White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies – a copycat recipe of the popular Byron Bay cookies found in cafes all across Australia! The combination of white chocolate with the soft creamy crunch of macadamia nuts in a big, thick, buttery cookie is a match made in heaven.
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Byron Bay cookies changed the Aussie cookie market forever when they first came out. They were known for their size (big!), the buttery crisp-but-melt-in-your-mouth texture and most importantly, the generous amounts of “stuff” inside. Big chunks of chocolate (here’s the Choc Chunk version!), nuts, M&M’s.
Nobody eats a Byron Bay cookie and is left feeling dissatisfied!!
They’re now found in cafes all across Australia, and as popular as ever. They also come with a fairly hefty price tag of $4.00 each.
So it was inevitable that I’d pursue a copy-cat version with a vengeance!
This recipe is a copycat of Australia’s most popular cafe cookie – Byron Bay cookies!
Byron Bay Cookie recipe – what you need
This recipe was developed using Shortbread Cookies as a base which has a similar texture and flavour, then tweaked by referencing the ingredients listed on the Byron Bay Cookie jars in cafes (I cheekily took photos of the labels to reference back at home!).
Just a note on a few ingredients:
Rice flour – this makes the cookie crumb a bit “silkier” than when made with just flour, to mimic the texture of Byron Bay Cookies (it’s listed in the Byron Bay ingredients). Can sub with normal flour;
Brown and white sugar – both used to achieve the balance of texture, flavour and colour. White sugar makes cookies crisper, brown sugar makes cookies chewier, browner and a touch more flavour; and
Macadamia nuts and white chocolate – the base cookie is the same for all white Byron Bay Cookies so feel free to sub this with other “stuff” of choice – choc chunks, M&M’s (the Dotty Cookies!), other nuts, dried fruit, caramel bits etc.
Leftover egg whites – Here’s my list of what I do with them and all my egg white recipes can be found in this recipe collection.
How to make it
This recipe is one of those recipes where you form a log which is refrigerated to firm up, then sliced. In the spirit of Byron Bay Cookies, I make these BIG and THICK!!
I use a hand held beater here but it can be done with a stand mixer or even with a wooden spoon and a bit of an arm work out.
It cost about $12 for all the ingredients, and this recipe makes 13 cookies (because it would be asking too much for any recipe I invent to make a nice even number like 12 cookies). So at $4 a pop, this makes $52 worth of cookies.
So I’m feeling very smug right now. I know I know, I’m soooo immature!!! 😂 – Nagi x
PS These cookies keep very well, staying the same texture rather than going soft like some cookies do. The record so far is 4 days. I’m holding onto 1 cookie to see how long much longer it will last.
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Watch how to make it
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White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Ingredients
- 175g / 5.5 oz butter, unsalted, softened (11 US tbsp)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup white sugar , caster/superfine best
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 egg yolks (Note 6 for using leftover whites)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract/essence
- 1 1/2 cups flour , plain/all purpose
- 1/2 cup rice flour (sub with plain) (Note 1)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 100g / 3.5 oz macadamias , roughly chopped (Note 2)
- 125g / 4 oz white eating chocolate , chopped into pretty small pieces (not baking chocolate, Note 3)
Instructions
- Beat butter, sugar and salt on medium (speed 5) using a hand held mixer for 1 minute until smooth.
- Add egg yolks and vanilla, beat for 1 minute or until smooth.
- Add baking powder, rice flour and half the plain flour. Beat with mixer on medium speed until flour is incorporated.
- Add remaining flour and beat with mixer until flour is incorporated. Add macadamia nuts and chocolate, then mix through with a wooden spoon (dough gets a bit too hard to use mixer).
- Scrape mixture onto a work surface, press together and shape into a 22cm/9″ log.
- Roll up in baking paper or cling wrap, twist ends then refrigerate for 2 hours.
Slice and bake:
- Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan).
- Line 2 trays with baking paper.
- Remove log from fridge, unwrap and slice into 1.75cm / 3/4" thick slices (12 – 13 cookies).
- Place 6 on each tray, bake for 10 minutes.
- Turn oven down to 170°C/340°F (150°C fan), switch the trays between shelves.
