Soft-baked, ultra chewy, and simple oatmeal cookies loaded with white chocolate and macadamia nuts. Only 30 minutes to chill, you’ll have oatmeal cookies in no time!
Here we go. Another cookie jar favorite from my kitchen to yours.
My mind was completely blown after biting into one of these cookies warm from the oven. The molasses and cinnamon-spiced oatmeal cookie base paired with buttery macadamia nuts and sweet white chocolate is out of this world. Like regular white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, but with extra texture. If you’re looking for a new cookie recipe to try, this is it.
I have a few helpful notes about your white chocolate macadamia nut oatmeal cookies (um, try saying that 3 times fast), and I encourage you to read them before beginning.
The oatmeal cookie dough recipe calls for more brown sugar than white sugar. In fact, most of my cookie recipes do. I prefer to use more brown sugar than white sugar because brown sugar holds more moisture than white sugar, and thus produces a softer, moister baked good. I like to use dark brown sugar since it has a slightly higher amount of molasses. However, if you’re in a pinch and only have light brown sugar, that’s ok!
I love adding a touch of unsulphured or dark molasses (not blackstrap) to my oatmeal cookie dough. It’s a little something I picked up from one of my cookbook cookie recipes (recipe on page 109!). 1 Tablespoon doesn’t sound like much. And you’re right! It’s not that much. But it’s just enough to give a subtle amount of extra molasses flavor. However, don’t go buy a bottle just for this recipe. They’re fine without it.
There is always the question of which type of oats to use in cookie recipes. I use old-fashioned whole oats in this recipe, as opposed to quick oats. Quick oats, which are more powdery than whole oats, may dry out your cookies. You could certainly try using them, but I prefer whole oats. They give more texture: hearty, chewy, thick.
Today’s oatmeal cookie dough is slightly sticky, so it’s best to chill it before baking. You’ll want these cookies to spread, but not overspread into flat discs on your baking sheet. So, chill the dough for about 30 minutes. (I chilled today’s dough for 25 minutes.)
I use a cookie scoop for oatmeal cookies; it grabs onto the textured cookie dough better than my hands can. Here’s the cookie scoop I use—I own it in sizes medium and large, and I used size medium for these cookies. Scoop/roll 1.5 Tablespoons of dough per cookie.
Press a few extra white chocolate chips and/or macadamia nut chunks directly into the tops of the cookie dough balls. This guarantees you’ll have a few pretty chunks on top of your baked cookies. Like so:
There are no secret ingredients here, no rocket science knowledge required—just a simple, straightforward soft-baked oatmeal cookie recipe with the crunch of macadamia nuts and the creaminess of white chocolate. Simple perfection. I use the same base dough for my loaded oatmeal cookies too, so if you enjoy this version, be sure to try those next!
PS: Here is my recipe for white chocolate macadamia nut cookies without oats. Or for a similar oatmeal-based cookie without the nuts, try my white chocolate Biscoff oatmeal cookies.
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White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Oatmeal Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 18 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Soft-baked, ultra chewy, and simple oatmeal cookies loaded with white chocolate and macadamia nuts. Only 30 minutes to chill, you’ll have oatmeal cookies in no time!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugarÂ
- 1/4 cup  (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) unsulphured or dark molasses (do not use blackstrap; I prefer Grandma’s brand)
- 1 and 2/3 cups (142g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts
Instructions
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and both sugars together on medium speed until smooth. Add the egg and mix on high until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and molasses and mix on high until combined. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, toss the oats, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt together. Add to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Fold in the white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts. Dough will be thick. Chill the dough for 25-30 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Roll balls of dough (about 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie—I like using this medium cookie scoop) and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. I pressed a few extra white chocolate chips/nuts into the tops of the cookies for looks. Bake for 10-11 minutes until very lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look very soft. Remove from the oven and let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Allow to come to room temperature and continue with step 3. Baked cookies freeze well – up to three months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well – up to three months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Medium Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
This is the first time I’ve ever commented on a recipe but I must now as this recipe is incredible. The two trays I made yesterday have been devoured in the single day that has passed. I used quick oats because it’s what I had on hand (and added a little bit more molasses to hopefully counteract that dryness you mentioned) and they still turned out delicious. Definitely going to become one of my go-to cookie recipes
Would dark corn syrup be an ok substitute for molasses in these? 🙂
Hi LM! If you don’t have molasses, you can just leave it out. Enjoy!
