I’ve wanted to bake dairy-free white chocolate macadamia cookies for years, but could never get my hands on good dairy-free white chocolate chips. Many don’t taste right, don’t melt right, or are impossible to find. Thankfully, I can now get allergy-friendly white chips from Enjoy Life! I was truly pleased with how they performed and tasted, which allowed me to perfect this dairy-free white chocolate macadamia cookies recipe!
White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies made Deliciously Dairy Free
To help you bake the best possible batch of cookies for your cravings, I have a little Q&A here, followed by special diet notes and suggestions. But don’t hesitate to comment if you have any additional questions.
Are these Dairy-Free White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies Soft, Chewy, or Crispy?
Think classic Tollhouse cookies. They’re soft and tender, and slightly chewy. You can bake them less for a doughier consistency, or more for a crispy cookie. My favorite is to bake these cookies for about 8 1/2 minutes, where they are just firm around the edges. When they cool, they deflate revealing the bumpy white chocolate and macadamia goodness. I then store them in the refrigerator, which makes them taste a little doughy in the middle – heaven! But they are delicious when cooked for longer, too.
Where Do You Get Dairy-Free White Chocolate Chips?
I ordered Enjoy Life White Baking Chips, and they worked great! They’re readily available on Amazon. They’re mini morsels, but hold their shape nicely. And they have simpler ingredients than most. If you want to try just one bag first, they’re also available via the Enjoy Life website. See our Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Guide for other options.
Can I Use All Plant Butter / Butter Alternative and No Shortening?
I use a 50/50 combination of natural shortening and buttery sticks (also called “plant butter sticks”) for the best cookie texture. If you opt to use 1 cup of buttery sticks, and skip the shortening, the cookies will spread more, be greasier, and will burn more around the edges.
Can I Use All Shortening?
You can use all shortening (1 cup), which will yield thicker, fluffier cookies. I use Spectrum shortening, but some people like to use dairy-free butter flavor shortening (contains soy) for baking cookies. If you do use all shortening, I would add a little more salt, maybe 1/8 teaspoon or 1/4 teaspoon more.
What Plant Butter / Butter Alternative Do You Recommend?
For these dairy-free white chocolate macadamia cookies, I use Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks. This brand is saltier than most, which I like. It adds a little more flavor. And it lends a great texture to cookies. If you use a brand like Miyoko’s, expect a little less flavor (maybe at a pinch more salt) and a flakier cookie. See this butter alternative post for more details. I don’t like to use buttery spreads (in the tub) for baking, if I have sticks on hand. The sticks are formulated with a slightly firmer texture, that holds up a little better in baking. This is very important for cookie structure.
Can I Freeze these Dairy-Free White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies?
Yes! They freeze extremely well. You can enjoy them straight from the freezer, or let them warm to room temperature. Wait until the cookies are completely cool, then toss them in a freezer bag and freeze. They keep for up to a few months. If preferred, you can store them in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Special Diet Notes: White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, peanut-free, soy-free, and vegetarian.
Need nut-free? Omit the nuts! You can add more dairy-free white chocolate chips, or add dried cranberries or raisins for something different.
For egg-free and vegan cookies, I recommend using aquafaba (about 1/3 cup), or see my egg substitute guide for suggestions. Please note that I have not tested this recipe without egg.
For gluten-free dairy-free white chocolate macadamia cookies, you might be able to successfully substitute your favorite grain-based gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. (Do not directly substitute coconut flour, nut flour, or bean flour – these would require more modifications.) If possible, I recommend using eggs, rather than an egg substitute for gluten-free. Please note that I have not tested this recipe without gluten.
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup (1 stick) dairy-free butter alternative (see post above)
- ½ cup shortening (I use Spectrum Naturals)
- 2 eggs
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup dairy-free white chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life White Baking Chips)
- 1 cup chopped unsalted macadamia nuts
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- In a mixing bowl, cream the sugars, buttery stick, and shortening. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat to combine.
- Add the flour mixture to your mixing bowl and mix until combined. Fold in the white chocolate chips and nuts.
- If your dough is too soft, refrigerate it for 20 minutes or more.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop the dough by the level tablespoon onto your prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. You can loosely roll the dough into balls for more uniform cookies. Gently flatten a little if you want flatter, chewier cookies. They do spread a little regardless.
- Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they just begin to turn golden around the edges.
- Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.
More Dairy-Free Cookie Recipes for Chocolate Chip Fans
The Best Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies (made with Oil, not Butter!)
Vegan Chocolate Explosion Oatmeal Cookies
Crunchy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 Comments
Totally nailed it with this recipe. I’ve missed white chocolate macadamia cookies, and was excited to try these. They have the perfect soft, chewy texture. Rave reviews from adults and kids who tried them (only one of whom was dairy free!).
So glad you all enjoyed these cookies!