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!
- Perfect texture. This white chocolate macadamia nut cookie recipe produces cookies that are soft and chewy, thanks to the brown sugar and their thick texture.
- Salty and sweet. One reason I love white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies is that they are the perfect blend of sweet (thanks to the white chocolate) and salty (thanks to the nuts).
- Easy. These cookies are just as easy to make as chocolate chip or other classic cookies. Perfect for the holidays or anytime.
Looking for more epic cookie recipes? Try my Lofthouse Cookies, Spritz Cookies, Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies, and Butterscotch Haystacks too.
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. Scroll down to the recipe card below for measurements.
- 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. The brown sugar helps create the chewy texture.
- 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.
To get the perfect cookie thickness and texture, this recipe is a little different than other cookie recipes. Here’s an overview. Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions.
- Make the dough. Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat in the flour mixture until combined. Stir in the white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.
- Shape the cookies. Make two heaping tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Tear the ball in half, place the torn side down on the cookie sheet and place the second half on top. Place all cookies 2 inches apart.
- Bake. Bake for 12 minutes, until the edges are very slightly browned.
- Cool. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack.
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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.
Easy Variations
As perfect as they are on their own, these white chocolate chip macadamia nut 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.
Proper Storage
White chocolate chip 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! Baked white chocolate macadamia nut 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.
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
- ½ cup coarsely chopped salted macadamia nuts
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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
- 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.
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Absolutely the best cookie. Tastes delicious and looks beautiful. They look like they came from a bakery. I have these little boxes that I put them in and gave to my neighbor and she thought I bought them. Thank you so much for the recipe. It’s a keeper.
So moist and delicious!
what’s the best way to store? I use milk in the frosting so should I refrigerate over night?
Hi Hannah! These cookies don’t have a frosting so I store them at room temperature. If you added a frosting (especially one made with milk), then yes, I would refrigerate them!
These are delicious just a small batch of heaven.
I turned the heat up to 350 and they turned out great! I didn’t stack one on top of another either and they are still chewy and buttery and delicious.
Excellent cookies just loved them
Thank you for sharing
Can I exchange reg choc chips instead of the white chips ?
Of course!
These are the best white chocolate macadamia nut cookies you’ll find anywhere.
I tried this!
It’s good!
I changed the nuts to Hazelnuts because those were the only ones I had at home. Also, I didn’t have any almond extract so I just used vanilla extract.
I didn’t do the one cookie on top of one another but it still spread out!
🙂
Is it ok if the nuts aren’t salted? These look amazing and I can’t wait to try them!!!
Yes! 😉
I just wanted to come back and say “WOW”!! These are incredibly delicious! I went ahead and made the dough the day before I baked it, and then just brought it to room temp before baking. I love your stacked method of baking. The cookies have a wonderful flavor….and they are perfectly soft and ‘melt-in-your-mouth’. Thank you for an amazing recipe!
So glad it worked out and you enjoyed them Kara!!
Hi! I can’t wait to try these! They look fantastic! I was wondering if you think I could make the dough a day ahead and refrigerate it? Thanks for your help! 🙂
Adding course chopped dry cranberries will take these cookies over the top…. excellent…….
As SEVERAL bakers have already RIGHTLY commented…these White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies truly merit the moniker BEST… They simply ARE!!
The instructions were very spot-on and fantastically accurate. I LOVE it when I find a recipe that is well explained, simple to execute (thanks to your clear/concise directions)..AND becomes the new gold-standard/Go-To home reference!!! Thank you from across the pond in France!
Hello I just made these… my husband likes them but he wants them to be thinner instead of doing 2 tbsp I was wounding if I can do 1 tbsp and roll it…
Glad you liked them!
These look wonderful. Do you think that I could add caramel to this. I have a daughter-in-law that is looking for this type of a cookie but with caramel also.
Thanks
Yes, I think caramel would be great in them! 🙂
Jessica – I have twin babies, too! (And three older children!) I run a small cake business from home, so I totally get balancing the kitchen and my kiddos. I tried these cookies today and was pleasantly surprised. (Kind of a baking and cookie snob, which I’m sure you can appreciate.) Thank you so much for sharing! They are now my go-to on White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies for sure!
Is it absolutely necessary to bake as directed, one ball on top of another. Or,
can we bake as regular cookies. What is the reasoning behind it, if so?
Thanks and have a great day!
You can bake them in traditional scoops as well. They will just not be as thick!
These are AMAZING! This is my favorite cookie! These are way better then any I’ve had. Love, love, love. Thank you for sharing!
Awesome! So happy to hear it! Thanks for taking the time to comment Sherri!
This was my first time making cookies. I must admit I have in the past cheated by purchasing a store brand and baked them for my family. Well, this was an easy recipe and the cookies were amazing. I baked them for my yard sale and had nothing left to share with my family. I will be making them again as soon as I can buy more macadamia nuts.
So glad to hear it Torra! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
I made these tonight and they were awesome! They taste like they came from a bakery, but they came from my kitchen!! And I love your trick to stack the halves of the ball. I have never heard of that, but I gave it a try, and the centers were perfect with just a little crunch on the edge. This is my new go to cookie recipe!
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