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25 Must-Try Sweet and Savory Macadamia Nut Recipes

Macadamia is an under-appreciated member of the tree nut family, but our roundup of macadamia nut recipes proves it has favorite child potential. Read on to discover a whole host of dishes—including familiar desserts, funky salads, wholesome breakfasts and dump-and-go dinners—that feature this star ingredient.

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1. Caramel-Chocolate Macadamia Tart

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour 50 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <500 calories, crowd-pleaser

Don’t be fooled by the fancy presentation—this macadamia tart couldn’t be easier to make and it tastes as good as it looks, too. (Even more so if you go all in with whipped cream and caramel sauce on top.)

2. Macadamia, Brown Butter and Cashew Cookie Dough

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, dairy-free

This creamy, sweet cookie dough is egg and dairy-free, which means it’s entirely safe and acceptable to eat large quantities of it raw (and in an ice cream cone if you so choose).

3. Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Chocolate Phantoms

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients

These sweet, moist morsels pack a major macadamia punch—namely because they contain a whole lot of crunchy nuts and precious few other ingredients.

4. White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

  • Time Commitment: 2 hours 22 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <500 calories, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly

If you’re looking to satisfy your sweet tooth and give Mrs. Fields a run for her money, this homemade cookie recipe—featuring the subtle taste and creamy texture of macadamia nuts, plus chunks of sugary white chocolate—fits the bill.

5. White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cheesecake

  • Time Commitment: 6 hours
  • Why We Love It: gluten-free, sugar free, vegan

This vegan twist on a classic owes its extra silky and creamy filling to soaked cashews, but it’s the macadamia-studded crust that really takes the (cheese)cake.

6. Macadamia Nut Crusted Fish Bowl

  • Time Commitment: 33 minutes
  • Why We Love It: dairy-free, gluten-free

Here, perfectly crisped, macadamia-crusted white fish gets drizzled with sweet chili mayo and served on a bed of coconut and ginger-scented rice and veggies…and we just found our new favorite lunch bowl.

7. Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole with Macadamia Nuts

  • Time Commitment: 37 minutes
  • Why We Love It: vegan, gluten-free, paleo

Sweet potato casserole gets a major upgrade from a coconut flake and macadamia garnish in this delicious vegan twist on a beloved holiday side dish.

8. Macadamia Date Butter

  • Time Commitment: 6 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients

Bust out the food processor and whip up this impossibly creamy and oh-so satisfying plant-based spread for a guilt-free snack that will satisfy your sweet tooth without spiking your blood sugar.

9. Cadbury Mini Egg Seven Layer Bars

  • Time Commitment: 35 minutes
  • Why We Love It: kid-friendly, <10 ingredients

Fans of Cadbury mini eggs (i.e., everyone) will swoon for these seven layer bars, which boasts a sweet and crunchy combo of chopped macadamia nuts and Easter candy.

10. Jewelled Rice Pilaf

  • Time Commitment: 55 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <500 calories, special occasion-worthy

This colorful and aromatic rice pilaf gets a textural boost from macadamia, and so much flavor from the bold Middle-Eastern spice blend that it can easily be enjoyed on its own. (Though it does play nicely with others when served as a show-stopping side dish, too.)

11. Pumpkin Pie Biscotti

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Why We Love It: kid-friendly, <500 calories

When PSL season rolls around, you’ll find us munching on these pumpkin-flavored, icing-drizzled biscotti morning, noon and night.

12. Tamales De Cajeta

  • Time Commitment: 2 hours 25 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <500 calories, special occasion-worthy, crowd pleaser

This sinfully sweet, cinnamon and caramel tamale calls for chopped pecans, but macadamia nuts are a Mama Maggie-approved substitute that we can totally get on board with.

13. Coconut Macadamia Breakfast Bars

  • Time Commitment: 5 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, <500 calories, low carb

In case you missed it, coconut and macadamia are a match made in heaven—and this wholesome, low-carb breakfast bar (or any-time snack) is proof.

14. Sugar-free Keto White Chocolate Fudge

  • Time Commitment: 2 hours 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: keto-friendly, make ahead

This vegan, low-carb and gluten-free fudge checks all the boxes if you’ve got a hankering for dessert and dietary restrictions to abide—just keep in mind that the topping is the most flavorful part, so we recommend swapping the almonds for macadamia and adding some coconut or dried fruit to the mix.

15. Coconut Macadamia Bites

  • Time Commitment: 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients

Caramelized sweetened condensed milk binds macadamia and coconut together into chewy, truffle-shaped candies for a perfect, bite-sized indulgence—just don’t expect to be able to stop after just one.

16. Roasted Squash Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

  • Time Commitment: 35 minutes
  • Why We Love It: make-ahead, gluten-free

Lemon vinaigrette gives peppery arugula and creamy squash a zingy lift, but the real magic comes from a combo of feta and macadamia that we might just start adding to every salad in our rotation.

17. Russian Tea Cakes

  • Time Commitment: 32 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly

Russian tea cakes, Mexican wedding cookies, butterballs…call them what you will—but know that you can make them with most any type of nut, and macadamia is no exception.

18. Ambrosia Salad

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour 8 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser

This retro recipe for creamy, marshmallow fruit salad lists nuts as an optional addition—but given the coconut flavor here, macadamia nuts are kind of a no-brainer. (Think: flavor harmony and textural appeal.)

19. Macadamia Nut Crispy French Toast Sticks

  • Time Commitment: 26 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients

French toast is a fan favorite for sure, but our only criticism is that it kind of hits just one note in the texture department. This ingenious recipe solves the problem with a crispy macadamia nut coating…and let’s just say it’s a real game-changer.

20. Byron Bay White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <500 calories, kid-friendly, baking sheet recipe

Generously-sized, crisp, buttery and loaded with stuff—it’s not hard to understand why Byron Bay cookies are a big deal in the land down under. Whip up this Aussie-inspired batch of white chocolate macadamia cookies and you’ll be treated to a stateside taste of cookie perfection.

21. Keto Granola

  • Time Commitment: 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, keto-friendly

Coconut flakes, seeds and (you guessed it) macadamia nuts combine to make a low-carb and good-for-you granola that’s totally crave-worthy at any time of day.

22. Slow Cooker Macadamia Pineapple Chicken

  • Time Commitment: 7 hours
  • Why We Love It: slow cooker recipe, paleo, gluten-free

If you’re running out of fresh ideas for chicken, just try this sweet and savory recipe, which relies on the tropical flavor of pineapple and the mild crunch of macadamia to achieve a dump-and-go poultry dinner that’s anything but snoozy.

23. Lemon Glazed Macadamia Nut Cookies

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Why We Love It: paleo, gluten-free, vegan

Here, a zesty (and plenty sugary) lemon glaze and coconut join forces to create a macadamia cookie that makes white chocolate seem irrelevant.

24. Macadamia Milk

  • Time Commitment: 2 hours 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: vegan-friendly, gluten-free, <10 ingredients, dairy-free

Filtered water and macadamia nuts are all you need to whip up this tasty and versatile plant-based milk, which can be used in place of the regular stuff and flavored any way you see fit.

25. White Chocolate and Cranberry Macadamia Nut Cookies

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes
  • Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, <500 calories, crowd-pleaser

Sorry, coconut, but cranberry just came on the scene with its bright, tart flavor and we’re predicting love at first taste.



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Freelance PureWow Editor

Emma Singer is a freelance contributing editor and writer at PureWow who has over 7 years of professional proofreading, copyediting and writing experience. At PureWow, she covers...