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Indulge in these fluffy white chocolate macadamia nut pancakes, a perfect sweet brunch treat or a decadent breakfast everyone will love. With a buttery texture, crunchy macadamia nuts, and melty white chocolate chips, these pancakes bring tropical flavors straight to your kitchen!
Ever since my first trip to Hawaii, I’ve been obsessed with macadamia nut pancakes. There’s something so indulgent about fluffy buttermilk pancakes loaded with toasted macadamia nuts and sweet white chocolate chips. After perfecting my own homemade pancake batter, I discovered the best way to keep the nuts from sinking, balance the sweetness, and create the perfect golden brown pancakes every time. Now, it’s a go-to brunch recipe in my home!
The Chemistry of Perfect Mac Nut Pancakes
Understanding the chemistry behind pancakes helps achieve the best texture and flavor:
- Why use buttermilk? The acid in buttermilk reacts with the baking soda, creating bubbles that make pancakes light and fluffy. Buttermilk is also the best batter for incorporating nuts and chocolate chips—its a thick batter that helps suspend the ingredients, ensuring even distribution without them sinking. Plus, it adds delicious flavor!
- How do I keep macadamia nuts from sinking? Lightly coat them in flour before folding them into the pancake batter.
- Why use a lid when cooking pancakes? Trapping steam helps the pancakes cook evenly, avoiding raw centers and promoting a perfect fluffy texture.
Ingredients in Homemade Macadamia Nut Pancakes
All-purpose Flour
Builds structure as it absorbs liquids and expands. All-purpose flour falls in the middle of bread flour (high in gluten) and cake flour (low in gluten). It’s exactly what it is named, all-purpose, the most universal flour that can be used in most baked goods.
Granulated Sugar
Adds sweetness, provides a caramelized flavor and crisp texture. Sugar assists with rising when creamed with butter. It helps add moisture to your treat and helps it evenly spread as it melts into a liquid in the heat of the oven. Sugar also helps with naturally preserving your baked treat.
Baking Powder
Puffs up your batter or dough instead of spreading it out. Baking powder contains a little bit of baking soda, an acid & cornstarch. Because of this, it only needs a liquid to react. It also consists of two different acids, so it’s double reacting. It reacts as soon as it’s mixed with a moisture and then again when it’s heated up.
Baking Soda
Elevates the pH level of your batter or dough. It increases the spread in your treat and encourages browning, which gives the crispy outside and soft inside texture that everyone loves. Baking soda needs both an acid and a liquid to react. Things that will activate your baking soda are: vinegar, fruit juice, molasses, brown sugar, tartar, buttermilk and sour cream. Baking soda only reacts once, which is right when it’s mixed into your batter or dough. The soda creates little air bubbles all throughout your treat. When the air bubbles get heated up in the oven, they expand.
Fine Sea Salt
Enhances flavor, adds balance, masks any bitter flavors. Salt is the most powerful and oldest preservative. Always make sure to use fine sea salt so it melts down at the right speed in the heat of the oven. If you use larger granule salt, it will not melt down fully when baked and will leave salt crystals throughout your treat, making it crunch like you dropped it into sand. All of my favorite salts are from Redmond and I have a discount code for you to get 15% off.
Buttermilk
Adds moisture and helps to tenderize the gluten, creating a soft crumb and tangy flavor. It also helps rise the pH level of your batter, increasing the rise from the baking powder.
Eggs
Adds both a protein (egg whites) and fat (egg yolks). The egg whites help with rising because, when foamed, little air pockets get trapped inside the egg white mixture. The water content in egg whites encourages steam while baking, which helps with gluten formation, resulting in nice and thick treats. Egg yolks have emulsifying properties that bring batters and doughs together and help them from collapsing. Unless otherwise specified, always use large eggs.
Vanilla Extract
When using pure vanilla extract, as opposed to imitation flavoring, it will add the deep rich flavor that everybody wants in a treat.
Macadamia Nuts
Adds a crunch and nutty flavor.
White Chocolate Chips
Made of milk, sugar and cocoa butter. No actual cocoa solids are used in white chocolate. White chocolate is sweeter than milk or dark chocolate.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Macadamia Nut Pancakes
- Prepare the dry ingredients. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Combine buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract in a separate large bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over-mix!
- Fold in the white chocolate & nuts. Lightly toss macadamia nuts in flour to prevent sinking. Gently fold in white chocolate chips and chopped macadamia nuts.
- Cook the pancakes. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and add a small amount of butter or coconut oil. Scoop 1/4 cup of batter per pancake onto the pan. Cover with a lid and cook for 1 minute. Flip, cover again, and cook for another 1 minute.
- Serve warm. Stack pancakes and drizzle the warm white chocolate sauce, maple syrup, or homemade coconut syrup.
