My recipe for white macadamia nut cookies is the absolute best one on the internet. They do not require any chill time in the fridge, and they bake up perfectly puffy and soft with a slight chew. From the bowl to your mouth in less than 20 minutes!
Why you'll love these White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies
These cookies are a classic for a reason. Buttery macadamia nuts go so well with white chocolate, and I can’t think of a better cookie for a nut-lover. The crunchiness that macadamias add to the dough is heavenly. (You might also like my pecan chocolate chip cookies, by the way).
There are things you do for love, and there are things you do for the love of cookies.
In my case, I made these white chocolate macadamia nut cookies around the clock for 12 hours. I started with a tip from a reader that my small-batch chocolate chip cookies could not be modified into white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, and it perplexed me. How can adding nuts and replacing dark chocolate with white chocolate chips make so much difference?
But it did.
This recipe is perfect--soft and chewy and full of macadamia nuts. But, a regular recipe makes 3 dozen cookies, which is way too much for my house. So, I cut the recipe in half, and made it 6 different ways until I settled on this version you see here.
These cookies do the pretty ripple thing around the edges when they bake, and as they cool, they crack a bit, too. They look like they came from a bakery (and they taste like it, too!).
Ingredients for White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
- Butter. This is a small-batch recipe that makes one dozen cookies, so we need 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened. Softened butter is simply butter that has been sitting at room temperature for an hour or so, depending on your room temperature. It should be cool to the touch and somewhat firm when you try to press a finger in it. It is not fully warm, room temperature butter.
- Brown Sugar. Regular light or dark brown sugar works here.
- Granulated Sugar. A small amount white granulated sugar here also.
- Vanilla. I always bake with real, pure vanilla extract.
- Egg. One whole egg, egg yolk and egg white.
- Flour.
- Baking Soda.
- Salt. Yes, we’re adding salt even though the macadamia nuts usually come slightly salted. It’s to balance all of the sweetness with the sugars and white chocolate, so please do not skip it.
- Macadamia Nuts. It can be hard to find macadamia nuts unless it is near the holidays. They usually come in small cans that are sealed because they can spoil quickly (since they contain a lot of natural oil).
- White Chocolate Chips. I always recommend real white chocolate chips, not ‘white chips.’ Real white chocolate is made with cocoa butter from the cacao plant, white ‘white chips’ are just sugar with lots of vanilla added.
What to do with the leftover egg white
If you're here for a very small batch recipe that only makes 6 cookies, check the recipe card for full instructions. If you're making the super small batch, you will have a leftover egg white!
I get asked often why I only use egg yolks in my cookie recipes. One egg is made up of 1 tablespoon of fat (the yolk) and 2 tablespoons of binding protein (the egg white). When it comes to cookies, we just want the richness of the fat. I rely on butter to bind my cookies together and leave out the egg whites.
If you're wondering what to do with the leftover egg whites, I have a whole page full of recipes that use egg whites only. And one for recipes that use egg yolks only. Because we all want perfect small batch desserts, but no wasted eggs!
How to make Macadamia Nut Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350, and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In the medium bowl, add the softened butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat until light and fluffy, about 40 seconds.
- Next, add the egg and beat until combined.
- Finally, sprinkle the flour, baking soda and salt evenly over the surface, and beat to combine everything.
- Stir in the macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips by hand.
- Divide the dough equally into 12 cookies, and space evenly on a baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the cookies are light golden brown on the edges and the surface begins to crack. Let cool completely, and store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
How to make large batch Macadamia Nuts Cookies
This recipe makes 1 dozen cookies. To double it, double it exactly. To cut it in half to make only 6 cookies, use the egg yolk only and the instructions below in the recipe card.
Tips for making Macadamia Cookies
- Softened butter is not room temperature butter. When I troubleshoot failed/ flat cookies, this is almost always the cause. Softened butter is butter that has been sitting on the counter at room temperate for about 20-30 minutes. You can press a finger into it and make an indent, but your finger does not go all the way through easily.
- Measure your flour by scooping it, heaping it over the measuring spoon, and then wiping off the excess with a butter knife (or other flat surface). Oh, and 7 tablespoons of flour is ½ cup of flour, minus 1 tablespoon.
Macadamia Cookies
White chocolate macadamia nut cookies. Recipe makes just 1 dozen cookies.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup chopped macadamia nuts
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In the medium bowl, add the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, about 40 seconds.
- Next, add the egg and vanilla extract, and beat until combined.
- Finally, sprinkle the flour, baking soda and salt evenly over the surface, and beat to combine everything.
- Stir in the macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips by hand.
- Divide the dough equally into 12 cookies, and space evenly on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the cookies are light golden brown on the edges and the surface begins to crack.
- Let cool completely, and store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Notes
Super Small Batch: To make just 6 cookies, use these measurements: 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, ¼ cup light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 large egg yolk (white reserved for another use), 7 tablespoons all-purpose flour*, ⅛ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, scant ¼ cup chopped macadamia nuts, and scant ¼ cup white chocolate chips.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 219Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 130mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 1gSugar: 16gProtein: 3g
Angela Moy says
I made these and they were awesome! A quick question though: you say to divide into six cookies and space evenly on a cookie sheet. Does that mean make 6 balls of dough? Or flatten them out into cookies? I kinda did in between the two, and they turned out lovely, but was wondering if they would flatten on their own from just balls. Love to read everything you do!
Sharon V says
Christina, these look delicious and can’t wait to try! A couple questions; I make several types of cookies to share for Christmas-I’d like to make 3-4 dozen of these, suggestions?? Also, do you recommend only using egg yolks in all cookie recipes? TIA! 😊
Christina Lane says
Yes, you can totally triple or quadruple this recipe. But like you mentioned, multiple the recipe exactly and only use the egg yolks. Egg yolks are fat and they emulsify a dough and make it dense, chewy, and rich. Doubling a recipe with an egg yolk doesn't mean to just use the whole egg, because egg white is just a binding protein that acts differently. Make sense?
I'm so honored you're gifting my cookies! Enjoy :)
Bonnie R Gordon says
I just made these and thank you, thank you, thank you. Our local grocery never seems to have Pepperidge Farm macadamia milk chocolate cookies in stock. i switched out the white chocolate for milk chocolate and they were almost perfect. They just need a bit more flour around here in PA.
The Husband says he thinks they are also half the cost, so win, win!! I have all your cookbooks and love them. Thank you!!
Cat says
What would happen if I used the whole egg instead of just the egg yolk?
Christina Lane says
The recipe would fail. They're designed to be dense and fudgy, like cookies should be. Altering the ingredients will change the final result.
Red says
I made this cookie yesterday since it was Valentine's day for my husband and also didn't want him to die with eating 2 dozens of cookies, lol
He loved it and I am glad that I made it. I also got your book, Dessert for Two and will bake more from the book.
Christina Lane says
Thanks so much! You're so kind :)