Mouthwatering vegan white chocolate macadamia nut cookies studded generously with vegan white chocolate chips and buttery macadamia nuts. The one-bowl cookie dough needs nine ingredients and comes together in five minutes.
You might also enjoy these recipes for vegan chocolate chip cookies, vegan gluten-free white chocolate chip skillet cookie and vegan banana cookies with chocolate chips.
This vegan white chocolate macadamia nut cookie recipe is one of my all-time-favorite cookie recipes. The cookies are so delicious, with smooth notes from the buttery macadamia nuts and creamy white chocolate, and they are so easy to make.
They also have the perfect bakery-style texture: they are soft and chewy, and they simply melt in your mouth - you won't be able to stop at one! The recipe makes a large batch of 24 big cookies so you'll have plenty to indulge in.
Table of Contents
Why you will love this cookie recipe
- Buttery and creamy: These vegan cookies have the perfect flavor and are as yummy as the classic white chocolate macadamia nut cookies you will find at your favorite bakery or store. Only these are made without butter and eggs!
- Easy, one-bowl cookie dough: As the baker, you will love that the cookie dough comes together in five minutes, in one bowl, and the cookies are ready to eat after 16 minutes of baking. That's less than 30 minutes from scratch. You don't even need an electric mixer or stand mixer, just a whisk and a spatula will do.
- Low in fat: There's just ¼ cup of oil (or vegan butter) in this recipe, which yields 24 large cookies. Applesauce keeps the cookies chewy and moist while keeping the fat content low.
- Soy-free recipe. If you are gluten-free, see my suggestions in the FAQs below. If you are nut-free, you can make these vegan cookies with just white chocolate chips and leave out the nuts.
Ingredients
- Unbleached all purpose flour. This flour makes the best textured cookies with the most authentic taste. For a healthier version, use whole wheat pastry flour.
- Leavening: baking soda + baking powder. These help create perfectly textured cookies that rise and become soft and chewy, just like you want them to be!
- Sugar. I use turbinado sugar, which tints the cookies lightly brown. You can also use light brown sugar. For vegan white chocolate macadamia cookies that are lighter colored, use white granulated sugar.
- Neutral oil. I use avocado oil, any neutral oil like grape seed oil or sunflower seed oil is fine too. For even more buttery cookies, use melted vegan butter.
- Applesauce. Applesauce helps keep the cookies moist without the need for much oil.
- Pure vanilla extract. This adds to the smooth, buttery flavor of these vegan cookies.
- Macadamia nuts. I used roasted, lightly salted nuts for this recipe. You can use salted or unsalted/roasted or unroasted nuts. If the nuts are already halved, you can use them as is. If they aren't, chop them roughly.
How to make vegan white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies
Place the dry ingredients - flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt - in a bowl. Whisk to mix thoroughly.
Add the sugar to the flour mixture...
...followed by the other wet ingredients, including the applesauce, oil and vanilla extract. Mix with a spatula until the cookie dough forms.
Add the white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts to the bowl.
Use the spatula to thoroughly mix the chocolate chips and nuts into the dough. Use a cookie scoop to scoop out cookies on a lightly oiled baking sheet (the scoop I used is a two-tablespoon scoop). You may need to do this in two or three batches, depending on the size of the baking sheet.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree F/180-degree C oven for 16 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet halfway through to evenly brown cookies. Cool the baking sheet on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then, using a thin spatula, carefully transfer the cookies directly to the wire rack to continue cooling.
Top tips
- For crispier cookies, reduce applesauce to ½ cup and increase oil to ½ cup.
- I used a two-tablespoon cookie scoop for cookies that were about 3 ½ inches in diameter. Use a smaller scoop for small cookies, a larger scoop for larger cookies. You might need to reduce or increase baking time by one or two minutes up or down. The cookies should be light golden-brown at the edges when done.
- The cookies are very soft when they come out of the oven, but they will continue to set up and firm up as they cool down. Be very careful when you transfer the cookies from the baking sheet to the wire rack and do this using a very thin spatula.
