White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

These delicious white chocolate macadamia nut cookies are everything you want in a cookie! They have soft and chewy centers, and crisp edges and are bursting with white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts. 

Buttery Soft White Chocolate Cookies

This is high 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. They are the perfect cookie for any time of year!

These are everything you want in a cookie…soft, chewy, sweet, salty, buttery, and just plain delicious. We make them a few times a year, but I especially love to make macadamia cookies during the holidays. 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!

Ingredients for Chewy Macadamia Nut Cookies

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

• Unsalted butter: Have the butter softened just enough to mix together but not too soft that the butter falls apart. Butter is a key ingredient in making fluffy and chewy cookies that won’t fall apart.
• Brown sugar: A softening mechanism is used with brown sugar. It gives the cookies a chewy texture.
• Sugar: Add in a little extra sweetness!
• Eggs: These are a binder to hold the dough together.
• Vanilla extract: Just a splash to add a little extra flavor!
• Flour: This will help the base and texture of cookies. Measure your flour by using a spoon filling your measuring cups. Once overfilled, use the backside of a knife to smooth the top of the measuring cup for an even amount.
• Cornstarch: Helps give the macadamia nut cookies softness 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. These are worth it for that added crunch in every bite.

How to Make Macadamia Nut Cookies

Combine the wet and dry ingredients together, chill the dough, then bake! It is that simple to make these macadamia nut cookies perfect every time. You will love how quickly these cookies come together and make the best treat any day and time!

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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

Use these helpful baking tips to ensure your chewy cookies are perfect in every batch. 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 is the perfect compliment to the sweet white chocolate chips.
• 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. Make sure not to overbake the cookies. 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!

Storing and Freezing

These macadamia nut cookies are so hard to resist and keep stored for too long. If you are planning on making them ahead of time, freezing the dough is simple! You can even bake the frozen cookie dough.

• To store: Place in a covered airtight container or zip-top bag and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• Freezing the 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).
• Freezing baked cookies: Let them cool completely, then place them in a freezer bag or container. Store 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.

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