White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies (Copycat Subway Recipe)

Name: White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies (Copycat Subway Recipe)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 cup browned butter/melted butter (cooled); 1 cup brown sugar; 1/2 cup white sugar; 1 tbsp vanilla extract; 2 drops almond extract; 2 large eggs; 2 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour; 1 tbsp corn flour; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 cup macadamia nuts (dry roasted and chopped); 1 cup white chocolate chunks (chopped); Flakey sea salt (for the top)

These cookies are so simple to make and bake in 10 mins! They are even better than the subway ones and delicious with milk. Chewy, fudgy, soft and crunchy in every bite they are have the perfect balance of salt and sweet with the roasted macadamia nuts and white chocolate chunks.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2025!!! I am starting this year with one of my most beloved recipes, white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. But before we can get into he recipe I am want to say a few things – the past month I have been absent on the blog. I was working a very fun festive event in Abu Dhabi (Yas Winter Festival) and it was such a joy to be part of something bigger with a delightful team of people. Alot of my work is on my own and I don’t have a team of people who I work with so when these events come around I am always grateful for the good company and banter.

Because of this I was busy and couldn’t give the festive season my justice with all the recipes and content I had planned. What a lot of people don’t realize with blogging is that it takes so much effort to put out a single recipe, the research, testing, finalizing, writing, shooting, styling and editing of course before it even sees the light of day on the blog. And even though there might have been moments in the past month to get out some more content I was mentally exhausted to even try. I am so proud of the consistency I created last year and am looking forward to bringing all that and so much more this year.

Can I just say, I am so thrilled to see so many of you make my recipes over the holidays. It is such a beautiful moment to be part of your kitchens, traditions and celebrations. It makes all this and everything I do worth the effort, long nights and early mornings. I hope to bring more deliciousness to your kitchens for as long as I possibly can. Now that I finished this little tell all – let us get to the recipe.

I first tried these cookies from subway almost 10 years ago and I was blown away considering I don’t like white chocolate, also considering I only got one macadamia nut in my cookie but still enjoyed it. Few weeks later I had it again and decided to make it myself – not just to make a copy cat recipe of the subway one but also to make it better. In saying this I must admit this was one of those recipes that I made and was a hit in the first go – there was no trial and error. It is such a simple cookie recipe to prepare and you don’t need much to bring it together but it tastes like you have slaved over the stove to make it.

What ingredients do you need to make these white chocolate macadamia nut cookies?

Browned butter or melted butter, brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, eggs, flour, corn flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, macadamia nuts and white chocolate chunks or chips. I have also used flakes sea salt for the top.

Do you need the brown butter?

I have made these cookies with melted butter on its own and it was really good but the brown butter is a game changer, I promise you it is worth the effort. Always keep in mind when using brown butter a small amount of the liquid evaporates and reduces the quantity hence it is always wise to top it up with water or more melted butter. I used about a table spoon of water to compensate for the evaporated amount. Check out my post on how to make brown butter perfectly at home every time here.

What substitutes work with this cookie recipe?

In place of the flour you can use gluten free all purpose flour (cup for cup measure). You can use any plant based butter or margarine with a vegan white chocolate to keep this recipe lactose free. If you don’t have corn flour you can leave it out completely. The salt is essential as it needs to balance out the sweetness.

What equipment do you need to make these white chocolate macadamia nut cookies?

We need a sauce pot to brown the butter, a large mixing bowl and rubber spatula to mix the cookie dough. I used an ice cream scoop to portion out the dough but you can use a tablespoon. The cookies are baked in the oven on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Once they are out we need to transfer them to a wire rack to cool using a flat metal spatula.

How to make these white chocolate macadamia nut cookies?

In a sauce pot brown the butter, take off the heat and allow to cool a little. Preheat the oven to 180℃, line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside. In a large mixing bowl add the browned butter, brown sugar, white sugar, almond extract, vanilla extract and stir the mixture together vigorously until combined and smooth. Add the eggs and beat again until combined. Add the flour, corn flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, macadamia nuts, white chocolate and stir until combined – make sure there are no dry flour pockets.

Scoop the dough onto a baking tray leaving space between each ball and bake for 10 mins, they will still be soft if you press them but that is fine – they will finish cooking in the residual heat outside the oven. Using a flat metal spatula transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling before serving. If you don’t have a large oven make sure to bake them in batches.

Serving these white chocolate macadamia nut cookies?

Top each cookie with flakey sea salt while still warm to ensure the balance of sweet and salty is perfect with every bite. They are delicious with milk but I would say serve them with any hot drink you like and it will work well. They will also make great ice cream cookie sandwiches. Don’t skip on the salt on top.

Storing these white chocolate macadamia nut cookies?

The cookie dough can be portioned, transferred to the zip lock bag and frozen in the freezer for up to 2 months, when ready to bake transfer the dough to a lined baking sheet and let them thaw completely before baking as per the recipe. The baked cookies are delicious for a good week in an air tight container at room temperature – if they last that long.

Looking for more cookie recipes?

Now that we have covered how to make these white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies (Copycat Subway Recipe)

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Course Breakfast, cookie, Snack, Sweet tooth

Cuisine American

Servings 18 cookies

Equipment

Sauce pot
Large mixing bowl
Rubber spatula
Flat metal spatula
Baking tray
Baking paper
Wire rack
Ice cream scoop

Ingredients

1 cup browned butter/melted butter cooled
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 drops almond extract
2 large eggs
2 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp corn flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup macadamia nuts dry roasted and chopped
1 cup white chocolate chunks chopped
Flakey sea salt for the top

Instructions

In a sauce pot brown the butter, take off the heat and allow to cool a little.
Preheat the oven to 180℃, line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl add the browned butter, brown sugar, white sugar, almond extract, vanilla extract and stir the mixture together vigorously until combined and smooth. Add the eggs and beat again until combined.
Add the flour, corn flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, macadamia nuts, white chocolate and stir until combined - make sure there are no dry flour pockets.
Scoop the dough onto a baking tray leaving space between each ball and bake for 10 mins, they will still be soft if you press them but that is fine - they will finish cooking in the residual heat outside the oven.
Using a flat metal spatula transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling before serving. Hit them with flakey sea salt while still warm.

Notes

Do not over mix the cookie dough - once it is combined you can scoop out the dough and bake immediately.
Do not over bake these cookies as they will continue to firm up as they cool down.
Let them cool on a wire rack.
Chocolate chunks over chips gives puddles and melted chocolate pools.
Browning the butter is not necessary but really tastes elite. Find my recipe here.
If you don’t have a large oven make sure to bake them in batches.

Annika Eats

Hi Ninja!

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies (Copycat Subway Recipe)