White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies (Soft & Chewy Bakery-Style)

Our White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies have crisp edges, soft centers, and big hits of creamy white chocolate and buttery macadamia nuts in every bite.

These chewy cookies are perfect for gatherings and parties, big or small, and never make it to the end of the night.

This White Chocolate Macadamia Cookie recipe is the one I always come back to, because it’s everything that a great cookie should be.

The white chocolate brings a rich, creamy sweetness, and the macadamia nuts add a buttery crunch that plays perfectly with the soft, chewy cookie dough.

There’s a little bit of corn starch in there to keep things tender, but everything else is just normal cookie ingredients doing what they do best, giving you crisp edges and a center that’s soft and satisfyingly chewy.

After decades in professional kitchens, I still love simple recipes like this, because they never fail to make people smile.

These tender cookies are easy to make with simple ingredients you can find at any grocery store.

And the recipe scales well, whether you’re baking one batch for home or doubling it for a crowd.

We love easy, party-ready cookies around here, so check out our Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe, Classic Monster Cookies, and Cowboy Cookies Recipe.

And if you want something on the wild side, you’ll love our Toffee Pretzel Peanut Butter Cookies, Sweet and Salty Chex Mix Cookies, and (everything but the) Kitchen Sink Cookies.

Ingredients

Gather the ingredients to prepare our White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies recipe. Culinary professionals call this the “Mise en Place,” which means “everything in its Place.”

Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also ensures you have all the necessary ingredients on hand to make the recipe.

Recipe Variations

This cookie dough is a great base for switching things up. You can add your favorites, leave out what you don’t like, and have a different cookie every time you bake them.

Coconut Macadamia Nut Cookies: Add shredded coconut for tropical flavor.

Classic Choc Chip Cookies: Semisweet chocolate chips with chopped walnuts or pecans.

Dark Chocolate Almond Cookies: Dark chocolate chunks and chopped almonds.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies: Old-fashioned oats, raisins, and a pinch of cinnamon.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies: Milk chocolate chips and creamy peanut butter.

Double Chocolate Cookies: Cocoa powder in the dough with dark or milk chocolate chips.

How to make Macadamia Nut Cookies with White Chocolate

Follow my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make Macadamia Nut Cookies with White Chocolate in your home kitchen.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Add the flour, corn starch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl.

Whisk until well combined.

Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

Beat for two minutes until smooth and creamy.

Add the room-temperature egg and vanilla and beat into the mixture.

Whip until well combined.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture.

Beat on low speed until just combined.

Add the macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips to the mixture.

Gently fold them in until just combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the white chocolate macadamia nut cookie dough for 1 hour.
*Reserve some of the white chocolate chips to press into the tops of the dough balls.

Use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon to make 24 dough balls.

Place them on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart. Press the reserved chips into the tops of the cookies.

Place the baking sheets on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes until the tops are lightly browned.

Place the pans on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Then transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely.

Chef Tips

Use parchment paper instead of greasing the pan. It prevents over-browning on the bottoms and makes cleanup easier.

Let the butter and egg come fully to room temperature before mixing. It helps the dough blend smoothly and bake evenly.

Toast the macadamia nuts lightly for better flavor.

Chill the cookie dough for the full hour. This keeps the cookies from spreading too much and gives you a better texture.

Chop the macadamia nuts a little larger than you think you should. Bigger pieces mean better crunch in every bite.

Use a cookie scoop for consistent results.

Don’t overbake! Pull the cookies from the oven when the centers still look slightly soft. They’ll finish setting as they cool on the baking sheet.

Bang the pan once mid-bake for bakery-style ripples

Macadamia nut cookies with white chocolate live or die by balance. Too sweet and they’re cloying; too dry and they’re forgettable. Toast the nuts, don’t rush the bake, and resist the urge to overload the dough.

You want contrast: soft dough, creamy chocolate, and a buttery crunch. Follow the recipe, and you’ll get a cookie people will remember just like my birthday cake cookies.

Our White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies are the kind of simple pleasure that never goes out of style. Crispy edges, soft centers, and that rich white chocolate and buttery macadamia combo that’s always a treat.

Bake a batch, set them out, and just watch what happens.

Serving Suggestions

Serve warm with milk, coffee, espresso, chai tea, or latte.

Sandwich with vanilla ice cream for an ice cream sandwich no one will forget.

Crumble over ice cream.

Storage and Reheating

Store the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days to keep the edges crisp and the centers soft.

To freeze, place cooled cookies or unbaked dough balls in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to three months.

You can bake frozen dough straight from the freezer; just add a few extra minutes to the bake time.

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