The perfect gluten free white chocolate chip cookies are loaded with macadamia nuts, white chocolate chips and white chocolate chunks. Caramelized around the edges, these white chocolate macadamia cookies are soft, chewy and gooey in the center.
Jump to:
- Make these cookies a part of a Christmas cookie spread
- White Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients and substitutions
- Equipment
- Directions for making gluten free white chocolate macadamia cookies
- Storage & Make Ahead
- How do you make gluten-free cookies moist?
- Pro Tips and Troubleshooting:
- FAQ to get the perfect white chocolate cookies
- Want more gluten-free desserts?
- more gluten free cookie recipes
- Recipe
Attaining the perfect cookie texture is hard. There is ample debate about the benefits of chewy versus crunchy, crisp versus soft, and spread out versus cakey.
It all gets even harder when dealing with gluten free cookies.
So I won't claim that these are the PERFECT gluten free cookies. In fact, I won't even tell you that they're the PERFECT white chocolate chip cookies.
Instead, I'm just going to tell you that I love these gluten free white chocolate chip cookies for their:
- lacey texture
- perfectly rounded edges
- crisp, golden brown bottoms
- soft, gooey center
- being LOADED with an absolute avalanche of creamy white chocolate chips, white chocolate chunks, and toasted macadamia nuts.
- and of course, easy to make
But I will say this: I'm so glad that after I've made countless batches of lackluster gf cookies, I've found the PERFECT way to make gluten free white chocolate chip cookies. But don't take my word for it - give them a try yourself!
This recipe is based on Kat's recipe in the Baked to Perfection cookbook, one of the best gluten free baking guides I've ever tried!
Make these cookies a part of a Christmas cookie spread
I love to serve these white chocolate macadamia nut cookies along with Christmas date cookies recipe, white chocolate bark, and my almond tuile cookies for a diverse gluten free Christmas cookies spread. I also like these Christmas M&M cookie bars and Easy Cake Mix Cookies - and to push the Christmas flavors even further, serve gluten free pistachio cranberry cookies as well!
White Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients and substitutions
- gluten free flour blend - many people ask, can gluten free flour be used for cookies? And the answer is - absolutely! But, and this is a big but - you need to make sure it's the RIGHT gluten free flour blend. I love my flour to have the right balance of starches and grain ingredients like rice flour. And it should have xanthan gum.
- unsalted butter, melted - you can use any butter you like in these cookies - vegan or regular. I like to use unsalted butter as it allows me to control exactly how much salt I put in. But most importantly, please make sure your butter is melted. Why use melted butter in these white chocolate chip cookies? Because it helps them get fudgier (more on this below).
- brown sugar - brown sugar makes for a chewier cookie with a more golden hue. I don't recommend skipping it, but if you only use white sugar, please decrease the flour by ¼ cup.
- white sugar - this can be switched for granulated stevia or swerve.
- egg - I haven't tried making these cookies without eggs. If you do, please let me know how it worked in the comments!
- vanilla extract - vanilla extract gives these cookies a nice vanilla flavor. You can skip it.
- xanthan gum - this is a crucial ingredient in gluten free baking as it mimics the binding action of gluten. I recommend adding it even if your mix has xanthan gum - i found that it really gives the cookies a nice texture.
- baking soda - a chemical leavening agent that is usually used in baked goods with high acidity, baking soda is using along with baking powder in cookies to give them more tender texture.
- baking powder - this is what is giving these cookies most of their rise and prevents them from being flat discs.
- salt - salt is crucial in baked goods to neutralize - and highlight - some of the sweetness.
- white chocolate chips - the heart of these cookies are white choc chips! I like to mix them in and then sprinkle more on the tops of cookies.
- white chocolate, chopped - I found that the best cookies are made with a chopped chocolate bar added to the chocolate chips. This way, the chocolate bar melts, creating pockets of gooey white chocolate. You can use more chocolate chips if that's all you have!
- macadamia nuts, toasted - this is what makes these into gluten-free white chocolate macadamia cookies! Toasted is best, but you can use them raw too.
