These Keto White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies are everything good in the world. Tender and a little chewy, with plenty of nuts and white chocolate. You’ll find it hard to believe they didn’t come from a bakery!
I started baking with low carb ingredients a long time ago, long before keto was a trendy way of eating. Back then, in those long ago days, we didn’t have very many options when it came to keto chocolate. And we had zero options for sugar-free white chocolate!
I tried a few times to make my own at home, but it just never really lived up to the promise. So I made up my mind to just go without, rather than settle for something sub-par. And then suddenly, in 2019, several different companies came out with good low carb white chocolate chips all at the same time. And of course, the very first thing I made were these keto cookies.
Since then, I’ve made any number of luscious creations, including keto peppermint cheesecakes and keto white chocolate fudge. But these cookies! Oh these gorgeous chewy cookies. You want these in your life, preferably as soon as possible.
Why we love this recipe
This recipe has long been one of my most popular. Here’s why:
- Chewy texture: Using a little collagen or gelatin helps give keto cookies a wonderful chewy texture.
- Classic flavor: These have all the flavor of conventional cookies.
- Easy to make: I tinkered with the recipe a bit and now they are even easier to make!
- Easy to store: You can make a big batch and freeze them for when you need a little treat.
- Low carb: Each serving of 2 cookies has less than 7 grams of carbs.
Reader’s Thoughts
“Just made these cookies. First time since going keto that I’ve ventured into something sweet. They are delicious and will definitely be part of my Christmas treats over the holidays.
Thank you Carolyn!” — Sharon
Ingredients you need
- Almond flour: Always use a finely ground almond flour, as it gives keto cookies the best texture.. You can use sunflower seed flour as a nut-free alternative, but your cookies will be more gray in color.
- Collagen powder: This is optional, but it makes the cookies extra tender and chewy. You can replace this with 1 tablespoon of grass-fed gelatin or 1 envelope of Knox gelatin.
- Sweetener: I like to use a combination of brown sugar replacement and regular granular sweetener. I recommend erythritol in both cases, for the best texture (see Tips for Success for more information).
- Macadamia nuts: It’s best to chop these fairly finely so that the cookies hold together a little better. But you can have some bigger chunks in there too, for texture and visual interest.
- Sugar-free white chocolate chips: I recommend Lily’s or ChocZero for the best taste and texture.
- Pantry staples: Butter, egg, vanilla extract, baking soda and salt.
Step by Step Directions
- Chop the nuts: In a chopper or a food processor, process half a cup of the macadamia nuts until they resemble coarse crumbs. Use a sharp knife to coarsely chop the remaining nuts.
- Whisk the dry ingredients: Whisk together the almond flour, collagen, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the wet ingredients: Stir in the melted butter, egg, and vanilla extract until the dough comes together. Stir in the macadamia nuts and half of the white chocolate chips using a rubber spatula.
- Form the cookies: Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place several inches apart on two large baking sheets lined with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Press down to about 1/2 inch thickness with the heel of your hand.
- Bake the cookies: Bake at 325ºF for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown around the edges (If your oven cooks unevenly, you can switch the pans halfway through baking). The cookies will still be very soft. Remove and gently press a few more white chocolate chips into the top of each cookie. Let cool completely on the pan.
Tips for Success
It’s important to note that keto white chocolate chips don’t bake exactly as the conventional kind do. They have a tendency to melt during baking. This is why I always recommend holding back half of the chips and pressing them into the tops of the cookies right after you take them out of the oven.
I find that the Bake Believe brand of white chocolate chips is really bad in this way. They pretty much melt and disappear during baking. If you can use Lily’s or ChocZero, I recommend those instead.
Give the cookies some space! They do spread quite a bit during baking so you don’t want them to run altogether.
Be careful when grinding the nuts in a food processor. Macadamias contain a lot of oil and can become nut butter very easily.
Sweetener Options: I really think that erythritol based sweeteners work best in keto cookie recipes. Allulose tends to make them softer but they also brown too quickly during baking. That said, you can certainly use it if you prefer. Just keep a close eye on them in the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store your cookies in a covered container on the counter for up to 5 days, or in the fridge for up to 10. You can also freeze them, both before and after baking, for up to 2 months. Make sure they are tightly wrapped up to avoid freezer burn.
I have found that Lily’s white chocolate chips perform best during baking, but ChocZero is a good option as well. Bake Believe white chocolate chips tend to melt and disappear during baking. They also tend to seize more when melting them for glaze or drizzle.
This keto white chocolate macadamia nut cookie recipe has 6.7g of carbs and 3.4g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3.3g net carbs for two cookies.
