White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies June 19
I think that I’ve mentioned before that I am not a big fan of nuts in cookies or cakes. While I like the flavor of nuts, I just don’t like big chunks of them. As a result, if I use them, I’ll generally chop them up into small pieces. Exceptions to this rule are when I am making a batch of something for other people to eat and pecans, which I quite like in cookies.
Another nut that I am fond of is the macadamia nut, which has an unusually smooth and buttery flavor. I particularly enjoy it when it is paired with white chocolate, as the chocolate contributes a sweetness that is noticeably lacking in the nut. This is the point where the size of the nut becomes an issue: I like white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, but would rather not have the huge nuts taking over the texture with their bulk.
Luckily for me, this recipe not only made the most delicious white chocolate macadamia cookies I’ve had in a long time, but there was not a single nut to be seen. And it was an accident.
I was trying out Dreena’s recipe for vegan chocolate chip cookies (which she has since taken offline), since they looked so wonderful in her picture. I opened my cupboard to discover that I had no vegetable/canola oil. I was forced to choose between olive and macadamia nut and, not wanting an olive oil chocolate chip cookie, went for the mac nut option. When I noticed that the batter smelled distinctly of macadamia nuts, I decided to mix in white chocolate chips instead of plain.
They turned out great! The cookies were crispy on the edges and slightly chewy in the center. They tasted like mac nuts and the white chocolate wonderfully accented the overall cookie. Though there was maple syrup in the batter, there was no maple flavor to the final cookie. The recipe makes only a few, so they disappear in a flash, but store them in an airtight container if necessary.
While I wish I could say that these were still vegan, in the spirit of Dreena’s original recipe, the white chocolate has milk solids in it. I did eventually make the original recipe with plain vegetable oil (canola) and chocolate chips and they were wonderful, too.
If you can’t find macadamia nut oil at your usual grocery store, try a natural foods or specialty store (like Whole Foods). Otherwise, make the regular chocolate chip version and keep and eye out for it!
Eggless White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup macadamia nut oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup white chocolate chips*
Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.
In a small bowl, whisk together macadamia nut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Pour into flour mixture and stir until almost combined. Add the white chocolate chips and mix until no flour remains.
Shape into ten rounded balls and place on prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes at 350F.
Cool on baking sheet.
Makes 10 large cookies.
*Obviously, you should try to find vegan white chocolate chips if you want these to be totally vegan. Or just use regular chocolate.
gagatka Jun 20
I’ll have to swap macadamia for hazelnuts (hard to get the first in Poland) but the idea is alluring:)
JMom Jun 20
We love these cookies! Never tried making it though, until now. Knowing us, I’ll probably have to double the recipe
Joe Jun 20
Great idea to sub the mac oil in a cookie recipe… weukk definitely have to remember that!
Christine Jun 20
I have similar nut/cookie issues. In fact, I just now finished making a batch of Heath bar cookies, and made half of them with walnuts (for other people) and the other half without (for myself).
carole Jun 21
I have been using macadamia nut oil for about a year. Wonderful stuff.
If you can’t find it in the store try www.monaloa.com or www. oilsofaloha.com
Debra Jul 1
Thank you so much for the recipe. I did not have maple syrup so used a mix of agave nectar and brown rice syrup instead and the cookies turned out great! I used coconut oil, added brazil nuts and dried pineapples. They were so yummy out of the oven and even chewier the next day when stored in a zip lock bag. My boyfriend said the texture of these cookies are very similar to the chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe you like from cook’s illustrated, maybe even better since they are vegan! Thank you for sharing!
Cookie Dec 3
I altered this recipe by using semi-sweet choc chips, chopped walnuts, and vegetable oil and they were darn good. I was really surprised at how good they were, and how much it was like a cookie with egg.
I’m interested in trying maple syrup as a substitute for egg in brownies. What would you saw is the equivalence ratio of 1 egg to amount maple syrup? I appreciate your help!