Need a quick, satisfying cookie with loads of flavor and a perfect, chewy bite? Brown butter white chocolate macadamia nut cookies are the answer. The nuttiness of the brown butter contrasts nicely against the sweetness of the white chocolate, and macadamia nuts give a satisfying crunch to the chewy cookie.
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All of the best things have been assembled here. The sweetness of white chocolate, the exotic flavor of macadamia nuts, and the perfect richness of brown butter. Or is it browned butter? You can decide.
These have the classic chewy, perfect texture of a classic white chocolate macadamia cookie. The edges are slightly crispy, with a melt-in-your-mouth center that’s studded with macadamias. I always feel like macadamias are a special occasion nut. As dearly as I love my almonds and cashews, they’re more daily companions.
And if you love these cookies, you’ll also love chocolate and pistachio cookies, or chocolate toffee cookies, both of which are made with brown butter. Or if you’re into classic nut and chocolate pairings, try some peanut butter chocolate chip oatmeal cookies!
A bit more about Macadamias…
Macadamia nuts are indigenous to Australia, and they are the world’s largest producer of the nuts. They also grow well on the Hawaiian Islands, and are a major industry there.
Macadamias have the hardest shell of any nut, even though the nuts themselves have a relatively soft crunch. They have a lightly sweet flavor profile, and are considered a very healthy nut. Maybe not in a ball of buttery, sugary cookie dough, but we’ll call these cookies balanced.
Brown Butter White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Ingredients
- Salted butter
- Brown sugar
- White sugar
- Large eggs
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Roasted and salted macadamia nuts
- Chopped chocolate
Equipment Needed
- A small pot for browning the butter
- A chopping board and sharp knife to cut the white chocolate if you’re using bars
- Measuring cups and spoons or a baking scale for measuring out ingredients
- Mixing Bowl to mix the batter
- Baking Sheets for baking the cookies
How to Brown Butter
Browning butter is a simple process that adds a huge flavor boost to your cookies. During this process, the milk solids are toasted (browned), giving it a unique savory, nutty quality.
To brown butter, all you need to do is place it in a pot and heat it over medium heat. The butter will melt, then begin to bubble and pop. Let it continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the bubbling and foam on top have calmed down.
You should be able to see the milk solids separated from the oil and browning on the bottom. Remove the butter from the heat when it is a medium brown color, and before the oil has become dark.
Pour the browned butter into a liquid measuring cup. Add soft butter to it to make it equal to 1 cup again–this should only be 1-2 tablespoons.
Let the butter cool but not harden before mixing it into the cookie dough. If it’s too warm, the white chocolate will simply melt into the batter.
Mixing the Cookie Dough
Note: The cookie dough can be mixed by hand or with a hand mixer. If you do use a mixer, I recommend stirring in the chocolate and nuts by hand so that they don’t break up into tiny pieces.
Brown the butter, and set it aside to cool. Chop the macadamia nuts into large pieces (about 2-4 from each nut), and chop the chocolate up if you’re using a bar.
Pour the cooled brown butter into a mixing bowl. Add in the brown and white sugars and stir them in thoroughly. They won’t combine completely, and there may be a layer of oil on top of the sugars. That’s fine, it’ll all come together with the other ingredients.
Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Stir it for a couple of minutes, or until the egg yolk is completely stirred into the mixture. This may take a bit, and the texture of the mixture may seem very viscous and strange. But just keep stirring, and eventually the egg will work in!
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda and powder, and stir until they’re well mixed and the rising agents are distributed.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir them in until there are only a few streaks of flour visible. Put the chopped nuts and white chocolate in the bowl, and stir until they are completely mixed in.
Note: I recommend reserving some pieces of the macadamia nuts and white chocolate. These can be pressed into the tops of the cookies before baking for a prettier finished cookie.
Baking the Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Using a cookie scoop, portion out the dough into evenly sized scoop. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, you can use a measuring spoon or cup to measure the dough. I like
Place the cookie dough on a baking sheet several inches apart. If you reserved any nuts or chocolate, press a few pieces of each into the top of each cookie. Bake for ??? minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown.
Remove them from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes before removing them to a cooling rack with a spatula.
Storing the Cookies
Once the cookies are completely cooled and the white chocolate has hardened, the cookies can be put in an airtight bag or container. Store them at room temperature in a cool, dry place. They should stay fresh for up to a week.
These cookies also freeze well! Keep them sealed in an airtight bag in the freezer and pull one out as the need (craving) arises.
Print
Brown Butter White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks,227 grams) of salted butter + 1-2 tablespoons (separate)
- 1 cup (200 grams) brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups (338 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 72 grams (2.5 oz./1/2 cup) roasted and salted macadamia nuts, chopped
- 142 grams (5 oz./1 cup) chopped white chocolate or white chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350° and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a small pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Continue to let it cook until the butter solids are a toasty brown color and the butter isn’t making a popping sound anymore.
Pour the butter into a 1 cup measuring cup and add butter, a bit at a time, until you have 1 cup of butter. Dump it into a mixing bowl and let it cool to room temperature. Make sure the butter is completely cooled down before making the dough, or the chocolate will end up melting.
Add the sugar and stir it all together until they’re all combined and wet. Some of the butter won’t mix in, and that’s alright.
Mix in both the eggs and the vanilla, and stir until there’s no more egg visible. This may take a few minutes, as again, the butter won’t mix as easily in its liquid form.
Dump the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda into the bowl and stir them in well. The dough may still feel a bit soft, but don’t be tempted to add more flour.
Add the pistachios and chopped chocolate to the bowl and stir them in until well distributed. Then scoop the dough into 2 oz. balls and place them on the baking sheet 2-3″ apart.
Press a chunk or two of chopped chocolate into each ball of cookie dough, then sprinkle on a few pieces of chopped pistachio.
Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are set and a light golden brown. The centers will still look doughy, but they will continue to bake after they’ve been taken out of the oven.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to set for a few minutes. Then, use a metal spatula to remove them to a cooling rack.
Let the cookies set and cool completely. Then place them in an airtight container. The cookies can be stored at room temperature for 4-5 days. They also freeze well for up to two weeks if placed in a freezer safe container.