How to Make Macadamia Milk

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Macadamia milk is an easy, dairy-free milk made with just 2 ingredients. It becomes ultra-creamy in just minutes, and is perfect for serving over your favorite cereal, adding to smoothies, and more.

This type of milk has been made popular by Milkadamia, which is my husband’s favorite store-bought brand. Just like the store-bought version, this homemade milk is dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan.

If you already make your own almond milk or hemp milk, this will be a breeze!

Benefits of Macadamia Nuts

Is macadamia milk good for you? Here’s why you might want to give it a try.

Macadamia nuts are a rich source of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), which may help to lower LDL cholesterol levels, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Like many nuts, they are a good source of antioxidants. Antioxidants help to protect against oxidative damage, which may contribute to diseases like cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and more.
Eating macadamia nuts may also help to lower markers of inflammation, which is a risk factor for coronary artery disease.
In one 3-week study, eating macadamia nuts led to a decrease in body weight and body mass index, in addition to lowering cholesterol.
Eating tree nuts may help to improve glycemic control and improve metabolic risk factors for those with Type 2 Diabetes, thanks to the monounsaturated fats they contain.
Macadamia nuts are lower in carbohydrates, compared to almonds or cashews, which may be important for those following a low-carb diet.

The downside is that macadamias tend to be more expensive than other nuts. You can “stretch” this recipe by adding more water, or using less nuts, to make a homemade milk that is slightly more diluted.

Macadamia nuts are also higher in calories when compared to other nuts. Keep in mind that this will make the final nut milk a higher caloric drink compared to other non-dairy milks, like oat milk or hemp milk.

Ingredients You’ll Need

What’s in macadamia milk?

That’s it! You can add a touch of maple syrup, vanilla extract, and a pinch of sea salt for a lightly flavored milk. Or, try using a Medjool date to add sweetness, instead.

For the most neutral flavor, shop for raw macadamia nuts that are not roasted or salted. The roasted nuts will still produce a creamy milk, but I think the roasted flavor is more pronounced, in that case.

Since macadamia nuts are so high in fat, they make an excellent creamer for coffee, too. Just like homemade almond milk, it will make an excellent foam for lattes or cappuccinos.

How to Make Macadamia Nut Milk

1. Blend. Add the ingredients to a blender, and blend until very smooth and creamy, about 60 seconds. There should be no visible pieces of nuts when it’s done.

2. Strain. After the mixture is blended, arrange a nut milk bag, cheesecloth, or fine mesh strainer over a large bowl. Pour the mixture into the strainer, and squeeze the mixture to extract as much liquid as possible.

There should be a considerable amount of pulp leftover when you are done. (About a 1/2 cup, or so.)

If you want to use the leftover pulp in a recipe, check out my almond pulp hummus recipe for an easy idea. The macadamia nut pulp should work just as well.

3. Enjoy! Pour the strained milk into an airtight container, and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.

Storage tips: Homemade macadamia milk can be used right away at room temperature, or stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can usually tell when a homemade non-dairy milk has gone bad, either by smell or by taste. (It will start to smell and taste tart, or sour, when it goes bad.)

Since this macadamia milk recipe has no preservatives added, it won’t last as long as the store-bought version, so make sure you only make as much as you’ll use in 4 days. The texture will also be different, and slightly runnier, since homemade versions don’t usually include ingredients like sunflower lecithin or gellan gum. (Which companies add for texture.)

Prefer to make more in advance? Homemade nut milks can be frozen into 1-cup portions for up to 3 months in advance. When you’re ready to use it, simply thaw what you’ll need the next day overnight in the fridge. It should be ready to use the next day.

Substitutions & Common Questions

What does macadamia milk taste like? Macadamia milk tastes exactly like the nut it came from. If you don’t like the taste of macadamia nuts, you won’t like this milk. Macadamia nuts have a very rich, buttery flavor that almost reminds you of white chocolate. (Hence, why they are probably paired together so often in baking recipes.)

Can I make a chocolate version? Sure! Check out my Chocolate Almond Milk recipe, and swap the almonds for macadamia nuts, if you’d like to start there. You can always start with making only half the batch, to make sure you like the flavor.

Do you need to soak macadamia nuts? There’s always a potential benefit to soaking nuts, as the water may help to soak away the tannins (which taste bitter) that are naturally found in nuts. Soaking may also improve your body’s nutrient absorption by potentially removing phytic acid, which can inhibit nutrient absorption.

If you do decide to soak macadamia nuts, cover them with water and let the rest for up to 2 hours. (They don’t need longer than that!) Be sure to drain and rinse the nuts, to remove the soaking water; use fresh water when blending this milk.

How to Use It

Try using macadamia nut milk in these popular recipes:

I hope you’ll love this macadamia milk recipe as much as I do. Be sure to let me know how you like it in the comments below!

Macadamia Milk

This homemade macadamia nut milk is made with just 2 ingredients! It’s the perfect dairy-free milk for cereal, granola, lattes, and more. This recipe makes roughly 4 cups, so feel free to make more or less, as needed.

1 cup macadamia nuts (unsalted)
4 cups water

Add the macadamia nuts and water to a high speed blender, along with any additional add-ins you would like. Blend until very smooth and creamy, with no visible pieces of nuts, about 60 seconds.
Arrange a nut milk bag, cheesecloth, or fine mesh strainer over a large bowl, and pour the blended milk through the straining device to remove the macadamia nut pulp. Squeeze well, to remove as much liquid as possible. Discard the pulp, or save it for another use (like adding it to hummus, a smoothie, or oatmeal).
Once the milk is strained, it’s ready to use. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or you can freeze it in individual portions for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before you want to use it again.

Nutrition information is for roughly 1 cup, without any add-ins. Keep in mind that this is automatically calculated and doesn’t take into account that some of the macadamia nuts are strained out. As a result, there will be less fiber, calories, and fat in the final milk, but it’s hard to know exactly what the resulting nutrition will be without a science lab to test it yourself.
If you would prefer to soak the macadamia nuts before blending, cover them with at least 2 inches of water and let them soak for up to 2 hours. Drain the nuts and rinse well, then add them to the blender with fresh water to make the milk.