The Best White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies have the perfect balance of chewiness and crunchiness, with chunks of creamy white chocolate and macadamia nuts in every bite. A salty-sweet cookie treat!
This cookie recipe was inspired by a somewhat unlikely source: stress. Back in 2013, I was scheduled to be on a tv show (on the Live Well Network) during the Christmas season. Just a couple of weeks before filming, I had a call with the network, who let me know that they were still working out the details of what exactly the competition would be.
So that meant that this girl was STRESSED out. I’m a born planner, but you just can’t plan the unknown, no matter how hard you try. One thing I did know was that the competition would involve candy making, and as y’all know, you can’t just “wing it” with candy!
So I turned to my never-fail stress relief strategy: baking. This time, my goal was the perfect white chocolate macadamia nut cookie. Cookies never fail me. I get cookies and they get me. For this version, I wanted a soft, chewy cookie (so I used a lot of brown sugar) and I wanted them to be thick (so I formed them into oblong shapes – more on that in the recipe).
I called these “the best” and they really are! I have made many versions of this cookie, but I think I finally got it down to a science! Salty, sweet, thick, and luscious, it’s heaven in a cookie.
The Ingredients You’ll Need
To make these cookies, you’ll need some baking basics, as well as salted macadamia nuts, white chocolate chips, and almond extract.
- Flour: All-purpose flour.
- Baking Soda: Make sure to use baking soda, not baking powder, or the cookies won’t have a good texture.
- Salt
- Butter: Unsalted butter, at room temperature.
- Sugar: Packed light brown sugar, and a bit of granulated sugar as well.
- Egg: A large, whole egg helps bind the mixture together.
- Vanilla Extract and Almond Extract: These two flavorings will make the cookies taste like bakery masterpieces!
- White Chocolate Chips
- Macadamia Nuts: Coarsely chopped, salted macadamia nuts.
How Do You Cut Macadamia Nuts for Cookies?
While some recipes call for processing the nuts in a food processor, I like the slightly more chunky and messy result you get from chopping them by hand. Just watch your fingers, because the small round macadamia nuts can slip here and there. Go slowly and carefully, and use a sharp knife to avoid having to use a lot of pressure.
How Is White Chocolate Different from Regular Chocolate?
This is a really interesting question for chocolate lovers especially – is white chocolate actually chocolate, or just a sort of vanilla version of the classic?
It turns out that white chocolate really is made of cacao, the essential ingredient that makes chocolate what it is. It’s just that white chocolate uses only cocoa butter, with no cocoa nibs. Cocoa butter is creamy and fragrant, while the nibs have a strong, chocolatey, cocoa flavor and dark color. Regular chocolate is made with both cocoa butter and nibs.
To get the perfect cookie thickness and texture, this recipe is a little different than other cookie recipes. Here’s how to make them:
- Prep the Oven and Baking Sheets. First things first, make sure to preheat the oven to 325°F. Then line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats. Set the baking sheets aside, and start working on the cookie dough.
- Combine the Dry Ingredients and Wet Ingredients in Separate Bowls. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract, and beat until thoroughly mixed.
- Combine the Wet and Dry Ingredients. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating until completely combined.
- Add the Nuts and White Chocolate. Finally, stir in the white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough (you can do this by hand or with the stand mixer).
- Shape the Cookies. To make these cookies thick and decadent, measure two heaping tablespoons of dough and roll them into a ball. Tear the ball in half, and place the torn side down on the cookie sheet. Take the second half and place it on top of the first half. Continue shaping the cookies and laying them on the cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.
- Bake! Bake the white chocolate macadamia nut cookies for about 12 minutes, or until the edges are very slightly browned. (The cookies will not look cooked in the center, but they will finish cooking while they cool on the cookie sheets.)
- Cool the Cookies. Take them out of the oven, and let them rest on the baking sheets for 10 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy!
Helpful Tips
Check out these helpful tips for baking the ultimate white chocolate macadamia nut cookies – flawless and scrumptious every time!
- Measuring Tip: To get an accurate flour measurement, make sure to lightly fluff or stir your flour before spooning it into your measuring cup. Use a knife to scrape any excess flour off the top.
- White Chocolate: The better the ingredients, the better the bake – so feel free to use chopped white chocolate from a baker’s bar or even a candy bar, if you have some special white chocolate on hand.
- Macadamia Nuts: Salted macadamia nuts are great in these cookies, for that sweet and salty flair. However, plain macadamia nuts would be fine as well.
Yummy Variations
As perfect as they are on their own, these stress-busting cookies are also great with toppings like these:
- Sea Salt: Adding a sprinkle of sea salt to these cookies is a great way to add a special touch.
- Dark Chocolate: You can also drizzle melted dark chocolate over the cookies for an elegant finish that cuts the sweetness.
- A la Mode: If you love desserts a la mode, try serving these cookies warmed up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce! A super decadent dessert idea that’s also incredibly easy.
White chocolate macadamia nut cookies can be stored at room temperature in a sealed container for up to 5 days. Store them with a piece of white bread to keep them soft and chewy. Replace the slice of bread every few days as it goes stale.
Can I Freeze These?
Sure can! The Cookies freeze well, and so does the dough if you would rather freeze that.
- To freeze the dough, just roll it into balls and freeze them on a clean tray until frozen solid. Place in a freezer bag, and store in your freezer for up to 3 months.
- To freeze the baked cookies, arrange them in single layers in an airtight container, with wax paper or parchment between each layer of cookies. Freeze for up to three months.
The Best White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies have the perfect balance of chewiness and crunchiness. Salty and sweet, these white chocolate chip cookies are such a treat!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped salted macadamia nuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
- Add flour mixture, mixing until completely combined. Stir in white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts until evenly distributed (you can do this by hand or with the stand mixer).
- Roll two heaping tablespoons of dough into a ball. Tear the ball in half and place the torn side down on the cookie sheet. Take the second half and place it on top of the first half (check out the step by step photos in the post to see what your cookie dough should look like) — leaving about two inches for spreading.
- Bake for 12 minutes, or until the edges are very slightly browned. The cookies will not look cooked in the center, but they will finish cooking while cooling on cookie sheet!
- Remove from oven and let cookies rest on baking sheet for 10 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
Notes
Storage:
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Store with a slice of white bread to keep cookies soft and chewy. Replace slice of bread every few days when it goes stale.
- To freeze the dough, just roll it into balls and freeze them on a clean tray until frozen solid. Place in a freezer bag, and store in your freezer for up to 3 months.
- To freeze the baked cookies, arrange them in single layers in an airtight container, with wax paper or parchment between each layer of cookies. Freeze for up to three months.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 130Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 86mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 0gSugar: 13gProtein: 2g
Categories
- Toffee Pecan Sandies
- Homemade Nutter Butter Cookies
- Lofthouse Cookies
- Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Old Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Best Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
- Classic Snickerdoodle Cookies
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