Where to Find Macadamia Nuts on the Big Island
Wondering where you can find macadamia nuts on the Big Island? I’ll tell you!
Eating macadamia nuts on the Big Island is always a snacking must for me! They grow everywhere here and are such a staple souvenir treat to bring back to the mainland.
Whether plain, flavored, or chocolate covered, this nut is so dang good and addicting.
My absolute favorite place to get them on the Big Island is at Paradise Meadows in Naalehu as they dehydrate them instead of roasting them.
Here’s my list on where you find delicious macadamia nuts on Hawaii Island.
Where Can I Buy Macadamia Nuts on the Big Island, Hawaii?
You will find macadamia nuts for sale all over the Big Island. Every gift shop and grocery store will have some sort of macadamia nut snack pack or souvenir. Even Costco is stocked up on souvenir macadamia nut treats.
However, there are macadamia nut companies and farm you can (and should) visit.
💁♀️ Tab’s Trip Tip: Keep your eye out for homegrown macadamia nuts when visiting coffee farms and farmers markets.
Visit Macadamia Nut Companies on the Big Island
Paradise Meadows Orchard & Farm
Address: 93-2199 S Point Rd, Naalehu, HI 96772
Hours: 7 days a week 9am-5:30pm
Not far down South Point Rd in Naalehu, Paradise Meadows is a fantastic farm to visit. This is the best macadamia nut farm on the Big Island, imo.
As you enter, you’ll notice the macadamia nut shell lined parking lot as you drive over them.
At Paradise Meadows they dehydrate their macadamia nuts, which gives them a snappier crunch and a purer macadamia nut taste. They have an array of flavors from “in the nude” to sweet ‘n smokey to white chocolate covered.
At checkout they have great deals based on the amount you spend. Plus, they will also ship your items to you if you don’t want to lug them around on your trip.
Besides their collection of macadamia nuts, they also produce Ka’u coffee, chocolates, honeys, and cookies. Their little shop shack may appear small but it is mighty in free samples. I’d be willing to bet you start turning down samples because of the overload!
Once you are full on samples, walk them off by taking a stroll through a portion of their farm. Observe an aquaponics set up, trees of all kinds of fruits, wandering Muscovy ducks and guinea fowl, rescued parrots, and an art gallery in the house.
Hamakua Visitor Center
Address: 61-3251 Maluokalani St. Kawaihae, Hawaii 96743
Hours: 7 days a week 9am-4:30pm
Way up north, on the way to Hawi, is the Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company Visitor Center. Hamakua prides itself, and rightly so, that it only sources 100% Hawaiian, Big Island grown macadamia nuts.
You’ll first walk into their gift shop and be surrounded by macadamia nuts of all flavors…ones you may or may not want to try. Wasabi and Spam flavors are a customer favorite and look to see what special edition flavors they have like Birthday Cake or Pumpkin Spice.
Get a free sampling of these wacky flavored nuts, along with some coffee samples to wash it down with.
Afterwards, head to the back of the store to watch the macadamia nuts in action. View through their kitchen windows to see how they process and package their macadamia nuts.
Find the nutcracker table to crack open yourself a macadamia nut, which as you remember requires over 300 pounds of force per square inch.
You’ll also find other macadamia nut confections in the store like macadamia nut brittle and macadamia nut popcorn.
Mauna Loa Visitor Center
Address: 16-701 Macadamia Road, Keaau, HI 96749
Hours: 7 days a week 9am-4pm
The Mauna Loa Visitor Center in Hilo is newly re-opened and welcoming guests again!
Get free samples all kinds of flavored macadamia nuts. Try a macadamia nut ice cream cone; that’s right, macadamia nut ice cream meaning…dairy free!
Watch the kitchen and packing production from behind a glass window. There’s also a photo gallery wall that tells the story of Mauna Loa and its history.
Friendly and knowledgeable staff will answer any questions you may have.
