This cookie recipe is the number one cookie recipe my husband always requests because they are THAT GOOD! Each cookie has a crisp edge with a soft inside. You get a subtly nutty crunch when you meet a macadamia nut that’s paired perfectly with gooey white chocolate chips.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
When I say I crave the taste of these cookies, I mean it. The brown butter gives a nutty taste with a little extra warmth that is matched perfectly with the chopped macadamia nuts. I have tried this recipe with dark chocolate and milk chocolate before, but white chocolate is always the winner. The extra sweetness from the white chocolate balances out the slight dry texture of the macadamia nuts perfectly.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Brown butter: This is the key for your cookie being the star of the show. There’s something about the warm, toasty, and nutty aroma that comes from brown butter that elevates this cookies flavor profile. Also, it makes your kitchen smell amazing while doing so.
- White sugar: Gives each bite a little extra crisp around the edges!
- Light brown sugar: Creates a soft chewy texture that deepens the warm flavor profile.
- Egg
- Vanilla bean paste: The warm vanilla bean paste with little specs of vanilla pairs so well with the nutty flavor of the brown butter and macadamia nut.
- All purpose flour
- Cornstarch: The key for a little extra softness for these cookies!!
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- White chocolate chips: I highly recommend using white chocolate for this recipe. There’s something about the sweetness that is found in white chocolate that really balances out the nutty aftertaste of the macadamia nuts.
- Macadamia nut: This MAKES the recipe! For best results use a dry-roasted version (use unsalted, if you use salted, skip the extra salt for the dough).
- Flaky sea salt: Completely optional but if you don’t do this…shame on you.
How to Make Bakery-Style Cookies at Home
The Secret to Soft & Chewy Cookies Every Time
Everyone wants cookies with crisp edges and soft, chewy centers, but many homemade cookies turn cakey, dry, or flat. First things first, you have to chill the dough before baking. This is my number one piece of advice to help prevent the cookies from spreading too much. Brown sugar adds moisture because of its molasses content, which helps create that signature chewy texture. The melted and slightly cooled butter helps create that soft chewy texture… that being said, because you are using slightly warm butter make sure your other ingredients are room temperature. Another important tip is not over baking! Cookies continue baking on the hot pan after coming out of the oven, so pulling them out when the centers still look slightly underdone allows them to continue to cook on the pan.
Why These Are My Husband’s Most Requested Cookies
This recipe was one of my first cookie experiments when I was first starting my dessert blog. I started thinking of flavors and textures that I love and wanted to make into a cookie. The first thing my husband said as he walked through the front door was “Oh my god, what is that smell?!” Followed by walking into the kitchen and having his jaw drop then the dramatic bite of the cookie followed by the head being thrown back. You know like how you see in movies when a food critic is amazed about what they are eating? That’s what will happen to you when you make these. Try it and you’ll see.
Why White Chocolate & Macadamia Nuts Are the Ultimate Cookie Pair
There’s a reason white chocolate macadamia nut cookies have stayed a bakery favorite for decades. White chocolate brings a creamy, buttery sweetness that melts into the cookie dough, while macadamia nuts add a rich, subtly salty crunch that keeps the cookies from tasting overly sweet. Together, they create a cookie that feels indulgent without being complicated. Macadamia nuts also have a softer, more buttery texture compared to walnuts or pecans, which makes them ideal in chewy cookies. Instead of overpowering the dough, they blend into it and create little pockets of crunch throughout the soft center. Pair that with gooey pools of white chocolate topped with a little flaky sea salt and you have the perfect duo.
Let’s Start Baking!
Chewy White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies – One will not be enough!
Ingredients
- 9 tbsp unsalted butter, brown and slightly cooled (127g)
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed (110g)
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar (50g)
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1 ½ cup all purpose flour (185g)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup white chocolate chips, (170g) (*see note*)
- 1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
- Flaky sea salt, optional
Instructions
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies:
- In a small pan, melt 9 tbsp unsalted butter over medium heat, stirring frequently. You want the butter to turn golden and have small brown specks on the bottom (it’ll smell nutty). Transfer the brown butter to a heatproof bowl and allow to cool slightly (about 30 minutes room temperature).
- To a large mixing bow, combined the slightly cooled brown butter, light brown sugar, and white sugar, whisking together until combined. Add the egg, vanilla bean paste, and heavy cream. Whisk until combined and the color becomes lighter in appearance (about 2-3 minutes).
- Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a rubber spatula and fold the mixture together, leaving behind a few streaks of flour. Add the white chocolate chips and chopped macadamia nuts and fold the mixture together until it’s just combined.
- Scoop the cookie dough into 10 balls. Roll each ball and place on a cookie sheet. Cover and place in the freezer to chill for 30 minutes. During this time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the cookie dough balls out on a parchment lined cookie sheet (you can do all 8 on one sheet or two separate cookie sheets). Bake for 12-14 minutes, cookies will be just set around the edges.
- As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, sprinkle the cookies with flaky sea salt if desired.
- Allow cookies to cool on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes, then place on a cooling rack to finish cooling off.
Notes
- You have to cool the brown butter slightly to prevent the cookie dough from separating. To speed up this process, you can place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- White chocolate chips work! You can also use a bar of white chocolate, finely chop the pieces before adding.
- The cookie dough HAS to be chilled before baking to prevent spreading. You can chill the dough before or after scooping.
- To get even shaped cookies, I like to weigh my bowl before adding in the ingredients. Once all ingredients are added, I will weigh it again and subract the weight from the empty bowl then divide by 10 to get equal amount of cookies.
Did you try this recipe? Share your thoughts and photos below!
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