I find something magical about the smell of brown butter swirling through the kitchen. The moment I learned how that nutty and rich aroma transforms a simple cookie, I never looked back. These Brown Butter Macadamia Nut Cookies are my homemade take on a bakery favorite, soft, chewy, and full of buttery flavor. These cookies are the cozy treat that's both classic and elevated, simple to make and yet irresistibly delicious.
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Why You'll Love These Brown Butter Macadamia Nut Cookies
Once you taste these white chocolate macadamia cookies with browned butter, you'll understand why they're always a hit.
The combination of toasted macadamia nuts and creamy white chocolate creates an excellent balance of crunch and sweetness, wrapped in a chewy, soft cookie base with deep caramel notes from the browned butter.
If this isn't enough, here are more reasons why you'll love these cookies:
- Amazing Flavor- The brown butter adds a nutty, rich flavor that makes these cookies unforgettable.
- Perfect Texture- They're soft and chewy inside with slightly crispy edges.
- Crunchy Addition- The toasted macadamia makes the perfect crunch.
- Make-Ahead Friendly- You can make them ahead as the dough chills beautifully.
- Elevated Classic- They taste like the classic white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, only elevated.
Equipment Needed
- Saucepan or skillet
- Mixing bowls
- Electric hand or stand mixer
- Spatula
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- #40 cookie scoop
- Cooling rack
Key Ingredients
Unsalted butter - Browning the butter adds toffee-like notes.
Brown and granulated sugar - Add chewiness and sweetness.
Vanilla extract - Enhances the buttery and nutty flavors.
Eggs - For softness and structure, as they bind the ingredients together.
All-purpose flour - The perfect base for a tender crumb.
Baking soda - Helps the cookies stay soft and rise slightly.
White chocolate chips - Add creamy sweetness to every bite.
Macadamia nuts - Add buttery flavor and toast for extra crunch.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Heat a saucepan or skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Whisk occasionally as it melts. Once the butter foams and starts to crackle, keep stirring until the milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty. Remove from the heat and transfer to a mixing bowl, including the brown bits. Cool for 20 to 30 minutes.
While the butter cools, toast macadamia nuts in a 350F oven for 3 to 5 minutes, watch closely to avoid burning.
Add brown and granulated sugar to the cooled butter. Cream together with a mixer until smooth. Stir in vanilla extract and eggs until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to the wet mixture, mixing on low just until well combined.
Stir in white chocolate chips and toasted macadamia nuts using a spatula.
Use a #40 cookie scoop to drop dough balls on to the parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 11 minutes or until lightly golden. The cookies will firm up as they cool.
Make Ahead
This brown butter macadamia cookie is an excellent make ahead recipe. Chill the dough for up to 48 hours. The flavor develops and deepens beautifully. You can also scoop the dough balls and freeze them, baking straight from being frozen (just add an extra minute to the baking time).
Storage
Store the baked cookies in an airtight container or cookie jar at room temperature for up to 5 days. For longer storage, you can freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months, just warm them briefly in the microwave to bring back that fresh from the oven texture.
Expert Tips
- Watch the butter as it cooks — it can go from golden to burnt fast. The moment it smells nutty, remove it from the heat.
- Do not skip cooling the butter. Hot butter will melt the sugar, and it will make the dough greasy.
- To bring out the natural nuttiness of the macadamia nuts and enhance the cookie's overall flavor, toast your nuts.
- You can slightly underbake the cookies as they will continue to cook on the sheet as they cool. It will give you that perfect soft and chewy center.
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Brown Butter Macadamia Nut Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, browned *see notes
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 and ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup macadamia nuts, toasted
Instructions
- Heat a skillet or saucepan over medium heat and melt the butter. Whisk occasionally as the butter melts.
- Let the butter melt completely, then continue cooking, stirring often. The butter will start to foam and crackle as the water evaporates. Watch the butter closely at this step because it will begin to brown quickly.
- After a few minutes, the crackling will quiet down, and the milk solids at the bottom will start to turn golden brown. Keep stirring so they don’t burn. When the butter turns an amber color and has a nutty smell, remove from the heat immediately and pour into mixing bowl (including the brown bits!) to cool. Allow the butter to cool for 20-30 minutes before making the cookies.
- While butter is cooling toast the macadamia nuts in a 350℉ oven for 3-5 minutes. Watch closely so the nuts do not burn.
- Once the butter has cooled add the granulated sugar and brown sugar to the mixing bowl and cream together using a stand or hand mixer.
- Add the vanilla extract and eggs to the mixing bowl.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually add to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed only until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Use a spatula to stir in the white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.
- Use a cookie scoop (I used a #40) to scoop dough balls onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake in the 350℉ oven for 11 minutes. The cookies will be lightly brown and firm up on the sheet as they cool.
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