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, 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.
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.
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!)
- 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!
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 (70g) brown sugar
- 1/3 cup (70g) white sugar , caster/superfine best
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tsp vanilla extract/essence
- 1 1/2 cups (225g) flour , plain/all purpose
- 1/2 cup (75g) 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 (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 200C/390F (or 180C/350F fan).
- Line 2 trays with baking paper.
- Remove log from fridge, unwrap and slice into 12 x 1.75cm / 3/4" thick slices.
- Place 6 on each tray, bake for 10 minutes.
- Turn oven down to 170C/340F (or 150C/300F 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:
Life of Dozer
Executive Producer Dozer, reporting for duty!
Hello, when you make this recipe yourself, do you use cup or weight measurement? Reason I ask is that I used the weight measurement and found the dough much wetter than yours (I watched your video). Mine was a stickier dough, it did not fall in crumbles onto the table like yours did. I think maybe there was too much butter. Thanks in advance x
Hi Emma, I use both – as the weight matches the cup measured amount. Did you follow the recipe exactly? – N x
Hi, yes I followed exactly, no modifications, but in my experience weight never matches volume exactly, as it can vary a lot depending on how you pack a cup. Even if “tightly packed”, everyone has their own version of what they consider tight so it’s tricky. If I knew that you followed weight when making it yourself it would help me narrow down what could be going wrong. Thanks x
Hi Nagi, I made these beautiful biscuits. I made the dough and froze it for a month. I was waiting until it cooled down in Melbourne. They were perfect, hubby loved them as did co workers. I used my thermo and adapted recipe to suit. Will definitely make this again. Thank you again. I love your website and now its the only one I go too.
Perfect Marlene, I’m so glad they were a hit!
I made these cookies last night and baked them this morning. I made these before from a different recipe and this recipe is by far the best. My husband liked them so much that he took a couple to work, ate some for breakfast and only left me three. He loved them.
Hi Nagi,
I want to know if you have had the chance to make the triple choc version of these cookies? They are my absolute favourite. I’m just not sure of how to make the chocolate version. If you could help that would be amazing.
Hi Amy, I’m trying to develop a recipe, stay tuned!
Hi Nagi, Have you had any luck making the triple choc version yet?
Hi Nagi I have accidentally bought white cooking chocolate instead of cooking chocolate can I still use it to make the cookies
Yes sure! I hope you love them – N x
Hi Nagi,
I love your recipes!
How do I convert this to make chocolate cookies?
Hi Nagi
Hope you are over the jet lag…
Made these beauties but subbed white chocolate for dark and pecans for macadamias – they were amazing!!!
I’m just about to make a batch of ‘similar to Byron Date & Ginger cookies’ but have bought fresh instead of dried dates. Any tips on converting dried to fresh?
Love your blog and have cooked many of your recipes.
Thank you … 🙂
Hi Nagi, I look forward to your emails as I find them entertaining and full of such yummy looking food. Dozer is such a versatile dog!! and your love for him is heart warming!
I feel like we are friends and you just drop by to chat …. if only we could share a coffee!
Keep sending me your latest recipes and comments.
That’s so sweet Cheryl! ❤️
Thank you Nagi for this delicious recipe. I’ve used normal flour only, no chocolate because I did’t have any but increased the sugar instead and doubled the macadamia. I baked them straight away in 170°C fan forced. All I can say is yum yum yum 🙂
I’m so glad you loved them Mai!!!
Dear Nagi,
Here is not the place to write about how important your website is in my life. But it is.
I tried this recipe but failed to do it justice: the cookies crumbled when I flipped them, and the lower tray cookies was burnt by the element in the oven.
Anyhow, I’m going to try again with smaller chunks of chocolate and nuts, as per your instructions.
Thank you Nagi
Hi Daniel, sorry to hear you had trouble with these ones! You don’t need to flip the cookies at all when cooking, simply switch the two trays around so that they each get even heat. What temp did you have your oven on? – N x
Hi Nagi
Wondering why eating chocolate is used instead of baking chocolate. Also, if I reduce the amount of sugar, will that affect the overall consistency of the cookie or just the sweetness?
Thanks.
I have been Google searching on-and-off for a few weeks for Byron Bay Dotty cookie copycat recipe. I found a couple that looked similar, but they just weren’t quite right. Then I had another Google search today, and yours came up! I can’t believe the timing. I’m going to try it with lots of tiny chocolate chunks throughout and Smarties on top to make the dotty cookies. Also, 3 questions before I make these: How much do your two egg yolks weigh? Did you use cups or weight to create your cookies? and what do you mean by “switch the trays between shelves”? Thanks 🙂
Hi Claire, yes these make great spotty cookies (I’ve tested that too). I usually use large eggs when baking & I have both the cup and weight amount there. If you’re ever unsure, use the weight as that won’t differ between countries.
When baking the cookies, you’ll have two trays, switch them half way through the bake as the top of the oven is usually hotter than the bottom. I hope you love tham and I can’t wait to hear what you think! – N x
Thanks for your reply! I will be sure to share the results. Also about the weight, I was actually just wondering if you personally used weight to make these? (I prefer weight myself). Regarding the eggs, are out able to please tell me how much a whole egg (with the shell) weighs from your kitchen? I’ve found that going by egg sizes “large” or “medium” can differ depending on brand, so I will do my best to match whatever you use. I’m a very precise baker and am so excited about these I want them to turn out perfect 😂
Hi again, was hoping you could help with my queries in my comment above as I’m going to attempt these this week. Thanks!
Hi again, was hoping you could help with my queries in my comment above as I’m going to attempt these this week. Thanks!
Tasted fantastic, , easy to make. Can you make a recipe, when one is eaten, another one magically appears. Neverending cookies, especially these cookies. On our way to WA from Sydney, they are going to run out. Very sad.
Haha I hear ya Alana!!
Really looking forward to making these! I’m thinking they’d make fantastic presents wrapped in cellophane and a ribbon.
Yes, definitely!
Hi Nagi. Can I use glutinous rice flour on this recipe? Thank you. 😊
Hi Faith, glutinous rice flour has a different texture when cooked so won’t be suitable in this recipe unfortunately – N x