If you’ve ever had a macadamia nut, you’ll know how delicious they are. But until recently, we didn’t know how easy they are to work with – or how down right Australian they are! Here are 2 of our favourite party snack ideas for Australia’s biggest nut!
We love making our own party and movie snacks (when we have time), so these flavoured roasted macadamia nuts are perfect. They’re really quick and easy to do. And knowing exactly what’s going in them means they’re better for you than shop-bought.
And the fact that macadamia nuts are Australian natives makes it even better.
Lots of people think macadamias are from Hawaii, which is one of the world’s largest producers. But they’re actually native to northern New South Wales and southeastern Queensland.
If you want more information about how Australian the macadamia nut is, check out the AMS (Australian Macadamia Society) website. The society has been supporting this key horticultural industry for over 40 years.
But let’s talk about eating!
Mixing up your own seasoned macadamias and roasting them is so easy. We tried 2 different recipes to start off with but once you get the timings and quantities right, you can really explore different flavours.
How to roast your own seasoned macadamia snacks
Here’s what you need
Smokin’ chilli macadamias
? 2 cups raw macadamia nuts
? 2 teaspoons macadamia oil
? 1 teaspoon smoky paprika
? 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
? ½ teaspoon chilli powder
? Sea salt – Maldon salt flakes work really well
Fennel, sesame and oregano macadamias
? 2 cups raw macadamia nuts
? 2 teaspoons macadamia oil
? 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds
? 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds
? 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
? ½ – 1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt
Here’s what you do
1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until the macadamias are well coated.
2. Spread out on in a single layer on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper.
3. Bake for 10 minutes or until browning slightly at 160oC.
4. Leave to cool slightly before serving.
? We recommend not eating them straight from the oven for 2 reasons: 1. They come out weirdly chewy and only go crunchy after a few minutes. 2. They’ll be bloody hot!
? You can also roast your macadamias on your barbecue – just put down a layer of aluminium foil first, then the greaseproof paper.
? We’ve also experimented with lots of other flavours – another of our favourites has more chilli and a few drops of sriracha sauce in the mix!
But macadamias have many many more uses than just roasting them. We’ve made macadamia dukkha before, which was simple and delicious and went with this amazing lamb recipe, and we’re keen to have a go at some macadamia shortbread and macadamia popcorn. Yum!
There are hundreds more recipes on the AMS website. And if you want more on what to do with Australian bush foods, here’s our post on 11 Aussie bush tucker foods you must try and where to find them.
So if you’re wondering what snacks to put out for your next party, or if you’re looking for something delicious to nibble on while you snuggle down for a movie, make sure you’ve got a stash of raw macadamias in your fridge. They keep for ages in an airtight container.
What spice mix would you roast your macadamias in? Have you got a favourite macadamia recipe? Tell us in the comments!