- Bake 15 minutes, remove from oven and cool cookies on tray.
- Cool fully before serving.
Recipe Notes:
- Initial high temp “sets” the cookie so it doesn’t spread everywhere, then we lower it to finish cooking through without the cookie going brown
- Bake time time is longer than usual recipes because these are BIG thick cookies!
- Cookies do not spread or rise very much
- For smaller cookies, reduce the cook time of the lower temp
- Different measures in different countries – recipe has been written to cater for different cup sizes in different countries. Only exception is Japan – please use weights.
Nutrition Information:
More cookie / cracker copycats
Other recipes I’ve created in the past for the same reason as these Byron Bay cookie copycat recipe (ie because I love ’em but they’re expensive!)
Byron Bay Triple Choc Fudge Cookies – Chocolate cookies with white AND dark chocolate, these are seriously chewy and seriously chocolatey!
Byron Bay Choc Chunk Cookies – the same cookie dough as this recipe, but loaded with choc chunks!
Gourmet Fruit & Nut Crackers for Cheese – homemade version of the rather expensive fruit and nut crackers to serve with cheese! Homemade is incredible – the flavour is so much better than the store bought. Plus it’s way WAY cheaper!
Muesli Cookies (Breakfast Cookies / Granola Cookies) – copycat of the thick, chunky, chewy muesli cookies sold in cafes across Australia. A healthy breakfast option because it’s like a bowl of oatmeal in cookie form – refined sugar free, low fat, gluten free, keeps you full for ages but it tastes like a sweet cookie!
Life of Dozer
Executive Producer Dozer, reporting for duty!
I’m actually eating a Byron bay macadamia cookie as I read this. How funny.
If you only knew how excited I am to make these. My absolute fav. Thank you 😘
BA HA HA! Mind reader… 🔮
Hi Nagi could you please, please put together a cook book it would be absolutely awesome with some pictures of Geourgeous Dozer🐾😊of course regards Jennifer.
Aww you flatter me! To be honest, I’ve had publishers approach me but I just can’t image what recipes I’d put in it given I put all my favourite ones on HERE! 😂 It makes me think no one would bother buying it! N xx
Yum. Can’t wait to try these. Have added ingredients to my shopping list.
Hope you get a chance to try it Helen! N x
Hi Naji, these cookies look great. I’m sure they are healthier than the Byron Bay cookies because there are no preservatives or strange numbers that mean nothing to me and definitely way more economical. Just wandering though, another favourite of mine on the counter of many cafes is the muesli cookie
( not sure who/where they are made), is there any chance in the future for you to develop a recipe for this? Thank you, I love your recipes and look forward to each one as you post them. Manal
I know exactly what you mean and I’ve already done it! -> https://discountspot.info/healthy-oatmeal-breakfast-cookies/%3C/a%3E The secret ingredient in these that makes them so good is DATES, believe it or not 🙂
Hi I’d like to print this out for my daughter to make. There is no mention of adding the macadamias and chocolate in the recipe. Could you add this in so a novice can figure it out.
Thank you 😁
Sorry Mar! Caught it early Sat morning and fixed it 🙂 Better than that time I forgot to include PORK in a roast pork recipe! 😂
That’s almost as good as the time I forgot PORK in a roast pork recipe 😂 Just updated! Thanks for picking that up Mar! N xx
Nagi & Dozer 🐶
Loved your video of Dozer!! And I am coming to get him hahahaha!! Just wanted to let you know love getting your recipes! And they all sound and I am sure taste wonderful!!! And once my move to my new apartment is over I will be entertaining with a alot of your great recipes!! So once again thanks a bunch for the work, and the recipes!! 👌👍😍🐶
Ooh how exciting, when are you moving??!! N xx
These look sooo yummy.
How many did Dozer eat?
No cookies for Dozer! There’s chocolate in them 🙂 No chocolate for Dozer! N xx
where do you find rice flour?
Hi Nancy! In the baking aisle next to cornflour / cornstarch 🙂 N x
Can’t wait to try these. I love white chocolate macadamia cookies. I swear you have to be my foodie soulmate Nagi. So funny.
😇 N x