I’m of the opinion that brown butter just makes everything better. There are some ingredients that I absolutely ~*love*~, such as sun dried tomatoes and vanilla bean. And brown butter of course! I guess there are some ingredients that are just particularly inspiring to me. For this recipe, I was inspired to take one of my favorite classic cookie flavors, and kick it up a notch with brown butter! The result? These pretty darn perfect Brown Butter White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies.
These cookies are perfectly crunchy on the edges, but still chewy in the middle. The brown butter adds a whole new dimension to classic White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies. And, like any good cookie, they’re crazy addicting. I always bring sweets to my coworkers, and this recipe is a favorite among them!
The only ‘tricky’ part of this recipe is browning the butter. If you’ve never made brown butter before, I’d recommend reading through this guide from The Kitchn. The brown butter is absolutely essential for this recipe. The nutty richness of the butter perfectly complements the macadamia nut cookies.
You can make the brown butter ahead and time and refrigerate it until ready to use. Whether you make it ahead or not, make sure that the butter is at room temperature (so, not melted or liquid) before making the cookies. Room temp butter creamed with sugar (for this recipe, equal parts white and brown sugar) is the foundation for all classic cookies.
Once you make the dough, be sure to chill it for 30 minutes before baking. Don’t skip this step! If you don’t chill the dough, it’ll spread far too much while baking, and you’ll be left with overly crispy, thin cookies rather than these perfectly chewy and crunchy delights.
Related Recipes
If you’re looking for more cookie recipes, I’ve got you covered. These Best Ever Peanut Butter Cookies are just that, the absolute best peanut butter cookies you’ll ever have. Don’t believe me? Well just give them a try and decide for yourself! Or maybe you’d like to try these Vanilla Latte Cookies instead. Classic vanilla shortbread cookies are flavored with espresso powder, and dipped in dark chocolate.
Want delicious nutty flavor, but in cake form? Try this Raspberry Rosemary Almond Cake. I love incorporating fresh herbs into desserts, and rosemary works beautifully in this recipe to compliment fresh raspberries and crunchy almonds.
Brown Butter White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup macadamia nuts
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, add butter and heat on medium low. Let butter melt, then cook for around 5-7 minutes, swirling the saucepan occasionally. Butter will bubble and solids will collect at the bottom of the saucepan. Be sure to watch the butter carefully, for it can go from brown to burnt in seconds!
- When the butter solids turn golden brown, immediately remove brown butter from heat and pour into a bowl. Let butter cool completely before using it to make the cookies. You'll want the butter to be room temperature when working with it; so either let the butter cool at room temperature for a few hours, or let cool in the refrigerator and bring back up to room temperature when you're ready to make the cookies.
- Add room temperature butter to either a large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer. Use a mixer to whip the butter until it is fluffy. Add brown and white sugars, and cream sugars into the butter until smooth.
- Add egg and vanilla extract to the creamed butter and sugar, and mix until smooth.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients, about a third cup at a time, until dry ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Fold in white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.
- Chill dough in fridge for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.
- Using a spoon or cookie scoop, scoop the dough into 1 tablespoon balls. Place about 2" apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-13 minutes, or until cookies have spread and are golden brown on the edges.
- Remove from oven, and let cookies sit on baking sheet for an additional 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
[…] In addition to these guys, one of my other all time favorite cookie recipes are these Brown Butter White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies. […]