The right macadamia nut seasoning can turn what is already a delicious mouthful into something truly sublime.
Let’s face it, macadamia nuts are delicious on their own. Their soft, creamy crunch means even when they are raw and unsalted they are still a moreish mouthful. But their natural creaminess also helps to carry other flavours, so adding a little spice to your macadamias can really enhance your eating experience.
From simple salt to more quirky flavour combinations, both sweet and savoury seasonings work well with our native nut.
Flavour and freshness
Whether you want to stick with an Australian bush foods theme or take your nut inspiration from somewhere else on the planet, macadamias are versatile enough to handle any flavour you throw at them. Most of the harder herbs (like rosemary, thyme and oregano) work well in a seasoning, and the creamy crunch of macadamias can also pair with middle eastern, Asian and subcontinental spices. Rummage through your pantry and experiment with curry powder, cayenne pepper, paprika or cajun spices to find the flavours you enjoy most.
But macadamia nuts are versatile! Make sure you include some sweet seasoning ideas in your cooking repertoire. Traditional sweet spices like nutmeg and cinnamon are perfect when combined with the buttery taste of macadamias.
Once you have seasoned your macadamia nuts, store them well to keep the flavour fresh. We recommend storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator, especially if you live in a warm climate. However, if it’s not too hot in your kitchen, a cool dark place will be fine.
Getting the seasoning to stick
To make every mouthful of seasoned macadamia nuts perfect, it’s important to ensure you have an even coating of seasoning across all your nuts. Whether you are using simple salt or something more exotic you will usually need a little bit of oil to help the flavour cling to the nuts. Try spray oil if you are worried about adding too much. Just a light coating before roasting the nuts will work.
If you would like to try an oil free alternative, you can steam the nuts to make your seasoning stick. To try this, simply place the nuts in a colander or strainer and hold them over a boiling pot of water for around 30 seconds. You may need to stir them so they are all exposed to the steam. This will create a sticky surface that allows the seasoning to adhere when you sprinkle it over and toss it through the nuts. Allow the nuts to air dry completely before serving or storing.
Five fantastic macadamia nut seasoning ideas
1. Sweet & salty seasoning
This recipe by Jess from The Sweetest Menu is designed for popcorn, but it is a perfectly balanced seasoning for macadamia nuts. The sweetness of the castor sugar is enhanced by the salt. And the bitterness of the chocolate drizzle adds an extra level of deliciousness.
2. Dukkah
Macadamia nuts work well in a dukkah, providing a creamy base for other spices. But you can also use the dukkah spices to season the nuts. Using this dukkah recipe from Indigenous food educator Aunty Dale Chapman as your guide, blitz up the spices separately to the nuts. Then using either the oil or water method listed above to help the mix stick, add them as seasoning to the macadamia nuts.
3. Festive spices
Forget ‘chestnuts roasting by an open fire’, this Christmas-inspired seasoning recipe is the only Christmas nut recipe you need! Cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg star, evoking the nostalgic taste of gingerbread. This recipe uses egg white to help the seasoning stick, rather than oil or water.
4. Taste of Australia
Native Australian spices are some of our favourite macadamia nut seasonings. It makes sense that our native spices pair well with our native nut. Try the pepperberry and bush tomato recipes for a savoury delight. The lemon myrtle and honey is delightfully fragrant with both depth of flavour and sweetness.
5. Honey roasted macadamias
This seasoning (best made in an air fryer) combines the sweetness of honey, the fullness of cinnamon with just a pinch of salt to bring everything together. The honey makes the seasoning stick, so there is no need to add extra oil.
What’s your favourite macadamia nut seasoning? Head over to our Facebook page and let us know!
