Macadamia Nut Nutrition Calculator — Calories, Fat & Protein per Serving

Raw macadamia nuts (FDC 170178) pack 718 kcal per 100g — more than any other commonly consumed nut. Pecans follow at 691, walnuts at 654, and almonds at 579. A single ounce (28g, about 10-12 nuts) delivers 204 kcal, and a cup of halves (134g) reaches 962 kcal — nearly half an adult's daily calorie requirement ^[1].

The fat content — 75.77g per 100g — is also the highest among common nuts, exceeding pecans (72.0g), pine nuts (68.4g), and walnuts (65.2g). Fat accounts for 95% of macadamia's calories (75.77 × 9 = 682 kcal from fat out of 718 total), making it the purest fat source among whole foods short of pure oils and butter ^[1].

Despite the extreme calorie density, the standard snack portion is modest: 10 nuts (~20g) = 144 kcal. Because macadamias are individually large (1.5-2g each) and satisfying, most people naturally consume fewer pieces than they would with smaller nuts like almonds (1.2g each) or peanuts (0.9g each) ^[1].

Of macadamia's 75.77g total fat, 58.9g (78%) is monounsaturated — predominantly oleic acid (18:1) and palmitoleic acid (16:1). This MUFA percentage exceeds olive oil (~73% MUFA), hazelnuts (79% MUFA but only 46g total), and avocados (64% MUFA). No other common whole food combines this high a total fat content with this high a MUFA proportion ^[2].

Saturated fat is 12.06g per 100g (60% DV) — higher than most nuts (almonds 3.7g, walnuts 6.1g, cashews 7.8g). The saturated portion includes palmitic acid (6.0g) and stearic acid (2.3g). A 1-oz serving contributes 3.4g saturated fat (17% DV) ^[1].

Polyunsaturated fat is remarkably low: only 1.5g per 100g — the lowest PUFA among all common nuts. Walnuts have 47.2g, pine nuts 34.1g, and even cashews have 7.8g. Omega-3 (ALA) is a trace 0.21g. Macadamias are overwhelmingly a monounsaturated fat source, not a polyunsaturated one ^[1][2].

Macadamia's 7.91g protein per 100g is the lowest of any commonly eaten nut by a significant margin. Almonds provide 21.2g, pistachios 20.2g, cashews 18.2g, hazelnuts 15.0g, walnuts 15.2g, and even pecans have 9.2g. A 1-oz serving delivers just 2.2g protein — less than a single egg white (3.6g) ^[1].

The protein-to-calorie ratio is 1.1g per 100 kcal — the worst among all nuts. For comparison: almonds deliver 3.7g, peanuts 4.3g, and pistachios 3.6g protein per 100 kcal. If protein tracking is a priority, macadamias are among the least efficient whole-food choices per calorie ^[1].

However, macadamia protein contains all essential amino acids, with leucine at ~0.53g, isoleucine at ~0.28g, and valine at ~0.36g per 100g. The protein quality is adequate — there is simply very little of it relative to the massive fat content ^[2].

Raw macadamias deliver 1.195mg thiamine (vitamin B1) per 100g — 100% of the daily value. This is the highest among all common tree nuts — pine nuts have 0.36mg, hazelnuts 0.64mg, and almonds 0.21mg. Among seeds, sunflower seeds (1.48mg) exceed macadamia, but no tree nut comes close. A 1-oz serving provides 0.33mg thiamine (28% DV) — a meaningful contribution from a snack ^[1].

Manganese: 4.13mg per 100g (180% DV) — the fourth-highest among nuts after pine nuts (8.8mg), hazelnuts (6.2mg), and pecans (4.5mg). One ounce delivers 1.16mg (50% DV). Iron is moderate at 3.69mg per 100g (20% DV) — similar to almonds (3.71mg) and walnuts (2.91mg), though lower than cashews (6.68mg) ^[1].

Other minerals per 100g: magnesium 130mg (31% DV), phosphorus 188mg (15% DV), potassium 368mg (8% DV), zinc 1.3mg (12% DV). Sodium is minimal at 5mg — effectively zero. Roasting with salt adds 343mg sodium per 100g (348mg total), transforming a sodium-free food into a moderate sodium source ^[1].

White chocolate macadamia cookies typically use 1/2 cup chopped macadamias (67g) per batch of 24 cookies: that's 481 kcal from macadamias alone, or 20 kcal per cookie from the nuts. Adding white chocolate chips (~200 kcal per 1/4 cup) pushes the nut+chocolate contribution to 28 kcal per cookie ^[1].

Macadamia brittle uses roughly 1 cup (134g) per batch — that's 962 kcal from nuts in the entire brittle. A 30g piece of brittle contains approximately 80-100 kcal from macadamias alone, plus 40-60 kcal from sugar and butter. The nut is the primary calorie contributor even in a confection ^[1].

For trail mix: replacing 1 oz of macadamias (204 kcal) with 1 oz of almonds (164 kcal) saves 40 kcal per serving — or 280 kcal per week for daily snackers. The trade-off: you lose the buttery flavor and gain nearly 3x the protein (6.0g vs 2.2g per ounce) ^[1].