Say Aloha to Macadamia Nuts!
Harness Hawai’i’s Force of Nature with Mauna Loa®
September 2024 Issue
by Lindsay Gifford
Recipes, Information and Photography
provided by Mauna Loa®
“Mauna Loa” is a name that resonates deeply with the spirit of Hawai’i. Mauna Loa, which translates to “Long Mountain”, is one of the largest volcanoes on Earth, rising more than 13,000 feet above sea level. It symbolizes both the beauty and power of nature, and its name evokes respect and admiration for the land and its natural wonders.
More than 40 years ago, in the shadow of the majestic Mauna Loa volcano herself, those at the company Mauna Loa® learned to grow and roast macadamias to produce a nutrient-dense nut. Becoming a Hawaiian icon in the process, their mission was “Bringing the mighty macadamia to the world.” Today, they are taking the macadamia further than ever before with a variety of bold new products which harness the vibrant flavors and exquisite tastes of Hawai’i.
Satisfyingly crunchy with a luscious buttery flavor, the mighty macadamia nut is a plant-based nutritional and tasty powerhouse. From savory to sweet, this versatile, heart-healthy nut packs a major punch. In celebration of National Macadamia Nut Day—September 4—we teamed up with Mauna Loa to say aloha to everything the macadamia nut has to offer.
Macadamia nuts offer many health benefits alongside their delectable flavor profile. A heart-healthy nut you can feel good about eating, they have a low carbohydrate content, high healthy fat content, and abundance of essential nutrients. They’re fiber-full, energy and mood boosting, gluten-free, keto-friendly, satiating, and help with digestive wellness. Adding macadamia nuts to your diet is a delicious way to eat healthy but it is also essential to practice portion control due to their caloric density.
While they have nearly perfected the cultivation, this gourmet nut accounts for only 1 percent of the world’s nut production. The mineral- and nutrient-dense volcanic soil, along with a unique climate, produces nuts that are treasured worldwide. However, the process of growing macadamia nuts is a labor of love. Trees take several years to mature and begin bearing fruit, but the wait is well worth it. The nuts are carefully collected, husked, and dried, ensuring their quality and flavor are preserved. Once dried, the macadamia nuts are cracked open to reveal their creamy, crunchy goodness inside. It’s a taste of paradise, a true gift from the land and its people.
Mauna Loa® offers a variety of flavors to fuel your mind, body, and spirit all in a little round nut with a unique delectable texture. From dry roasted and flavored to chocolate covered and savory, Mauna Loa® offers something yummy for everyone.
Whether enjoyed on their own as a convenient snack, or incorporated into recipes, these versatile nuts can elevate both the flavor and health quotient of your meals. Turn the page for some delicious recipes to get you started—and don’t worry, we included their famous Macadamia Nut Cookie! For more tried and true recipes, visit www.MaunaLoa.com. Say Aloha to a handful of macadamia nuts! Your taste buds and body will thank you for it.
Classic White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Cookies
Servings: 3
⅓ cup granulated Sugar 
1 Egg
6 Tbsps Butter, whipped or browned
1½ tsps Vanilla extract
½ tsp Baking soda
⅓ cup butter-flavored Shortening
1⅓ cups All-purpose flour
½ tsp Salt
1½ cup packed Light brown sugar
1 cup White chocolate chips
6 oz Mauna Loa Unsalted Macadamia Nuts
Heat oven to 350°F. Beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large bowl until well blended. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually beat into butter mixture, until thoroughly blended. Stir in white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts. (Batter will be very stiff.) Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges of cookies are golden. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 3½ dozen cookies.
Tropical Macadamia Slaw
Prep Time: 30 mins | Servings: 3
For the Slaw:
1/2 medium (or a quarter of a large) red cabbage
1/2 medium (or a quarter of a large) green cabbage
1 Red bell pepper
1 Yellow bell pepper
1 ripe Mango
8 oz Mauna Loa Unsalted Macadamia Nuts
10-12 sprigs fresh Mint
For the Dressing:
2 Tbsps fresh-squeezed Lime juice
2 Tbsps Avocado oil
1 Tbsp local Honey (or agave for a vegan version)
Generous few pinches of flaky sea salt, to taste
Cut the red and green cabbage into long, thin ribbons and add them to a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the dressing ingredients and then drizzle over the cabbage and toss well. Let the cabbage marinate in the dressing for at least 15-20 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. (Or cover the bowl and let it sit in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight; the cabbage will become increasingly tender and flavorful as it marinates.)
