White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies with Sea Salt

by Brenda Score on April 18, 2022 (updated October 29, 2023)

Soft and chewy on the inside and lightly crispy on the outside, these White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies are deliciously buttery and loaded with crunchy macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips. A sprinkle of sea salt makes these the best macadamia nut cookies ever!

White chocolate macadamia nut cookies on a cooling rack

The Best White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

I’m not a big fan of white chocolate, much to my family’s dismay. But I do make an allowance here and there, and one such example is this White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies recipe!

These cookies are buttery and chewy, with a lightly crisp exterior. I love their textured tops, so fun with white chocolate chips, chopped macadamias, and sea salt flakes. You can absolutely bet that I will NOT turn down this treat that features white chocolate. This white chocolate chip cookie recipe with macadamia nuts is absolute perfection!

Overhead view of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies on a cooling rack

Why Add Sea Salt To Cookies?

For me, the sprinkle of flaky sea salt is what really brings these cookies together.

One thing that always gets my attention when it comes to sweet baked goods is an obvious contrast of saltiness. A touch of salt (real sea salt, not harsh table salt!) provides such a nice balance and contrast to sweets and chocolate. And it does not disappoint in these rich, buttery cookies. So good!

White chocolate macadamia nut ingredients

What You’ll Need

Here’s what you need to make white chocolate chip cookies with macadamia nuts.

All-purpose flour – Be sure to measure the flour accurately, so you don’t get too little or too much flour – here’s how to Fluff, Sprinkle, and Scrape!
Baking soda – Works better than baking powder to create a chewy texture.
Salt
Butter – Be sure to use a good quality butter for these cookies, to ensure a rich flavor and perfect texture.
Sugar – Both light brown sugar and granulated sugar are used in these cookies.
Egg – You’ll need one egg plus an additional egg yolk. The extra yolk adds extra moist, chewy texture and a richer flavor.
Vanilla & almond extracts – Be sure to use the pure version of each extract, not imitation extracts. You will be able to taste the difference.
White chocolate chips – You can also use an equal amount of chopped white chocolate bar.
Chopped macadamia nuts – I like to use a sea salt dry roasted variety for added flavor.
Sea salt flakes – To sprinkle over the top of the cookies. These are my favorite sea salt flakes!

How to Make White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

These white chocolate chip cookies are easy to make.

Make the cookie dough. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Beat the butter and sugars for 30 seconds. Add in the eggs and extract until just combined. Add half of the flour mixture and mix to incorporate. Then add the remaining flour and mix. Use a wooden spoon to fold in the white chocolate chips and chopped macadamia nuts.
Chill. Press plastic wrap onto the dough in the bowl. Chill for 45 minutes.
Bake. Tightly pack the cookie dough into the scoop – I use a 3-tablespoon scoop. Place 6 balls of cookie dough on the baking pan and press additional white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts into the dough. Bake for 14 minutes. The edges should be just lightly browned. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with sea salt flakes.

All that’s left to do is let the cookies cool a bit – and then ENJOY!!

Balls of white chocolate macadamia nut cookie dough on a baking sheet

Tips for Perfect Cookies

If you’re ready to make perfectly soft & chewy white macadamia nut cookies, follow these tips! This is how I end up with perfect cookies every time.

Use quality ingredients. This simple cookie recipe is not one where you want to take shortcuts with the ingredients or choose the cheapest option. From the butter and extracts to the white chocolate and macadamia nuts, using quality ingredients matters.
Measure the ingredients properly. Too much flour can make the cookies stiff, and not enough flour can make them spread too much.
Do not overmix the batter. In all stages of mixing the batter it should be just until the added ingredients are combined. Overmixing can lead to less chewy cookies.
Don’t skip the chilling. For the proper texture and thickness of these cookies, you really do need to chill the dough for 45 minutes. Chilling the dough will harden the butter, so when the scooped dough goes into the oven it will take longer for the butter to melt – which means the cookies won’t spread as much.
Pack the dough in a cookie scoop. Really packing the dough into the cookie scoop creates a denser ball of dough, which also prevents them from spreading too much too quickly.
Top dough with extra pieces. For cookies with visible pieces of white chocolate and chopped nuts on top, be sure to press some extra pieces into the scooped dough before baking. Refer to the photo above – this is how my scooped dough looked before going into the oven.

Overhead view of three macadamia nut cookies

Can I Freeze Macadamia Nut Cookies?

Yes, you can freeze both the baked white chocolate macadamia nut cookies and the dough.

To freeze the baked cookies, allow them to cool completely then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter and enjoy!

To freeze the cookie dough, flash freeze balls of cookie dough on a baking sheet. Transfer to a freezer-safe container. Then bake them directly from frozen – you’ll need to add an extra minute or so to the bake time.

How to Store

Cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 or 4 days. (Though good luck keeping these in the house that long!) Store in an airtight container so they don’t dry out.

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