These Double Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies A holiday favorite! They're the perfect gluten-free and paleo-friendly cookie—soft, chewy, chocolatey, and loaded with melted chocolate chunks and buttery macadamia nuts.
Easy Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cookies with Macadamia Nuts
Nothing reminds me of the holidays more than a warm cookie, oozing with chocolate and filled with just the right amount of macadamia nuts.
One bite into a double chocolate macadamia nut cookie and I can picture myself sitting by the fire munching on a plate of cookies with a cup of coffee or almond milk in hand…
I can also imagine myself standing in the kitchen shoveling them into my mouth to “taste” the recipe. I’ll let you guess which one I find myself doing more often…
These macadamia nut cookies are perfect for your upcoming family gathering, holiday party, or as a gift for the chocolate lover in your life! They're gluten-free, Paleo-friendly, and can easily be made dairy-free.
Ingredients for Double Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
This gluten-free cookie recipe is made with simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry!
- Coconut oil or cream: I love the depth of flavor that butter adds, but coconut oil is also a great way to keep gluten-free cookie recipes dairy-free. Use what works best for you!
- Chocolate Chips: Chocolate chips are melted with cream or coconut oil to create a rich chocolate sauce. This mixture is incorporated into the cookie dough to provide moisture and optimal chocolate flavor!
- flour: We use a combination of almond flour and coconut flour in this recipe.
- baking soda: The baking soda gives the macadamia nut cookies just the right lift, giving them a lighter, more tender texture.
- cocoa powder: Use high-quality, unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Salt: Cutting back on the sweetness and enhancing all the rich flavor in these cookies.
- Honey: Our natural sweetener of choice! If you don't have honey, maple syrup is also a good option.
- Egg: You only need one egg to bind everything together and create a chewier, more tender texture.
- Vanilla extract: Adds depth of flavor and some extra flavor.
- Macadamia: I used 1/3 cup chopped macadamia nuts, but feel free to add more if you want the cookies to be more packed. You can buy the nuts already chopped, or you can use a food processor to chop whole macadamia nuts into small pieces.
- Chocolate Chunks: You can use your favorite variety of chocolate chunks to add texture and more chocolate flavor to the cookies. Or, use chocolate chips instead of chocolate chunks!
- sea salt: I like to sprinkle some coarse flaky sea salt on the end of each cookie.
What flour is best for making gluten-free cookies?
I used a combination of coconut flour and almond flour in this recipe. Coconut flour provides the perfect base for the cookies, while almond flour keeps the texture light and fluffy.
Flour Tips!
While there are other gluten-free flours that can be used for making cookies, I would not recommend any swaps or substitutions for this flour. Different gluten-free flours have different absorption levels, so using other varieties will affect the texture of the finished cookie.
Can I use baking powder instead of baking soda in cookies?
In some cases, yes. I cannot recommend this recipe.
Baking soda is three times more powerful than baking powder, so to achieve the same texture, you'll need three times the amount of baking powder. While this amount may work well for texture, it can impart a bitter taste to the cookies.
How to Make Macadamia Nut Cookies
This chocolate chip cookie recipe takes just 10 minutes to prepare and then your kitchen will be filled with the delicious aroma of freshly baked cookies!
Here's a quick summary of the recipe:
- Prepare the chocolate: In the double boiler. Melt coconut oil and chocolate. Blend until smooth and set aside.
- Make the dough: In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt. Stir to combine, then add the honey, eggs and vanilla extract. Mix together, then add the chocolate mixture and stir until well combined.
- Portion and bake: Divide dough into tablespoon-sized portions, place on lined baking sheet, and flatten each portion slightly with a spatula or your hands. Bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes or until toasted to your liking, then cool slightly before serving.
What’s the secret to moist cookies?
Oil/cream, melted chocolate, honey, and eggs all contribute to the overall moisture content of these cookies. However, to ensure that all the ingredients work their magic, the key is to make sure you don’t over-measure the dry ingredients – especially the flour!
To make sure your flour measurements are completely accurate, I recommend scooping it into a measuring cup and gently smoothing it out with your fingers. This prevents too much of it from getting into the measuring cup!
How to prevent gluten-free cookies from crumbling?
First, moisture plays a key role in the integrity of the cookie. However, another key is to make sure you don't overbake them! Baking for too long will result in moisture loss and a dry, crumbly texture.
For best results, remove them from the oven when they look slightly underbaked and let them set completely while they cool on the baking sheet.
How do you know when double chocolate chip cookies are done?
The best way to tell when a cookie is done is to look at the edges. They will set and start to crisp.
We prefer our cookies slightly underbaked for a softer, chewier texture, so I usually leave them out of the oven immediately The edges are starting to get crispy. The cookies always look a little underbaked in the middle, but they set as they cool.
If you prefer crispier, better-baked cookies, allow the middle to harden completely before removing them from the oven.
Tips and Notes
- Divide the dough evenly. I recommend using one tablespoon of dough per cookie. Make sure they are relatively even in size so they bake at the same rate.
- Flatten the cookies. These cookies won't spread on their own, so don't forget to flatten them slightly before popping them in the oven.
- Baking time tips: We like our cookies underbaked, so 10 minutes is our preferred time. If you like it crispier, try to cook it for about 15 minutes. If you're not sure, check the cookie at 10 minutes and add time if necessary!
Variety
- Try other baked chips. I love all the chocolate in these macadamia cookies, but feel free to switch up the flavor by swapping out the chocolate chunks for white chocolate chips or peanut butter chips.
- Use another nut. Macadamia nuts are a cookie classic, but feel free to use any nut you like in your cookies! Walnuts or pecans are both good choices.
- Make peppermint double chocolate chip cookies. Add an extra festive touch to these cookies by mixing in mint chips or sprinkling a sprinkle of crushed peppermint candies on top of the finished cookies.
How to store
These double chocolate cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
To enjoy again, thaw at room temperature (if frozen) or quickly thaw individual cookies in the microwave.
Explain in advance
Want to get ahead of the game in holiday baking? You can prepare, portion and flatten the dough, then store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
When you're ready to bake the cookies, thaw the dough or bake frozen cookies at room temperature – add a few extra minutes to ensure they're fully baked.
More Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes
Watch the video:
- 5 spoon coconut oil or grass fed butter
- 1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips
- 1 cup Almond powder
- 1 spoon coconut powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- Large pinch of fine sea salt
- 3 spoon Honey
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup chopped macadamia nuts if need more
- 1/4 cup chocolate chunks
- coarse flaky sea salt for decoration
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Preheat oven to 350°F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
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Melt coconut oil and chocolate in a double boiler or preferred method. Once melted, stir to combine and set aside to cool.
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In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and sea salt and stir well, making sure to remove any lumps.
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Add honey, eggs and vanilla extract and mix well. Then add the melted chocolate mixture and mix together.
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Stir in nuts and chocolate chips.
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use a cookie spoonor tablespoon, divide a tablespoon-sized portion of dough into a ball and place 1-1/2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Flatten the cookies a bit as they won't spread as much on their own.
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Bake for 10-15 minutes (see note).
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Cool slightly on rack before serving.
Photo updated in 2017.
Serve: 1cookieCalories: 118kilocaloriescarbohydrate: 9.5Gprotein: 1.7Gfat: 9.3GSaturated fat: 5.4Gcholesterol: 11milligramssodium: 102milligramsfiber: 1.4Gsugar: 6G