See recipe card for quantities.
Equipment
- 2 Baking sheet
- 1 Parchment paper
- Mixing bowls
- 1 Standing mixer optional
- 1 electric hand mixer
- Measuring cups
- kitchen scale optional
Directions for making gluten free white chocolate macadamia cookies
In a large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer, cream butter and sugar (both kinds). You should end up with a white and fluffy paste.
Mix in the egg and egg yolk and vanilla extract.
In another mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients - gluten free flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add in batches to the wet ingredients, mixing well in one bowl until everything is fully incorporated.
Add chocolate chips and half the chopped white chocolate. Mix well. Dough will be thick.
Refrigerate cookie dough for 1 hour, or until the next day.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 320 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a reusable silicone mat.
Using a medium cookie scoop, shape the cookie dough into even balls. Arrange balls on 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Transfer to a pre-heated oven set to 320 F for 13-16 minutes (13 will give you very fudgy cookies, while 16 will give you crispier cookies).
Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool in order to experience their full chocolate flavor and texture. The cookies taste great when fresh out of the oven, but they taste AMAZING when they've sufficiently cooled - though I do understand if you are too excited to try them to let them cool fully.
PRO TIP: Halfway through the bake, tap the sheet 5-7 times to flatten the cookies. Run a cookie cutter larger than your cookies around the edges, nudging the shape to be a more uniform circle with crisp edges (see my video for how to do this!). Finally, flatten the remaining white chocolate pieces into the top of the cookies. Return cookies to the oven to finish baking. Tap them again when they come out.
Storage & Make Ahead
You can make the gluten free cookie dough for these cookies up to 24 hours in advance.
You can also shape the cookies a day in advance and let the chill in the fridge.
You can store whatever cookies are left in an airtight container in room temperature, or in the fridge.
How do you make gluten-free cookies moist?
To make gluten-free cookies less dry, it's important to have the perfect balance of sugars and fat. Using only white sugar results in sweet cookies that are more crispy than chewy.
Additionally, I've made many desserts with coconut oil. But cookies aren't one of the places where coconut oil shines! Oil has a lower fat soluble content than butter and it doesn't go from solid to liquid like butter does (which helps get that delectable chewy center).
You need to add butter and brown sugar to your white chocolate cookies to make them more moist.
For making it dairy free, can I do it with earth balance butter?
You can make these into dairy free white chocolate chip cookies by using a vegan butter like Earth Balance. It makes for a great vegan option!
Pro Tips and Troubleshooting:
Use a scale
Though this recipe includes ingredient measurements by both weight and volume, I strongly recommend using a scale to weigh your ingredients. This is especially important with gluten free flour, which should be scooped into a measuring cup using a tablespoon and then levelled with a knife, rather than just scooped straight with a measuring cup.
Why are my gluten-free cookies dry and crumbly?
There are a few reasons why your gluten-free cookies may be dry and crumbly. One reason could be that you didn't add enough moisture to the dough. When working with gluten-free flour, it's important to add extra moisture to the dough to prevent it from drying out.
Another possibility is that you over-baked the cookies. Gluten-free cookies are often more delicate than traditional cookies, so they can easily become overcooked and dry.
Finally, it could be that your gluten-free flour isn't as finely milled as it should be. If the flour is too coarse, it can make the cookies dry and crumbly. To avoid this, make sure to use a fine-milled gluten-free flour for best results.
How do you make gluten-free cookies less cakey?
Remember I told you that you had to use melted butter in your gluten free cookies? Well, this is where it comes into play. Regular butter can give rise to your cookies, resulting in cakier, fluffier cookies that are more like mini cupcakes.
Why use melted butter?
When you use melted butter, you eliminate the rising element - instead letting baking soda and baking powder do the work. The cookies don't rise too much, instead keeping the middle gooey and fudgey.
Tried and loved this recipe? Please leave a 5-star review below! Your reviews mean a lot to me, so if you've got any questions, please let me know in a comment.
FAQ to get the perfect white chocolate cookies
Yes, you can make these white chocolate chip cookies with regular flour.
