If you have a sweet tooth and a love for unique flavors, Strawberry Macadamia Nut Cookies are bound to become your new favorite cookies!
Combining the rich, buttery crunch of macadamia nuts with the sweetness of white chocolate and the natural flavors of strawberries, they offer a delightful twist on a classic cookie!
But wait, let me tell you where I found these DELICIOUS Strawberry White Chocolate covered Macadamia Nuts. They are currently at Costco (Spring 2024)in larger packages.
And I'm here to tell you, these are absolutely delicious. You will want to purchase an extra bag because it's really easy to just eat the entire bag in one sitting. (No Regrets here!)
The cookies feature the luxurious crunch of macadamia nuts paired with luscious sweet white chocolate chips and the tangy zest of fresh strawberries. Each bite is a burst of flavor, making it impossible to stop at just one cookie.
The recipe involves straightforward steps and common baking ingredients mixed in a unique way, so that experienced bakers and novices alike can enjoy making these Strawberry Macadamia Nut Cookies.
For more easy cookie recipes featuring strawberries, check out my Easy Strawberry Lemonade Cookies with Lemon Zest, Strawberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies, Tasty Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies, Soft Strawberry Sugar Cookies, and Strawberry Lemonade Sugar Cookie Bars!
Ingredients for Macadamia Nut & Strawberry Cookies
Wet Ingredients. Unsalted Butter, Strawberry Extract, Egg
Dry Ingredients. All Purpose Flour, Granulated Sugar, Brown Sugar, Baking Soda, Salt, Cornstarch
Chocolate/Extras/Candies/Add-ins/Decoration. White Chocolate Chips, Freeze-Dried Strawberries, Strawberries and Cream Macadamias (Hawaiian Host Brand)
How to Make Scrumptious Strawberry Macadamia Nut Cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prevent sticking.
- Start by creaming the cold butter cubes with brown and white sugars in a large mixing bowl. This process, best done with a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, should take about 2-3 minutes on high or medium speed. When the texture of the butter and sugar mixture is light and fluffy, add the egg and strawberry extract. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally to ensure all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Mix your dry ingredients in a separate large bowl and gradually combine flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugars. Mix until just combined to avoid overworking the dough, which can lead to tough cookies. Once your dough forms, it's time to fold in the crushed freeze-dried strawberries.
- The final touch is adding the white chocolate chips, chopped macadamia nuts, and sliced Strawberries and Cream Macadamias, reserving about a third of these for garnishing the cookies later.
- Using a #24 cookie scoop, or about 3 tablespoons, place dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, ensuring there's enough space between each for the cookies to spread.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and set but the centers are still soft.
- Upon removing from the oven, immediately add extra white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts to the tops for an extra touch of sweetness and texture. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
FAQs
Yes, you can use regular strawberries, but ensure they are finely chopped and excess moisture is removed to prevent the dough from becoming too wet.
To keep your cookies chewy, make sure not to overbake them. Remove them from the oven when the edges are set but the centers are still soft. They will continue to cook slightly on the baking sheet.
Yes, you can make these cookies gluten-free by substituting the all-purpose wheat flour with a gluten-free flour blend designed for baking.
For a nut-free version, omit the macadamia nuts and substitute them with an equal amount of white chocolate chips or another add-in of your choice that doesn’t contain nuts.
Storage & Freezing
Storage: Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, the cookies will last for up to a week. Ensure they are completely cooled before storing to maintain their best texture. Cookies are best if enjoyed within 2-3 days.
Freezing: Cookies can be stored in a sealed container and frozen for up to 3 months. Place parchment paper between each cookie to prevent sticking.
Substitutions & Variations
- If you don't have strawberry extract, you can use vanilla extract or almond extract for a subtle flavor enhancement, although the strawberry flavor won't be as pronounced.
- If you’re out of butter or prefer a different fat, coconut oil is a great substitute. It will add a slight coconut rather than buttery flavor to the cookies, enhancing the tropical theme.
- For those avoiding eggs, a flaxseed egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water and left to gel for 5 minutes) is an effective vegan substitute.
- To make gluten-free cookies, replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free all-purpose flour mix. Make sure it includes xanthan gum, or add a ¼ teaspoon per cup of flour to help the texture.
- For a different flavor profile, try using milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, or use dairy-free chocolate options.
- If allergies are a concern, omit the nuts entirely or substitute with seeds like pumpkin or sunflower for a bit of crunch.
- If freeze-dried strawberries are unavailable, you can use dried strawberries chopped into small pieces, though the texture and intensity of flavor will differ.
- Change the cookie shapes to fit your special occasion or themed event - they look beautiful as cookie hearts for Valentine's Day!
Pro Tips
What makes a good cookie? Does it have a soft center and crispy edges, and is it chewy? Each of these makes a great quality cookie. To make perfect cookies every time here are some pro tips.
Where To Find Hawaiian Host Strawberries and Cream
Hawaiian Host Strawberries and Cream White Chocolate Macadamias can be found at various Walmart and Costco locations, or can be ordered from Amazon here!
Weighing Ingredients.
