Last Updated on 20 September, 2026 by Elby | The Tasteful Pantry
Sesame macadamias take an already glorious nut and give it a glossy maple coating, a shower of toasted sesame seeds and enough salt to keep the sweetness firmly in check. They are golden, crisp and extremely difficult to walk past without taking another handful. I’ve tested this. Several times, just to be sure.
The whole batch takes about 15 minutes and uses five ingredients. There is no complicated caramel and no saucepan. Stir everything together, spread the nuts over a tray and roast – but stay close. Macadamias contain plenty of natural oil and can go from softly golden to overdone with very little warning.
Serve them with cheese and crackers, scatter them over a salad or pour them into a bowl for pre-dinner nibbling. They also make a brilliant homemade gift, assuming you can package them before they are eaten. If maple-coated nuts are your weakness, my cinnamon maple cashews are very much worth knowing about too.
What Are Macadamias?
Macadamias are the rich, creamy kernels of Australian native macadamia trees. Their high natural oil content gives them that distinctive buttery flavour and firm-but-creamy crunch – yes, creamy crunch sounds contradictory, but bite into one and it makes perfect sense.
Raw, unsalted macadamias are best for this recipe. They roast as the maple coating caramelises, giving you much better control over the colour and salt level than nuts that have already been roasted and seasoned.
Ingredients For Sesame Macadamias
- Raw macadamias: Whole nuts and large halves roast most evenly. Smaller broken pieces tend to colour first, so keep an eye on them.
- Sesame seeds: White sesame seeds make the colour easy to judge, although black sesame seeds or a mixture of both will work.
- Pure maple syrup: Adds sweetness, helps the sesame seeds cling and creates the light caramelised coating. Use pure maple syrup rather than maple-flavoured syrup.
- Mild olive oil: Loosens the coating so it spreads evenly. Canola oil or another neutral-flavoured oil is also suitable.
- Salt: A small amount sharpens the toasted flavours and stops the maple coating tasting flat.
How to Make Sesame Macadamias
Step one: Prepare the tray. Heat the oven to 200°C conventional or 180°C fan-forced and line a baking tray with baking paper. The maple coating becomes sticky as it bubbles and is far easier to lift from paper than a bare tray.
Step two: Make the coating. Stir the maple syrup, oil and salt together in a bowl until glossy and evenly combined. Add the macadamias and turn them through the mixture until every nut has a light coating.
Step three: Add the sesame seeds. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds and stir again. Take a moment to scrape up the seeds from the base of the bowl so they end up on the macadamias rather than being left behind. A tragic ending for a very useful ingredient.
Step four: Begin roasting. Spread the nuts over the prepared tray in a single layer. Roast for 5 minutes, then remove the tray and stir well, lifting the syrupy mixture from the paper and turning it back over the nuts.
Step five: Watch the colour. If any smaller pieces are already golden, transfer them to a bowl. Return the remaining macadamias to the oven for another 2-5 minutes. Check them frequently during this final stretch; they should be golden, not dark brown, and smell deeply toasted.
Step six: Cool completely. Stir the nuts as soon as the tray comes out of the oven, then leave them for about 5 minutes. Transfer them to a bowl or clean sheet of baking paper and let them cool completely, giving them the occasional stir so they do not set into one magnificent macadamia boulder. The coating becomes crisper as it cools.
How To Get Crisp, Golden Macadamias
Start with raw nuts. Pre-roasted macadamias can become too dark before the maple coating has finished caramelising.
Use one even layer. Crowded nuts trap steam and cook unevenly. If you double the recipe, use two trays rather than piling everything onto one.
Stir after the first five minutes. Maple syrup collects beneath the nuts. Turning them redistributes that coating and helps the sesame seeds toast evenly.
Remove early bloomers. Small pieces and nuts around the edge of the tray may colour before the rest. Moving them to a bowl is much better than sacrificing them in the name of a uniform cooking time.
Judge the final texture when cool. The coating will still feel a little tacky when hot. It firms and crisps as the nuts cool, so give it time before deciding they need longer in the oven.
Ways To Serve Maple Sesame Macadamias
These are entirely capable of disappearing straight from the bowl, but they can do considerably more:
- Add them to a grazing board with a sharp cheddar, creamy brie, fresh fruit and crackers.
- Roughly chop them and scatter over a leafy salad or roasted vegetables.
