White chocolate macadamia cookies used to be one of my favorite treats to pick up at the bakery.

Once I stopped eating dairy, finding a good version in stores became almost impossible.

That is why I started baking my own dairy free white chocolate macadamia cookies at home.

They have soft centers, crisp edges, and plenty of crunch from toasted nuts.

You get all that classic sweet and buttery flavor without using any real butter or milk.

Why This Recipe Is a Keeper

Bakery Style Chew – The extra egg yolk and cornstarch give these dairy free cookies an amazingly soft and thick center.

Toasted Nut Flavor – Toasting the macadamia nuts first brings out a rich, buttery crunch that takes the flavor to another level.

Sweet and Salty Balance – Creamy dairy free white chocolate pairs wonderfully with the pinch of flaky sea salt on top.

No Dairy Compromise – You get all the classic cookie comfort without needing a single drop of real dairy.

Here’s What You’ll Need

3/4 cup Dairy Free Butter, Softened
1 cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
1 Large Egg
1 Large Egg Yolk
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
2 tsp Cornstarch
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 cup Dairy Free White Chocolate Chips
1 cup Macadamia Nuts
1/2 tsp Flaky Sea Salt

How to Make It

Step 1

Toast the macadamia nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until golden and fragrant. Let them cool, then roughly chop.

Step 2

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Step 3

In a large bowl, beat the dairy free butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla until smooth.

Step 4

Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until combined. Fold in the white chocolate chips and toasted macadamia nuts, saving a small handful of chips for the tops.

Cover and chill the dough for 45 minutes to keep the cookies thick and chewy.

Step 5

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough into 2 tablespoon balls and place them 3 inches apart.

Step 6

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers look slightly underbaked. Press the reserved white chocolate chips into the warm tops and sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt.

Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack.

Recipe Tips

Choose Stick Butter Instead of Tub Butter

From my experience, baking sticks work far better than spreadable tub butter for these cookies.

Tub spreads contain extra water and oil that will make your dough too wet, causing the cookies to spread flat and turn greasy.

Stick varieties keep their structure much better, giving you that thick bakery-style texture.

Cool the Macadamia Nuts Completely

Macadamia nuts have a lot of natural oil, so you need to stir them non-stop while toasting so they do not burn.

Once they turn lightly golden, let them cool down to room temperature before you chop them and add them to the bowl.

If you fold them into the dough while they are still warm, they will melt your dairy-free white chocolate chips into an oily swirl.

Keep the Dough Chilled

Dairy-free butter softens much faster than standard butter at room temperature.

I recommend sticking to the 45-minute chill time in the fridge so the plant oils can firm up properly.

This simple wait keeps the dough balls from melting too quickly on the hot pan, leaving your cookies thick and soft in the middle.

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