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Sweet, chewy, and filled with crunchy macadamia nuts, these white chocolate macadamia nut cookies are a must for any cookie platter.
Friday feels like a great day for cookies, doesn’t it?
Mix together the batter for these white chocolate macadamia nut cookies today and you can enjoy freshly baked, warm-from-the-oven cookies all weekend long. Perhaps while snuggled up with a cup of spiced apple cider.
I mean, I think that sounds like a pretty perfect fall weekend!
CHEWY WHITE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUT COOKIES
I love almost any cookie, but a nice, chewy cookie is my absolute favorite.
Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with easy no-bake cookies or buttery thumbprint cookies or delicate clothespin cookies.
But the one thing I can never turn down is a perfectly chewy cookie.
When I decided that I wanted to make some white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, I knew I needed to turn to my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. In my opinion, it makes the very best chocolate chip cookies, so I knew the dough would be amazing with white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.
And I was right! If you’re a fan of mild white chocolate and crunchy macadamia nuts, you have to try these cookies. They’re amazing for an after-school treat, on a holiday cookie platter, or even turned into ice cream sandwiches.
HOW TO MAKE WHITE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUT COOKIES
This white chocolate macadamia nut cookie recipe is pretty similar to most cookies, but with a couple of small tweaks that make a big difference in the texture of the final cookie.
Ingredients you’ll need
For these white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, you will need:
- 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ⅔ cups bread flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 ¼ cups unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ cups packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups white chocolate chips
- 1 cup macadamia nut pieces
One of the first things you’ll notice about this recipe is that it uses bread flour along with all-purpose flour.
Bread flour is usually used in…well, breads! Especially things like bagels or crusty breads that you want to be nice and chewy.
But using a combination of all-purpose flour with bread flour here gives us a great texture in these cookies.
Before you get started, make sure you know how to measure flour correctly and how to cream butter and sugar so these white chocolate macadamia nut cookies come out perfect every time.
This recipe also uses brown sugar for some added chewiness. If you’re out of brown sugar, learn how to make a simple brown sugar substitute.
You can also learn how to soften brown sugar in case yours hardened in the pantry. It’ll save you a trip to the grocery store!
Making this recipe
To get started, whisk together the dry ingredients: both flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set this aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together for 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Don’t try to shorten this step; you want to take your time here!
Add the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla.
With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Then stir in the white chocolate chips and the macadamia nuts.
Now cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place the dough in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.
Yes, 24 hours! I know it’s a long time, but the long chill helps the dough properly hydrate and makes for the best white chocolate macadamia nut cookies.
When it’s time to bake, set the bowl out for 30-40 minutes; this will make it easier to scoop.
Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop the dough into balls onto lined baking sheets. Bake them at 350°F for 11-13 minutes; the edges should be golden but the centers should still be soft.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
You can repeat with the remaining dough or bake the cookies in batches. The dough can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours total.
FAQS
Do I really have to chill the dough for 24 hours before baking?
You can technically bake the cookies after the dough chills for a couple of hours, but I really don’t recommend it. I have tried baking them before the 24-hour mark and I can promise you – they just aren’t as good!
So do yourself a favor and plan ahead. I promise that it’ll be worth it.
Can I freeze the white chocolate macadamia nut cookie dough before baking?
Yes! I like to let the dough chill in the fridge for 24 hours, then I follow the instructions in my post on how to freeze cookie dough to freeze the dough balls for later.
Then, whenever you get a craving for a couple of cookies, you can bake them whenever you like!
Can I use dark chocolate instead of white chocolate chips?
Of course. If you don’t like white chocolate, feel free to substitute the white chocolate chips for your favorite semisweet or dark chocolate chips or chunks.
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ⅔ cups bread flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 ¼ cups unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ cups packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups white chocolate chips
- 1 cup macadamia nut pieces
Instructions
- Whisk together flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
- Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Stir in white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
- When ready to bake, let dough sit at room temperature for about 30-40 minutes to make it easier to scoop.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
- Use a medium cookie scoop (1.25 to 1.5 tablespoons) to scoop balls of the cookie dough onto the baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until the edges are golden but the centers are still soft. Cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Repeat with remaining dough or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day.
Video
Notes
- Before you get started, make sure you know how to measure flour correctly so these white chocolate macadamia nut cookies come out perfect every time.
- This recipe also uses brown sugar for some added chewiness. If you’re out of brown sugar, learn how to make a simple brown sugar substitute.
- You can also learn how to soften brown sugar in case yours hardened in the pantry. It’ll save you a trip to the grocery store!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
