These classic White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies are soft, chewy, packed with crunchy macadamia nuts and creamy white chocolate chips in every bite. They’re easy to make, come together quickly, and are always a hit whether you’re baking for the holidays, sharing at a party, or simply treating yourself to a cozy afternoon snack.
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies have quickly become a favorite in our house, especially during the holidays when they shine on a Christmas Cookie Tray. There’s just something about the mix of sweet white chocolate and buttery macadamia nuts that feels extra special and always gets rave reviews.
The white chocolate really stands out without being cloyingly sweet, which can sometimes be the case, and the roasted macadamia nuts bring a rich, crunchy texture that makes every bite satisfying. Best of all, this recipe bakes up consistently perfect cookies every time, which is exactly what you want when you’re sharing with family and friends.
If you’re looking to take your holiday cookie game up a notch, add my Butterfinger Cookies, Almond Joy Cookies, Buckeye Brownie Cookies, White Chocolate Biscoff Cookie Butter Cookies, and Fluffernutter Cookies to your baking list too!
Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!
- The mix-ins are flexible, so you can adjust the amount of white chocolate chips or macadamia nuts, or even swap in chopped white chocolate bars if that’s what you have on hand.
- The recipe comes together in just 20 minutes from start to finish, making it one of the quickest ways to satisfy a cookie craving.
- Every batch bakes up with that ideal balance of chewy centers and tender edges, giving you consistently great results every time.
Ingredients Overview
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Butter – Using salted butter gives these cookies great flavor, but if you only have unsalted, just add an extra pinch of salt.
- Granulated Sugar – Helps the cookies spread just right and keeps the edges tender. You could swap in your favorite granulated sweetener if needed.
- Light Brown Sugar – I love the hint of caramel flavor this adds. Dark brown sugar works too, but the cookies will bake up a little darker.
- Vanilla Extract – A splash of vanilla extract rounds out the flavors and adds that warm bakery touch. Use my Homemade Vanilla Extract for the best flavor.
- Eggs – Hold everything together and add richness to the dough.
- All-Purpose Flour – Make sure to measure correctly (spoon and level, don’t scoop) so the cookies stay soft and chewy.
- Salt – Balances the sweetness and makes the other flavors pop.
- Baking Soda – Gives the cookies just enough lift so they’re not too dense.
- White Chocolate Chips – I usually use chips for convenience, but chopped white chocolate bars work beautifully if that’s what you have on hand.
- Dry Roasted Macadamia Nuts – Their buttery crunch is the perfect partner for white chocolate without overpowering the flavor.
How to Make White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
- Preheat oven and cream butter. Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with the granulated sugar and light brown sugar until fully combined.
- Add vanilla and eggs. Mix in the vanilla extract and eggs, then continue beating for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is pale, light, and creamy.
- Mix in dry ingredients. Gently stir the flour, salt, and baking soda into the wet mixture, being careful not to overmix it so the cookies stay soft and chewy.
- Add chocolate and nuts. Fold in the white chocolate chips and roasted macadamia nuts so they are incorporated evenly throughout the dough.
- Distribute evenly throughout dough. Keep mixing lightly until the chocolate and nuts are well spread without pockets of flour remaining.
- Scoop and arrange dough. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to portion 1-2 tablespoon-sized balls of dough and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving 1-2 inches between each cookie for spreading.
- Bake and cool cookies. Bake for 9-11 minutes until the edges are set and lightly golden. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Tips for Success
- Use a cookie scoop for evenly sized cookies that bake at the same rate.
- Don’t overbake the cookies. Pull them from the oven when the edges are just set and the centers still look slightly soft, since they’ll continue to firm up as they cool.
- Toasting the macadamia nuts before adding them to the dough brings out even more buttery flavor and crunch.
- Measure flour correctly by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off, since too much flour can make the cookies dense instead of chewy.
- For extra bakery-style cookies, press a few extra white chocolate chips and macadamia pieces into the tops of the dough balls right before baking.
White Chocolate Macadamia Cookie FAQs
Yes, but for the best flavor you’ll want to toast them first. Spread the nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast at 350°F for 12–15 minutes, until lightly golden. Let them cool completely before stirring them into the cookie dough.
Yes! Chilling for a few hours or overnight boosts the flavor and helps control spreading, and iut’s also an easy way to make the recipe ahead. Just keep the dough covered in the fridge for up to 4 days, then let it warm slightly before scooping and baking.