Common Problems with Macadamia Nut Pancakes & How to Fix Them
- Pancakes turning out too dense or heavy– Over-mixing the batter develops excess gluten, leading to dense pancakes. Stir gently until just combined, leaving some lumps in the batter.
- White chocolate burning or melting unevenly– Cooking over too high heat causes the chocolate to burn quickly. Keep the heat at medium-low and ensure an even spread of white chocolate chips in the batter.
- Macadamia nuts sink to the bottom of the batter. Coating the nuts in a small amount of flour before folding them into the batter helps keep them suspended for even distribution.
- Overly sweet pancakes– White chocolate can overpower the balance of flavors. Reduce the sugar in the batter slightly, and add a pinch of sea salt or a squeeze of citrus juice to offset the sweetness.
- Pancakes not cooking evenly– Uneven cooking happens when the griddle isn’t at the right temperature. Preheat the pan properly and cover the pancakes with a lid to help distribute heat evenly.
- Difficulty achieving a fluffy texture– Thin batter can result in flat pancakes. Ensure a thick consistency using buttermilk and the correct baking powder and baking soda ratio.
- Nuts being too crunchy or hard– Raw macadamia nuts can be overly firm. Lightly toast them in a dry skillet before adding them to the batter for a softer crunch and enhanced flavor.
Ingredient Substitutions for Macadamia Nut Pancakes
White Chocolate Chips– If you want a richer, less sweet flavor profile, you can substitute milk or dark chocolate chips.
Toasted Macadamia nuts– If you are using raw macadamia nuts toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or spread them on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 5-7 minutes.
Gluten-Free or Vegan– Use a gluten-free flour blend. Switching the flour makes these a great alternative gluten-free mac nut pancake for those who need a gluten-free option. Swap buttermilk for coconut or almond milk. Use flax eggs instead of regular eggs and dairy-free plant-based white chocolate for Vegan white chocolate.
Delicious Toppings for Macadamia Nut Pancakes
- Toasted Coconut Flakes
- Coconut Whipped Cream
- Maple Syrup
- Homemade Coconut Syrup
- Tropical Fruits (like pineapple and fresh mango)
- White Chocolate Sauce or Melted White Chocolate Chips
These pancakes are perfect for fluffy white chocolate macadamia nut pancake lovers! Inspired by Hawaiian-style pancakes, this gourmet pancake recipe blends tropical flavors with a classic buttermilk pancake base.
Seasonal Favorites with Macadamia Nut Pancakes
- Spring Brunch Recipes– Fresh and indulgent pancakes are perfect for spring gatherings.
- Mother’s Day Breakfast Ideas– A sweet treat to surprise mom with breakfast in bed.
- Tropical Vacation Breakfast Recipes– Inspired by island flavors, these pancakes bring a taste of paradise to your table.
- Hawaiian Brunch Ideas– A must-have for brunch lovers looking for a tropical twist.
- Summer Pancake Recipes– Light and fluffy pancakes are ideal for warm, sunny mornings.
Trending Pancake Flavors
- White Chocolate Desserts– White chocolate is trending in desserts, and these pancakes are no exception.
- Macadamia Nut Recipe– This rich buttery nut is becoming popular in breakfast and desserts.
- Easter Brunch Pancake Ideas– A festive and delicious option to celebrate Easter morning.
Serving Options
Serve with Kona coffee or a tropical fruit slushy. Pair with bacon or turkey sausage. Stack pancakes high and dust with powdered sugar. Garnish with toasted macadamia nuts and edible flowers for a tropical look. Serve with a small pitcher of syrup or coconut drizzle on the side.
Storage Tips
Refrigeration– Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezing Pancakes– Stack with parchment paper between each pancake and freeze for up to 2 months.
Reheating– Microwave for 30 seconds or warm in a toaster oven at 300 degrees F.
Recommended Products
Fluffy White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Pancakes
If you love sweet and fluffy pancakes, this white chocolate macadamia nut pancake recipe is a must-try! The buttery crunch of macadamia nuts, combined with melty white chocolate chips, makes every bite pure brunch perfection. Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or simply treating yourself, these pancakes will make breakfast feel like a gourmet experience. Let me know if you give them a try, and comment down below!
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Easy White Chocolate & Macadamia Pancakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup crushed macadamia nuts
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 3 tbsp granulated sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda and 1 tsp fine sea salt. Stir with a wooden spoon.
- In a separate bowl add 2 cups buttermilk, 2 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla. Whisk to combine.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until combined with a wooden spoon.
- Fold in 1 cup of mac nuts and 1 cup of white chocolate chips.
- Place a fry pan on the stove top over medium heat. Once warmed up, spread on some butter so that the pancakes do not stick.
- Scoop out a large spoonful of batter, add 2-3 pancakes to the pan, making sure there is space for each to expand and not touch.
- Put a lid on the fry pan and cook for about 1 minute.
- Flip the pancakes and place the lid back on and cook an additional 1 minute.
- Remove and serve while warm.
Nutrition
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