Macadamia Milk substitute

Best substitute

Cashew Milk

Use the same amount as the macadamia milk you are replacing

Best for coffee

Close match

Cashew milk is the closest swap at one to one, because it is the other high-fat, low-protein nut milk and it feels almost the same in the mouth. Barista oat milk is the best choice if you need it for coffee, since it foams better than anything else, though it tastes noticeably sweeter. Almond milk is what most people suggest and it is the least accurate, so if you use it, add a teaspoon of neutral oil per cup to make up the missing fat.

Other macadamia milk substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2Barista Oat Milk
Different taste
Use the same amount
The best foaming plant milk, at the cost of a clear sweetness.
What changes
Best for
lattes, cappuccino, creamy soups, pancakes, mashed potatoes
Barista oat milk has added fat and buffering salts specifically so it steams and holds microfoam, and it does that better than macadamia. The flavor difference is real: oat milk is sweeter and slightly cereal-like, so a savory white sauce made with it needs extra salt and a squeeze of lemon to stop tasting sugary. It also browns faster in a pancake because of the extra sugar.
3Whole Dairy Milk
Different taste
Use the same amount
Closest on fat and by far the best browning, if dairy is acceptable.
What changes
Best for
coffee, custards, sauces, baking, cereal
Whole milk is in the same fat neighborhood as macadamia milk and has eight grams of protein per cup on top of that, so it sets custards, thickens sauces and browns crusts in ways no nut milk can. If you were drinking macadamia milk for taste rather than dietary reasons, dairy is the stronger cooking ingredient. It is less sweet than most cartons of macadamia milk, so a dessert may want an extra teaspoon of sugar.
4Almond Milk Plus a Little Oil
Taste and texture differ
Use the same amount plus 1 teaspoon neutral oil per cup
The universally recommended swap and the least accurate one, unless you fix the fat.
What changes
Best for
muffins, pancakes, smoothies, cereal, oatmeal
Almond milk is thinner, slightly astringent and considerably lower in fat, which is why almond milk coffee tastes watery and macadamia coffee does not. It also foams poorly and can separate in hot espresso. In baking, where the milk is only wetting flour, it is a fine one-for-one swap and nobody notices. The teaspoon of oil per cup closes most of the mouthfeel gap in anything creamy.
5Carton Coconut Beverage Plus Macadamia or Neutral Oil
Different taste
1 cup carton coconut milk plus 1 teaspoon macadamia or neutral oil
Gets the richness back, and adds an unmistakable coconut aroma.
What changes
Best for
smoothies, curries, chocolate baking, oatmeal
Use the thin drinking coconut milk from a carton, not the canned kind. The oil restores the fat that makes macadamia milk feel luxurious, and macadamia oil in particular gets you a hint of the right flavor. The coconut smell is obvious in anything pale and mild and vanishes in chocolate, coffee or a curry.
6Homemade Macadamia Milk
Close match
⅓ cup raw macadamia nuts blended with 1 cup water makes about 1 cup
The real thing in ninety seconds, and unusually easy because there is nothing to strain.
What changes
Best for
any recipe calling for macadamia milk, coffee, cereal, baking
Blend raw macadamias with cold water for a full minute with a pinch of salt. Unlike almonds, macadamias are soft and high enough in fat that they emulsify completely, so you do not need a nut milk bag and you lose nothing to the strainer. Soak them an hour first if your blender is not powerful. It keeps about three days in the fridge and separates, which is normal.

What is Macadamia Milk?

Macadamia Milk is Macadamia milk, also called macadamia nut milk and sold under names like Milkadamia, is a plant milk made from blended macadamia nuts and water, and it is higher in fat than most plant milks, which is why it tastes buttery rather than watery.

Cooking tips

The whole reason macadamia milk stands out is fat. It has more of it than almond, rice or flax milk, and fat is what stops a milk from tasting watery in coffee and what makes a sauce feel rich. What it does not have is protein, only one to two grams per cup, so it will not set a custard or a pudding on its own. Match the fat when you substitute and add cornstarch if the dish needs to thicken.
That high fat content can separate in very hot, very acidic coffee. Pour the coffee into the milk rather than dropping cold milk into a hot espresso, and do not let it boil. Barista versions of macadamia milk have added buffering salts specifically to prevent this.
It browns nicely in pancakes and quick breads, better than almond milk, because of the fat. Keep an eye on the heat, since fat conducts heat quickly and the outside can color before the middle is cooked.
It is a tree nut, so a recipe using macadamia milk is not allergy-friendly. If you are substituting away from it for allergy reasons, hemp milk, oat milk, rice milk and coconut beverage are the nut-free options, and oat milk is the closest for texture.
Check unsweetened against original before you cook savory. Original cartons carry several grams of added sugar per cup, which is enough to make a cream sauce or a soup taste faintly like dessert.

Frequently asked questions

Is almond milk a good substitute for macadamia milk?

It depends on what you are making. In baking, where the milk is just liquid, it is a perfectly good one-for-one swap. In coffee it is a noticeably worse one: almond milk is lower in fat, tastes thinner and more astringent, and foams poorly, which is precisely why people pay more for macadamia. Adding a teaspoon of neutral oil per cup closes most of the gap in anything creamy.

Can I just leave the macadamia milk out?

Only if it is a small amount for loosening something. If it is the main liquid, you have to replace it with something. In a batter, water plus a teaspoon of neutral oil per cup works well and nobody will notice. In coffee or a cream sauce, leaving it out is the same as not making the dish.

Do I need to strain homemade macadamia milk?

No, which is one of its nicest qualities. Macadamias are soft and very high in fat, so they emulsify completely in a blender and leave no meaningful pulp. Almonds do the opposite and require a nut milk bag. Just blend a third of a cup of raw macadamias with a cup of water for a minute and use it as is.

Which plant milk is closest to macadamia milk for coffee?

Barista oat milk foams the best and is the practical choice in a home espresso setup, accepting that it tastes sweeter. Cashew milk is closer in flavor and mouthfeel but foams less reliably. If you want the closest overall experience and dairy is not an issue, whole milk still outperforms every plant milk on both foam and body.

Will macadamia milk work in a pudding or custard?

Not on its own. With only one to two grams of protein per cup there is nothing to set, so a stovetop pudding stays loose and a baked custard weeps. Whisk in a tablespoon of cornstarch per cup and boil for a full minute, or use soy or dairy milk, which set on their own protein.

Related substitutes

More dairy alternatives substitutes

Macadamia Milk substitute

Other macadamia milk substitutes

2Barista Oat Milk

3Whole Dairy Milk

4Almond Milk Plus a Little Oil

5Carton Coconut Beverage Plus Macadamia or Neutral Oil

6Homemade Macadamia Milk