Cut the bell peppers and mango into long, thin ribbons and add them to the slaw. Chop the macadamias coarsely and add about three quarters of them to the slaw, reserving the remaining quarter. Toss all of the ingredients well, then transfer the slaw to a serving dish. Cut the mint into thin ribbons, then garnish the slaw with the reserved macadamias and fresh mint.
No-Bake Chocolate Macadamia
Cookie Dough Truffles
1/4 cup Maple syrup 
4 oz bag Mauna Loa Milk Chocolate Covered Macadamias
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 cup neutral-flavored, natural Nut butter
1/4 tsp Sea salt
2 Tbsps Dark brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
2-5 Tbsps Coconut flour
1/2 cup high-quality Dark or milk chocolate chips
1 tsp Coconut oil
Edible glitter (optional)
In a mixing bowl, combine the nut butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, and sea salt, then stir until fully mixed. Add the coconut flour one Tbsp at a time, mixing after each addition. Add coconut flour until your mixture becomes stiff enough to cleanly roll into balls, but not dry. The amount of coconut flour you need to add will depend on the type of nut butter you choose to use. Coarsely chop the Mauna Loa Milk Chocolate Covered Macadamias, then add them to the cookie dough mixture and stir until the nuts are evenly incorporated. Scoop out the cookie dough mixture in heaping tablespoonfuls, or use a 1 tbsp cookie dough scoop. Roll each scoop into an even ball, and place the balls on a tray covered with wax paper. Place the cookie dough balls in the freezer for at least an hour; they will be much easier to cover with chocolate when they have hardened.
Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a saucepan over low heat until smooth. Then roll each cookie dough ball in the chocolate, using two forks to handle it and remove it. Allow any excess chocolate to drip off. Set the finished cookie dough truffles back onto the wax paper to harden. Optional: Decorate the truffles with dusting of edible glitter after the chocolate has hardened. Store the completed truffles in the refrigerator in a sealed container, they will keep their shape better at cooler temperatures.
Moana Bowl
1 cup plain, vanilla, or coconut Yogurt, divided
Dash of maple syrup or honey (optional)
Pinch of blue Spirulina (note: this is an edible algae with a very bright blue color)
Large handful of fresh Blueberries
Handful of Mauna Loa Unsalted or Honey Roasted Macadamias
Small handful of raw or toasted Coconut chips
Add a dash of sweetener to the yogurt if desired and mix well. Divide the yogurt evenly among three or four small bowls. Keep one bowl white. For the others, color them with varying amounts of blue spirulina until you achieve a range of blues. Hint: start very small! Blue spirulina is deeply-colored and a little bit goes a long way. Add the yogurt in dollops to a wide, shallow bowl, interspersing dollops of different colors. Keep dolloping until all of your yogurt is used up. Use a fork to gently swirl it together and make ocean-inspired patterns. Add blueberries, macadamias, and coconut chips around the perimeter of your bowl.
Mauna Loa’s Grain-Free
Macadamia Nut + Banana Muffins
1/4 cup Coconut oil 
1/4 cup raw Honey
4 Eggs
1/2 cup Banana, mashed
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup Macadamia milk
1/3 cup Coconut flour
1/2 cup Mauna Loa Unsalted Macadamias, coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 12 hole muffin tin with muffin liners. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until smooth and then beat in the banana, vanilla, macadamia milk, coconut oil, and honey and stir until well incorporated. Add coconut flour and Mauna Loa Unsalted Macadamias to the mixture and stir until well mixed. Divide batter into muffin tin and sprinkle with additional Mauna Loa Unsalted Macadamias. Place in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
Macadamia Raspberry
Dark Chocolate Freezer Fudge
Prep Time: 15 mins | Servings: 3
2 cups smooth, natural, drippy, 
neutral-flavored Nut butter (see notes)
½ cup Coconut oil, melted
¼ cup Honey (or agave)
1 tsp Vanilla
8 oz Mauna Loa Unsalted Macadamia Nuts
1 cup freeze-dried Raspberries
4 oz miniature Dark chocolate chips
Line an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish with parchment or wax paper, leaving enough paper on the sides so that you will be able to pull the fudge out after it sets. In a small mixing bowl, combine the nut butter, melted coconut oil, honey (or agave), and vanilla, then stir until thoroughly combined. If the melted coconut oil is still warm, allow the mixture to cool to room temperature to avoid melting the chocolate. Chop the macadamias and freeze-dried raspberries coarsely. To the fudge mixture, add most of the chopped macadamias, raspberries, and chocolate chips, setting aside a handful of each for decorating the top. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the remaining macadamias, raspberries, and chocolate across the top of the fudge, pressing them down lightly into the surface so they stick. Cover the loaf pan with plastic wrap and place it in the freezer. Freeze overnight.