Recipe FAQs
If you are gluten-free, you can use a gluten-free all-purpose flour or use my recipe for vegan keto white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. Substitute the sweetener with sugar and cut down the vegan whipping cream in that recipe by half.
Yes, cashews would be great in this vegan cookie recipe. So would blanched, slivered almonds.
There is very little oil in this recipe and it is necessary for giving the cookies those slightly crispy edges and wonderful spread. I wouldn't advise skipping the oil completely. However, if you cannot consume oil at all, replace the oil with ¼th cup more of applesauce. This will make the cookie cakey and very tender rather than crispy. Also line the cookie sheet with parchment paper to keep the cookies from sticking to the baking sheet. Oil-free cookies will be more prone to breaking.
Several brands of vegan white chocolate chips are available online and in specialty stores. I've used the King David white chocolate chips from Amazon for years now for all my baking, but when I checked this time they were out of stock. I'll link to another brand in the recipe card below.
Store the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week. Refrigerate for up to a month. You can freeze the macadamia nut cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to three months.
You can also freeze the cookie dough for up to two months. Thaw, form the cookies and bake!
More vegan white chocolate recipes
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Recipe card
Vegan White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups unbleached all purpose flour (to make this healthier use whole-wheat pastry flour, but your cookie will have a darker hue)
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1â…“ cup sugar
- ¾ cup applesauce
- ¼ cup avocado oil or any neutral oil (or melted vegan butter)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup vegan white chocolate chips
- 1 cup macadamia nuts (halved or roughly chopped)
Instructions
- Place the dry ingredients - flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt - in a bowl. Whisk to mix thoroughly.
- Stir in the sugar followed by the other wet ingredients, including the applesauce, oil and vanilla extract. Use a spatula to mix until the cookie dough forms.
- Add white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts to the bowl. Mix into the cookie dough with the spatula until they are evenly dispersed.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop out cookies on a lightly oiled baking sheet (the scoop I used is a two-tablespoon scoop). You may need to do this in two or three batches, depending on the size of the baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies a preheated 350 degree F/180-degree C oven for 16 minutes or until the edges are a light golden brown. Rotate the baking sheet halfway through to evenly brown the cookies. Cool the baking sheet on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then, using a thin spatula, carefully transfer the cookies directly to the wire rack to continue cooling.
Nutrition Information
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First published March 24, 2016. Updated and republished on Oct. 15, 2024.
Janet says
My new favorite cookie.
Xtine says
I made these cookies with neat egg instead if flax due to an allergy and they were good. I changed it a bit by adding a 1/2 tsp of almond extract, zest from a clementine and 1/2 cup of craisins. Thanks for the recipe!
Alexia says
What can we use instead of the liquid coconut oil? I live in a tiny town that doesn't sell that kind of thing.
Vaishali says
Olive oil is a good substitute!
onesonicbite says
I'd use that spray to bake cakes. I currently just pour oil in a pan and use a paper towel to coat. Now I could just spray and be done.
Ruchi says
Amazing cookies!! Would like to bake lemon cupcakes with the flaxseed meal and use the coconut oil to make the frosting.
NancyAnnK says
I would make these cookies! (and I hope you're feeling better!)
Nicole says
I would probably make brownies. I know, coconut oil is healthier and I should make something healthy, but brownies are just so so so good
David says
I read that popcorn cooked in coconut oil stays fresh longer and tastes better. I would use it for that first.
Ally says
Oh gosh! I think I'd try to invent some sort of energy ball. I'd probably take it with my vitamins (since a little fat is good when you're takin' 'em)!
debbie says
I think I'd use the oil and seed to make some delicious homemade granola!
valerie says
i'd use them to make some vegan black bean brownies!!!! i just made date/blackbean brownies last night with chia seeds and they were really good....i bet the flax/chia bend would be really yummy in them too!
Amishi Shah says
I would bake these cookies and maybe vegan brownies! Oh and good ol' fashioned vegan double chocolate chip cookies. Thank you for putting the link to order vegan chocolate chips. I have not seen them in stores as such