Macadamia nuts are probably one of my favourite! Not only do they taste sooo good when freshly roasted and salted (or just raw!), they also make a beautiful, creamy, plant-based milk! Macadamia milk mightn’t be the cheapest amongst the nut milks or other dairy-free alternatives, but trust me when I say: It’s so worth it!
How does it taste like?
Well, technically just like macadamias. Here in Australia (where macadamias are native), many cafes already offer it and it’s becoming more and more popular. The taste is similar to almond milk, only much much better, and creamier (like cashew milk)! It’s like a deluxe version.
You can keep your homemade milk unsweetened (that’s how I like it) or you can sweeten it with a couple of dates, maple syrup or your sweetener of choice. Macadamia nuts have a rather sweet taste, so you might not want to sweeten it any further, but that’s of course totally up to you.
Some people also like to add cinnamon or vanilla to enhance the flavour!
Does Macadamia Milk taste good in coffee?
So, for all you coffee- and latte-lovers out there who are now wondering: is macadamia nut milk good in coffee?: Yes, yes, YES! In fact, it’s a MUST-TRY! I find it’s one of the best milks to go with it!! It creams your coffee naturally (no added oil needed) and it adds that yummy, nutty flavour.
What else can I use Macadamia Milk for?
Surely, you could also use macadamia milk in any baking or just like you would use dairy (or plant) milk. I prefer not to because… to be honest, it’d be a waste of money. Let’s face it, you won’t taste it in any baked goods and macadamia nuts aren’t cheap! I’d rather make this milk as a special treat for myself—I don’t make it regularly, just every now and then!
Useful Tips for making your own Macadamia Nut Milk
Before we start... You do need some kind of a blender in order to make this milk. If you are taking it with you on a camping trip, you have to make it at home, in your kitchen. Unless you’re like me, travelling with a blender and having access to power ;).
You may also need a nut milk bag, however, there are some other options if you don’t, ...keep reading!
Blender of choice
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I'm using my NutriBullet and it works very well. My cups aren’t very big, so I blend the nuts with only 500ml/2cups filtered water first. I add the remaining water to my jug after I’ve squeezed out the nut milk.
Any kind of high-speed blender (like a Vitamix or Thermomix) will work here and I also reckon they’ll work best. They’re able to extract more nutrients and flavours.
If you only have a food processor though, give it a go. No idea, if it works because I don't have one, but I'm sure it's fine.
I also made almond milk with a simple stick/immersion blender before, and well, I don’t think macadamias are much different. The only thing is though, it can't blend as well as a high-speed blender. But if it's your only option, try it out!
Nut Milk Bag
All right. Here's the thing. You can absolutely buy one (like this nut milk bag)—they aren't extremely expensive (I love these ones!). But you can also save that money and go to your local OP/thrift shop (or a fabric shop).
Curtain fabric (e.g. Swiss voile) is a great alternative! In fact, I used my produce bag which the OP/thrift shop ladies made from an old, fine mesh curtain. Technically, you don't even have to sew: here is a great tutorial on how to do it.
Or if you have an old T-shirt or top (preferably 100% cotton), you can use it instead. Just make sure it’s really old and ideally stretched out (but no holes or rips!!). The tiny holes in the fabric will allow the water to run through much easier, but at the same time it will hold the nut pulp back.
Why do I need to soak the macadamias first?
Nuts contain anti-nutrients like phytic acids that block the absorption of essential minerals for our body. Soaking activates the sprouting process which reduces the amounts of anti-nutrients.
The other reason is that it’ll make your milk much creamier and it’ll also make it easier for your blender to distract all the good nutrients!
So, technically, you don't have to soak the nuts, of course, but I highly recommend it!
What to do with the leftover nut pulp?
Nut pulp doesn’t really taste like anything anymore and yet throwing it away seems to be quite wasteful. It mightn’t be nutrient-rich because all the nutrients are now in your macadamia nut milk, BUT it’s pure fibre which is great for our digestion!
There are so many different ways to use nut pulp, like in these 3-ingredient cookies, or in crackers, add it to your muesli/cereal, smoothies, or make bliss balls! I made these almond coconut bliss balls with almond pulp but they work with macadamia pulp just fine!
📖 Recipe
Equipment
- some sort of a blender
Ingredients
- 140g / 1 cup macadamia nuts raw, unsalted
- 1L / 4 cups filtered water
- a good pinch of salt
Instructions
- First, soak macadamia nuts for 4-6hours (or over night) in salt water (mix 1 teaspoon salt with water). The nuts have to be fully covered. Keep in mind that they'll grow a bit when soaking, so just add some extra water to keep them submerged.
- After soaking, drain and rinse macadamias thoroughly.
- Place nuts together with 1L/4 cups of water and saltinto a blender ofchoice and blend until smooth. In my NutriBullet it takes less than aminute.
- Place your nut milk bag (or your alternative) overa jug or big bowl that can hold 1L/4 cups of water. Strain Macadamia Milk through the bag and squeeze out all the liquid until only thenut pulp is left.
- Pour your Macadamia Milk into a bottle, jar or container of choice and keep in thefridge. Shake well before using!
Notes
- To skip the soaking part, you can alternatively let them sit in hot water for around 20min to soften. I highly recommend soaking them though (read blog post below).
- The macadamia milk keeps in a fridge for about 3-4 days (maybe longer).
- You can freeze it, too. That's what I usually do: I simply divide the batch into thirds, keeping one in the fridge and freeze the other 2. The milk will curdle a bit though, but these “lumps” usually melt again when pouring into a hot drink, for example.