Remove the fudge from the freezer. Using the sides of the parchment paper, pull the fudge out of the pan. Make three cuts in each direction to yield 16 small squares. Store the fudge in the freezer in an air-tight container for up to several weeks. To serve, let the fudge warm up for five minutes at room temperature.
Note: You can use any neutrally-flavored, light-colored nut butter you prefer in this recipe. We of course love to use macadamia butter! Cashew butter (especially raw), or a macadamia-cashew blend, will also have a relatively neutral flavor. We do not suggest using peanut butter or almond butter since the color will be brown and the flavor will overpower the other ingredients.
Double Macadamia Pesto Pizza
For the Flatbread Crust:
2 oz Mauna Loa Unsalted Macadamias
1 cup Chickpea flour
1 cup Water
1/2 tsp Salt
Olive oil for cooking
For the Pesto:
2 oz Mauna Loa Unsalted Macadamias
2 cup fresh Basil, lightly packed
1/2 ripe Avocado
Juice of a Lemon
1/4 tsp Salt
Dash of olive oil, if needed
Suggested Toppings:
Blanched broccoli
Baby bell peppers
Thinly-sliced zucchini
Multi-colored tomatoes
Fresh basil leaves (don’t cook)
Balsamic Reduction (don’t cook)
Freshly-ground black pepper
Put an oven-safe 12” skillet in the oven and then preheat the oven to 450°. Let the skillet heat for at least 20 minutes.
To make the flatbread crust: Put the macadamias in a small food processor (or spice grinder) and pulse until they become a powder. Don’t over-process them or they’ll turn into a macadamia nut butter! Combine the macadamia powder, chickpea flour, water, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Let sit for five minutes while you make the pesto. To a food processor or blender, add all the ingredients for the pesto. Blend until you have a rich, smooth texture, adding a splash or more of olive oil if needed to help bring it together. Set it aside until you’re ready to top the pizza.
Very carefully, remove the hot skillet from the oven and set it on a heat-proof surface. Add a splash of olive oil and swirl it around, using just enough to coat the bottom of the skillet. Working quickly, pour in your flatbread batter. The bottom will begin to cook immediately, which will give you a crisp, browned bottom surface. Tilt the skillet side to side as needed (remember to use an oven mitt while handling it!) to spread the batter evenly. Return the skillet to the oven and let your batter finish cooking, about 15 minutes. Keep it in the oven until the upper surface is completely cooked and the edges have browned slightly.
While the crust is cooking, prepare your topping ingredients as needed. Once the crust is cooked through, remove it from the oven and set it back on the heat-proof surface. Add a thick layer of pesto, as well as any toppings that you wish to cook (veggies, vegan cheese, etc.) Return it to the oven for a few minutes. Finally, take the finished product out and add any final ingredients that you don’t want to cook, such as fresh herbs, lemon zest, a drizzle of balsamic reduction, etc. Then tilt your skillet and use a spatula to slide the flatbread out onto a cutting board. Slice it and serve immediately.
Toasted Coconut Macadamia Keto Granola
Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: 20 mins | Servings: 3
½ cup raw Pumpkin seeds 
¼ Chia seeds
8 oz bag Mauna Loa Unsalted Macadamia Nuts
2 Tbsps melted Coconut oil
¼ c Tahini
1 cup unsweetened shredded Coconut
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 Tbsp Vanilla
½ cup raw Sunflower seeds
Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large mixing bowl, combine the macadamias, coconut, and seeds. To the nut mixture, add the tahini, coconut oil, vanilla, and cinnamon, then mix until evenly combined. Spread the granola onto an oiled sheet tray. Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring after the first 10 minutes and then every few minutes thereafter. Cook until the coconut is evenly and lightly browned. Watch the granola closely while it cooks since the coconut can easily burn. Remove the granola from the oven and cool completely before packaging. Store in a sealed container at room temperature.