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup raw macadamia nuts, divided
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/3 cup brown sugar replacement
- 1/3 cup granular sweetener
- 2 tbsp collagen protein powder, (optional)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup sugar-free white chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and line two large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- In a chopper or a food processor, process half a cup of the macadamia nuts until they resemble coarse crumbs. Use a sharp knife to coarsely chop the remaining nuts.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweeteners, collagen, baking soda, and salt.
- Stir in the melted butter, egg, and vanilla extract until the dough comes together. Stir in all of the macadamia nuts and half of the white chocolate chips using a rubber spatula.
- Roll the dough into 1 1/4 inch balls and place several inches apart on the prepared baking sheets (they will spread). Press down to about 1/2 inch thickness with the heel of your hand.
- Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown around the edges (If your oven cooks unevenly, you can switch the pans halfway through baking). The cookies will still be very soft. Remove and gently press a few more white chocolate chips into the top of each cookie. Let cool completely on the pan.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Just made these and they are wonderful! Used Lily’s white chocolate chips instead. The cookie texture is perfect!
Best keto cookie recipe I’ve tried…so far.
Thank you!
What will the difference be if I opt to leave out the gelatin?
It will be somewhat less chewy but honestly, they’re still very good!
Delicious! Made 1 minor substitution, didn’t have coconut so I substituted 3 tablespoons coconut flour. Worked great. Another great recipe, thank you.
For the WIN!!! Had to cook an extra minute or two because I use stones. However, this is my husband’s cookies and he devoured them!!!
These are my favorite keto cookies so far. I just made a double batch and put some in the freezer to be enjoyed over the next few weeks/ months. Very decadent. I ran out of brown Swerve, so used the regular,but they still turned out supremely yummy. The toasted macadamia nuts and the Choc zero white chocolate chips make them taste so decadent.
Glad you enjoyed them!
Followed recipe exactly and may have made them a little bit too large..They spread out flat. What did I do wrong? They have a wonderful taste and will be eaten but too soft to pickup.. Thanks for the recipe.
What sweetener did you use? If they’re too soft, that sounds like you use a different sweetener. The spreading issue means there wasn’t enough flour to give them structure so I think you may want to add a bit more almond flour. They all differ a little so it’s hard to judge without knowing brands, etc.
I used lakanto monkfruit as the sweetener. It is what I have and use. I did put it in the fridge for the second batch and that helped some. Thanks for replying will do another batch to see if maybe I missed something inthe recipe. They are a great tasting cookie.
I don’t think you necessarily missed anything, it’s just that almond flours differ a bit and so you could probably use a another tablespoon or two to give your cookies more structure. If the dough feels very sticky as you’re rolling it, you definitely need that!
I’ve made these 4 times now. Hands down my favorite Keto cookie to date. Use additional almond flour rather than shredded coconut, as mentioned. Also, I like them with Allulose. I use the amount called out in the recipe and don’t mind if they are less sweet. Prefer it, in fact. They freeze well, IMHO. Thanks for the recipe!
Do you have a type of flour other than almond that you recommend? I love it but it always tears my stomach up.
Thank you!
You can try sunflower seed flour but… it has a greyish color to begin with, and you need to add a tablespoon of acid (lemon juice or vinegar) to avoid the green reaction.
So delicious! Thank you so much for posting Carolyn! I have the biggest sweet tooth and am trying to cut back on the sugar slightly so this recipe is perfect! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes 🙂
Can I use dry roasted salted macadamia nuts?
I suppose so but your cookies are boing to be quite salty.
I’ve tried so many keto recipes that claimed to be amazing (and were awful) but this truly was amazing! I subbed out 1 tsp agar agar for the 1 TB gelatin since I’m a vegetarian, but other than that it was wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I will be making this again and again. (I found out about you through Highfalutin Low Carb Youtube Channel)
So glad you liked them!
Can you please let me know how to store these cookies. Do they need to be in the fridge or can they stay on the counter in a sealed container? With the egg in them I am not sure?
Like any homemade cookie, they are fine on the counter for 4 to 5 days, unless you live in a very humid environment.
Can cacao butter be used in this recipe?
For the white chocolate chips? No… it will melt and disappear into nothing.
Super easy and delicious! Great recipe and I will definitely be making again. I used Lily’s white chocolate chips and they were perfect.
These are delicious!! Mine did not spread at all. Just curious what you think happened. These will go into the Great column!
There was probably a bit too much flour in them. Make sure you’re not packing down your almond flour.
Love love love these, have helped making low carb a success. I notice there is only baking soda and no baking powder…is there a reason for no bakingpowder?