Y’all, we’re taking it straight to the mall. Grab your Strawberry Kiwi Snapple and your teddy bear backpack… we’re going shopping at Hot Topic, we’re dousing ourselves in free samples of Gap Dream and we’re spending our allowance on cookies at Mrs Fields. White Chocolate Macadamia Nut is the way to go if you’re a baller / shot caller which CLEARLY we are! See: Snapple, backpacks, and Hot Topic apparel.
Google search words in writing this post: teddy bear backpack, 90s.
I set out to make THE BEST white chocolate and macadamia combination. We know the gold standard of this cookie (thank you Mrs Fields) but creating that soft, rich, gooey but firm at home seemed rather elusive.
Remember when we made the best cookies in the world? That’s not even hyperbole. These Milk Chocolate Cookies and Cream Cookies are soft, chewy, sweet, buttery and hold their shape the oven, and are the best cookies in the world.
These will be the base of our mall-cookie dreams. Tweaks applied.
We’ve got three kinds of fat in these cookies. Stay with me. I know… I know.
Cream cheese for creamy softness. Softened butter for traditional cookie times. Browned butter for depth and nutty flavor.
Into the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt we’re also adding dry milk powder. It will add a richness and softness to these cookies we can’t get another way. Is the milk powder negotiable? Nope.
If you’d like a no milk powder recipe, try adding white chocolate and macadamia nuts to these Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. Still so good, just a different cookie.
We’re making a big ol’ batch of these cookies because if we’re twerking so much fat in so many different ways, we might as well make a big batch and save some dough in the freezer. (Future selves thank us.)
I used raw macadamia nuts because I think they’re crisp and buttery enough to go into a cookie in their raw state. If you have toasted and salted… also delicious!
When it comes to white chocolate, take a look at the ingredients, you want to make sure that you white chocolate is actual cocoa butter and not just flavored oils in white.
Cream cheese and softened butter are whipped up, good and strong with brown sugar and granulated sugar. The browned butter is added and the mixture smooths.
Eggs are beaten into the sugar and fat and the mixture becomes like velvet.
Slow beat in the dry ingredients.
Nuts and white chocolate. The bigger the better, really.
One cookie scoop for these cookies, though really… two scoops is better.
Baked to golden and gooey. These cookies are on the soft and chewy side with loads of flavor from cream cheese and browned butter. They also happen to stay soft and chewy for as long as you can manage to keep them in the cookie jar.
Make all of your Mrs Fields dreams come true. So close, you can just taste it… I know!
PrintThe Best Brown Butter White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies
- Prep Time: 80
- Cook Time: 12
- Total Time: 1 hour 32 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 8 oz. (1 block) cream cheese, well softened
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted to browned and cooled slightly (about 7 tablespoons browned butter)
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup instant milk powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
- 2 cups coarsely chopped white chocolate
Instructions
- In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and softened butter until light and creamy, about a minute. Make sure that both the cream cheese and butter are very well softened to avoid any lumps. Add the browned butter and sugars and beat until well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat on medium-low speed for 3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- In a medium bowl whisk together flour, milk powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
- Add in the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Fold in the chopped nuts and white chocolate.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap (or cover the bowl in plastic wrap) and refrigerate for at least 1 hours, or overnight.
- Place a rack in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Spoon out dough balls, a heaping 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie. Place on the prepared baking sheets, providing at least 1 1/2 inches between each cookies. Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes, until edges begin to brown but the middle is still a bit gooey! Cool before serving to allow them to hold their shape.
Amanda
These simply are the best. You can’t go wrong with browned butter AND cream cheese in a cookie, can you? These cookies have a nice crisp edge with a gooey center and I can’t stop eating them. I have shared them with friends who also agree that they are absolutely scrummy.
★★★★★
Jessica
These were delicious! I read about them on Bridget’s blog (crumbly cookie), where she raved about them, and am so glad I tried them. White chocolate macadamia nut cookies are a childhood favorite that now disappoints, usually, for me, but the cream cheese and browned butter gave these an extra complexity that made them PERFECT…not so different that they are a different cookie, but just yummier.
