best cookies. Perfect recipe. Highly recommend!

    Reply
  20. Shannon B says

    Posted on 8/18 at 8:53 pm

    I have used ur recipe for years.  And never written. My daughter who is 18 and alone is beggin me for these.  So glad.   These are winderful. Hubby glad too cuz now he gets some. Lol. Thanks dear. Best recipe! 

    Reply
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