Follow the recipe! Don't skip melting the butter, cooling the cookies, or using both types of sugar. Also, using an egg yolk in additional to the egg is important!
Absolutely! The cookie dough for these gluten-free white chocolate macadamia cookies requires chilling anyway, so my recommendation is to make it in advance and let it rest in the fridge until you're ready to make them. Alternatively, you can even make the cookies and THEN chill them in the fridge until the next day.
Not really. Sugar is important to the texture and the caramelization of the cookies. You can try making them with a sugar replacement, but I haven't done so myself.
Yes! You can either freeze the cookies baked, OR, as I like to do, freeze the cookies after they've been scooped out onto a baking sheet. That way, you always have a single cookie to bake whenever the mood strikes (and if you're like me, once you taste these cookies the mood will strike often!)
It will change the texture of your cookies. I haven't tried using stevia in these particular cookies, but having tried making gluten free cookies with only white sugar, I can tell you with absolute confidence that for chewy cookies, you need both white and brown sugar - whether it's cane sugar or substitute sugar like stevia or swerve.
No, I did not. I let them stay as mounds, but I followed Katarina's advice and banged my cookie sheet a few times on the counter in the middle of baking, as well as swirled my cookies inside a cookie cutter ring to give them a more lacey, perfect shape.
I have not. I have made many almond flour cookies in my life, and their texture is different - a bit more cakey usually.
Yes - just get a brand of white chocolate chips that are gluten free (if you're wondering, Ghirardelli white chocolate chips AREN'T gluten free).
Want more gluten-free desserts?
more gluten free cookie recipes
Recipe
Gluten Free White Chocolate Chip Cookies with Macadamia Nuts
Equipment
- 1 Standing mixer optional
- kitchen scale optional
Ingredients
- 100 g unsalted butter (¼ cup + 3 tbsp) melted
- 120 g brown sugar (½ cup + 2 tbsp)
- 70 g white sugar (⅓ cup)
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups gluten free all purpose flour blend (240 g) scoop the flour into the measuring cup for an accurate weigh
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup white chocolate chips (50 g)
- 50 g white chocolate chopped, divided
- ¼ cup macadamia nuts chopped and toasted
Instructions
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer, cream butter and sugar (both kinds). You should end up with a white and fluffy paste.
- Mix in the egg and egg yolk and vanilla extract.
- In another mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients - gluten free flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add in batches to the wet ingredients, mixing well in one bowl until everything is fully incorporated.
- Add chocolate chips and half the chopped white chocolate. Mix well. Dough will be thick.
- Refrigerate cookie dough for 1 hour, or until the next day.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 320 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a reusable silicone mat.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, shape the cookie dough into even balls. Arrange balls on 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Transfer to a pre-heated oven set to 320 F for 13-16 minutes (13 will give you very fudgy cookies, while 16 will give you crispier cookies).
- PRO TIP: Halfway through the bake, tap the sheet 5-7 times to flatten the cookies. Run a cookie cutter larger than your cookies around the edges, nudging the shape to be a more uniform circle with crisp edges (see my video for how to do this!). Finally, flatten the remaining white chocolate pieces into the top of the cookies.
- Return cookies to the oven to finish baking. Tap them again when they come out.
- Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool in order to experience their full chocolate flavor and texture. The cookies taste great when fresh out of the oven, but they taste AMAZING when they've sufficiently cooled - though I do understand if you are too excited to try them to let them cool fully!
Gen says
White chocolate & macadamia is my favorite cookie flavor combo and these were just spectacular! Thank you for the recipe.
Rosanna Stevens says
Thank you so much for this recipe, I baked these cookies for my friends babyshower as she is gluten free! They were so tasty
Jenn says
These cookies are so good! They're so decadent - I love them around the holidays!
Molly Pisula says
Love the combination of white chocolate and macadamia nuts in these cookies. So tender and tasty—can't believe these are gluten-free!
Kris says
These totally satisfied my sweet cravings and you would never guess they are gluten-free. Another winner in my book!