Filled to the brim with vegan white chocolate chips and buttery macadamia nuts, these soft and chewy Vegan White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies are a must-make! This is an easy one-bowl recipe.
Treat yourself to more epic vegan cookies, like these Perfect Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies, Fluffernutter Cookies, Vegan Snickerdoodles, and Kitchen Sink Cookies.
Classic white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies have a famous melt-in-your-mouth texture and nutty flavor that make them irresistible. Jam-packed with white chocolate and buttery soft macadamia nuts, it’s not surprising that they’re so popular!
If you loved the classic version, you’ll surely fall for my Vegan White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies as well. They’re not only easy to make in one bowl but are also soft, thick, and chewy; it’s everything you want in a macadamia nut cookie!
Why I love these cookies
- Bakery-style cookies – Their pillowy soft, chewy, and buttery bites make these cookies taste like they’ve come straight from your favorite vegan bakery.
- A one-bowl dessert – It’s a foolproof vegan cookie recipe made mostly with baking staples in just one bowl.
- Freezer-friendly – Whether they’re baked or unbaked, vegan macadamia nut cookies are easy to freeze for months!
How to make vegan white chocolate macadamia nut cookies
Use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugars together in a large bowl until creamy and smooth. Next, beat in the milk and vanilla.
Add the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt to the bowl, then slowly beat them into the wet mixture on low speed until just combined. Finish by folding in the white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.
Want more mix-ins? Dried cranberries folded into the dough would give the cookies a festive twist.
Roll scoops of the cookie dough into balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets. Place the sheets in the fridge for 30 minutes so the cookie dough balls can firm up.
After chilling, bake the cookies until they’re just barely golden around the edges.
Do not overbake the cookies! You’ll know they’re done when the tops look puffy and the edges are just starting to brown. It’s okay if they still look a little underdone; they’ll continue to cook and firm up on the baking pans after they come out of the oven (it’s the secret to a chewy, soft cookie!).
Let the cookies rest on the pans for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
No, real white chocolate is not vegan since it’s made with milk solids. Vegan white chocolate chips can be hard to find, so I typically order them online. I like the Pascha White Chocolate Chips.
Any brand of vegan white chocolate chips should work well. You can also chop up a store-bought or homemade vegan white chocolate bar and use the chunks in the cookies instead.
Sure! Just use a gluten free flour mix (I love Better Batter) instead of the all purpose flour to make gluten free macadamia nut cookies.
I recommend it. The butter in the cookie dough becomes soft as you roll the dough balls, and warm butter melts faster in the oven, causing your cookies to spread. However, if you’re in a rush and don’t mind flatter cookies, you can skip the chill.
Yes, the cookies can be frozen before or after baking. The baked cookies freeze well in an airtight container for about 3 months.
To freeze the unbaked cookies, place the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Afterward, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen but add a few extra minutes to the bake time.
Vegan White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegan butter softened
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons soy milk or other plant milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegan white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts roasted or raw, salted or not
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a cookie sheet or two with parchment paper or lightly grease.
- In a large bowl using a handheld mixer (or stand mixer with the paddle attachment), cream together the butter and sugars until creamy and smooth.
- Beat in the milk and vanilla until fluffy and combined.
- Stop the mixer and add the flour. Sprinkle the baking soda, cornstarch and salt on top of the flour. Turn the mixer on low speed and mix until just combined.
- Mix in the white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts until well incorporated.
- Using a cookie scoop or spoon, roll into balls (about 1 1/2 tablespoons each) and place on the prepared pans. If possible, refrigerate the balls on the pan for 30 minutes before baking. If not, it's okay but the cookies may be a bit more flat.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes until they are just barely golden on the edges. Do not over bake. You can also stick a few white chocolate chips on top of each dough ball before baking, if you'd like.
- Let them cool on the pans for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a cooling rack. They will firm up as they cool, getting perfectly chewy. Enjoy!
Notes
- I used King David’s Vegan White Chocolate Chips and roasted lightly salted macadamia nuts. You can use raw macadamia nuts or roasted, salted or not, your choice.
- For gluten free, substitute a gluten free flour mix. I love Better Batter, especially for cookies.
- How to freeze: Roll the dough into cookie dough balls and freeze in a freezer friendly bag or container for up to 2 months.
- Storage: Store in a container at room temperature for up to 4-5 days.
These look fabulous and I’m excited to make them for the first time! Have you ever turned a regular recipe, such as this, into a protein cookie? How much of the flour would be safe to replace with unflavored protein powder (pea is what I have on hand)?
I haven’t ever added protein powder to a cookie recipe, but I would guess you’d try subbing a little flour for protein powder, perhaps 1/4-1/2 cup? I hope it works for you!