Keto White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies - Copycat Otis Spunkmeyer Recipe

This Keto White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookie Recipe is the best sugar-free and gluten-free copycat version of the famous Otis Spunkmeyer brand. These cookies are chewy on the inside and crispy around the edge is chock full of white chocolate chips and perfectly crunchy macadamia nuts. Easy to make and delicious to eat, these cookies can be made ahead of time and frozen until ready to eat!

Keto White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

I was first introduced to Otis Spunkmeyer cookies when I patient of mine brought me in a box for her son's school fundraiser.

These delightfully indulgent cookies come perfectly portioned and frozen so that whenever your heart desires, a cookie can be made in minutes.

Since my first encounter, I have been yearning to create a gluten-free and sugar-free version that would compete with the Otis Spunkmeyer version.

And after over 5 attempts, I finally accomplished the task.

Crispy on the outer edges with a gooey soft white chocolate filling, these copycat Ottis Spunkmeyer White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies are AMAZING!

Who is Otis Spunkmeyer?

As it turns out, Otis Spunkmeyer is a fictitious character.

Ken Rawlings, the founder of Otis Spunkmeyer, Inc., opened the first fresh-baked cookie store in Oakland, California in 1977. For the name of the business, Rawlings took the suggestion of his 12-year-old daughter who coined the name.^[1] 

By 1983, with his brother Bill, Rawlings had grown the company to less than two dozen stores. With high overhead costs and weak sales, the company shifted its focus from retail to wholesale, creating a store-baked cookie program for other foodservice operators.

The program included pre-portioned frozen cookie dough, a pre-set convection oven, and marketing materials. This program allowed both big and small foodservice operators to sell store-baked cookies in their facilities.

Why You will LOVE these Macadamia Nut Cookies

• They are super easy to make - by melting the butter, the ingredients come together with a simple whisk and a spoon!
• They can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 4 days before baking
• They freeze REALLY well and can be baked at a moments notice
• Baking the cookies from frozen actually helps to create the soft chewy interior of this cookie
• They are gluten-free and sugar-free
• Perfect for impromptu guest since they can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months
• did I mention that they are ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS?!!

Key Ingredients in these Easy Keto White Chocolate Chip Cookies

• Butter - Unsalted butter is used in this recipe. Using melted butter produces a chewier texture.
• Sugar Substitute - Brown and white sugar substitutes are used in this recipe. I prefer more brown than white sugar substitute to help make these cookies extra soft and chewy. White granulated is still needed to help dry the cookies and allow them to spread.
• Egg - This recipe calls for both 1 egg and 1 egg yolk. The extra egg yolk adds richness, soft tenderness, and binds the dough. 
• Almond Flour - Make sure that you use superfine almond flour and not almond meal.
• Whey Protein Powder - I tend to add whey protein powder to many of my keto desserts. Since most keto desserts involve almond flour which is a very dense type of flour, whey protein powder helps to "lighten" the flour and helps to make it more similar in texture as to regular all-purpose flour
• Baking powder, Salt, Xanthan gum and Vanilla - These ingredients help to give the cookies a little rise as well as help to round out the flavours
• Sugar-free white chocolate chips - I used ChocZero White Chocolate chips but I am pretty sure that Lily's will also work. You could also chop a sugar-free white chocolate bar instead of chocolate chips or use a combination of both. I do not suggest using Bake Believe White Chocolate Chips as they have a tendency to melt when baked.
• Chopped macadamia nuts - Make sure that you chop your macadamia nuts as whole nuts will not bind well to the other cookie ingredients.

How to make homemade brown sugar substitute?

You can actually make your own brown sugar from any sweetener that you have on hand.

To make a brown sugar substitute, you will need a sugar substitute (such as Lakanto Classic) and yacon syrup.  The rule of thumb is that for every 1 cup of sweetener, you will add 1 tablespoon of yacon syrup.

Yacon syrup contains some of the highest amounts of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) prebiotics found in any plant on the planet. This antioxidant-rich superfood offers immune system support, promotes healthy digestion, weight management, and balanced blood sugar levels.

Yacon root syrup is a low glycemic index, an all-natural sweetener with ⅓ the calories of sugar or honey.

If you don't have any yacon syrup, you can replace the yacon with molasses.  1 tablespoon of molasse contains about 60 calories and about 13 grams of sugar.

Making Sugar-free White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

• Whisk the flour, baking soda, whey, xantham, and salt together in a large bowl - Set aside
• In a large bowl, soften the butter in the microwave
• In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter and sugar substitutes together until no lumps remain.
• Whisk in the egg, then the egg yolk and then the vanilla extract.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula
• Fold in the sugar-free white chocolate and macadamia nuts
• Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or up to 3-4 day

Chilling the Macadamia Nut Cookie Dough

Chilling the cookie dough is so important otherwise the cookies could spread into a cookie puddle! By chilling the cookie dough, allows the ingredients to settle together after the mixing stage but most importantly, cold dough results in thicker cookies. Cover the cookie dough and chill the dough for at least 2-3 hours and even up to 3-4 days. After chilling, let your cookie dough sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling into balls to soften the dough slightly.

Make sure that you do not let the cookies get too warm before they go in the oven as some of the butter will leak from the cookies. If the cookies do get too warm, simply place them in the freezer for 10 minutes or in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking.

After chilling, sometimes I roll the cookie dough into balls and freeze them in a large zipped-top bag. Then I bake them straight from the freezer, keeping them in the oven for an extra minute. This way you can have just one of two cookies whenever you want!

Baking Keto White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

If baking immediately:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F
• Place the cookies on a cookie sheet that has been lined with a silpat mat or parchment paper
• Bake for 10-13 minutes
• Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool
• The cookies will firm as they cool

If baking from frozen cookie dough:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F
• Place the cookies on a cookie sheet that has been lined with a silpat mat or parchment paper
• Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the cookies just begin to brown
• Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool
• The cookies will firm as they cool

Secrets to Perfectly Chewy Keto Cookies

• Under baked cookies create the softness cookies
• Keep the cookies thick which will also keep them soft and chewy
• Use more brown sugar sweetener than white sugar sweetener for a more moist cookie.
• Adding an extra egg yolk increases chewiness.
• You can also roll the cookie dough balls to be taller than wider to increases the cookies thickness.
• Using melted butter increases chewiness.
• Chilling the dough results in a thicker cookie.
• Using a Silpat mat will stop the cookies from browning too quickly on the bottom
• Make sure that the oven rack is placed in the center of the oven - too low to the bottom heat elements will cause the bottom of the cookies to brown.

How long can you store these baked cookies?

The cookies can be placed in an airtight container on the counter for up to 7 days.  

You can also store them in the fridge for a crunchier texture for up to 2 weeks.

More Easy Keto Cookie Recipes:

• Keto Caramelized Bacon Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies - Gluten-free
• Soft Keto Pumpkin Cookies with Pumpkin Spiced Baking Chips - Gluten-free
• Keto Edible Cookie Dough - 3 Protein-Packed Healthy Flavours
• Easy Keto Strawberry Cookies with White Chocolate Chips
• Keto Blueberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

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