My white chocolate macadamia nut cookies are some of the best cookies around—my kids and readers have loved them for years! The soft and chewy cookie base is studded with buttery, crunchy macadamia nuts and sweet white chocolate chips. Chilling the dough for just an hour before baking helps create the perfect texture and thickness. Once chilled, the cookies bake up in about 10 minutes!
My team and I retested and updated this easy recipe with additional baking options, so you can control the final texture to get your favorite cookies: thin with crisp edges or softer, thicker, chewier cookies. It’s all in the baking temperature and a very simple ingredient modification!
A reader, Sarah, says: “I love this recipe, it works equally well for chocolate chip cookies too. I live at high altitude and the addition of corn starch was a game changer in the quality of the cookies.” ★★★★★
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients For White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies
These are the main ingredients you need to make White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies. You can find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.
Cornstarch — this helps create an extra soft, chewy cookie texture by inhibiting gluten development and absorbing and holding onto moisture when the cookies bake. Potato starch is a perfect 1:1 substitute if needed.
Baking powder and baking soda — you’ll need both types of leavener to ensure the cookies puff up to their fullest potential. Baking soda helps the cookie spread and get golden edges. The baking powder provides some extra lift for a thicker cookie.
Granulated sugar — many of my cookies use granulated and brown sugar, but for these, I chose just white granulated sugar. Unlike brown sugar, white sugar has a neutral sweetness with no extra moisture. Brown sugar has molasses added, which makes the cookies spread more from the added moisture and changes the flavor of the cookies. The neutral flavor of white sugar lets the vanilla, nuts, and white chocolate really shine through.
Unsalted butter and salt — starting with unsalted butter and adding your own salt is the easiest way to ensure consistent results batch after batch. Make sure your butter is softened before you start. You can follow my tips for softening butter quickly if you are short on time!
Vanilla extract — for that classic bakery flavor. I love using my homemade vanilla extract, but any good quality natural vanilla will work great. Feel free to use an equal amount of vanilla paste as well!
White chocolate chips — if possible, try to reach for real white chocolate chips and not morsels. They will have a better flavor. You can also use chopped white chocolate bars for bigger pools of chocolate. Just be sure to use a bar of baking chocolate, as the kind designed for eating out of hand gets a little too runny here.
Dry-roasted macadamia nuts — if you only have raw nuts, you can toast them in the oven. Spread them on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer and bake at 350ºF for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until they become fragrant and lightly golden brown. Let them cool completely before adding them to the cookie dough.
Why is cornstarch used in this recipe?
The secret ingredient in this recipe is cornstarch. Adding a bit of cornstarch to the cookie dough helps inhibit gluten formation, resulting in a softer, more tender cookie texture. It also prevents excessive spreading during baking, leading to thicker, puffier cookies that hold their shape beautifully. This simple addition makes a big difference in the final texture!
Controlling Cookie Texture: Ingredients & Baking Temperature
My recipe makes delicious, thick, and soft white chocolate macadamia cookies. If you prefer a thinner cookie that is still soft or you like crispy cookies, my recipe is easy to tweak! My team retested this recipe with two very simple modifications to control how the cookies bake and spread.
Thinner, soft cookies: Adjust the oven temperature. Lower the temperature to 325° F and bake for 12 to 14 minutes. The lower heat allows the cookies to spread more before the edges fully set. The results are a less domed cookie that is thinner in the center but still soft and chewy.
Thinner, crispy cookies: Adjust the flour amount. Reduce the flour by ¼ cup (using 1¼ cup/150g total) and omit the cornstarch. Bake as directed. By reducing these two ingredients, the cookie dough will have a higher ratio of moisture, sugar, and fat, so the dough will spread more in the oven. The results are thinner and crispier with more golden brown edges.
Variations & Substitutions
One of my favorite things about this cookie recipe is how easy it is to tweak to suit your preference or your pantry. Here are just a few ideas to get you started:
- Swap out the chocolate: Dark chocolate or milk chocolate chips are great substitutes for white chocolate
- Add other mix-ins: Swap part of the nuts or chocolate chips for sweetened flaked or toasted coconut or dried cherries, cranberries, or pineapple.
- Use different nuts: Try dry roasted peanuts, toasted pecans, or toasted walnuts. For a nut-free version, try my white chocolate chip cookie recipe!
Pro Tips For The Best Cookies
Measure the ingredients by weight. This not only saves you from doing extra dishes like washing measuring scoops, but is also the easiest way to ensure consistently delicious results. Why? Dry ingredients like flour tend to settle or pack easily, meaning volume measurements can vary widely. If you don’t have a scale, use a spoon to sprinkle the flour into the scoop, then sweep off the top to level it.
Use a measured scoop for evenly sized cookies. This is how they do it at professional bakeries! I use a 2-tablespoon scoop (#30) for the dough balls. You don’t have to have one to make these cookies, but it helps scoop evenly-sized dough balls so the cookies bake evenly.
For perfectly round cookies, try the cookie scoot! Cookies with mix-ins (like nuts and chocolate chips) can sometimes spread irregularly on the edges. Use a large round cookie cutter or the rim of an upside-down bowl to gently scoot the edges of the cookies into shape right when they come out of the oven. Do this before the cookies have a chance to cool and set, so the edges can be easily molded. This simple trick ensures beautifully uniform, bakery-worthy white chocolate macadamia nut cookies every time.
