White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Thick, chewy cookies with crisp golden edges, buttery brown sugar flavor, toasted macadamias and pockets of creamy white chocolate.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 24 min
- Wait
- 50 min
- Total
- 1 hr 39 min
- Makes
- 18 large cookies
Steps
Before you start
- Take the butter and egg out about 1 hour ahead so they are at room temperature (butter should dent easily but not be greasy).
- The dough needs 30 minutes of chilling, so plan for it before you preheat the oven.
- Measure flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling, or weigh it. Scooping packs in too much and makes dry cookies.
- Bake one tray at a time on the middle rack for even browning.
Prep nuts and pans
- Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Chop the macadamia nuts into ¼–½-inch (6–12 mm) pieces.
- If your nuts are raw rather than roasted, toast them on a baking sheet at 325°F (160°C) for 8–10 minutes first, then cool completely.
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Ready when: Nuts are chopped into uneven, bite-size pieces with few fine crumbs.
Tip: Use roasted unsalted nuts; salted ones can make the cookies taste harsh.
Whisk dry ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and fine sea salt until evenly combined, about 30 seconds.
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Ready when: No streaks or clumps of baking soda remain.
Cream butter and sugars
- In a large bowl, beat the room-temperature butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2–3 minutes, scraping down the bowl once, until pale, fluffy and slightly lightened in color.
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Ready when: Mixture looks lighter and creamy, like wet sand that has been whipped smooth.
Tip: Butter that is too soft or melty gives flat, greasy cookies.
Add egg and vanilla
- Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla.
- Beat on medium speed for about 1 minute until fully combined and slightly thickened.
- Scrape the bowl well.
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Ready when: Batter looks smooth, glossy and uniform with no egg streaks.
Mix in flour
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until a soft dough forms and a few streaks of flour remain, about 20–30 seconds.
- Add the macadamias and white chocolate chips and fold in with a spatula until evenly distributed.
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Ready when: No dry flour visible; dough is thick and studded evenly.
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and makes cookies tough.
Chill the dough
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- This firms the butter so the cookies spread less and the flavor deepens.
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Ready when: Dough is firm enough to scoop and hold its shape.
Tip: Chilled dough can be kept up to 48 hours; add 1–2 minutes of baking if baking straight from the fridge.
Preheat and scoopOven 350°F / 175°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C).
- Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon (about 45 g) balls and place them 2½ inches (6 cm) apart on the lined sheets, about 9 per sheet.
- Roll gently so they are rounded.
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Ready when: You have 18 evenly sized balls; oven has reached 350°F (175°C).
Tip: Keep the unused dough in the fridge while the first tray bakes.
Bake first trayOven 350°F / 175°C
- Sprinkle the tops lightly with flaky sea salt, if using.
- Bake one sheet at 350°F (175°C) for 11–13 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through.
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Ready when: Edges are set and light golden; centers look puffy and slightly underbaked and soft.
Tip: Don't wait for the centers to brown. They finish cooking on the hot pan and stay chewy.
Cool on the pan
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes so they firm up, then transfer with a spatula to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Ready when: Cookies lift off the pan without bending or breaking.
Bake second trayOven 350°F / 175°C
- Cool the second sheet to room temperature (or use a fresh lined sheet), then repeat scooping placement, optional flaky salt and baking at 350°F (175°C) for 11–13 minutes, rotating halfway.
- Cool as before.
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Ready when: Edges are light golden and set, centers soft and puffy.
Tip: Never place dough on a hot sheet; it will melt and spread.
Good to know
Tips
- Pull the cookies when the centers still look slightly underdone for a chewy texture.
- For bakery-style looks, press a few extra chips and nut pieces on top of each dough ball before baking.
- Weigh ingredients when possible for consistent results.
- If cookies spread too much, chill the dough 15 more minutes and check that your butter wasn't too soft.
Make ahead
"Dough can be refrigerated, covered, up to 48 hours. Or scoop dough balls, freeze on a tray until solid, then bag for up to 3 months and bake from frozen at 350°F (175°C), adding 2–3 minutes."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature in an airtight container up to 4 days. Freeze baked cookies up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature, or warm at 300°F (150°C) for 3–4 minutes to refresh. Not recommended refrigerated, as it dries them out."
Substitutions
- white chocolate chips → chopped white chocolate bar (about 6 oz / 170 g). Creates melty pools; choose one with cocoa butter listed.
- roasted unsalted macadamia nuts → toasted chopped cashews or almonds. Gives a similar crunch with a slightly different flavor.
- light brown sugar → dark brown sugar. Adds a deeper molasses flavor and a slightly chewier texture.
- unsalted butter → salted butter. Reduce fine sea salt to ½ tsp.
