Our White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies Recipe combines bakery-style qualities with home-baker ease! These cookies are chewy in the middle, golden on the outside, and full of just enough sweet and salty mix-ins. Lightly browned butter adds a toasty flavor that is truly irresistible, and a bit of cornstarch creates those extra crispy edges every bite deserves.
Made with no mixer or fancy equipment, you can scoop these deliciously large or keep them traditionally small. Bake them right away or freeze the dough and bake it from frozen for a warm, gooey treat the next time a craving strikes. You'll find these and more both savory and sweet treats on our collection of Brown Butter Recipes.
You absolutely cannot beat a warm, classic cookie straight off the sheet pan. Some of our reader favorites include these Crumbl Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies and these super big and soft Crumbl Sugar Cookies.
Today's recipe is a lightly elevated version of a classic that you will be proud to serve to guests but is still very simple to make. It's a great option for your collection of Game Day recipes or for picnics, birthdays, and everything in between!
We also have lots of other dessert recipes for the next time a craving strikes!
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Why this recipe is great
This recipe is a lightly adapted version inspired by Butternut Bakery, but with a few important changes.
- This recipe only uses very lightly brown butter so that the classic flavor you love still shines through, but a little elevated. For something with a darker browned butter, try these Brown Butter Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies.
- We add cornstarch to accomplish those perfectly crispy edges while keeping the middle chewy.
- It has just the right amount of chocolate so that the macadamia nut flavor rises to the top.
- The scoops are the perfect size for big (but not too big) chewy cookies.
- Best of all? There is no mixer required, and chilling is optional!
Ingredients for white chocolate and macadamia cookies
All of the ingredient quantities are listed in the recipe card below, but here are a few suggestions to make sure you choose the best ones.
- Butter: I always buy salted butter. No need to soften it ahead of time, which is a win!
- Brown sugar: I use regular, or light brown sugar, for this recipe to keep the flavors subtle.
- Granulated sugar: The combo of both sugars makes for a great texture.
- Eggs: Use a combo of one whole egg plus an extra yolk, which keeps the dough moist.
- Vanilla extract: This is a must for flavor.
- Lemon juice: This is an unusual ingredient, but the acidity reacts with the baking soda and powder to create a little extra rise. Use a freshly squeezed lemon.
- Salt: I prefer to use kosher salt or pink salt.
- Baking powder and baking soda: My top tip is to make sure that these are fresh. I replace mine every 6 months or so and find that my results are consistently better.
- Cornstarch: You can skip this, but I suggest you try it! Cornstarch is the secret ingredient that makes the edges crispy and the middle soft.
- All-purpose flour: You can spoon and level the flour, but I rarely do. Instead I fluff up the flour in the container, then scoop it very lightly so that it isn't packed into the measuring cup.
- White chocolate: The higher quality, the better. We usually use Ghirardelli chips, but you can also use baking bars chopped into small pieces.
- Macadamia nuts: Salted and roasted nuts will give this a salty-sweet flavor, but unsalted nuts also taste great. Whatever you can find.
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How to make white chocolate macadamia nut cookies
Start by preheating the oven temperature to 350°F and lining two sheet pans with parchment paper. If you plan on chilling or freezing them first, you can skip this step for now.
Melt 1 stick of butter in a small pot on the stove over medium heat and continue cooking it, stirring occasionally, until it is a very light golden brown color. If this is new for you, this article on How to Brown Butter has tons of tips.
Immediately remove the pot from the heat and stir in the rest of the butter. This will prevent it from overcooking.
Pour the butter into a large mixing bowl and allow to cool for 5 minutes. After it has cooled, add both the brown and white sugar and whisk it well.
Next, add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and lemon juice. Whisk the mixture vigorously for 1 minute.
This step is really important to the final texture. It's a bit of an arm workout, but it's worth it.
Add the dry ingredients (salt, baking powder, baking soda, & cornstarch) and mix until combined. Then add the flour and stir it gently, using a rubber spatula.
