Nuts, Seeds & Pastes
Macadamia Paste in gelato
Macadamia paste is 100% ground macadamia kernel, an ultra-rich nut paste (~76% fat, ~8% protein) used as a flavor-and-fat base in gelato. It carries almost no sugar, so it enriches body and creaminess without moving the sugar balance.
Balancing parameters
Per 100 g of product, verified against independent food-science sources (listed below).
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Solids | 98.6% |
| Water | 1.4% |
| Sugars | 4.6% |
| Fat | 75.8% |
| MSNF | 0% |
| Protein | 7.9% |
| POD (sweetening power) | 4.6 |
| PAC (anti-freezing power) | 4.7 |
Typical use: 4-10% of the mix (commonly 6-8% for a pronounced macadamia note)
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Open the balancerHow to use it in gelato
Use macadamia paste as a pure flavoring and fat contributor, not as a sweetener. At roughly 76 g fat and only ~4.6 g sugar per 100 g, it barely shifts PAC (~4.7) or POD (~4.6), so balance your sugars and antifreeze separately with the recipe's sucrose, dextrose and milk. Its high monounsaturated fat load builds a dense, silky, mouth-coating body and rounds off iciness, but too much destabilizes the emulsion and reads greasy. It also adds solids and lowers the freezing point only marginally, so watch the overall fat ceiling (typically keep total mix fat within style limits) when dosing.
Origin & background
The macadamia is the only Australian native plant developed into a mainstream commercial food crop. The genus was named in 1857 by botanist Ferdinand von Mueller in honour of chemist John Macadam, and commercial orchards were later established in Hawaii in the early 20th century before Australia and South Africa became the leading producers.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy #12131 'Nuts, macadamia nuts, raw' (per 100 g: water 1.36 g, total lipid 75.77 g, protein 7.91 g, total carbohydrate 13.82 g, fiber 8.6 g, total sugars 4.57 g, sucrose 4.43 g, glucose 0.07 g, fructose 0.07 g, ash 1.14 g) — https://www.nutritionvalue.org/Nuts%2C_raw%2C_macadamia_nuts_nutritional_value.html
- Australian Macadamias — Nutrients table (NUTTAB, raw unsalted macadamia kernel, per 100 g: total fat 74 g, protein 9.2 g, total carbohydrate 4.5 g, sugars 4.5 g, dietary fibre 6.4 g) — https://www.australian-macadamias.org/health-wellbeing/nutrients-table/
- USDA FoodData Central raw macadamia data (myfooddata / FDC #170178) — https://tools.myfooddata.com/nutrition-facts/170178/wt2
- La Morella Nuts (Barry Callebaut) — Pure Macadamia Paste technical product (100% macadamia, no added sugar/oil), supporting spec for pure paste = ground kernel — https://www.barry-callebaut.com/en/manufacturers/products/Pure%20Macadamia%20Paste%20Medium%20Roasted/NPO-MA2-T61