✔ Updated · fixed ingredient amounts, a simpler method and step photos
White chocolate macadamia nut cookies are my bakery-case weakness: crisp golden edges, soft chewy middles and big buttery nut chunks. Here's how I make them at home, with a short chill and toasted nuts.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Pull them at 10 to 12 minutes, while the centers still look a little underdone. They finish setting on the hot tray and stay chewy.
Why You'll Love These Cookies
- Bakery-style texture, crisp at the edges and soft in the middle.
- Toasted macadamias, which taste twice as buttery as raw ones.
- Make-ahead dough, since it happily waits in the fridge for a day.
What Makes These Cookies Bakery-Style?
Three small things: more brown sugar than white for chew, a teaspoon of cornstarch for soft centers, and a chill so the dough holds its shape. Toasting the macadamias brings out their butteriness, which is the whole point of this cookie.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Toast the nuts. Three or four minutes in a dry skillet makes macadamias taste richer and crunchier. Let them cool first, or they melt the butter in the dough.
- Don't skip the chill. An hour in the fridge stops the cookies spreading into thin puddles. My first batch went straight in and spread like pancakes.
- Chunks beat chips. A chopped white chocolate bar gives you melty pools; chips hold their shape. I use half and half.
- Underbake slightly. The centers should look soft and a bit shiny when they come out. Five minutes on the hot tray finishes them.
- Little helpers welcome. Lucy and Max are in charge of pressing extra white chocolate onto each dough ball, which is why ours never look perfectly neat, and I wouldn't change it.
- Freeze the dough. Freeze scooped balls on a tray, then bag them. Bake from frozen at 350°F, adding 1 to 2 minutes.
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
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minutesBakery-style white chocolate macadamia nut cookies: a brown-sugar dough with toasted macadamias and white chocolate chips, chilled for an hour, then baked at 350°F until the edges are golden and the centers still look soft. Makes about 18 cookies.
Ingredients
1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
3/4 cup white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate
3/4 cup macadamia nuts, toasted and roughly chopped
Directions
- Toast the macadamia nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Let them cool completely, then chop roughly.
- Beat the softened butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until light and creamy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt in another bowl. Add to the butter mixture and mix on low just until no dry flour is left.
- Fold in the white chocolate and macadamia nuts with a spatula.
- Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours for deeper, toffee-like flavor.
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment. Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon balls, set them 2 inches apart and press a few extra chunks of white chocolate and nuts on top.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are light golden and the centers still look slightly underdone.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes so they set, then move to a wire rack. Store airtight for up to 5 days.
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Storing and Freezing
I freeze these all the time. Baked cookies keep for up to 3 months in a well-sealed bag with as much air pressed out as possible. Thaw them on the counter for about 20 minutes, or warm them in the oven for a few minutes if you want that just-baked feel.
Unbaked dough balls freeze for up to 3 months too, so you can bake a few at a time.
More Cookies to Bake
If you like these, try my McDonald's-style chocolate chip cookies, the loaded Panera-style kitchen sink cookies or rich devil's food fudge cookies. For something flaky, my rugelach cookies are a holiday favorite. In December, the same white chocolate goes into my copycat cranberry bliss bars.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are white chocolate and macadamia nuts paired together?
White chocolate is sweet, creamy and mild, and macadamias are rich, buttery and crunchy. Neither one overpowers the other, so you get a sweet, nutty, toffee-like cookie with great texture contrast.
Why did my macadamia cookies spread flat?
Usually the butter was too soft or melted, or the dough wasn't chilled. Chill the dough for at least an hour, measure the flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it, and bake on a cool baking sheet.
Can I use salted macadamia nuts?
Yes. Most macadamias are sold roasted and salted, and they work well. Just leave out the 1/4 teaspoon of salt in the dough so the cookies don't taste too salty.
How long do white chocolate macadamia cookies last?
Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. A slice of bread in the container keeps them soft. Baked cookies also freeze well for up to 3 months.
Can I freeze the cookies?
Yes. Freeze baked cookies in a zip-top bag with the air pressed out for up to 3 months and thaw them on the counter for about 20 minutes. A few minutes in a 300°F oven brings back that just-baked feel.
🍪 Filling a cookie tin? Find more holiday baking recipes for the season.