Pause your mixing when just a few white streaks of flour remain. Then add the nuts and white chocolate chips, stirring until everything is just combined.
Be careful not to overmix the batter or they will turn out tough.
Pro tip: These are the absolute best when they are still warm, straight from the pan! Allow them to cool for a few minutes, then enjoy fresh!
Do I need to chill the dough?
You do not need to chill this dough before baking it. However, if you prefer to make them ahead you can scoop the cookie dough balls and chill them in the fridge for 1-2 days or freeze them. They will be a bit thinner if you bake them right away, and a bit thicker in the middle if you chill or freeze them.
Storage tips
Nothing makes a cookie go bad faster than leaving it exposed to the air. For best results, allow them to cool fully on a wire rack. Then store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days. Reheat them gently in the microwave to restore a little bit of that gooey goodness.
How to freeze cookie dough
Make and scoop the dough as directed, then line the scoops on cookie sheets and pop it into the freezer for 3-6 hours. If a standard sheet doesn't fit in your freezer, this small baking tray works great.
Once the scoops are frozen solid, store them in a plastic freezer bag for 3-4 months. When you're ready to serve, bake them straight from frozen at 350°F, adding a couple extra minutes of baking time.
FAQs
There is no mixer required for this recipe, but if you prefer to use one you definitely can. Use a paddle attachment and be extra careful not to overmix the batter.
If your batter spread, it was most likely a little too soft. This could be because there wasn't quite enough flour, or because the butter didn't cook down quite enough. If you want a slightly thicker cookie, you can always chill the dough for several hours before baking.
This dough tends to dome after chilling or freezing. My top tip is to pull the cookies out about ⅔ of the way through the baking time and tap the pan firmly on the counter 2-3 times to help them flatten. Then pop them back in the oven to finish baking.
Tips & Tricks
- Make sure to use fresh baking powder and baking soda to ensure the texture turns out right.
- For extra tender cookies, scoop the flour lightly and don't overmix the dough.
- Add a couple extra chocolate chips or nuts on top of each cookie right before baking to make them extra pretty!
- To make them perfectly round, place a large cup or cookie cutter over the top of the baked cookie and swirl it gently. This should be done while they are still warm, but after they have cooled about 5 minutes on the cookie sheet.
More white chocolate recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
This post was photographed by Rhadonda Sedgwick.
Recipe
Chewy White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter divided
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg + 1 yolk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup white chocolate chips *See notes
- 1 cup macadamia nuts chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small saucepan, melt 1 stick of butter over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until it is a very light golden brown. We just want a hint of brown butter flavor in this recipe. Remove from the heat. Add the remaining cold butter and stir until it is melted. Pour the butter into a large mixing bowl and allow to cool for 5 minutes.1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
- After 5 minutes, add both sugars to the bowl and whisk until combined.½ cup light brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar
- Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and lemon juice. Whisk vigorously for 1 minute.1 egg + 1 yolk, 2 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Add the salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cornstarch and mix until combined.¼ teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- Add the flour and stir with a rubber spatula. When just a few white streaks remain, and the white chocolate chips and nuts. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.2 cups flour, 1 cup white chocolate chips, 1 cup macadamia nuts
- Scoop the cookies into 50 gram scoops (**See notes). Bake for 12-14 minutes, until golden brown on the edges and the middle is still slightly underset.
Notes
- Make sure to use fresh baking powder and baking soda to ensure the texture turns out right.
- For extra tender cookies, scoop the flour lightly and don't overmix the dough.
- Add a couple extra chocolate chips or nuts on top of each cookie right before baking to make them extra pretty!
- To make them perfectly round, place a large cup or cookie cutter over the top of the baked cookie and swirl it gently. This should be done while they are still warm, but after they have cooled about 5 minutes on the cookie sheet.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
MLM says
The brown butter makes these really flavorful!