Soft and chewy white chocolate macadamia nut cookies are a classic cookie with buttery crisp edges, sweet white chocolate chips and salty, crunchy macadamia nuts!
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A Classic Cookie
These white chocolate macadamia nut cookies are on my list of best cookie recipes. They are buttery, sweet, and have the perfect hint of salt. We make them year-round but also add them to our rotation of holiday desserts.
These are everything you want in a cookie, soft, chewy, sweet, salty, buttery, and just plain delicious. They are a great addition to a dessert plate and are perfect to bring to a cookie exchange. Everyone will think these cookies came from a local bakery…they are that good!
Recipe Ingredients
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Unsalted butter: Softened butter is a key ingredient in making fluffy and chewy cookies that won’t fall apart.
- Sugars: Brown sugar gives the cookies a chewy texture and white sugar adds sweetness!
- Eggs: These are a binder to hold the dough together.
- Vanilla extract: Just a splash to add a little extra flavor!
- All-purpose flour: Adds structure to the cookies.
- Cornstarch: Gives the cookies a soft and a tender texture.
- Sea salt: Sprinkle the thicker salt for that sweet and savory taste in the cookies. This is an added bonus!
- Baking powder: Adds carbon dioxide to the cookies making the cookies grow and rise taller and wider when baked.
- White chocolate chips: Sweet chocolate chips morsels that are added in. They slightly melt into the cookies.
- Macadamia nuts: Chopped and salted is best.
How to Make White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
- Wet ingredients. Use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to cream together the butter and sugars. You want the mixture to be light and fluffy. Then beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.
- Dry ingredients. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder. Slowly stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture until combined. Then fold in the nuts and chocolate chips.
- Chill. Let the dough chill in the refrigerator for about 15 to 60 minutes. Don’t skip this step! It gives them that delicious thick consistency.
- Scoop. Scoop the dough onto a baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches in between each. This gives them a little room to spread as they bake.
- Bake. Bake at 375°F for 8 to 9 minutes, until the edges are golden (but the centers are still soft). Remove from oven and let set on pan for about 3 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling wire rack to cool completely.
Baking Tips
Chilling the dough, using the best ingredients, and not over-baking are the best ways to make white chocolate macadamia nut cookies!
- Chill dough. Refrigerate the dough for at least 15 minutes (if you have an hour, even better). This helps make them thick and delicious.
- Macadamia nuts. I recommend using salted dry roasted macadamia nuts. Roasted nuts have more flavor than raw nuts and the hint of salt adds the perfect balance. You can also omit the nuts for a plain white chocolate chip cookie.
- Special chocolate. Ghirardelli or Guittard white chocolate chips are my favorites.
- Cranberries. You can fold in 3/4 cup of dried cranberries to add more holiday flavor.
- Appearance. Make them extra pretty by adding a few more chocolate chips on top before going in the oven. You can also press them into the tops of the warm-baked cookies as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Don’t overbake. Take them out of the oven when the edges are slightly golden, but the center is still soft. It will look like they’re slightly underdone, but they’ll continue cooking in the middle as they set. This creates perfectly soft and chewy centers!
Recipe FAQs
It is common to have white chocolate chips paired with macadamia nuts because they are both mild in flavor. Cashews and white chocolate are also popular paired cookies too!
It is still unknown who invented these cookies. Macadamia nuts were available to the public in 1975 whereas white chocolate chips were available in 1937 by Nestle. A creative baker paired the two and the rest is history!
Place leftover white macadamia chocolate chip cookies in a covered airtight container or zip-top bag and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. You an also stored cooled cookies in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw in the fridge overnight, or on the counter for a few hours until no longer frozen.
Yes, you can freeze cookie dough! Scoop the dough into cookie dough balls and place it onto a baking sheet. Let harden in the freezer for about 30 minutes, then transfer to a freezer bag or container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, let the dough thaw on a baking sheet while the oven is warming up. Then bake as directed (you may need to add a few more minutes to the baking time).
“Absolutely incredible! These are my favorite cookies ever! So simple and turn out nice and soft every time.”
Have extra white chocolate chips? Make these white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies, butterscotch pudding cookies or red velvet cake mix cookies!
More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar , packed
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cups (360 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup white chocolate chips (more if desired)
- ½ cup chopped macadamia nuts
Optional: 3/4 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Cream butter, brown sugar and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Mix for 1 minute or until light and fluffy. Add in eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt and baking powder in a separate bowl. Slowly add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and mix until combined. Fold in chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.
- Refrigerate dough for 15 to 60 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with a baking mat or parchment paper and set aside.
- Using a medium cookie scoop or 2 Tablespoons, place the cookie dough on the baking sheet and bake for 8-9 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. The cookies should still be soft in the middle.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 3 minutes and then move to cooling rack. Store in a covered container up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.
Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Kristyn
These are my absolute favorite!! White chocolate & macadamia nut make the perfect combination!!
Andie
These cookies were amazing! Even better than the ones at a local bakery that I crave! So excited to have found this recipe.
Kara
Whenever people bring Costco cookies to a party, the macadamia nut ones are always my first choice. These are even better, especially warm!!
katerina
These cookies are SO YUMMY! My kids would LOVE these!
Betsy
So many great memories these cookies give me! Love this recipe. I remember when recipes like this first became popular. I love eating cookies and thinking about good times. :) Makes cookie eating even sweeter. :D
Stephanie
Absolutely incredible! These are my favorite cookies ever! So simple and turn out nice and soft every time.