Happy Mother's Day! If your idea of a perfect day involves baking something special for your family rather than booking a spa appointment, these White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies are the way to go.
I've had this recipe for a while now and consider it one of the best. That's completely subjective of course, but it was also endorsed by a blog called One for the Table and The Baltimore Sun. And the source is pretty fun! It's from the actress Rosanne Barr, who baked the cookies for her family when she lived on a macadamia farm. Or so the story goes. At any rate, the cookies are buttery, slightly crisp at the edges, soft in the center, and packed with sweet white chocolate and rich macadamia nuts.
Even using regular bulk-bin macadamias, these cookies turn out fantastic. The flavor combination really carries the recipe. White chocolate adds sweetness while the macadamias add the crunch and flavor pop that makes these cookies feel a little more special than your average chocolate chip.
A Few Quick Baking Notes
These cookies hold their shape better with white chips rather than white chunks, but white chunks give you more white chocolate flavor and a more dramatic appearance. For better shape, keep the dough balls tightly packed. You can also try using bleached all-purpose for a lighter, more tender structure, but unbleached is fine too. There are some more detailed notes at the bottom of the recipe card.
Recipe
White Chocolate Chunk Macadamia Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour** (274 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into chunks and softened (230 grams)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar (200 grams)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 9 oz white chocolate chopped or 1 ½ cups white chocolate chips Roseanne uses Guittard
- 1 cup unsalted roasted macadamia nuts roughly chopped
- ½ cup unsweetened flaked coconut, toasted (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. If you haven't already done so, toast the coconuts and nuts**
- Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
- Cream the butter in the bowl of stand mixer with paddle on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the sugars and beat the mixture until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes, scraping sides of the bowl. Reduce the speed and add the egg and egg yolk and mix until combined. Scrape bowl and mix in the vanilla.
- By hand or using lowest speed of stand mixer, stir in the flour mixture until combined. Add white chocolate, nuts and cooled toasted coconut and stir until mixed.
- Divide dough into 16 portions (or use a medium cookie scoop and get about 30), each about 3 tablespoons (or use #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but will require 3 batches.)
- Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack to cool.
- Note: 10 minutes would be the shortest baking time. Mine are usually done in 14.
EW says
These were one of the best cookies I have ever made, and I baked many types of cookies. I thought that these were much better than white chocolate-macadamia nut-cranberry cookies (which are too sweet for me).
Amy Ephron says
Hi, just wanted to thank you for the shout out! we're glad you liked the macadamia nut cookies! Thanks for the link.
I'm glad I found you -- your blog is great.
All best wishes,
Amy Ephron
Publisher
Oneforthetable.com
Andrea says
Wow.. these look really awsome!! They are top on my recipe's to bake list.
White chocolate Macadamia Nut cookies are my favorite of all since second grade in kindergarden.
I just have doubts about the shredded coconut...
joan says
This post reminds me of one of my all-time favorite recipes. It is from the 2007 Dallas Morning News cookie contest. These won 2nd place, and use milk chocolate chips, but I'm sure white chips could be substituted.
Anna says
Ha Ha! Thanks Nancy. I'll keep it as is. Did you happen to click through to the One for the Table site? Roseanne's personal intro is there. It's kind of cute.
Susan, I'll have to try yours. I think it looks significantly different with the oats and different sugar amounts. The photos look great!
Nancy says
Don't change a thing - the post is great just how it is! My first thought was, "Oh, that's where she went." And for the record? I don't think you can post a bad recipe. 🙂
Anna says
Nancy, should I restructure the paragraph or are you just surprised that Roseanne Barr lives on a nut farm in Hawaii and bakes cookies? I'm trying to do a better job of editing, but sometimes things still don't sound right. At least you got a good recipe out of it ;).
Nancy says
You have no idea how many times I had to re-read that post to understand it. Between the Roseanne Barr reference (the actress) and living on a "nut farm" I got a competely different meaning from it. 🙂
Sue says
I love white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. I can still remember the very first time I had one. They seemed so exotic! Hope you had a nice Mother's Day!
Jalanda says
Dang it! I'm out of Vanilla Extract. These are now on my short "to make" list!
Debbi Does Dinner Healthy says
My favorite! White chocolate and macadamia nuts! yum!
vanillasugar says
i really think white choco macadamia cookies should always have the coconut in them. just something about it helps to bring out the flavor of the white choco.
Becky says
I love it! I was at home alone with my 2 girls today after church since my hubby had to work. I baked chocolate chip cookies for them just because I wanted to. I will have to give these a try.
Susan says
These look similar to the cookies I make and sell at the farmers markets. I'll have to include thhttp://thecookiescoop.blogspot.com/2009/03/white-chocolate-cranberry-cookie.htmle recipe! They're great, they don't spread and they come out nice and thick!
Louise says
When I try these, I'll probably chill them overnight and see if I get a thicker cookie. They seem to have the tastes of Hawaii, except for some dried pineapple.