These oil-free candied macadamia nuts are sweet without much sugar, salty enough for balance, and rich in heart-healthy fats. Whether you're looking for a sweet topping for your ice cream, a treat to add to homemade granola, or just a tasty snack in the afternoon, this is your new go-to recipe.
If you enjoy sweet and simple desserts, also try my whole baked pears and my candied pumpkin seed clusters.
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✔️ Why This Recipe is Great
Candied Macadamias Without Oil: The addition of a liquid sweetener plus a low cooking temperature for slightly longer keeps you from needing to use any oil, which can be tough for some people to tolerate early in the elimination diet.
Low Sugar: With only 1.5 teaspoons of low histamine sweetener, the entire recipe comes out to around 6g of sugar total, or less than 2g of sugar per serving. Unless you're super sensitive to sweeteners, this amount won't spike your blood sugar & the fat, fiber, and protein in the nuts will keep you fuller and happier than a grain-based dessert.
Oven vs. Toaster Oven: This candied macadamia nuts recipe can easily be done in a toaster oven rather than a full-sized oven, and in that case you don't need to pre-heat the oven.
🍯 Ingredients
Raw Organic Macadamia Nuts: while theoretically you could use lightly roasted nuts, I highly recommend the raw version (soaked & dried to lessen phytates) so that they toast up while caramelizing rather than getting overdone, or worse, completely burnt. I buy almost all my nuts, including my macnuts, from Thrive Market.
Tapioca Syrup or Honey: as the liquid sweetener in this recipe, tapioca syrup doesn't add so much sweetness, but helps to keep the sugar on the nuts and replace the oil. Another good vegan alternative to tapioca syrup is date syrup, though non-vegans can also use honey.
Coconut Sugar: it may seem redundant to have two types of sugar in a recipe, but the coconut sugar is the real sweetener that clings to the nuts, while allulose separates the macadamias from each other (you could probably use only allulose if you want to lighten the glycemic load further, but I've never tried it). This is the same blend I use on my candied pepitas and candied pecans.
🥣 How to Make Candied Macadamias (Step-by-Step)
Step 1) Preheat the oven to 285°F for 10 minutes (this step is not necessary if using a toaster oven). Measure out your macadamia nuts, and then put them into a small bowl. Measure out your coconut sugar and salt (if using) into a separate small bowl and stir them together until well-combined (image 1). If using allulose, keep that separate still.
Step 2) Drizzle the syrup or honey over the seeds, and then sprinkle on the sweetener mixture & salt. Stir everything together until each nut has at least a bit of syrup and sugar sticking to it (image 2).
Step 3) Sprinkle on the allulose if using (image 3), and shake all together until the macadamia nuts aren't sticking to each other as much or at all. Mix everything together again until each nut has a thin layer of sticky sweetness on the outside (image 4), and then drop your nuts into a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Step 4) Bake your candy macadamias at 285°F (140°C) for 20-22 minutes (image 5), checking on them at 15 minutes in case differences in oven temp finish them early. You'll know they're done from the toasty, caramelized aroma and light brown shade.
Step 5) Once the coating on the outsides has solidified, but before any of the nuts begins to burn, remove the baking sheet from the oven (images 6 & 7) and take off the parchment paper, setting it on a cool surface so that the seed won't continue to cook. They'll look sticky, but they'll harden however they look when you take them out of the oven, so if you want separated nuts, don't wait more than a minute before shaking them apart.
Step 6) Allow them to cool for 5 minutes before enjoying, and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days, or the freezer for several months.
🥥 Variations
- Maple-Style Macadamias: Swap the date syrup for pure tapioca syrup only, then add a tiny pinch of maple extract (alcohol-free) for a maple-like flavor without increasing histamine risk.
- Vanilla Coconut Macadamias: Add ⅛ teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla powder or scrape in a bit of vanilla bean while the nuts are still warm.
- Extra-Crunch Candied Macadamias: Increase coconut sugar slightly and bake a few extra minutes, stirring often, for a deeper caramelized crunch.
- Lightly Salted Sweet Macadamias: Skip the extra sweetener and finish with a small pinch of sea salt for a sweet-savory balance that stays low histamine.
🥣 Storage
The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled, and stores well on the counter for several days or in the freezer for a few months. Just be sure to keep your homemade candied macadamia nuts in an airtight container, otherwise they'll soften and lose their crunch within a few days.
👨🏻🍳 Expert Notes & Tips
Using Roasted Nuts: It's important that you use unroasted & unsalted organic mac nuts, otherwise the candying process will over-roast them. To each their own, but I highly recommend raw nuts.
Over-Roasting: If you want to test the seeds for doneness before the 20 minutes are up, either due to uneven oven temps or uneven nut size, be sure to carefully use a fork to lift one off the tray and give it a solid 30 seconds before you take a bite. Otherwise they will both be way too hot to enjoy and will appear less done than they genuinely are.
Flavorings: If you decide to make this with a different nut or seed, you can enhance the experience by sprinkling one of the many low histamine spices on top. One such example is tossing candied pecans in a pinch of ground cardamom and rose water, or even tossing candied pepitas in dried ground ginger & granulated allulose.
❓ What To Do With Candied Macadamia Nuts
- add them to a low histamine granola to make trail mix
- make nut clusters by adding a sprinkle of chia seeds and cardamom
- have a handful for dessert
- chop them up to top a salad
🙋 Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, macadamia nuts are generally considered one of the most well-tolerated nuts on a low histamine diet when fresh and properly stored.
Yes. You can toast the macadamia nuts with just a pinch of sea salt for a naturally rich, lightly sweet flavor from the nuts themselves.
This usually means they need a bit more cooling time or slightly longer cooking. The coating firms up as it cools.
Yes. This recipe is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and low histamine, making it suitable for many special diets.
📖 Recipe
Easy Candied Macadamia Nuts (3 Ingredients)
Equipment
- oven
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw organic macadamia nuts
- 1 teaspoon date syrup or tapioca syrup
- 1.5 teaspoons coconut sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt + a pinch optional
- 1 Tablespoon allulose optional; for sweeter mac nuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 285°F for 10 minutes (this step is not necessary if using a toaster oven). Measure out your macadamia nuts, and then put them into a small bowl.
- Measure out your coconut sugar and salt (if using) into a separate small bowl and stir them together until well-combined. If using allulose, keep that separate still.
- Drizzle the syrup or honey over the seeds, and then sprinkle on the sweetener mixture & salt. Stir everything together until each nut has at least a bit of syrup and sugar sticking to it.
- Sprinkle on the allulose if using, and shake all together until the macadamia nuts aren't sticking to each other as much or at all. Mix everything together again until each nut has a thin layer of sticky sweetness on the outside, and then drop your nuts into a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Bake your candy macadamias at 285°F (140°C) for 20-22 minutes, checking on them at 15 minutes in case differences in oven temp finish them early. You'll know they're done from the toasty, caramelized aroma and light brown shade.
- Once the coating on the outsides has solidified, but before any of the nuts begins to burn, remove the baking sheet from the oven and take off the parchment paper, setting it on a cool surface so that the seed won't continue to cook. They'll look sticky, but they'll harden however they look when you take them out of the oven, so if you want separated nuts, don't wait more than a minute before shaking them apart.
- Allow them to cool for 5 minutes before enjoying, and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days, or the freezer for several months.
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