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What is Macadamia Butter?

Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum

Created by combining crushed macadamia nuts with butter or oil, the basic macadamia butter serves as a tasty spread that can be used as a simple accompaniment for crackers or to make a quick sandwich. This simple nut butter can also be used to prepare frostings for cakes, glazes for various types of desserts, and even as an ingredient in a number of recipes. It is possible to purchase macadamia butter in a number of health food stores and some supermarkets.

Making macadamia butter from scratch requires nothing more than the crushed macadamias along with some type of binder. While more traditional recipes make use of butter or margarine to provide a smoother texture to the macadamia nut spread, it is also possible to use various types of oils. Peanut and olive oils often work very well.

Adding fresh parsley to a macadamia butter recipe can make it the perfect complement to chicken or fish meals.
Adding fresh parsley to a macadamia butter recipe can make it the perfect complement to chicken or fish meals.

Crushing the macadamia nuts is achieved to best advantage by using a food processor. Depending on the desired texture, the macadamia butter can be very smooth or retain small bits of macadamia nuts. Adding in a little butter or oil helps to give the spread a consistency that is somewhat like peanut butter.

Beyond this basic recipe, it is possible to enhance the taste of macadamia butter by adding in various herbs, spices, and flavorings. The addition of other ingredients is often related to the intended use of the butter. For example, adding fresh parsley to the basic macadamia butter recipe and increasing the amount of oil slightly will create a flavorful glaze that works very well with broiled chicken or fish.

Macadamia butter combines well with chocolate.
Macadamia butter combines well with chocolate.

The basic macadamia butter recipe can be utilized as one ingredient to make a slightly unique frosting for a chocolate or yellow layer cake. By combining a half cup of macadamia butter with a commercially produced cake frosting, it is possible to not only stretch the amount of frosting available for the cake, but also add another layer of flavor to the finished dessert. Macadamia butter combines especially well with chocolate and vanilla frostings.

Thanks to preservatives, commercial peanut butters remain fresh far longer than all-natural macadamia butters.
Thanks to preservatives, commercial peanut butters remain fresh far longer than all-natural macadamia butters.

It is important to store any unused portion of the macadamia butter in the refrigerator. Neither the homemade and the commercial brands sold in health food stores contain a great deal of preservatives. This means that unlike commercial peanut butter, macadamia butter may become rancid in a relatively short period of time.

Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum

After many years in the teleconferencing industry, Michael decided to embrace his passion for trivia, research, and writing by becoming a full-time freelance writer. Since then, he has contributed articles to a variety of print and online publications, including WiseGEEK, and his work has also appeared in poetry collections, devotional anthologies, and several newspapers. Malcolm’s other interests include collecting vinyl records, minor league baseball, and cycling.

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Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum

After many years in the teleconferencing industry, Michael decided to embrace his passion for trivia, research, and writing by becoming a full-time freelance writer. Since then, he has contributed articles to a variety of print and online publications, including WiseGEEK, and his work has also appeared in poetry collections, devotional anthologies, and several newspapers. Malcolm’s other interests include collecting vinyl records, minor league baseball, and cycling.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

anon131540

thanks for posting this about macadamia nut butter because i don't even know what that is, and it's an ingredient that i need to make macadamia nut frosting for a cake. Thank you, Anne.

leilani

Macadamia nut butter can be used with fish too. It will give the fish fillet a whole different taste.

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    • Adding fresh parsley to a macadamia butter recipe can make it the perfect complement to chicken or fish meals.
      By: Barbara Pheby
      Adding fresh parsley to a macadamia butter recipe can make it the perfect complement to chicken or fish meals.
    • Macadamia butter combines well with chocolate.
      By: Natika
      Macadamia butter combines well with chocolate.
    • Thanks to preservatives, commercial peanut butters remain fresh far longer than all-natural macadamia butters.
      By: Meliha Gojak
      Thanks to preservatives, commercial peanut butters remain fresh far longer than all-natural macadamia butters.
    • Like macadamia butter, nut butters made from almonds and cashews can become rancid relatively quickly.
      By: JJAVA
      Like macadamia butter, nut butters made from almonds and cashews can become rancid relatively quickly.