Baking is a science and adding too much or too little of any of the ingredients will alter the recipe. Weighing and measuring dry ingredients properly makes a world of difference. Investing in a kitchen scale is ideal. When a kitchen scale is not available, make sure to stir and lift ingredients before scooping them into a measuring cup.
| Volume | Ounces | Grams | |
| All Purpose Flour | 1 Cup | 4½ Ounces | 120 Grams |
| Bread Flour | 1 Cup | 4½ Ounces | 120 Grams |
| Granulated Sugar | 1 Cup | 7 Ounces | 200 Grams |
| Brown Sugar | 1 Cup | 7½ Ounces | 213 Grams |
| Confectionary Sugar | 1 Cup | 4 Ounces | 113 Grams |
Mixing Techniques.
When creaming the butter and sugars, make sure the butter is cold as specified in the recipe. This helps to incorporate more air into the dough, leading to a lighter, more tender cookie. Also, be cautious not to overmix once you add the dry ingredients; mix just until the flour is incorporated. Overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour, leading to tough cookies.
Cookie Scoop.
Use a #24 cookie scoop to ensure all your cookies are the same size. Or about 3 tablespoons of cookie dough. This not only helps in baking the cookies evenly but also ensures consistency in presentation. Uniform cookies are particularly important if you’re baking for an event or as a gift.
Baking Sheets.
You can use an ungreased cookie sheet if you prefer. I like to use Parchment Paper to line baking sheets or a Silicone Mat for easy cleanup.
Baking Time.
Every oven heats a little differently. I recommend doing a test batch of 1-3 cookies to test the baking time for a perfectly baked cookie before baking the remaining dough.
Perfect Texture.
Strawberry Macadamia Nut Cookies should be removed from the oven when the edges just begin to set but the center still looks slightly underdone. The residual heat will continue to cook the cookies on the sheet, achieving that coveted chewy texture.
Garnishing for Added Flair
Adding a few extra white chocolate chips and pieces of Strawberries and Cream Macadamia Nuts on top of each cookie before baking not only adds to their aesthetic appeal but also ensures each bite is packed with flavor.
Pressing the additions slightly into the dough will help them stick better and not fall off after baking.
Cooling Rack.
Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a minute or two before moving them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Kitchen Scale. I use this for accuracy in measuring, and it's a lifesaver when it comes to consistent baking.
- Wire Rack for cooling cookies. I like to have at least two cooling racks.
- Mixing Bowls. A Large Mixing Bowl for mixing ingredients and small and medium mixing bowls for other ingredients.
- Cookie Sheet. Most recipes will take two batches to bake. It's great to have multiple baking sheets available.
- Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mat. Line the Cookie Sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking.
- Cookie Scoop. A small #60 Cookie Scoop or a Medium Cookie Scoop #50 are great choices for uniform drops of cookie dough.
- Storage Container. An Airtight Container to store cookies or a Ziploc Bag works great too.
- Additional supplies. Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons along with a silicone spatula, are all helpful.
To find out more, check out my Pro Tips Guide for making the best cookies every time!
Have you tried this Strawberry Macadamia Nut White Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe?
Let me know what you think of this recipe! Tag @bestcookierecipes on social media so I can see how great your cookies turned out! I would also love to read your comments below. Let me know what you think of these cookies. It really does help!
More Easy Cookie Recipes with Nuts
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
- White Chocolate Cranberry Macadamia Nut Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
- No-Bake Buckeye Bars Recipe with Chocolate & Peanut Butter
- Tropical Mango Cookies Recipe with Coconut and Oats
- Copycat Mrs. Field's White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookie
- Crunchy Pecan Cookies Recipe - Pecan Sandies Copycat
- Chocolate Rocky Road Cookie Recipe loaded with Marshmallows
Strawberry Macadamia Nut Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup Butter Cold, Cut into Cubes
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar 53g
- ¼ cup White Sugar 50g
- 1 Egg Large
- 1 teaspoon Strawberry Extract
- ¼ teaspooon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour 180g
- ¾ cup White Chocolate Chips
- 14 grams Freeze Dried Strawberries crushed
- 1 cup Strawberries and Chocolate Macadamia Nuts Hawaiian Host Brand Sliced in half
- ¾ cup Macadamia Nuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F Degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or use a silicone baking mat and set aside
- Cut cold Butter into cubes, and cream together Butter and Granulated Sugar and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. This will take about 2-3 minutes on medium or high speed with a hand mixer or stand mixer.
- Add Egg and Strawberry Extract, and cream until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed to include all ingredients together.
- Gradually add dry ingredients: All-Purpose Flour, Baking Soda, Cornstarch and Salt to the butter mixture and mix until combined.
- Break or roughly crush freeze dried strawberries.
- Stir in crushed Freeze Dried Strawberries, White Chocolate Chips, chopped Macadamia Nuts, and Strawberries and Cream Macadamia Nuts sliced in half. (Reserve about ⅓ to use as garnish on top of cookies)
- Scoop cookie dough into cookie dough balls using a #24 cookie scoop and place on baking sheet allowing at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake at 350 F Degrees for 8-10 minutes, or until edges are set. Centers will still be soft.
- TIP: Add additional white chocolate chips and Strawberries and Cream Macadamia Nuts to top of hot cookies as garnish
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Store: Store your Strawberry White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies in an airtight container or Ziplock bag once they have completely cooled. Cookies will stay fresh for up to 7 days but are best enjoyed within 3-4 days.
- Freeze: These cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months, which is perfect for preparing for the holidays! Store cookies in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Place a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap between each cookie to prevent them from sticking together.
Nutrition Disclaimer
All nutrition values are approximate and calculated by a plugin and are provided as a courtesy. Adding or subtracting ingredients will change the nutritional value.
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