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!
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.
- Combine dry ingredients. I like to use a whisk or fork, and doing this helps the ingredients blend into the wet ingredients better.
- 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.
- Add other wet ingredients. In this recipe that’s the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Then just mix until combined.
- Add flour mixture. I find it’s best to do this in batches, about a cup at a time, mixing in between each addition.
- 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).
- Chill. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. This helps prevent any spreading and yields a thick and chewy cookie.
- 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.
- 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).
- Bake. You’re just looking for the edges to be very lightly browned, and the centers will still look puffy and soft.
- 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.
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!
FAQ’s
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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!
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
- This recipe should yield about 30 cookies, which you’re free to divide up into as many servings as you’d like.
- In between batches, the dough should be kept cold to prevent spreading.
- 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.
Recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction
Costco lover says
We used this recipe off the back of the Macfarms pack of unsalted macadamia nuts from Costco. They were okay. I think I’m going to tweak it a little and make it my own until we find a cookie we like.
Chrissy says
My go to favorite cookie recipe. I have it saved (and memorized by now). My entire family crave over these cookies. Literally everyone’s favorite
Guadalupe Lozano says
Great Recipe!! My family loves it! Thanks for sharing ❤
Qamra says
I liked how delightfully neatly and delicatly ingredients combined during preparation. Can’t wait to slice and bake these morsels.
Tess says
Can you add dried cranberries? If so how much. Can they be frozen after baked. Thank you.
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested adding cranberries, so I can’t say for certain how much without doing additional testing. My guess would be about 1/2 – 2/3 cup. Yes, they can be frozen after baking 🙂
Jessica says
I have so much anxiety in the kitchen but was asked to make 8 dozen cookies for a cookie exchange. This recipe turned out amazing and gave me a huge confidence boost. I am now trying other recipes on your page. I so appreciate your expertise!
Tabby says
This recipe is amazing! They’re my dads favorite. I was going to make him about 10 batches and freeze the dough so he can bake them whenever he wants. Do you have a recommended oven temp and cooking time for frozen dough?
Rhonda says
Nice
Susan says
I loved these! I especially like the suggestion to add extra chips on the top before cooking. It really does make a nicer presentation, and I have used this suggestion on other recipes. I didn’t add salt because I am on a low salt diet, and the macadamia nuts were already salted, so feel free to try this without adding salt.
Laura says
This is the second time I made them and they stay in the scoop form during baking, they don’t flatten out at all. I had to slightly press them down with my finger and they don’t look nice. They taste great but no five star look.
Kristin W says
Excellent recipe. Came out perfectly. Soft and chewy. Delicious!!!
Nita says
I just baked the best macadamia cookies ever using this recipe! Thanks for sharing.
Brisa powell says
I’ve used this recipe a few times. Everyone loves the cookies. The cookies come out amazing.
Johanne says
Excellent recipe! Thank you very much for sharing, I’m going to keep it in my favorites and I’m going to use it everytime i want to make something special for my friends and family.
Joanna Teall says
I like to make big cookies can I make the Cookie balls with double the size when I make these?
Amanda says
You certainly can, but that will change the baking time.
Sherry Back says
Thank you for this recipe!! I used to work at a college in food service. We were allowed to take the day old cookies home. My next door neighbor loved the Otis Spunkmeyer WCMN cookies. Well, with the snow we just had…2ft……he shoveled our driveway out by hand. It is not a small city driveway…..it is pretty big. So, I told him I would find a recipe and make his favorite cookie. This recipe is so easy and oh so delicious!!!!
Wally P says
It turned out PERFECT! The only thing that didn’t work for me was the baking time. It took me closer to 15-16 minutes before they were ready to be taken out of the oven.
Leq says
Came out very flat. I even let the dough sit in the refrigerator over night since the first batch failed. Still didn’t make a difference. I used real butter that was softened. I double it though and I noticed on your 2x recipe that it says 4 cups and 2 tbsp of flour and the single recipe says 2 cups and 2 tbsp. Should that tablespoon of flour be increased?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, the recipe plugin will change the ingredient values for you, but it, unfortunately, does not change the written instructions, those are manually added and not subject to an automatic button. You will have to extrapolate that multiplication to any amounts listed in the instructions.
Cookie monster says
Do you have to use unsalted macadamia nuts for this recipe?
The Chunky Chef says
You can use lightly salted if you can’t find unsalted.
Isabela says
Haven’t made a whole bunch of cookies in my life and never macadamia nut but they’re my brothers favorite and I made this recipe for the first time on his birthday and now he says I make the best ones he’s ever tasted. This recipe turned out beautifully 🙂
Erica says
I always forget to leave a comment on recipes I like. This one, however is my ALL TIME FAVORITE. It has never failed me(I have been using this for about 3 yrs now?), and I even use it for my chocolate chip cookies. It took me forever to find a chocolate chip cookie recipe I liked, and I am so happy forever 🙂 thank you for sharing!
Scarlet says
I thought this was great! Definitely only needed to cook for 7-8 mins and burned the first batch a little but yum!! Thank you!!!
Marilyn says
Excellent recipe. I only had 1/2 c of unsalted macadamia nuts hand but it seemed like enough to me. My oven seemed to take longer to bake than called for but after 10 min I just watched them carefully until the cookie edges were just slightly golden brown on my insulated cookie sheets. I didn’t use silpat or parchment paper. I let Them rest on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before removing to cooling rack. They were completely soft, chewy and scrumptious. My husband and friend were very impressed. This recipe is a keeper.