Jessica
Made these again and they remain FABULOUS! I like to reheat the leftover cookies slightly. The browned butter flavor makes them the very best version I’ve tried. I have since found another great classic recipe I also like (with melted butter, not browned), because the browned butter/cream cheese/dry milk does give these a slightly “different” feel, but these will always be the BEST – the title says it all!
★★★★★
Amanda Smith
These look super yummy!
When you freeze the dough, do you have to let it thaw before baking, or can you pop frozen cookie dough balls right into the oven? If the latter, what’s the difference in baking time?
Michelle
I made these and OMG- so good!! This is one of my fave cookies, but I’ve never tried a recipe that was worth saving, until now. These are so good. Everyone should make them!
Toni
Joy, does this recipe make 4 DOZEN? It just says 4. I’m guessing it’s more than 4 cookies haha. Thanks!
Madison
How many cookies does this make?
Anie
Instead of instant milk powder, can I used powdered creamer?
joythebaker
No, I would not substitute that
alexrajao
lol Gap Dream
karen
Wow, there look amazing!!! Quick question, the recipe states it yields 4…Would that be 4 dozen? Thanks!
joythebaker
That’s right!
Jackie
Hi Joy
I know that you want to stay true to the recipe, but I can’t eat nuts, is there anything else I can use in place of them. Also, can this dough be chilled overnight.
EH Duncan
Can I use this dough as the base cookie and add chocolate chips do you think? I can make most cookies but chocolate chip always flatten out too much. Thank you.
joythebaker
Sure! Chill them in the refrigerator for at least an hour before you bake them.
Carole B
Hi Joy :) These look AWESOME and are my fave cookies. I am deathly allergic to eggs… can you substitute anything else? Flax eggs perhaps?
joythebaker
Yes, flax eggs could work. I have a link to flax eggs https://joythebaker.com/2014/09/baking-101-favorite-vegan-egg-substitutes/. Unfortunately, it’s not going to be the same. Let me know how it works!
Karey
Is milk powder different from instant milk powder? When I looked milk powder up-instant milk came up?
joythebaker
No difference. They are the same thing!
Lauren
These are delicious! I think NZ might have a slightly different idea of “tablespoons.” I made them so big some of them are quite under-cooked. It’s a common issue though, when I follow overseas recipes. I need to look into this some more. Still, these cookies are amazing. Thanks for the recipe. Next time I’ll make them smaller.
joythebaker
I don’t know if “tablespoons” are different in NZ, I looked it up, this might help https://www.foodgeeks.com/resources/conversion_charts#can-equiv
Lisa
I made these yesterday and everyone I shared them with loved them. Thanks!
Mahvish
Hi Joy! These look amazing! I really want to try these, but we don’t get macadamia nuts (or Brazil nuts) here in Pakistan. Could you possibly suggest a substitute? Hazelnuts? Cashews? Thank you!
gotmeghan
Seriously, those look soo good! Yummy yummy! :)
Jenny Chan
I think the yield quantity is wrong. It currently says 4. How many cookies does this recipe make?
Chris
I’m not afraid of fat but with half a kilo of butter and cream cheese (!!!!) alone, plus the chocolate, these are borderline terrifying. Ah well, I suppose I’d better bravely pull up my big girl pants (literally and metaphorically :) and take one for the team. I’ll be interested to see how they measure up to your cookies and cream biscuits which were, indeed, rather divine.
joythebaker
it is not subtle about the fat. you are right.
Beth
My favorite thing today so far – the “Yields” on this recipe: 4, just 4. 4 dozen, 4 cookies, serves 4 friends, whatever… For no good reason, this is making me really happy!
Nancy K
As much as I tried to bypass the Mrs. Field’s shop whenever I hit the Mall, it pulled me in every time and the white chocolate macadamia nut cookies were always my first choice. I was so envious of Mrs Field’s so many years ago…what better way could there be to make a living than baking cookies? I guess you might know something about that…lucky you!!
Jenna
My current favourite white chocolate macadamia cookie has condensed milk in them, which sort of caramelises as it bakes… But this looks like a strong contender to take out the race! I will have to do lots of baking/ eating to see ;)
Katie
So it is a cold rainy day here in colorado, the perfect day to make cookies! So glad that these were the ones that I chose to make. FANTASTIC recipe. This was the first time I have made brown butter. Wow, is that an amazing flavor. Didn’t and wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you!!!!
