Macadamia Nuts: Nutrition Facts, Health Benefits, and the World’s Most Monounsaturated Nut

Macadamia nuts occupy a unique position among tree nuts. At 669 calories per 100g and 64.9g of fat, they are among the most calorie-dense and fat-rich nuts commonly eaten — numbers that initially sound alarming until you examine the fat composition: about 78% of that fat is monounsaturated, the highest share of any common nut and higher even than olive oil’s. Combined with 100% of the daily thiamine requirement and nearly five times the daily manganese per 100g, macadamia nuts have a genuinely distinctive nutritional identity that makes them a flavorsome, healthy fat source.

Macadamia Nuts Nutrition Facts (per 100g)

* From USDA’s SR Legacy data for raw macadamias, used where the newer Foundation Foods data has no value, with the fat breakdown scaled to the Foundation Foods total fat. Everything else is from Foundation Foods. Full sources are at the end of the page.

Macadamia Nuts Nutrition Facts (per 28g serving — approximately 10–12 whole nuts)

A standard serving of macadamia nuts is approximately 28g:

A 28g serving provides 28% of daily thiamine and 14.1g of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, with about 4.6g of net carbohydrates.

Vitamins in Macadamia Nuts (per 100g)

* From USDA’s SR Legacy data for raw macadamias. % Daily Values use the FDA’s current Daily Values.

Standout: Macadamia nuts hit 100% of the daily thiamine requirement per 100g — making them one of the richest thiamine sources of any nut and among the most concentrated whole-food sources available. Thiamine is a coenzyme for pyruvate dehydrogenase, the enzyme that feeds fuel from carbohydrates into the Krebs cycle, and its presence at this concentration in a primarily fat-based food is nutritionally distinctive. Macadamia nuts also provide a well-distributed B vitamin spread across riboflavin (12% DV), niacin (15% DV), pantothenic acid (15% DV), and B6 (16% DV), creating a comprehensive B complex alongside their dominant fat profile.

Minerals in Macadamia Nuts (per 100g)

Standout: USDA’s newest analysis makes macadamias an exceptional source of manganese — nearly five times the daily value per 100g — and a good source of selenium (59% DV), far above older figures, since the selenium in nuts depends heavily on the soil they’re grown in. Magnesium (25% DV) and phosphorus (17% DV) add useful depth to a nut whose main story is fat quality — these minerals matter for ATP production and bone health respectively — and copper (50% DV) supports iron metabolism and connective tissue. The iron figure (10% DV, non-haem) is modest, at about 3% DV per 28g serving.

The Monounsaturated Fat Story: One of the Fattiest Nuts, With the Best Fat Profile

This is the central nutritional fact about macadamia nuts, and it deserves clear, direct explanation.

The Numbers in Context

At about 50g of monounsaturated fat per 100g, macadamia nuts have:

• A higher absolute monounsaturated fat content than any other common nut
• A higher MUFA proportion (78% of total fat) than any other common nut
• A higher share of monounsaturated fat than olive oil (about 73% of olive oil’s fat is monounsaturated) — though olive oil, being pure fat, contains more per 100g

What Monounsaturated Fat Does

Monounsaturated fat, primarily oleic acid in macadamias, is the same heart-healthy fatty acid that makes olive oil and the Mediterranean dietary pattern so consistently associated with reduced cardiovascular disease in research. The mechanisms are well-documented: oleic acid lowers LDL cholesterol when it replaces saturated fat while maintaining HDL, reduces inflammatory cytokine production, improves endothelial function, and makes LDL more resistant to oxidative modification — the step that makes LDL genuinely damaging to arterial walls.

The Palmitoleic Acid Distinction

Macadamia nuts contain a notably high concentration of palmitoleic acid — an omega-7 monounsaturated fatty acid found in very few common foods. Palmitoleic acid has attracted research interest for potential roles in improving insulin sensitivity and reducing inflammatory markers, and its exceptional concentration in macadamias gives them a distinctive fatty acid fingerprint that other high-MUFA foods don’t share to the same degree.

