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Home » Recipes » Sauces

Macadamia Pesto

Published: Aug 15, 2021 · Modified: Aug 8, 2022 by Claire · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 6 Comments

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There are so many ways to make pesto, and this macadamia pesto is a very delicious version! Made with traditional olive oil, garlic and basil, it uses macadamia nuts in place of pine nuts. As it is made without cheese, it's a vegan, gluten-free and low histamine pesto.

Why not use this pesto to make my pesto vegetables side dish for your next evening meal!

glass jar of macadamia nut pesto with a spoon in it and nuts and olive oil in the backround.

Pesto is a very popular recipe in my home, and used for a busy weeknight dinner of pesto pasta or as a spread or dip. If you love it as much as we do, then you may like to see my pistachio pesto and dairy-free pumpkin seed pesto. Or my Thai basil pesto for a fun and different flavour. All tasty and easy to make!

This macadamia pesto is rich in flavour, with a hint of creaminess from the macadamias. Super simple to make, it comes together in just 10 minutes with minimal ingredients!

Jump to:
  • ⭐ Why this recipe is so good
  • 🌿 Ingredients
  • 📖 Variations to the recipe
  • 🔪 Step by step instructions
  • 💭 Recipe tips and notes
  • 🍽 How to serve
  • 🥣 More tasty pesto dishes
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

⭐ Why this recipe is so good

  • Full of flavour - pesto is packed with flavour from the herbs, garlic and olive oil.
  • Minimal ingredients - we use all basic ingredients that should be easy to find in the store!
  • Easy to make - a very simple recipe that takes very little time to come together.

🌿 Ingredients

individually labelled small bowls of mint, garlic, macadamia nuts, basil and olive oil.

This macadamia pesto uses the traditional ingredients of basil, extra virgin olive oil and garlic, but swaps out pine nuts for macadamia nuts and leaves out the cheese. You will need:

  • Macadamia nuts: these are used in place of traditional pine nuts. They have a similar creamy texture, and dry toasting them a little brings out their flavour. Be sure to use unsalted and ones that haven't been roasted as it would change the flavour a great deal.
  • Basil: the typical pesto herb, it has a beautiful summer scent and taste.
  • Extra virgin olive oil: I suggest using an extra virgin variety for its better taste.
  • Garlic: for a hit of flavour. I only use one clove, but you can increase if you like!
  • Mint: this is optional, but adds a little fresh summer flavour.

📖 Variations to the recipe

Pesto is quite a versatile sauce. You can always add in another herb, such as coriander / cilantro or a little kale or arugula.

Adjust the garlic to taste. Some like a lot, others none at all.

If you are on a low histamine diet, then please note that garlic scores 1 on the SIGHI list so you may wish to only use a small amount or leave out if you are unable to tolerate.

🔪 Step by step instructions

Making this macadamia nut pesto is a very simple process, with just a few steps. It's very easy to whip up a batch for a quick dinner, or to have as a side for a BBQ or picnic in the summer months. Just a few steps:

macadamia nuts in a pan.
macadamia nut pesto ingredients in a Nutri-Bullet.

Step 1

Toast the macadamia nuts in a dry pan (without oil) for 4-5 minutes. Move them around so they don't catch and burn. They should go very slightly golden brown (it's quite subtle) and start to pop a little. Then remove from the heat to cool.

Step 2

Once cooled, add the macadamia nuts to a blender along with the other ingredients. Blend until you have a thick sauce. You may need to scrape the sides down a few times.

Step 3

Adjust the pesto to your preference. You may wish to add a little more olive oil for a thinner consistency or more basil for a more herby taste.

💭 Recipe tips and notes

  • Toast the macadamia nuts on a low heat, and turn to ensure they do not catch and burn.
  • Allow the macadamia nuts to cool before blending with the other pesto ingredients.
  • Adjust the amount of olive oil to preference for taste and texture.

🍽 How to serve

Pesto can be used for so many dishes. It really is so versatile, and can be made in less than ten minutes. Perfect for a busy weeknight dinner of pesto pasta!

Some ideas:

  • Pesto pasta: the classic easy dinner. Simply cook your pasta and stir through the pesto.
  • Salad dressing: pesto can be used to liven up a salad. Add little spoonfuls to your salad and give it a stir-through.
  • Spread: if you want to make a sandwich more interesting, or top some rice cakes, then a little pesto will give you lots of flavour!
glass jar of macadamia nut pesto next to macadamia nuts and jar of olive oil.