Take a relaxing walk through their nature garden, identifying various fruits and flowers with their lamintated map and nature walk “guidebook”.
And don’t forget to take a picture with their mascot!
💁♀️ Tab’s Trip Tip: prices here are actually higher than if you buy Mauna Loa products at other Big Island retail stores, so if you aren’t getting an exclusive visitor center flavor, wait to buy elsewhere.
Hawaiian Macadamia Nut Company
Address: 75-5707 Ali‘i Dr Unit B, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Hours: 7 days a week 10am-6pm
On Ali’i Drive in Kona along the line of tourist trap gift shops, is this gem of a store. Hawaiian Macadamia Nut Company is a one-stop shop featuring local macadamia nut products from all over the Big Island.
This quaint store has macadamia nut coffee, cookies, chocolate, various nut flavors, beauty products, you name it.
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Compose a Big Island Macadamia Nut Themed Tour
If you reeeeaaaallly want to take the Hawaii macadamia nut thing to the next level, why not create a trip surrounding that theme? You’ll find that macadamia nuts get incorporated into a lot of meals on the Big Island.
Allow me to give you a running start:
Big Island Candies
Address: 585 Hinano St, Hilo, HI 96720
Hours: 7 days a week 8:30am-5pm
Now, I’m not one for shortbread but Big Island Candies have won me over with their buttery, crispy macadamia nut shortbread cookies. They come plain or chocolate dipped and they are low key addictive!
They also sell plain or chocolate covered 100% Hawaiian grown macadamia nuts.
Visit their factory in Hilo for free samples and watch all their sweet goodies be made through large windows into their kitchen.
Tropical Dreams
Waimea Address: 66-1250 Lalamilo Farm Rd, Waimea, HI 96743
Waimea Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30am-4pm; closed Sat-Sun
Kona Address: 75-5770 Ali‘i Dr, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Kona Hours: 7 days a week 9am-9pm
Tropical Dreams is a Big Island ice cream company with the highest fat content you’ll probably ever find. Your average American ice cream has about 10% of butterfat, Ben & Jerry’s has about 12% fat, and Tropical Dreams has a hefty 18% butterfat. Talk about creamy ice!!
I wouldn’t be telling you about them unless they had a macadamia nut ice cream flavor. But they don’t have just one ice cream with macadamia nuts. They have a plethora of flavors with the nut: chocolate ice cream w/macadamia nut/coconut, chocolate ice cream w/macadamia nut/chocolate chip/marshmallow, Kona coffee ice cream w/macadamia nut/chocolate chip/marshmallow, salted caramel/macadamia nut, macadamia nut, tahitian vanilla w/macadamia nut/honey.
Tropical Dreams has two locations on the Big Island.
Their first location is in Waimea, at the source where their butterfatty ice cream is created. They sell ice cream by the cup or by the 1.5 gallon and every size in between. If you have the freezer space, buy 10 half gallons and get the eleventh free!
Waterfront Row Shopping Center on Ali’i Drive in Kona has Tropical Dreams’ other location. This spot is for the tourists, selling cups or cones to-go. Sit at the railing bar that overlooks the ocean waves as you savor each creamy bite!
You can also find Tropical Dreams ice cream all over the Big Island (and beyond) at restaurants, grocery stores, and gift shops.
Kona Brewing Company
Address: 74-5612 Pawai Pl, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Hours: 7 days a week 10am-9pm
Besides beer, the Kona Brewing Company serves a mean pizza. Order their Kohala, which is topped with macadamia nuts along with garlic-infused olive oil, mozzarella, gorgonzola, Portuguese sausage, roasted red peppers, fresh spinach, and fresh garlic. *drooling*
Greenwell Farms
Address: 81-6581 Mamalahoa Hwy, Kealakekua, HI 96750
Hours: 7 days a week 8:30pm-5pm
Famously known for it’s free coffee farm tours, Greenwell Farms has many flavors of coffee to sample, including a macadamia nut coffee! See if your palette can discern the nutty infusion.
