Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies

With their thick and chewy texture, these chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies are a fun spin on the classic chocolate chip cookies. Buttery chopped pieces of macadamia nuts make them indulgent and decadent. The perfect cookie for milk dunking!

I made these cookies in the first few months of blogging. I remember being so worried about how it’d look to post a recipe for a classic cookie — aka nothing healthy about them — when I was trying to build a website focusing on more nutritious foods. These concerns have vanished with 12 years of writing on the internet under my belt. 

Recently, I’ve tried to keep these old recipes from getting buried in the archives of all the old posts with horrible pictures. These cranberry orange biscotti were a recent makeover, orange muffins another, and plenty more to come.

Everyone needs some indulgence in their diet now and then. I can’t think of a better cookie recipe to do that with than one that combines everything you love about a soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie with the added richness of raw macadamia nuts.

Often, macadamia nuts are paired with white chocolate chips, but I make my distaste for this ingredient well-known in this cranberry chocolate chip cookie recipe. Dark chocolate chips are a much better-tasting pairing, in my opinion, and don’t overload your palate with the intense taste of sugar.

The dark chocolate lets the macadamia nuts shine, as they should in this cookie recipe.

Ingredients to make these macadamia nut cookies

You’ll see the ingredient list for these cookies is very traditional. There are no weird substitutions, and sharing this recipe without some baking alternative in the mix feels quite odd!

• Flour
• Butter
• Brown sugar
• Granulated sugar 
• Egg
• Vanilla extract
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Macadamia nuts
• Dark chocolate chips

Gluten-free option — The one alternative I will share is to make these cookies gluten-free if you prefer. To do so, you can swap out the regular all-purpose flour for a gluten-free blend. The cookies come out as good, flavor- and texture-wise, using a gluten-free flour. I’ve had success using King Arthur’s measure for measure flour.

How to make chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies

Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat such as a silpat.

Place the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream together using a handheld electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. This can also be done in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment.

Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat again until incorporated.

Combine the flour, salt and baking soda in a separate bowl and slowly add to the wet ingredients, using the mixer on a low speed to incorporate the dry ingredients.

Once the flour mixture is incorporated, fold in the dark chocolate chips and chopped macadamia nuts using a spatula. The batter will be thick.

Use a medium cookie scoop to drop cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet. You can also use your hands to roll and shape the dough into balls.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until the edges start to turn golden brown. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven, let the cookies cool for a few minutes until they firm up a bit, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Why you’ll love these cookies!

• No chill time needed — So many chocolate chip cookie recipes require an hour or so in the fridge before baking. While that can sometimes result in a better cookie, I don’t find it necessary for these macadamia nut cookies. They’re still soft and chewy and don’t tend to spread excessively when baking.
• Big chunks! — If you’re a sucker for texture, the big pieces of chocolate chips and macadamia nuts offer the perfect amount of crunch.
• Crispy edges & soft centers — Unlike a proper soft-batch cookie, this recipe combines the best of both worlds, giving you nice crisp edges and soft, chewy centers.
• Easy to freeze — Double the batch and freeze half for later; this recipe stores well in the freezer.
• Easy recipe — It’s hard to mess up this recipe. The ingredients are simple, and the cookies are easy to make.

What kind of macadamia nuts to use

I prefer using raw macadamia nuts that haven’t been roasted or salted. Raw nuts let the taste of the macadamia shine so you can appreciate their authentic buttery flavor and smooth texture. Raw nuts are best for making macadamia nut butter, too. When roasted and salted, the salt typically overpowers the nut.

Contrary to some opinions, macadamia nuts do not have to be cooked or roasted to eat.

If you’re looking for raw macadamia nuts, the best place to find them is in the bulk section of a natural grocery store. Frequently, they’re kept refrigerated due to their high-fat content.

Are macadamia nuts healthy?

Like many other types of nuts, macadamias are rich in nutrients. High in healthy fats, vitamins and minerals, macadamia nuts also offer 3 grams of fiber per ounce. 

Adding some to a chocolate chip cookie is a great way to enjoy their benefits!

Variations to try

• Swap the chocolate chips — While it pains me to say it, you can also use white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, caramel chips, peanut butter chips or milk chocolate chips paired with the macadamia nuts in these cookies.
• Add dried fruit — Dried cranberries or cherries will complement the nuts and chocolate nicely.
• Swap out the nuts — Don’t have macadamias? Try using pecans, walnuts, cashews or almonds. You can also try these cranberry almond chocolate chip cookies.
• Stuff them with nut butter! — A creamy nut butter center like in these peanut butter stuffed cookies is always a decadently delicious option. 

How to store the cookies

These cookies will keep at room temperature, covered for up to a week. They can also be frozen in an air-tight, freezer-safe bag or container for up to a few months. Thaw at room temperature.

More cookie recipes like this to try

Olive oil cookies
Paleo chocolate chip cookies
Rosemary chocolate chip cookies