🥣 More tasty pesto dishes

Love pesto? Then why not try out my pesto vegetable pasta or my pumpkin pesto soup! More recent recipes to check out too:

  • overhead view of pistachio pesto on a wooden board.
    Vegan Pistachio Pesto
  • pumpkin seed pesto in a white bowl on a wooden board next to basil leaves and garlic bulb.
    Pumpkin Seed Pesto (Dairy Free)
  • coriander pesto pasta in a light grey bowl with a fork next to a bunch of coriander and bowl of pumpkin seeds.
    Coriander Pesto Pasta
  • pesto chicken tray bake on a white and blue striped cloth.
    Pesto Chicken Tray Bake

I’m always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to hear of new recipes. And please do leave a star rating ⭐ if you've tried the recipe!

📖 Recipe

jar of macadamia nut pesto with a spoon in it next to garlic, basil leaves and a bottle of olive oil.

Macadamia Pesto

Claire
This macadamia pesto is a lovely variation on traditional pesto, and a vegan and low histamine recipe. With just a few minutes of cook time, and then a quick blend, it is very quick and easy to make. Makes approximately one cup of pesto.
5 from 7 votes
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Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 10 minutes mins
Course Sauces, Side Dish
Cuisine American, British, Italian
Servings 6 servings
Calories 242 kcal

Equipment

  • Skillet
  • Blender

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup macadamia nuts
  • 1 cup basil tightly packed
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove
  • pinch salt
  • 1 tablespoon mint leaves optional

Instructions
 

  • Dry toast the macadamia nuts in a pan for 4-5 minutes until very lightly golden brown and starting to pop. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
  • Add all the ingredients to a blend and blend to form a thick pesto. Give it a taste and adjust to preference. You may wish to add more oil for a looser consistency or add a little more basil for extra flavour.

Notes

  • Toast the macadamia nuts on a low heat, and turn to ensure they do not catch and burn.
  • Let the macadamia nuts cool before blending with the other pesto ingredients.
  • Adjust the amount of olive oil to preference for taste and texture.
  • Please note that nutritional information is offered as a courtesy. It is auto-generated and should be understood to be an estimate.
 
Swiss Interest Group Histamine Intolerance (SIGHI) food compatibility list for histamine
All ingredients score 0 on the SIGHI list, with the exception of:
  • garlic, which scores 1.

Nutrition

Calories: 242kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 2gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 101mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 246IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @lowhistaminekitchen or tag #lowhistaminekitchen!
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Comments

  1. Michele says

    September 28, 2024 at 5:50 am

    5 stars
    Love the macadamias instead of pignoli!!
    I wish we didn’t have to sound like picky eaters to get pesto without cheese— it’s already its own delicious thing in French cuisine: pistou

    Reply
    • Claire says

      September 28, 2024 at 12:02 pm

      Macadamias are so good in pesto aren't they! So creamy and easy to blend up. Glad you enjoyed the recipe Michele!

      Reply
  2. Victoria says

    February 04, 2024 at 3:24 pm

    5 stars
    Made this today and it is delicious! I froze it in some ice cube trays so I can grab it out of the freezer and go when I need it. Thanks for another delicious recipe. 😁

    Reply
    • Claire says

      February 04, 2024 at 4:27 pm

      So glad you enjoyed it Victoria! And that's exactly what I do - always good to have a stash in the freezer for a quick dinner isn't it 🙂

      Reply
  3. Lucy says

    August 19, 2021 at 2:21 pm

    5 stars
    Pesto is my favourite! I have it regularly with my salads. I've tried so many different versions but never one made with macadamia nuts so I can't wait to try this, it sounds delicious. I love how you have catered for so many different dietary requirements. Thank you for sharing this recipe 🙂

    Reply
    • throughthefibrofog says

      August 21, 2021 at 5:10 pm

      It's such a versatile ingredient isn't it! I have it on salads sometimes as well. Hope you like this macadamia version! 🙂

      Reply

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Hi, I’m Claire. After a diagnosis of MCAS I began to follow a low histamine diet, which has helped me manage my symptoms. Here I hope to show that a restrictive diet can still be full of flavourful meals, and help you enjoy being creative in the kitchen.

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