Need a standout macadamia cookie recipe? These thick, chewy Chocolate Macadamia Cookies are soft and fudgy, loaded with buttery, crunchy macadamia nuts, white chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips for an irresistible triple-chocolate bite.
Triple chocolate and macadamia make a perfect pair. This dough doesn’t need chilling, so you can have warm, fresh cookies quickly—ideal when you want a fast chocolate fix. They’re excellent any time of year and especially welcome during the holidays.
Why We Love This Macadamia Cookie Recipe
These cookies are thick, chunky and packed with chocolate and nuts—the kind of cookie you’ll go “nuts” over. They’re simple to make, satisfy chocolate cravings, and produce reliably soft, fudgy centers with slightly crisp edges.
If you enjoy the combination of chocolate and nuts in brownies or other cookies, this recipe delivers the same comforting richness in cookie form.
About Macadamia Nuts
- They can be pricey, but macadamias are a defining ingredient here—worth the splurge for their buttery flavor.
- No toasting required. For these cookies you can use macadamias straight from the bag; rough, larger pieces give better texture than finely chopped nuts.
How to Store Macadamia Nuts
- Macadamias are high in oil and can go rancid. Store them airtight in the refrigerator for up to nine months.
- In the pantry their shelf life is shorter (around six months), while in the freezer they’ll keep for up to a year if sealed in an airtight container.
Where Macadamia Nuts Come From
- Macadamias originated in Australia; many are grown in Hawaii and also in regions across Latin America, Africa, Asia, California and Florida.
Why Macadamia Nuts Are Good for You
- Macadamias are low in sugar and carbs and contain fiber, healthy fats and antioxidants. In moderation they contribute to heart health, steady blood sugar and digestion.
Ingredients You Need
Macadamia Cookie Recipe
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into large cubes
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg, cold
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted if lumpy
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips (or semi-sweet)
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup dry roasted macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
How to Make Chocolate Macadamia Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, use a mixer to beat the cold, cubed butter with the brown sugar until combined and creamy.
- Add the cold egg and mix until just combined.
- Stir in the cocoa powder until fully incorporated.
- Add the flour, baking soda and salt and beat on low speed until a soft dough forms.
- Fold in the milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts, taking care not to overmix.
- Scoop dough using about 2 tablespoons per cookie (medium scoop) and place on the prepared trays, leaving space for slight spread. For larger cookies, use a larger scoop.
- Bake 12–14 minutes for medium cookies or 14–16 minutes for larger ones. Let the cookies cool completely on the tray; they will firm up as they cool.
- If desired, melt about 1 cup of chocolate chips and drizzle over cooled cookies using a piping bag or a snipped plastic bag.
Cookie Tips
- Brown sugar helps cookies spread less than white sugar and deepens the chocolate flavor.
- This recipe uses cold butter to limit spread and create thick cookies—different from recipes that call for softened or melted butter.
- Measure flour and cocoa powder carefully. Scoop and level flour with a knife to avoid packing too much in the cup.
- If cookies don’t spread, you likely added too much flour or cocoa powder. If needed, flatten dough slightly for the next batch.
- Avoid overmixing: it warms the dough and develops gluten, which can produce dense, flat cookies.
- If dough spreads too much, chill it 15–30 minutes before baking.
- Lightly sprinkle flaked salt on top before baking for a sweet-and-salty contrast—but use sparingly.
- Dry-roasted macadamias add extra flavor; larger nut pieces give a better crunch.
- Chocolate chips and nuts act as filler and help prevent excess spreading.
Variations and Substitutions
- Swap in different chips—white chocolate, peanut butter or semi-sweet—to change the flavor profile.
- Add dried cherries or cranberries for a chocolate-nut-fruit combination.
- For more texture, fold in shredded sweetened coconut or toffee bits.
Storing & Freezing Macadamia Cookies
- Store baked cookies at room temperature in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
- Freeze the dough or scooped dough balls for up to 3 months. Transfer frozen dough balls to a freezer-safe bag and bake from frozen—add a minute or two to baking time if needed.
In short, chocolate macadamia cookies combine sweet, salty, chewy and crisp textures in every bite. They’re straightforward to make with pantry-friendly ingredients and will quickly become a favorite for family and friends.
Serve warm with a glass of cold milk for melty chocolate goodness.
More Nutty Treats To Crave!
- Ultimate Peanut Butter Cookies
- Best-Ever White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
- Easy Fluffy Chocolate Marshmallow Peanut Clusters
- Ultimate Snickers Peanut Butter Cookies
- 60 Easy No Bake Treats
- Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Macadamia Cookies
Kim Lange
These thick and chewy Chocolate Macadamia Cookies are soft and fudgy, loaded with buttery macadamia nuts, white chocolate and milk chocolate chips.
Prep Time
10 mins
10 mins
Cook Time
12 mins
12 mins
Course
Dessert
Dessert
Servings
14 large cookies
14 large cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg, cold
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup macadamia nuts, rough chop
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat cold, cubed butter and brown sugar until creamy.
- Add the egg and mix until just combined.
- Mix in the cocoa powder until incorporated.
- Add flour, baking soda and salt; beat on low until a soft dough forms.
- Fold in both chocolate chips and macadamia nuts without overmixing.
- Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie and place on prepared trays, leaving room to spread.
- Bake 12–14 minutes for medium cookies, 14–16 for larger. Cool completely; cookies firm up as they cool.
Notes
- If you want to drizzle chocolate on top, melt about 1 cup of chocolate chips, pour into a bag, snip a corner and drizzle over cooled cookies.