- Use them to add crunch to yoghurt, porridge or a breakfast bowl.
- Serve them with drinks before dinner.
- Package them in a small jar for Christmas, a host gift or a homemade addition to a hamper.
For another sweet-savoury nibble with a little warmth, try the maple chilli walnuts. The orange candied pecans are the sweeter, citrusy option.
Swaps And Variations
Different nuts: Cashews and almonds both work well, although their roasting time may differ. Judge them by colour and aroma rather than assuming every nut follows the same timetable.
Black sesame seeds: Swap some or all of the white sesame seeds for black sesame seeds. The flavour remains toasty, with a more dramatic speckled finish.
A little heat: Add a small pinch of cayenne or chilli flakes to the maple mixture. Keep it restrained so the buttery macadamias still come through.
Honey instead of maple syrup: Honey can be used, but it produces a slightly stickier coating and may darken more quickly. Watch the tray particularly closely near the end.
I would not omit the sesame seeds altogether. Their toasted flavour is what makes these maple macadamias distinctive.
Storing And Gifting
Let the sesame macadamias cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container. Any warmth trapped in the container creates condensation, and condensation is not a friend to crisp nuts. Store them at room temperature in a cool, dry place for up to two weeks.
For gifting, spoon the cooled macadamias into a clean jar or food-safe bag – you can even include the ingredients list and storage advice. They look generous with very little fuss.
More Easy Snacks With Nuts And Seeds
- Cinnamon maple cashews – gently sweet, warmly spiced and easy to adapt with other nuts.
- Maple chilli walnuts – sweet and savoury with a slow chilli warmth.
- Orange candied pecans – crisp, glossy pecans with a fresh citrus lift.
- Tamari sunflower seeds – a salty, savoury option with plenty of toasted crunch.
Sesame Macadamias Recipe FAQs
Are sesame seeds nuts?
No. Sesame seeds come from the sesame plant and are seeds rather than tree nuts. However, sesame is an allergen in its own right, and this recipe also contains macadamias, which are tree nuts.
Can I use roasted macadamias?
Raw macadamias are strongly preferred because they toast at the same time as the maple coating. If roasted nuts are all you have, watch them very closely and expect them to need less time in the oven. Avoid heavily salted nuts or reduce the added salt.
Why are my sesame macadamias sticky?
They may simply still be warm. The maple coating firms as the nuts cool. If they remain very sticky once completely cool, they were probably taken from the oven before the coating had caramelised sufficiently, or they were crowded on the tray and steamed rather than roasted.
Can I make the macadamia snack ahead?
Yes. Make them several days before serving and store them in an airtight container once completely cool. Keep the container somewhere cool and dry rather than in direct sunlight or beside the oven.
Can I double the recipe?
Yes, but divide the mixture between two trays so the macadamias remain in a single layer. Swap the trays between the oven shelves after the first stir and continue checking the colour closely.
Are maple sesame macadamias gluten-free and vegan?
The listed ingredients are naturally gluten-free and vegan. Check the packaging of each ingredient if you need to avoid cross-contamination.
How long do sesame macadamias keep?
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, they will keep for up to two weeks. Their texture is best when they are protected from heat, humidity and the family member who has discovered where you put the jar.
Feedback and More: Have you given the sesame macadamias recipe a go? Select a star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ or leave a comment below to let me know. Cheers, Elby!
If you liked this recipe, check out some of my other tasty nut and seed recipes. For all the latest recipes and info, join The Tasteful Pantry on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.
Sesame Macadamias Recipe
*Note: Adjusting servings will not adjust the ‘light grey’ quantities
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp mild olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups raw macadamia nuts
- 3 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C conventional | 180°C fan-forced and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Stir the maple syrup, oil and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the macadamias and stir until evenly coated, then mix through the sesame seeds.
- Spread the macadamias over the prepared tray in a single layer. Roast for 5 minutes.
- Remove the tray and stir well, lifting the maple mixture from the paper and turning it back over the nuts. Transfer any pieces that are already golden to a bowl.
- Roast the remaining macadamias for another 2–5 minutes, checking frequently and removing them once golden and fragrant.
- Stir the nuts again, leave them on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer them to the bowl with any nuts removed earlier. Cool completely, stirring occasionally to prevent large clusters from setting.
Notes
Nutrition
*Nutrition and calorie figures are estimates only.
