What Do Macadamia Nuts Taste Like? (With Recipes)

Macadamia nuts are a tasty tree nut that are used for both cooking and baking healthy recipes. But what do macadamia nuts taste like?

Let's talk about the taste and texture of macadamia nuts, and how to use them to make tasty sweet and savory recipes!

This post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or dietetic advice in any way.

What are Macadamia Nuts?

Macadamias are a tree nut, and native to Australia. The shell of macadamia nuts is dark brown in color and very tough. For this reason, you will typically only find the cream-colored nut, already shelled, for sale in stores.

It is the case that macadamias are one of the more expensive nuts to purchase. This is because the trees take many years to produce nuts.

Do check out my substitutes for macadamia nuts post if you come to cook or bake and find that your pantry is bare!

How Do You Purchase Macadamia Nuts?

Macadamia nuts can be purchased in supermarkets and health food stores. They come in small packets and are already shelled. You can purchase raw macadamia nuts, as well as roasted and salted nuts.

You can also purchase macadamia oil, macadamia nut butter and macadamia flour.

What Do Macadamia Nuts Taste Like?

Macadamia have a creamy buttery taste due to their high fat content. In terms of texture, they have a good crunch.

As they are not overly sweet, macadamias can be used in both sweet and savory cooking and baking.

Check out my other posts on nuts and seeds such as the taste of pistachios and the taste of chia seeds for your other recipes!

Storage

In their overview of the best ways to store macadamias, Australian Macadamias describe that it is best to keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. They can be stored this way for up to three months, but can also be frozen for three to six months.

What are the Health Benefits of Macadamias?

Macadamias are known for their high fat content, and of their high level of heart healthy mono-unsaturated fats in particular. For this reason, as BBC Good Food describe in their overview of the health benefits of macadamias, this nut can help manage cholesterol and modulate our risk of heart disease (BBC Good Food).

It is also the case that macadamia nuts are high in antioxidants, including flavonoids and tocotrienols, which Healthline describes as helping to 'safeguard your body against cellular damage and disease'.

Macadamias are a low histamine nut per the SIGHI list, and so perfect for making low histamine recipes if you follow this diet! My overview of nuts for a low histamine diet per the SIGHI list has more options.

Of course, macadamia nuts should not be consumed by anyone with a nut allergy.

How Can We Cook with Macadamia Nuts?

Macadamia nuts can be used in both sweet and savory cooking and baking, and are such a versatile nut to use!

Roast or Toast Macadamias

To bring out the flavor of macadamia nuts it is easy to toast them in a skillet or roast them in the oven.

Simply dry-toast macadamias in a skillet until they begin to lightly brown, or spread out on a baking sheet and roast in the oven. If you wish, you can lightly spray with olive oil and add herbs or spices to your preference.

Top Smoothie Bowls

Macadamias can be diced then used to top recipes such as my no banana smoothie bowls or chia puddings to add extra crunch, protein and healthy fats to your breakfast or snack.

Make Pesto

It's very easy to make a tasty macadamia nut pesto using these nuts, alongside fresh basil leaves, olive oil and garlic. As they have a rich creamy taste, they make a good alternative to pine nuts in pesto and make for a delicious pesto pasta dinner!

Make Cookies

As well as for baking cakes, brownies or muffins, we can use this nut to make fun macadamia nut cookies. Perfect as a tasty afternoon snack!

Make Granola

If you love granola for breakfast or as a snack, you can easily use macadamias to make a tasty macadamia granola alongside oats and other nuts if you like.

Make Macadamia Nut Butter

As an alternative to peanut butter, it's also possible to purchase macadamia nut butter which is creamy and buttery. If you like, you can also make homemade macadamia butter by blending the nuts in a high powered food processor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Recipe Tips

Have a peek at my posts on the taste of sesame seeds and the taste of pumpkin seeds, as well as these other helpful tips: