By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 3, 2026
Serves 4
571 cal · 15 min
Macadamia Nut Garden Fresh Pesto
Recipe GLPRfe98387155c669
A vibrant and creamy pesto sauce made with roasted macadamia nuts, fresh basil, garlic, and aged Irish cheese. Perfect as a condiment for salads, a rich dip, or a delicious sauce alternative to traditional marinara. This elegant pesto captures bright herbal flavors balanced with the buttery richness of macadamia nuts.
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Ingredients
1/3 cup raw macadamia nuts
2 cloves garlic
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons finely grated aged Irish cheddar cheese
Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
Place the raw macadamia nuts into a food processor or blender and pulse until they are finely chopped into small, uniform pieces.
Add the garlic cloves and fresh basil leaves to the processor and pulse until the ingredients are evenly combined and the basil is well incorporated.
Drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil and add the fresh lemon juice, then blend until the mixture reaches a smooth, creamy consistency.
Fold in the finely grated cheddar cheese and season generously with salt and black pepper to your taste. Mix gently to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl and use immediately or store in an airtight container.
Comments
Macadamia nuts are not a regular stock item at Charlotte-area Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Publix, Walmart, ALDI, or Kroger locations—you'll need to make a dedicated trip to Whole Foods or a specialty grocer for them, which adds real friction to a weeknight. Fresh basil in winter or early spring requires a produce search or another shopping stop, and macadamia nuts run $12–$16 per pound, making this pesto substantially more expensive per serving than pine nuts or walnuts would be. The 15-minute time is honest if garlic and basil are already prepped, but ingredient sourcing turns this into a project rather than a grab-and-go recipe. It does keep well as a sauce and reheats on pasta, so leftovers work.
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