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Soft in the center and crisp on the edges, these Levain Bakery White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies taste straight out of the bakery. This White Chocolate Macadamia Nut cookie recipe creates thick, buttery cookies loaded with creamy white chocolate chips and toasted macadamia nuts.
If you know me well, you know I love Levain Bakery! I fell in love with the bakery almost 15 years when I was in New York City to film a segment in Food Network Studios after winning the perfect cookie contest. I was told it was the “best cookie in New York City” so that captured my attention.
My obsession turned into creating a Levain Bakery copycat cookie recipe with the Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies — their OG classic bakery-style chocolate chip cookie recipe with walnuts. It was the first recipe that I published on my website! I worked on it for years to get it just right!
Ever since then, I have been a frequent visitor to the beloved bakery and am happy to see more locations open up all over the country. I have been waiting and waiting and waiting for them to release their white chocolate macadamia nut cookie and was so excited for them to debut it! My daughter ran over there as soon as they opened to analyze it so we could try and replicate the recipe. It is beyond delicious! Levain Bakery outdid itself with this one!
I stopped everything I had going and planned for the day to dig in and do some recipe testing. This is my favorite kind of recipe testing and it will take priority over computer work all day, every day. This Levain Bakery White Chocolate Macadamia Cookie Recipe came out 10/10 and I am one smitten kitten. You will love the creamy white chocolate paired with the buttery dough and the crunchy macadamia nuts. It is now one of my absolute favorites!
This is what I love to do and my favorite part of my job. I have always loved to try to figure out recipes and testing them, creating, and baking in my kitchen is the funnest challenge. Thank you for all of your support over the years!
Why you will love this recipe:
Bakery-quality at home: Recreate the famous Levain cookies without leaving your kitchen. They are so easy to make!
Chewy & thick: Soft in the center with just the right amount of crisp on the edges.
Loaded with flavor: White chocolate and macadamia nuts deliver rich, buttery, decadent bites. This is a fan favorite cookie!
I have shared my recipe for White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies before but this is the thicker, bakery-style edition. Also, I have shared my Milk Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies and my White Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Nut Cookies. There are so many good ones to choose from!
Ingredients:
- Butter: I suggest using cold butter, cut into small cubes.
- Brown Sugar: Always pack down the brown sugar in a measuring cup.
- Sugar: Gives the cookies those perfect slightly crisp edges.
- Eggs: Always use large eggs in baking recipes.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour or a mix of cake flour and all-purpose flour for the most tender cookies.
- Baking Soda: The leavening ingredient that helps the cookies to rise in the oven.
- Cornstarch: This helps to keep them thick yet soft. It also keeps them softer for longer.
- Salt: This is such an important ingredient in baking because it balances out the sweetness and brings the flavor to the forefront.
- White Chocolate: My favorite brand of chips are Ghirardelli and Guittard.
- Macadamia Nuts: I like to use halved macadamia nuts or chopped macadamia nuts. I like to get the halved mac nuts from Costco.
How to make Levain Bakery White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together cold cubed butter, brown sugar, and sugar for 4 minutes or until creamy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one.
- Stir in flours, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined to avoid overmixing. Stir in white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.
- Separate dough into large 6-ounce balls and place on a light colored cookie sheet. I suggest using parchment paper sheets as well. The dough makes 8 extra large cookies.
- Bake for 8-11 minutes or until golden brown on the top. Let them rest for at least 10 minutes to set.
Cookie Dough Tip!
For consistent baking times, I suggest weighing your cookie dough with a kitchen scale. These cookies weigh 6 ounces each before baking but you can make them smaller.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s):
1. Can I make the cookies smaller?
You can, but smaller cookies will bake faster and may lose the iconic Levain thick texture. I recommend to decrease baking time by about 1 minute. Watch for the edges of the cookies to turn slightly golden brown!
2. Do I have to chill the dough?
Chilling helps the cookies hold their thick shape and improves texture, but it’s optional.
3. Can I substitute white chocolate?
Dark or milk chocolate works too, but the flavor will differ from the classic Levain version.
Storage:
Room temperature: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 2–3 days. They are best eaten the day you bake them.
Freezing dough: Scoop dough into balls, freeze on a tray, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to bake time.
Freezing baked cookies: Wrap individually and freeze for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
Levain Bakery Cookie Recipes:
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Levain Bakery White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup Cold Butter (cut into small cubes)
- 1 cup Brown Sugar (packed)
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups Cake Flour * (see notes)
- 1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour *
- 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 3/4 teaspoon Salt
- 2 cups (12 oz) White Chocolate Chips
- 2 cups Macadamia Nuts (roughly chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream together cold cubed butter, brown sugar, and sugar for 4 minutes or until creamy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one.
- Stir in flours, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined to avoid overmixing.
- Fold in white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.
- Separate dough into large 6-ounce balls and place on a light colored cookie sheet. I suggest using parchment paper sheets as well. The dough makes 8 extra large cookies.
- Bake for 8-11 minutes or until golden brown on the top. Let them rest for at least 10 minutes to set.
Notes
You can, but smaller cookies will bake faster and may lose the iconic Levain thick texture. I recommend to decrease baking time by about 1 minute. Watch for the edges of the cookies to turn slightly golden brown! See recipe post for answers to FAQ’s.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