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days. For the dough: keep in the refrigerator up to 4 days, covered, then let it come to room temperature before baking.
Yes, dough balls can be frozen solid and baked later (add a minute or two more bake time). Baked cookies freeze well too; thaw at room temperature or warm gently in a low oven.
The Secret to Perfect Cookie Presentation
For picture-perfect cookies, press a few extra white chocolate chips and chopped macadamia nuts on top of the dough balls right before baking. They’ll bake up looking just like they came from a bakery.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap in other nuts like cashews, almonds, or pecans if that’s what you have on hand; each brings a slightly different flavor, though macadamias are classic.
- Stir in dried cranberries or raspberries for a fruity pop that pairs so well with the creamy white chocolate.
- Add a little orange zest to the dough if you love a citrusy brightness in your cookies.
- Swap a splash of almond extract for some of the vanilla to bring out the nutty flavor even more.
- Mix things up with milk chocolate or peanut butter chips in place of (or alongside) the white chocolate chips for a fun twist.
More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
- Chocolate Chip S’mores Cookies
- Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies
- Kitchen Sink Cookies
- Fudgy Chocolate Brownie Cookies
- The Best Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe
- Fruitcake Cookies
- Chocolate Marshmallow Almond Rocky Road Cookies
- Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Homemade Iced Oatmeal Cookies
White Chocolate Macadamia Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter softened (227g)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed (200g)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (423g)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 12 ounces white chocolate chips
- 1 cup dry roasted macadamia nuts coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and the sugars until they are combined. Add in the vanilla and the eggs and beat for another 2-3 minutes, until the mixture is light and creamy.1 cup salted butter, ¾ cup granulated sugar, 1 cup light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 large eggs
- Stir the flour, salt, and baking soda into the wet ingredients and mix until they are just incorporated. Add the white chocolate chips and the macadamia nuts into the flour mixture until evenly distributed.3 cups all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 12 ounces white chocolate chips, 1 cup dry roasted macadamia nuts
- Scoop the dough out into 1 to 2 tablespoon-sized balls of dough and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Space them about 1 to 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes and let them cool for 5 minutes on the sheet before transferring them to a wire rack.
Notes
- Don’t overbake; the cookies should look slightly soft in the center when you pull them out.
- Toast macadamia nuts for even more flavor.
- Use a cookie scoop for evenly sized cookies.
- Press extra chocolate chips on top before baking for a bakery-style look.
Storage & Make Ahead
- Make Ahead: Cookie dough will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 4 days when covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container. Allow it to come to room temperature, spoon onto a tray and bake when ready.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 7 days. Dough balls or baked cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in August, 2016. The photos and content were updated in October, 2022.
My favorites!
I’m finding that a lot of people feel that way! 🙂
Mmm I’d love one of these now. Looks much better than my plain breakfast haha.
Lol, cookies for breakfast sound pretty perfect to me as well!
Happy birthday to your mom!
These are my mom’s favorite cookies as well, I might make them and send them to her a sweet surprise!
Also, I’m a SAHM in the Bay Area too!
I can’t believe I’ve never stumbled on your page!
Hi Krysten! So fun that we’re in the same area! That is such a sweet idea to make cookies to send to your mom! My mom lives in another state as well but I didn’t even think to do that.
Hello! I am a scale user, measuring cups are not for me lol
I noticed that this recipe says: 3 cups AP flour (423g). 3 cups per most measurements is approximately 375g. Which one is correct?
Thank you!! Excited to try the cookies!
Hi Millie! This is a VERY valid point and something hard to decide on as a recipe creator because everybody measures flour differently! I am a scale user too (now) but didn’t use to be, and from my experience (and thousands of blog visitors) I think most American home bakers don’t use scales and rely on cups. I also think most (I could be wrong, but again, this is based on my experience and polling LOTS of people) scoop their flour rather than spoon and level or fluff or anything. Anywho, after much struggle and lots of careful testing, I find that when I scoop flour I almost always come out at around 141 grams per cup. When I spoon and level, I’m at 125 grams per cup. Which you know adds up when you are doing 3 cups of flour. So I try to include weight measurements in my recipes for the folks who go by weight. So the 423 grams IS correct based on how I think MOST people actually use the recipe, which is by scooping flour. I know it’s confusing!