The Cardiovascular Research

A handful of small randomized controlled trials have tested macadamia nut consumption on cardiovascular risk markers, finding reductions in total and LDL cholesterol with no adverse effects on body weight despite macadamias’ high calorie density — consistent with the broader body of nut research showing that nut consumption is not associated with weight gain in controlled settings.

The Thiamine Story: 100% Daily Value in a Fat-Rich Nut

The 100% DV thiamine figure is somewhat unexpected in a food that is predominantly fat, and is worth explaining specifically.

Thiamine (Vitamin B1) is water-soluble and most commonly associated with whole grains, legumes, and seeds — it is a coenzyme for pyruvate dehydrogenase, the enzyme that converts pyruvate (the end product of glucose breakdown) to acetyl-CoA for entry into the Krebs cycle. That’s why lentils, flaxseeds, and whole grains feature prominently in this comparison across the site.

Macadamia nuts stand out because their thiamine concentration is among the highest of any nut even though they are mostly fat. For people on ketogenic or very low-carbohydrate diets where traditional grain-based thiamine sources are restricted, macadamia nuts represent a genuinely valuable and practical thiamine source that fits naturally within the dietary framework.

Macadamia Nuts and the Ketogenic Diet

Macadamias have long been a favorite nut for low-carbohydrate and ketogenic diets — though USDA’s newest analysis complicates the picture, so the numbers deserve a careful look.

The Net Carbohydrate Calculation

Of macadamias’ 24.1g of total carbohydrates per 100g, 7.6g is fiber — which is not digested and absorbed as glucose. That leaves 16.5g of net carbohydrates per 100g — about 4.6g in a typical 28g serving. Older USDA data put macadamias far lower, at about 5g of net carbs per 100g, because those samples contained more fat (75.8g against 64.9g); macadamias can vary with variety and growing conditions. Either way, a measured 28g serving fits within a typical ketogenic carbohydrate budget.

On USDA’s newest numbers, macadamias sit mid-pack: lower in net carbs than pistachios and cashews, but higher than Brazil nuts, pecans, walnuts, and almonds. What still sets them apart is their exceptional monounsaturated fat content and thiamine concentration.

The Fat Fuel Perspective

For ketogenic dieters specifically, macadamias’ high monounsaturated fat content is more valuable than a nut dominated by polyunsaturated or saturated fat, since MUFA intake is broadly associated with the cardiometabolic benefits that make a well-formulated ketogenic diet defensible from a health perspective beyond simply reducing carbohydrates.

Health Benefits of Macadamia Nuts

Heart Health Through Exceptional Monounsaturated Fat

As detailed above, the small clinical trials on macadamia nut consumption show improvements in blood lipid profiles — reduced total and LDL cholesterol, with no adverse effect on body weight. The combination of oleic acid (the same fatty acid in olive oil) and palmitoleic acid (the distinctive omega-7 found at high concentration in macadamias) gives macadamias a fat profile that is genuinely specific to this food.

Useful Magnesium and Phosphorus for Bone and Energy

At 25% DV magnesium and 17% DV phosphorus per 100g, macadamia nuts provide meaningful contributions to two minerals important for both bone mineralization and cellular energy production through ATP synthesis. Magnesium is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions and is one of the most commonly deficient minerals in modern diets; its 25% DV per 100g from a pleasant, convenient snack food is a practical advantage.

Thiamine for Energy Metabolism

As detailed above, the 100% DV thiamine content supports the conversion of carbohydrates into cellular energy — a useful contribution from a predominantly fat-based food, and particularly relevant for low-carbohydrate eaters where traditional thiamine sources are reduced.

Meaningful Fiber for Satiety and Gut Health

At 7.6g of fiber per 100g, macadamia nuts deliver substantial fiber content despite their dominant fat profile, contributing to bowel regularity, gut microbiome feeding through prebiotic fermentation, and the satiety that slows the rate at which their calorie density translates to excess intake.

Iron and Zinc for Broad Nutritional Support

At 10% DV iron and 11% DV zinc per 100g, macadamias make modest mineral contributions — small per 28g serving but consistent across the day for anyone eating them regularly as part of their diet.

