These dark chocolate chip macadamia cookies are thick, soft and chewy, with crunchy edges, buttery macadamia nuts and pockets of melty dairy free dark chocolate. They’re a classic cookie made completely dairy free, and there’s no chilling needed, so you can have warm cookies in about 20 minutes.
These are easily one of my favourite cookies. I love a classic chocolate chip cookie, and I love macadamia nuts, so if you’re the same, then these are for you.
They’re thick and soft with a buttery, almost underbaked centre, crunchy golden edges, and that perfect combination of buttery macadamias and rich dark chocolate.
And I know what you’re thinking. Usually macadamias are paired with white chocolate. The trouble is that dairy free white chocolate, and white chocolate chips especially, are really really hard to find here in Australia. Dairy free dark chocolate chips, on the other hand, are easy to find and they tend to taste better.
If you can find dairy free white chocolate chips, you’re welcome to use them. But if not, don’t worry at all. I think you’ll be really happy with the flavour combo with the dark chocolate.
Oh and the best part is there’s no chilling the dough needed with this recipe. You mix, roll and bake, and you’ll be eating warm cookies before you know it.
Key Ingredients
These dark chocolate chip macadamia cookies use simple baking ingredients, with a couple of little tricks for that thick, soft texture.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Dairy free butter – use a quality dairy free butter substitute here for the best flavour. I love and always use Nuttelex Buttery which is an Australian product. In the US, the closest alternative is Earth Balance which I understand to be very similar.
- Brown and white sugar – the brown sugar keeps the cookies soft and chewy, the white sugar helps them spread while baking and crisp up on the edge.
- Egg – to give the cookies that soft and chewy texture. I haven’t tested these with an egg substitute.
- Vanilla – adds flavour that enhances the taste of the cookie.
- Plain flour – also known as all purpose flour.
- Cornflour – also known as cornstarch. This the secret to thick, puffy cookies, so don’t leave it out if you love a thick cookie.
- Bicarbonate of soda – also know as baking soda, helps the cookies puff up while baking.
- Macadamias – I like to use dry roasted and salted macadamias, as the roasted flavour is stronger and the salty sweet combo is so good. If you’re using raw macadamias instead, add a pinch of salt to the dough.
- Dairy free dark chocolate chips – if you don’t have chocolate chips, you can also just chop up a dark chocolate block into bars. You can use dairy free white chocolate chips instead if you can find them.
You’ll Also Love: Banana Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: In a large bowl, beat the dairy free butter with the the brown and white sugars until light and creamy. Mix in the egg and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cornflour, bicarb soda and salt. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet until combined. The dough will be quite thick.
Step 3: Add the dark chocolate chips and macadamias and mix through with a spatula until evenly distributed.
Step 4: Use a cookie scoop to roll the dough into balls using about 1.5 tablespoons each.
Step 5: Place the balls of dough on lined baking trays about 5cm apart to allow for spreading.
Step 6: Bake at 180°C/350°F for 11 to 12 minutes, until just golden around the edges. They’ll still be very soft. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack.
👉Tip! For perfect looking cookies, as soon as the cookies have been removed from the oven, use a spoon or a large round cookie cutter that fits over the cookie, to gently shape the cookie back into a circle. This only works if the cookies are still soft so needs to be done immediately before they start to cool.
Storage Instructions
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They also freeze really well, either as baked cookies or as rolled dough balls ready to bake, for up to 3 months. If you’re baking from frozen dough, just add a minute or two to the baking time.
Recipe FAQs
No. The dough is very thick and barely spreads, so you can roll and bake it straight away. That’s part of what makes these so quick.
Yes. Roasted salted macadamias have a stronger, savoury flavour, but raw work well too. Just add a pinch of salt to the dough to make up for the seasoning you’d get from salted nuts.
I haven’t tested these with gluten free flour, but if you’d like to try, use a good one to one gluten free baking blend that contains xanthan gum.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More cookie recipes:
Chai Sugar Cookies
Dairy Free Sugar Cookies
Rocky Road Cookies
Oatmeal Cranberry Walnut Cookies
Dairy Free Dark Chocolate Chip Macadamia Cookies
Ingredients
- 170 grams (¾ cup) dairy free butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar/granulated sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 340 grams (2 ¼ cups) plain flour/all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornflour/cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt optional if using raw nuts
- 120 grams macadamias dry roasted and salted, roughly chopped
- 70-100 grams dairy free dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F and line 2 trays with baking paper.
- In a large bowl, beat the 170 grams dairy free butter with a hand-held mixer or stand mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the ½ cup brown sugar and ½ cup white sugar/granulated sugar and continue mixing until light and creamy.
- Mix in the 1 large egg and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the 340 grams plain flour/all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cornflour/cornstarch, 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda/baking soda and ¼ teaspoon salt (if using unsalted nuts). Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet until combined. The dough will be quite thick.
- Add the 120 grams macadamias and 70-100 grams dairy free dark chocolate chips and mix through the dough with a spatula until evenly distributed.
- Roll the dough into balls using about 1.5 tablespoons of dough each. Place the dough balls on the trays about 5 centimetres apart.
- Bake for 11-12 minutes, until just golden brown around the edges. They will still be very soft when you take them out of the oven. If they are too puffy, gently press down on the tops with the back of a spoon. Let cool for 5 minutes on the tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
marielle says
do you mean corn flour or corn starch? I have the bobs red mill corn flour
marielle says
When you say corn flour do you mean corn starch? Thanks!
Sally says
Hi Marielle. If you are in the US then it will be corn starch. In Australia we call the same product corn flour. Take a look at my AU to US Conversions page to help with the differences between countries. Thanks!
Alexandra says
My favourite combination in a cookie of all time 🙂 Delicious!
Sally says
Mine too!
Lee-Ann says
I like my cookies thick and soft too! Plus I love the white choc macadamia combo. Thanks for sharing!
Sally says
Thick cookies are the best – particularly when just under-baked!
Sylvie says
Macadamias are probably one of my favourite nuts so these cookies look soooo appealing! And they look so soft and chewy – the perfect cookie!
Sally says
Thanks Sylvie!