You can sip your mac-coffee sample with you as you take their free 45-min farm tour, an informative walkabout through the coffee making process.
They also sell their roasted Big Island macadamia nuts plain or chocolate covered.
Macadamia Nut Oil Spa
Address: Four Seasons Resort Hualalai 72-100 Ka’upulehu Drive, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Hours: 7 days a week 8am-7pm
Why not get pampered at The Four Seasons Resort Hualalai Spa? Ask for their macadamia nut oil with your service. They offer an assortment of spa sessions like massages, body therapies, salon, and skin care therapies.
Other Macadamia Nut Products
Items to keep an eye out for at farmer’s markets and other farm tours is macadamia nut honey and macadamia nut butter.
Order your Hawaiian coffee lattes with macadamia nut milk; it won’t be local macadamia nut milk, but it will keep the theme running.
Big Island Macadamia Nut FAQs
How Much Are Macadamia Nuts on the Big Island?
Once you realize how involved it is to harvest and process macadamia nuts, you’ll have a better appreciation for the seemingly high price of this treasured nut.
Most sources will sell macadamia nuts for around $1.50-$2.00/oz. You can find macadamia nut sources for $1/oz so if you are looking for the cheapest, those are the ones you wanna grab, because that’s the best deal you’re gonna see
How Did Macadamia Nuts Get to Hawaii?
Macadamia nuts came to the Big Island in the 1880s from their indeginous country, Australia.
William Herbert Purvis was a plant collector and sugarcane investor on the Big Island. In 1882 he planted macadamia nuts seeds in the Hamakua district from seeds he brought back from a visit to Australia. These original trees are still growing on Big Island Farms.
In 1893, the Jordan brothers planted seeds in Nuuanu on Oahu. There the nuts gained popularity with Hawaiian residents.
Ernest VanTassel, seeing a financial opportunity, leased some government land and commercially planted a macadamia nut orchard in 1921. The next year he founded the Hawaiian Macadamia Nut Co. and other entrepreneur farmers followed his lead.
It wasn’t until 1934 that the nuts were ready to harvest and be commercially produced. From there it was only a quick couple years for Ellen Dye Candies and the Alexander Young Hotel Candy Shop to start making and selling the #1 tourist souvenir, chocolate covered macadamia nuts.
Today Hawaii produces about 41 million pounds of macadamia nuts per year, the primary amount are grown on the Big Island. And even with this many macadamia nuts, most macadamia nut companies still have to import internationally to fill consumer needs.
🤔 Did You Know? If your Hawaiian nuts and candies don’t say they are 100% Hawaiian grown, chances are they are mixing Hawaiian macadamia nuts with Latin American, African, or Asian macadamia nuts.
What Are the Health Benefits of Macadamia Nuts?
Health conscious people tend to be very wary of macadamia nuts because of their high fat and calorie count. To compare, 10 macadamia nuts are about 204 calories, 2.2g protein, 21g fat, and 3.9g carb. 10 almonds, on the other hand, have 70 calories, 3g protein, 5g fat, and 3g carbs.
That’s quite a huge difference, especially for calorie counters. However, you’ll be pleased to know that macadamia nuts offer health benefits that might offset their high numbers.
Macadamia nuts are an excellent source of protein, vitamin E, copper, thiamin, manganese, and monounsaturated fat.
Studies show that macadamia nuts can help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. It also supports digestive health and can be a tool in weight loss.
How are Macadamia Nuts Processed?
Hawaii is an ideal climate for growing macadamia nut trees as they require rich soil with good drainage (i.e. porous, mineral-rich volcanic soil) and about 50in of rain a year.
The macadamia nut trees flower throughout a 4-6month period which gives a rotating harvest of ripe nuts. So the same trees will need to be harvested at different times throughout the year.