Note: This high-protein granola uses shredded coconut instead of the usual oats to achieve its texture. Whether you’re keto or not, it makes for a great breakfast, post-workout treat, or on-the-go snack. It’s a great crunchy topping for salads, yogurt, bowl meals, or soups.
Strawberry Macadamia Crunch Mochi Pancakes
Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: 20 mins | Servings: 3
For the Macadamia Crunch Topping:
4 oz Mauna Loa Unsalted Macadamia Nuts
½ cup unsweetened shredded Coconut
2 Tbsps Maple syrup
Pinch of flaky sea salt
For the Pancakes:
4 servings worth of your favorite Mochi pancake recipe (feel free to use a mix for ease!)
Oil or butter of choice for cooking
1 cup Strawberries
4 Tbsps Whipped cream, homemade or store-bought
4 Tbsps Maple syrup
First, make the topping: stir together the macadamias, coconut, maple syrup, and salt. If desired, you can make the topping a day ahead of time and store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Prepare the pancake recipe or pancake mix as directed. Cook the pancakes on a well-oiled griddle, using 3 Tbsps of batter for each pancake. This will create relatively small pancakes that you can stack.
To serve, stack the pancakes with a spoonful of the Macadamia Crunch Topping in between each layer. Top with strawberries and whipped cream, then serve with maple syrup for drizzling.
Pumpkin White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies
Makes: 8-10
½ tsp Ginger powder
½ cup Pumpkin purée
1 Egg
¼ cup Coconut oil, melted
1 tsp Vanilla
1½ cup superfine Almond flour
¼ tsp Salt
3 Tbsps Coconut flour
¼ tsp Nutmeg
½ tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Cinnamon
Sprinkle of flaky sea salt
Pinch of Allspice
¼ cup White chocolate chunks
Pinch of Cardamom
¾ cup Mauna Loa Unsalted Macadamias, divided
½ cup Coconut sugar (or sub brown sugar)
Preheat the oven to 350° and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Bring all ingredients to room temperature; this is critical when working with coconut oil, otherwise it will solidify. Coarsely chop ½ cup of Mauna Loa Unsalted Macadamias; cut the remaining ¼ cup into halves. In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, coconut sugar, coconut oil, egg, and vanilla and mix well. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Mix until combined, making sure to break up any lumps. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined. Add in the white chocolate chunks and ½ cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts, mixing one more time. Roll the cookie dough into 2 Tbsp balls, flattening each ball slightly before placing it on the baking sheet. Use the remaining ¼ cup macadamia halves to garnish the cookie tops, pressing the nuts down slightly so they stick. Sprinkle the cookie tops lightly with flaky sea salt and bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are set and the macadamia nuts on top have just barely started to brown. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for several minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack.
Hawaiian Sea Salt & Caramel Macadamia
Ice Cream Pie
For the pie crust:
1½ cup pitted Dates
6 oz Mauna Loa Hawaiian Sea Salt Macadamias
½ cup unsweetened shredded Coconut
For the filling and topping:
2 pints Mauna Loa Moloka‘i Sea Salt & Caramel Ice Cream
4 oz Mauna Loa Hawaiian Sea Salt Macadamias, coarsely chopped
¼ cup Maple syrup
½ tsp Cinnamon
Sprinkle of flaky sea salt
Drizzle of caramel sauce
Cut each date open to ensure that all the pits have been removed. Combine the dates, macadamias, and coconut in a food processor and process just until the mixture starts to clump. Make sure not to over-process, otherwise, the nuts will begin to release their oils. The crust mixture should have a sticky texture and should stay together when squeezed. Spoon the crust mixture into a pie pan and press it down firmly, along both the bottom and the sides. You want to achieve an even layer that will stick together well. Allow the ice cream to soften at room temperature for five minutes, then scoop both pints into the pie crust. Use a small spatula to smooth the ice cream into an even layer. Cover the pie and freeze it for at least several hours and ideally overnight. Or, leave it in the freezer for as long as several days. Wait to garnish it until just. before serving.
To make the maple-glazed macadamias, combine the macadamias, maple syrup, and cinnamon in a small skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, tossing frequently until the maple syrup is bubbling up around the nuts and has just barely begun to crystallize. Turn off the heat and sprinkle them with sea salt. Cool completely before handling, then break the nuts apart into bite-sized clusters. When ready to serve, remove the pie from the freezer. Garnish with maple-glazed macadamias and a generous drizzle of caramel sauce. Store any leftover slices in the freezer.