Bakery Style White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Ready to make a cookie that will rival a Manhattan bakery? Skip the store-bought cookies and make these chunky White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies. They’ve got it all. They are thick and chunky and buttery with macadamia crunch. It’s an irresistible cookie that’ll have you craving more.

Use our master recipe for bakery style cookies to craft your own unique flavors!

These cookies offer a buttery soft chew with just the right amount of crunch—basically heaven in every bite. Bakery-Style White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies are as easy to make as they are to enjoy. Plus, it’s freezer-friendly, so you can bake up a fresh cookie (or a dozen!) anytime you like. Once you try these, they’ll become your go-to treat.

Ingredient Notes

• Butter: Preferably, you’d use unsalted butter for this, but if salted is all you’ve got, it’ll work too. Just reduce the salt by about 1/4 teaspoon. Be sure it’s softened to room temperature before creaming.
• Brown Sugar: Either light or dark brown sugar works. Dark brown sugar gives you a deeper flavor that a lot of people prefer.
• Granulated Sugar: Yup, just regular old sugar. 
• Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract gives the best flavor, but imitation vanilla also works.
• Cake Flour and All-Purpose Flour: The combination of cake flour and all-purpose flour gives this cookie great texture. If you don’t have cake flour, use an equal amount of all-purpose to replace. It just won’t have as cakey of a texture.
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Make sure they are fresh and not expired so your cookies get the right amount of rise and puff.
• White Chocolate Chips: Use high-quality white chocolate chips for the best results.
• Macadamia Nuts: Use roasted, salted macadamia nuts. Depending on the ones you get, you may want to roughly chop them for smaller bites in the cookie.

Why Cake Flour?

Cake flour is the secret to achieving that soft, tender texture in these bakery-style cookies. Cake flour has a lower protein content than all-purpose, which means it produces less gluten during mixing. Less gluten results in cookies that are lighter and softer. We still use some all-purpose flour because we need it for structure so the cookies don’t spread flat.

If you don’t have cake flour, replace it by using only all-purpose flour in the recipe. You won’t get the same texture, but they’ll still be delicious.

Dark Brown Sugar vs Light

Dark brown sugar has a higher molasses content compared to light brown sugar, which intensifies its flavor a little bit and adds extra moisture. Dark brown sugar achieves a deeper caramel-like richness and a chewier texture. And the cookies end up staying soft for just a little bit longer.

Toasting The Macadamia Nuts

This step is optional, but if you love a warm, nutty flavor, consider toasting the macadamia nuts before mixing them into the cookie dough. When toasted, the natural oils in the nuts are brought to the surface, enhancing their buttery, nutty

Simply spread the nuts evenly on a baking sheet and toast at 350°F (175°C) for 5–7 minutes, stirring halfway through, until golden and fragrant. Once done, let them cool completely before adding them to your dough.

The Science Behind High Heat

These cookies are baked at 400°F (200°C), which is higher than the typical temperature for cookies. Why? Baking at a high heat causes the butter in the dough to melt quickly, spreading the cookies slightly while setting the edges fast enough to create that golden, slightly crisp exterior. The centers stay soft and chewy because the high temperature shortens the baking time, preventing overcooking.

If you’re aiming for those extra-thick, bakery-style cookies, refrigerating or freezing the dough right after shaping it into balls can make them extra chunky. Why? Chilling the dough slows down spreading during baking, giving you that perfectly thick cookie. For the tallest cookies, bake them straight from the freezer—you won’t be disappointed!

Smaller Cookies

As written, this recipe makes 12 large cookies. Using a kitchen scale, you’d divide the dough into roughly 5 or 6-ounce portions. This is the giant portion size found at specialty bakeries.

For a more normal-sized cookie, you can make them into 24 smaller cookies. Using a kitchen scale, you’d divide the dough into roughly 2-ounce portions or use a 2-ounce cookie scoop. Adjust the recipe by baking at 400 degrees for about 8 minutes.