Hi Sally! What flour would you recommend for a gluten-free version? I want to make these for a gluten-free friend. Everything of yours I make comes out perfect every time!
Hi Celeste, we haven’t tested these cookies with any gluten free flours. Although some readers report using an all-purpose 1:1 gluten-free flour in many of our recipes with success, you should expect slightly different results anytime you substitute ingredients. Let us know what you try!
I never comment on recipes. I have made these every single year for Christmas. It turns out they’re Santa’s favorite and they’re now a tradition. My changes: use a vegan egg, I do .5 c nuts, .5 cup vegan chocolate chips, and .5 c dried cranberries. (I’ve also used regular egg and chocolate chips but we recently went vegan. Both versions are amazing)
What’s the grams for macadamia nuts and the white chocolate chips
Hi Sienna! 3/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts would weigh about 90g and 3/4 cup white chocolate chips would weigh about 75g.
Do you think that I can add more macadamia nuts, white chocolate chips and if so how much more in grams?
Also, can I add dried cranberries and how much in grams?
Sorry for all the questions, lol. Have a nice day!
Let’s just say I rarely comment on a recipe, especially a cookie recipe, but these are amazing. I bake cookies all the time, like 6 times a week, just decided to try something new and I’m thrilled I did. On top of that I rarely eat my own cookies, but these are irresistible. Thanks!
I just made these… I reduced the brown sugar & the white chocolate chips to to a little less than the 3/4 as I don’t like it very sweet. It was still a bit too sweet for me..might reduce the white chocolate chips to 1/2 cup & increase the nuts to 1 cup. I also had to cook it for 14 mins. They are delicious and will be making these again..thanks Sally My daughter is obsessed with all your goodies so I thought I would give it a try..sure glad I did
Made these yesterday for a visiting relative – my excuse to go crazy cookie baking lady. They were nice but for some reason the cinnamon didn’t work for me. I’m not sure why, I’ve made similar cookies before so I suspect my cinnamon was sub-par, maybe too old or not kept in an airtight container. I also baked them a tad longer than the recipe says; us Aussies like our cookies a bit harder.
I’ll give them another go with fresher spices.
Hi Sally! I always use your cookie recipes and every time I do they are a big hit! I want to make these cookies for an event coming up but I can’t find white chocolate chips anywhere. I live in Colombia now so little things like this can be hard to find. Could I use chocolate chips instead of white or would it be too sweet?
Regular chocolate chips would be wonderful in these 🙂
is there a reason you didn’t use cornstarch in these? Â you’ve said this ingredient is key to keeping cookies soft. Â sending these cookies to my bro-in-law in arkansas for a pick-me-up treat and will have to mail them. Â hoping to make them stay as fresh as possible! thanks for all the great recipes!!!
They’re super soft without it! I usually only use cornstarch in chocolate chip cookies. (without oats)
Have you ever tried to make bars with this recipe? If so, how’d it turn out and what do you recommend?
I have not– though I make oatmeal cookie bars with a similar recipe quite often. Use an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan. About 25-27 minutes bake time. Same oven temp.
How could you incorporate dried pineapple or dried apricots into this recipe? I have that needs to be used up!!
That sounds delicious! Keep the total amount of add-ins to 1 and 1/2 cups – so keeping under that amount, add however much of any add-ins you’d like. Enjoy!
Should I use raw macadamia nuts or roasted ones?
Whichever you like best – I used roasted, salted.
Sally,
I made these yesterday for Easter and they were a HUGE hit!! They were sooo delicious and turned out perfect!
Thank you!!