The complete guide to going dairy-free with macadamia nuts

More and more people are choosing a dairy-free diet as they become increasingly aware of the health and environmental benefits of a plant-based diet. 

Apart from the surprisingly large number of people who are lactose intolerant, many Australians avoid dairy for simple wellbeing. An added benefit of this is that reducing animal products also makes your diet more ecologically sustainable.

Luckily, macadamias can be made into a variety of dairy substitutes, so going dairy-free, or even completely vegan, can be completely delicious!

Macadamias also contain vital nutrients like thiamin, manganese, magnesium and iron. Whether you need a dairy-free cheese, milk, sour cream or butter, it’s very easy to turn macadamias into a dairy replacement to suit the occasion.

Dairy-free milk

Non-dairy milks have grown in popularity as we have turned towards more plant-based diets, but sometimes they can be a little disappointing to drink. Not so with macadamia milk! The creamy taste and texture of nuts makes a milk with a full mouth-feel that is perfect in smoothies, hot-chocolates, lattes and on breakfast cereal. If you are making your own nut milk, macadamias are the perfect choice because they don’t need to be soaked first. The milk also doesn’t need to be strained (although it can be), so all the fibre stays in the drink.

Dairy-free cheese

Macadamias can also be transformed into a delicious, spreadable alternative to cream cheese. This savoury, clean-eating treat tastes great spread on sandwiches or as a vegan alternative on a cheese board. It can also be made into scrumptious cheese and chive balls that can be served as part of a mezze menu or in a salad.

Dairy-free butter

Macadamias make the best nut-butter simply because of their natural creaminess. It doesn’t take long to get the hang of a simple   macadamia nut butter recipe and then you can start experimenting on all the delicious variations.

Dairy-free sour cream

Macadamia sour cream is a plant-based substitute for regular sour cream that is easy to make and is guaranteed to keep your vegan friends happy the next time you serve nachos (or a thick winter soup)!

Dairy-free mayonnaise

A simple but healthy twist on a classic mayonnaise. The macadamias make a deliciously creamy and versatile condiment in just minutes. We call it macadamia ‘vegannaise’, find the recipe here.

Dairy-free ice cream

It could just be that ‘ice cream’ made with macadamia milk outdoes the real thing. We’ve created a vegan version of a dairy classic it’s simple to make and tastes amazing. You can use the base recipe to experiment with an endless array of flavours, like peppermint and grated chocolate or runny honey with chopped macadamias. Fresh strawberries are the perfect choice in summer when they’re in plentiful supply and hot afternoons call for a lazy chilled snack. 

All these nut-based alternatives can substitute their dairy counterparts in regular recipes – but you may need to experiment to get the best results. Happy creating!