Rich and decadent White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies are always a hit! They are sweet, buttery, and easy to make with this fun cookie recipe.
As a bonus, I’ll show you how to turn this cookie recipe into a cookie gift jar, complete with free printable gift tags and all of my best tips and tricks.
Macadamia nuts, native to Australia and later commercialized in Hawaii, are one of the more rare and exotic nuts that you can bake with.
They are especially delicious too, with a soft, buttery texture that is just divine paired with sweet and creamy white chocolate chips.
Most of the world has only had access to macadamia nuts since the early 1900s, and in that time, I’d definitely say that the white chocolate macadamia nut cookie is the most well-known recipe created including them.
These cookies are absolutely perfect, with a soft, chewy base and loads of nuts and white chocolate mixed in.
If you love cookies with nuts in them, be sure to try my amazing recipe for Pecan Sandies or soft Banana Bread Cookies topped with chopped pecans and cream cheese frosting.
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If you want to make a thoughtful DIY gift for someone, turn this easy cookie recipe into a mason jar gift!
Simply layer the dry ingredients into a jar and tie it up with a bow. Your gift recipient can bake up a fresh batch of cookies when the mood strikes.
More details on how to make this macadamia nut cookie recipe in a jar are down below, including free printable gift tags.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
The best part about White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies is all of the wonderful textures that exist in each delectable bite! Crunchy and buttery nuts, creamy and sweet white chocolate chips, and a soft, chewy cookie base all play together wonderfully. It’s like a party in your mouth!
This recipe, like all of our fun cookie recipes, is also super easy to make with step by step instructions and pictures to guide you through. It starts with a no-chill dough, and you’ll have the first tray of white chocolate macadamia cookies out of the oven in under 20 minutes!
Have extra white chocolate chips? Use them to bake up a batch of Orange Creamsicle Cookies or Cookies and Cream Cookies next!
Key Ingredients
Complete list of ingredients with quantities and instructions is located in the recipe card below
- Macadamia Nuts: They can be expensive, but it’s so, so worth it, especially when you bake them into these delicious cookies with white chocolate chips! Coarsely chop the nuts before mixing them into the dough.
- White Chocolate Chips: I like the simplicity of using white chocolate chips, but you could also use chopped white chocolate if that’s what you have on hand.
- Vanilla Extract: I suggest that you use the best quality pure vanilla extract that you can for this recipe. Vanilla elevates the other simple flavors in this cookie to the best level!
- Brown Sugar: Soft cookie recipes like this one use both granulated sugar and brown sugar in the dough. Brown sugar makes the cookies soft and chewy, while white sugar gives you slightly crispy edges.
- Butter and Egg: Let your butter and your egg come to room temperature before you get started. This will ensure that your cookie dough mixes up to be perfectly smooth.
How To Make Macadamia Nut Cookies with White Chocolate
Tips for the Best Macadamia Nut Cookies
- Don’t chop the nuts too small. These cookies are best when there are large pieces of macadamia nuts visible throughout each cookie.
- To soften butter for cookie dough, allow it to sit out at room temperature for several hours. It should be soft enough to easily press your finger into, but not so soft that it’s starting to get melty.
- Measure carefully, and be especially careful not to compact the flour. Either measure it by weight or spoon the flour into your measuring cup and then level it off.
- For a bit of a different flavor, make these with milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of or along with the white chocolate chips.
- To make your cookies look photo-ready, add a few extra white chocolate chips and nuts to the top just before baking. This way you’ll really be able to see what’s inside.
- You can freeze this cookie dough! I find it’s easiest to portion the dough into balls, then flash freeze them on a tray. Once they’re solid, transfer the balls to a freezer bag, label, and store for up to 3 months. Bake the frozen dough directly from frozen, adding an extra minute or two to the baking time.
How to Make Macadamia Nut Cookie Gift Jars
- Start with a clean 32-ounce mason jar.
- Mix the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt together in a mixing bowl.
- Then start layer the dry ingredients for the cookies into the jar.
- I suggest layering in this order: White sugar, brown sugar, flour mixture, white chocolate chips, and finally, the nuts. This order makes layers that vary in color and texture.
- Use a funnel to create visible and beautiful layers. If you don’t have a funnel, use a spoon to carefully place everything in.
- Wipe down the sides of the jar with a paper towel to remove any flour that may have stuck while you were pouring it in.
- Don’t forget to download the free printable cookie jar gift tags that I made for you! When you download the PDF file you’ll have three different design options to choose from, including holiday and non-holiday themes. Each includes a space for a hole punch so that you can tie the cards onto the jars.
- Each gift tag includes instructions for baking the cookies so that the giftee will be able to create these tasty cookies easily at home by adding fresh butter, eggs, and vanilla extract.
Storing Tips for Macadamia Nut Cookies
- Store your homemade white chocolate macadamia nut cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- They can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
- The cookie mix in a jar can be stored for up to 3 months in a cool, dry location.
Other Tasty Cookies You Should Try
- Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Cookies (they’re soft and chewy!)
- Oatmeal Scotchies
- Copycat Lofthouse Cookies
- Oreo Stuffed Cookies
- Coffee Cookies with Chocolate Chips
Recipe FAQs
You can use either! Macadamia nuts are often easiest to find salted, but if you happen to have unsalted nuts, I suggest adding a sprinkle of flaked sea salt to the cookies just after they come out of the oven to add that salty flavor to the party.
Nope! I like these cookies better with un-toasted macadamia nuts. Some of the nuts on top will toast naturally during baking, and that’s plenty of roasted flavor for this recipe.
The extra cost for macadamias is because this delicious nut is rare and difficult to grow. Macadamia nut trees can only grow in certain regions and climates, and harvesting is primarily done by hand.
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies are a classic, and they are perfect for the holidays, or any occasion that calls for decadent sweet, and nutty homemade cookies! Make sure to Pin this recipe, and don’t forget to download your free cookie gift jar tags if you’re making this recipe to share.
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup macadamia nuts coarsely chopped, plus more for decoration if desired
- 1 cup white chocolate chips plus more for decoration if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C, or 160°C fan oven. Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside until needed.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, for about 3-4 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix again.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 2-3 smaller additions, mixing well after each. Gently fold in the macadamia nuts and the white chocolate chips.
- Use a medium cookie scoop (#40 size, or 1.5 tablespoon) to scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Press additional nuts and white chocolate chips onto the cookie dough balls if desired. Bake in the preheated oven for 7-9 minutes, or until the cookies are spread and set on top.
- Allow to cool 5 minutes on the cookie sheet befores transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Made with a medium cookie scoop, these cookies will be about 2.5 inches wide. You can make them slightly smaller or larger, but the baking time will need to be adjusted.
- Adding extra chips and nuts to the top of each cookie before baking will make them look extra yummy. If you skip this step, all of the add-ins will be hidden under cookie dough.
- The dry ingredients for this recipe will fit perfectly into a 32-oz Mason Jar and can be packaged up as an edible gift! Layer white sugar, brown sugar, the flour mixture from step 2, white chocolate chips, and finally the macadamia nuts. Seal the jars, and print gift tags with instructions for baking the recipe (a free PDF is included in the main post).
- Storing: Store your homemade white chocolate macadamia nut cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. The cookie mix in a jar can be stored for up to 3 months in a cool, dry location.
Nutrition
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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