How To Make White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Below, I’ve highlighted portions of the recipe in step-by-step process images along with instructions for making white chocolate macadamia cookies. You can find the full set of instructions in the recipe card below.
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients—flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cornstarch—then set aside.
2. Make sure your butter is at room temperature, then beat it in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until it’s light and fluffy. Now add in the sugar and keep mixing until the mixture is nice and creamy. Go ahead and mix in the egg and vanilla extract, then give the bowl a good scrape down to make sure everything is evenly incorporated.
3. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until they’re almost combined.
4. Give the bowl another scrape down, then use a spatula to gently fold in the macadamia nuts.
5. Finally, fold in the white chocolate chips. Cover and chill the cookie dough for about 60 minutes. (This helps improve their texture!)
6. Once the dough is chilled, preheat your oven to 350°F. Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of dough at a time and roll it into balls. Arrange the dough balls on a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone liner. If you like, you can top the cookies with a few extra chocolate chips, nuts, and a sprinkle of flaky salt. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and set. Let them cool on the baking sheet for a bit before enjoying their soft, chewy perfection!
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookie Recipe
Video
Equipment
- Stand or handheld electric mixer
- 2 Rimmed baking sheets
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour (180g)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened (113g)
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups white chocolate chips divided (225g)
- 1 cup dry roasted macadamia nuts chopped (140g)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. Stop and scrape down the bowl.
- While mixing on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating until the flour is fully incorporated. Scrape down the bowl again. Using a silicone spatula, gently fold in 1 cup (180g) of the white chocolate chips and the macadamia nuts.
- Scoop heaping tablespoon-sized balls of dough and place them on a small baking sheet. Press the remaining ¼ cup (45g) of white chocolate chips and a few extra chopped macadamia nuts, if desired, into the tops. Cover and refrigerate the dough balls for 1 hour.
- After 40 minutes of chilling, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the bottom edges are lightly browned. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Don’t over bake the cookies. Pull the cookies from the oven when the centers appear dry on top but are still soft. This ensures the cookies stay soft and chewy once they have cooled.
- For a finishing touch, sprinkle the baked cookies with flaky sea salt right after they are finished baking.
Nutrition
Storing & Freezing
Leftover cookies keep well at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week. To keep the cookies soft, add a slice of sandwich bread or a few large marshmallows to the container. The cookies will absorb moisture from those items and stay soft and chewy for several days.
Freezing cookie dough: Arrange the dough balls in a single layer on a lined baking sheet and pop them in the freezer. Once the dough balls are solid, you can transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag for easy storage. This makes it a cinch to have freshly baked white chocolate macadamia nut cookies anytime the craving strikes!
To bake from frozen: There’s no need to thaw the dough first. Just preheat your oven to 325°F and arrange the frozen dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet. (A lower baking temp helps the very cold cookies spread better and bake like the chilled, not frozen, dough balls.) Bake the cookies straight from frozen, adding a few minutes to the baking time.
Freezing baked cookies: These cookies also freeze beautifully once baked! Allow the cookies to cool completely, then arrange them in a freezer bag or container. I recommend putting a piece of wax or parchment paper between them to help keep them from sticking together. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to enjoy, simply take out as many cookies as you need and let them thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes. You can also pop the frozen cookies directly into a 300°F oven for 5-7 minutes to warm them up and crisp them up a bit.
Frequently Asked Questions
For the best cookies, yes, I recommend chilling the cookie dough before baking. As I mentioned earlier, chilling the dough reduces spreading during baking, as the lower temperature of the chilled dough helps the cookies bake up thicker. It also allows the flour time to fully hydrate, giving the cookies a chewier, more tender texture rather than a crumbly, crispier one.
That said, you can bake the cookies immediately without chilling the dough first. Just keep in mind they will spread more in the oven and end up thinner and crispier overall.
You can chill the dough balls for up to 72 hours before baking them. Just be sure to keep the dough tightly covered so it doesn’t dry out during that time. When you’re ready to bake, simply preheat your oven and pop the chilled dough balls straight in.
I haven’t personally tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, but in general, you should be able to get good results by using a quality gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum. Gluten-free flours tend to need a bit more moisture, so if you go the GF route, I would suggest using ¼ cup less of the flour called for in the original recipe.
More Cookie Recipes To Try
These colorful monster cookies are packed with peanut butter, oats, chocolate chips, and M&Ms for a fun and indulgent treat that’s sure to satisfy any cookie craving.
Classic peanut butter cookies are soft, chewy, and bursting with peanut flavor. Perfect for peanut butter lovers of all ages!
Bright, tangy lemon cookies with a soft, pillowy texture and a sweet-tart lemon glaze make for a delightfully refreshing dessert.
Delicate, buttery almond cookies with a delightful nutty flavor and a melt-in-your-mouth texture. A must-try for marzipan and amaretto enthusiasts.
These vibrant red velvet cookies combine the iconic flavor of red velvet cake with the irresistible texture of a soft, chewy cookie for a truly decadent treat.
If you’ve tried this White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookie recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Sarah says
I love this recipe, it works equally well for chocolate chip cookies too. I live at high altitude and the addition of corn starch was a game changer in the quality of the cookies.