Thanks for such a thorough response! I am getting adjusted to the life in the US and measuring cups lol but my european brain only measures in grams. I ended up eyeing something in between, so I added roughly 400g (I was impatient after I asked the question) so I was going for the right consistency of the dough. They came out perfect! Soft and gourmet, just perfect. These will be in our regular rotation. Thanks!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these! Honestly, the ability to judge dough consistency is the best metric even more than measuring, in my opinion.
My cookies are flat. Should I chill the dough before baking?
Chilling the dough could help, but chances are you need a little more flour.
This is the best cookie ever! So soft and chewy with so much flavor!
Ooh yum, I’m a big fan of macadamia nuts and love the idea of incorporating them into a chewy cookie.
My FAVORITE cookie in the whole world! I saved this recipe to have on hand and make many times over. Awesome!
First of all I am in love with the photos of your cookies. Secondly,I am making these for my Holiday Party. Bookmarking it.
I agree with you – these are the ‘perfect’ cookie! My favorite part is they are in my belly in 20 minutes! Delish!
Can’t wait to try it! What the size of these cookie after being baked?
Depends on your cookie scoop although I use a medium size one for what I think most people would consider normal sized cookies. They aren’t overly large gourmet-style unless you decide to scoop and bake them that way.
Just made these and absolutely loved them!
Can i just use granulated sugar if i do not have light brown sugar? Thanks
Yes.
can this recipe be baked as a bar? in other words, is there a variation in the recipe if baking them in a pan?
I haven’t tried but I don’t see why not!
I doubled the batch expecting 72 cookies give or take…but the end of my cookie crusade I made 100 cookies with about 1/4 of the dough unused which is now sitting in my freezer…also the higher you go with the measurements use more macadamia nuts than recommended
Hi, I made a batch I f these cookies. The instructions say cook 9-11 mins. My cookies were not done. My oven was set for 350⁰.
So I cooked them for another 10 mins. They browned nicely. And they were Super Good! 👌
Excellent recipe, made these last night Fiancé loves them!
Best cookie recipe EVER! Moist and tasty. Made exactly as directed. They didn’t look quite done at 10 minutes, but finished cooking while left on warm pan.
Thank you!
I am so glad you enjoyed them! Thank you!
OMG excellent! Doubled the recipe and put half the dough in the freezer for another time.
These are so good!
Made these AT LEAST 50 times since finding the recipe and they turn out PERFECT every time, even when using someone else’s oven and cookie sheets. The base is the most delicious I’ve used and my go-to for pretty much everything. What I especially love is there’s no wasted dough. With some recipes there’s a lot leftover in the bowl after scooping cookies, but not so here. Thank you for creating this!
Oh wow! I’m impressed! I’m glad you like them so much! Thank you!
Some people weigh flour because measurements can vary depending on how much moisture is in the flour. Wouldn’t there be .moisture variance when you weigh it too? If a flour had mire moisture in it, it would weigh more and be inaccurate for use in a recipe. Is there a way to measure moisture content in a flour and also know the moisture content in the flour used in the recipe?
Delicious, and SO easy!! It’s a pretty big batch. Then again. I added a bit more than 1 cup of macadamia nuts, and added unsweetened coconut flakes. They turned out amazing!! Thanks for sharing!!
3 cups of flour made my cookies look like scone balls
Hi Gabby – can I ask how you measure your flour? Because this sounds like a measurement issue. I have made these cookies dozens of times and never had scone balls.
My cookies Did not spread out at all They are very delicious but they Stayed in round circles and were very thick, not flat at all like picture.I followed recipe to exactly what it said. Not sure will make again.
Hi Oma! They are actually a pretty thick cookie and don’t spread too much. They hold their shape pretty well.
Unfortunately the weight measurements don’t double when you increase the recipe so I just wasted a lot of ingredients. They taste good though.
I am sorry that happened. Yes, it is a bit of a flaw with the recipe software I use. We are trying to find a way to fix this and hopefully there will be a solution soon!
I thought I wanted a wider cookie that looked more like the Subway white chocolate/macadamia cookies. I used a recipe from a different site that perfectly replicated the Subway cookie.
Then I tried this recipe. It’s way better. It has a much richer flavour.
This is the best one by a longshot
You are so sweet to say that! Thank you! I’m glad this one is a keeper.