Harvesters wait for the macadamia nuts to fall to the ground. When there are enough to gather, the macadamia nuts will either be picked up by hand or by a picking machine.
I volunteered for a day picking by hand and boy is it a literal backbreaking job! The only thing that saved me was being able to sit on a stool while picking from the ground.
Once the macadamia nut is picked, it needs to be dehusked within a week to prevent molding; this is usually done in a double roller machine.
Next the macadamia nut has to be dehydrated and cured, bringing it’s moisture content from 25% to 1.5%. As it dries, the nut kernel shrinks away from the shell making the shelling process easier. The dehydration stage takes about two to three weeks.
Once dehydrated it’s time to shell the macadamia nut. They are put in yet another steel double roller that uses 300lb of force per square inch to break the shell but not harm the nut kernel inside. Debris pieces are blown away and you’re left with a raw macadamia nut.
Unless the company gets fancy by sorting their macadamia nuts into grades, they go straight to the roaster or dehydrator and are ready for consumption.
And then it’s finally time to snack and enjoy!
Jobs on a Macadamia Nut Farm on the Big Island
Because macadamia nuts are harvested for more than half the year, macadamia nut farms need pickers all the time. If you are looking for some extra cash, this might be a way of making some. It might be a little tricky finding who is hiring though.
If you are off island and looking online:
- Good ol’ Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.
- You also might try cold calling macadamia nut farms off of Google to see if they or someone they know needs help.
- Also look into Workaway or WWOOF opportunities to exchange macadamia nut picking for money or a free place to stay.
If you are on island and able to be physically present:
- Check bulletin boards! I’m not kidding. It flabbergasts me that the community on the Big Island is still small enough that bulletin boards at coffee shops and grocery stores are still a thing.
- While you are driving around the Big Island, keep an eye out for handpainted road signs asking for macadamia nut pickers.
☕ Another product that’s grown on the Big Island is coffee!
Find out where you can find Kona Coffee or Ka’u coffee
Epilogue: Where to Find Macadamia Nuts on the Big Island
Hopefully this helped answer some questions on all things macadamia nuts on the Big Island. Enjoy going “nuts” while touring around the island! Please share any additional information you have discovered about macadamia nuts below if you’ve had an experience with them yourself!
🌺 Big Island Travel Planning Guide 🌺
🚨 Should I buy Hawaii travel insurance?
YES — I recommend Travel Insurance Master because you can compare multiple options with one click. With plans starting at $5/day per person, why not give yourself piece of mind? Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it!
🚗 Is it safe to rent a car on the Big Island?
YES — It’s totally safe to drive on the Big Island. And unless you plan to chill by the resort pool the entire time, renting a car is pretty much a necessity on the Big Island! Jeep rentals are popular. I recommend Discount Hawaii Car Rental, as they have some of the best prices around.
📞 Will my phone work on the Big Island?
PROBABLY — Most, if not all, cell providers work on the Big Island. However, be prepared for some dead spots in the more remote parts of the island. For example, I always lose service driving through Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
🛏️ What’s the best way to book my Big Island accommodations?
For Big Island hotels, Booking.com is amazing because you can often reserve your room with no money down. If you are looking for an Airbnb condo with a kitchen and more space, don’t forget to check VRBO for potentially better prices and options.
✈️ What’s the best site to buy Big Island flights?
I recommend looking at Skyscanner for finding cheap flights. Pro Tip: check if flying into Hilo is cheaper than flying into Kona.
🛂 Do I need a passport to visit Hawaii?
NO — If you are a US citizen, you do not need a passport as Hawaii is part of the United States. If you are from out of the country, the same passport and visa requirements are the same as entering anywhere in the United States from your country.
🧳What should I pack to the Big Island?
Pack for tropical weather but also prepare for colder than expected nights and early mornings, so a light sweatshirt is recommended. Check out this list of 5 Things Not to Forget to Pack.