Thuy
I recently decided I was going to become “the girl who makes cookies” and THIS is going on my list. Great post!
John
Wow these look so yummy!! :)
Heather @HeatherChristo
Pass me a glass of milk, I’m ready to devour these yummy chocolate macadamia cookies!
Erica
Hi Joy, the photos you took for this post are gorgeous! You have magic light in your new home and you know how to use it! I will make these cookies for my mom, she will be thrilled with the macadamias and white chocolate, and I can’t wait to try your methods here.
sweetteasweetie (@SweetTSweetie)
Browned butter makes everything great!!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Hannah Hossack-Lodge (Domestic Gothess)
I’ve never made cookies with cream cheese and milk powder in them before, I’m intrigued! It sounds like it would be amazing and they certainly look good :)
Kavita Goyal
Adding brown butter to do it does make it have an intense flavor. Nice idea.
Katrina
These definitely look like the best cookies!! Browned butter with this flavour combo?! YAS QUEEN!
Michelle
I adore browned butter and macadamia nuts! Can’t wait to try them!
Thanks for posting!
http://www.oblogoff.com
eadevoie
LOL! You brought me back to 8th grade with the Mrs. Fields mall thing. And also, these look super chewy and delicious.
Sadie
I have a question about the browned butter. Did you measure the butter before or after browning for these cookies? I’m an obsessive cookie baker with over 1,000 recipes tested so far, and have started using browned butter in most recipes because I love the flavor boost. Initially I measured the butter by weight before browning; however once I noted that there was a significant weight loss during the browning process, I started using more butter than called for in the recipe, and then measured by weight after browning to ensure that I got the full measure. For convenience I now brown a pound of butter at a time and store it in a crock in the fridge so that it’s good to go when I need it! I can use it in a solid state, or melt it.
joythebaker
Great question, Sadie and I’ll amend the recipe. You measure the brown butter first and then brown it. The browning process will cook off about 1 tablespoon of water from the butter, but that’s just fine considering all of the other fat we have going on in these cookies. So this recipe calls for about 7 tablespoons browned butter. Thanks for the comment!
Libby
The size of the chunks of white chocolate in these things!
*faint*
Fifteen years ago my mom owned a bakery. People were begging her to make white chocolate macadamia nut cookies but the cost of macadamia nuts is… prohibitive if you’re trying to turn a profit on the sale of only a few cookies. So instead, she made the same cookie but used very large flaked coconut instead. Huge chunks of coconut.
They. Were. Friggin. Heavenly.
I still pine for them.
Janabelle
Holy Wow! I am sooooooo making these. I’ve been in search of the perfect white chocolate macadamia cookie forever and how can we go wrong with cream cheese and browned butter in the mix? DOING IT!
Ashlyn @ The Pedantic Foodie
White chocolate macadamia nut cookies have always been my favorite! These look fantastic! I’m so intrigued and excited by the addition of cream cheese. :)
Lori
These look amazing, Joy! I’ve never made this type of cookie, but I’ll be making them soon!
Tamsyn Peach Eliza (@peachesandbear)
Oh my gosh, they look so delicious!!!
Tamsyn Elizabeth | peachesandbear.co.uk
Fernando @ Eating With Your Hands
For a recovering Macadamia nut addict like me, these photos doesn’t help haha!
Jilly
These look amazing. I still give out the link to your incredible Chewy Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookies at LEAST once a week. It’s my absolute favourite, and I *just* discovered the joy of cookie scoops, so now the cookies are even better (I did not know that was possible!). My husband is crazy for the white chocolate macadamia cookies at Subway – he’ll be delighted that you’ve got a recipe for these!
Brooke
Those 90s references are spot on – add orange Julius in there and it’s a mall dream come true! I totally wore gap dream too
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way
Browned butter is the best. I haven’t tried this particular recipe but its next on the list. YUM!
Tori//Gringalicious
Yay for anything with browned butter! I’m so trying these asap!
Rena
I assume these are the perfect cookies – not only because I love macadamia!
xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
http://www.dressedwithsoul.com
Cheese and Chinese
white chocolate and macadamia is by far my favorite cookie! i think browned butter would knock it out of the park!
Nadia
These were my favorites when I lived in the US. Can’t wait to try them.