Macadamia Nuts for Athletes and Active People

Calorie-Dense Energy for Muscle Building Phases

At 669 kcal per 100g — among the most calorie-dense nuts — macadamia nuts are one of the most calorie-efficient ways to add quality calories during a deliberate surplus without needing to eat unrealistic food volumes. The calories come from a genuinely heart-healthy fat source rather than from sugar or processed ingredients, making them a better quality calorie source than most ultra-dense convenience foods used for bulking.

Magnesium for Training Demands

At 25% DV magnesium per 100g (7% DV per 28g serving), macadamia nuts contribute to the magnesium intake that athletes deplete through sweat, supporting the ATP production and muscle contraction function that training demands.

The Ketogenic Athlete Application

For athletes following ketogenic or low-carbohydrate dietary protocols — which have found specific applications in certain endurance and body composition contexts — macadamia nuts are a strong fit, providing fat-based calories, meaningful thiamine and magnesium, strong satiety, and a modest carbohydrate load of about 4.6g of net carbs per 28g serving on USDA’s newest figures.

The Australian Origin Story

Macadamia nuts are one of the few major commercial food crops native to Australia — specifically to the subtropical rainforests of Queensland and northern New South Wales. They were a significant food source for Aboriginal Australians for thousands of years before European contact, known as kindal kindal or boombera in various languages.

Macadamia trees were introduced to Hawaii around 1881, first as ornamentals, and Hawaii later built a large commercial nut industry that dominated world production for much of the 20th century — which is why many people associate them with Hawaiian cuisine. Today China is the largest producer, followed by South Africa, with Australia third and the nuts grown commercially across Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

The macadamia shell is often described as the hardest nut shell in the world — commonly cited as needing around 300 pounds per square inch of pressure to crack — which is why macadamias are almost never sold in-shell for home cracking, unlike walnuts or almonds, and why all commercial processing requires specialized cracking machinery.

Practical Ways to Include Macadamia Nuts in Your Diet

As a plain snack — the simplest application; a 28g handful of unsalted macadamia nuts provides a satisfying, sustained-energy snack with exceptional fat quality.

In baking — chopped macadamia nuts in cookies, banana bread, or bliss balls add texture, flavor, and a nutritionally impressive fat profile to baked goods.

Macadamia nut butter — blended macadamia nuts produce one of the creamiest, most buttery nut butters available, with the same fat profile as whole macadamias.

In trail mix — macadamia nuts combined with dark chocolate, dried fruit, and other nuts create a calorie-dense, satisfying portable snack with multiple nutrient profiles contributing simultaneously.

As a crust for fish or chicken — crushed macadamia nuts used as a coating for baked fish or chicken add texture, healthy fat, and thiamine alongside the protein of the main ingredient.

In salads — whole or roughly chopped macadamia nuts add crunch and richness to salads, particularly those with a tropical or Asian-inspired flavor profile.

Potential Considerations

Calorie density is the primary consideration — at 669 kcal per 100g and 187 kcal per 28g serving, macadamia nuts require portion awareness for anyone managing total calorie intake; they are easy to overeat relative to their caloric contribution.

Lower protein than most other nuts — at 7.8g of protein per 100g, macadamias are the lowest-protein common tree nut (compared to almonds at 21.5g, cashews at 17.4g, peanuts at 23.2g); people specifically choosing nuts for protein contribution will get a better return from other varieties.

Tree nut allergy — macadamia nut allergy, while less common than some other tree nut allergies, is documented and can cause severe reactions; people with tree nut allergies should avoid them.

Toxic to dogs — macadamia nuts are specifically toxic to dogs, causing weakness, hyperthermia, and neurological symptoms even in small amounts; keep out of reach of pets.

Cost — macadamia nuts are typically the most expensive commonly available nut, which may make them impractical as a daily dietary staple compared to almonds or cashews.

Nutrient data: USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods (FDC ID 2515378); values marked * from SR Legacy (FDC ID 170178), with the fat breakdown scaled to the Foundation Foods total. % Daily Values use the FDA’s current Daily Values.