Guaranteed: You’ll Want to Try This Delicious Low Histamine Nut Butter!

There’s just something about nut butter. There’s the convenience of it - being able to grab a jar and quickly slap some onto a slice of bread or some crackers for an on-the-go snack. 

Then there’s the taste and texture. It has a great mouth feel, with even a small helping being able to coat the entire tongue and palate in sticky goodness - a reason many people eat it straight from the jar as a quick treat! 

There really is little else like it. 

But all of the pleasure of eating nut butter has likely gone out of the window with your histamine intolerance; like so many other things in your diet. 

Almonds are a no go. Peanuts? Even worse! 

But I want to assure you there’s a way you can still enjoy the delight of nut butter when you’re following a low histamine diet, and that’s what I’ve come to share with you today. 

Choosing the Right Nuts for Your Low Histamine Nut Butter Is Key

Most nuts are, unfortunately, high in histamine and will be excluded from a low histamine diet plan. But there's one low histamine nut you can make your friend! Can you guess which one it is?

That’s right! Macadamia nuts. 

Macadamia nuts aren’t just low histamine, they’re low in sugar and carbohydrates, and packed full of nutrients.  

One of the most important nutrients to consider in macadamia nuts when you’re living with histamine intolerance is manganese (1). When it comes to managing histamine symptoms, manganese has been shown to decrease the release of histamine from mast cells. There is evidence to suggest manganese also plays a role in the activity of the histamine-degrading enzyme diamine oxidase (DAO) due to its high omega 3 fatty acid content (2) and the role these fats have in regulating inflammation (3). 

While you don’t need a high dose of manganese each day, if you’re not getting enough, it can also affect other aspects of your health because of its small but essential role in many processes in the body (4). 

If you don’t have enough manganese, your bones may not be as structurally strong as they should be, you may have issues managing a stable blood sugar level and you may even have some trouble producing the appropriate chemicals in the brain that help with your mood and mental health. Additionally, you may find your wounds don’t heal as quickly, or your skin seems weaker and more prone to nicks and scrapes. 

An ounce of macadamia nuts contain almost 60% of your recommended daily requirement of manganese so, besides being a nice little low histamine treat, they pack a health punch. 

Now that you know how good macadamia nuts are for you let’s get to the low histamine nut butter recipe!

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You’ll Go Nuts for This Low Histamine Nut Butter!

What you’ll need is a high speed blender or food processor, a couple of spoons, a spatula and a small bowl. You’ll also need a small jar with an airtight lid to put your finished macadamia nut butter into. 

Next, you’ll want to find good quality macadamia nuts. I suggest you try a health foods store or another trusted brand to ensure the nuts are as fresh as they can be in their packaged state. Macadamia nuts, like all nuts, have a high content of oil. If the oils have been left exposed to the elements for too long, or have been heated inappropriately, the oils can turn rancid. If the oils are rancid, they’re going to act very differently in your body and, instead of contributing to healthier pathways, they may be detrimental. 

You’ll also want a little good quality salt like Celtic or Himalayan sea salt and, optionally, some vanilla for an extra sweet flavour. Be careful not to add vanilla extract, as these usually contain alcohol. You’ll want to use vanilla pods or paste, without any additives. You can also use monk fruit sweetener or stevia instead of vanilla, however, some of you with histamine intolerance and digestive symptoms may find you don’t tolerate stevia as well. 

Recipe:

1. 2 cups of macadamia nuts (toasted or not are both fine, but note that toasted will produce a darker color and more intensely flavored nut butter).

2. 2 pinches of Celtic or Himalayan sea salt 

3. ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or ½ a teaspoon of monk fruit sweetener or ¼ teaspoon of stevia) - optional.

Instructions:

1. Blend the macadamia nuts and sea salt on high until the mixture is fully blended and smooth. You may need to stop the blender 1-2 times to scrape down the sides. 

2. Once fully blended and creamy, add the vanilla bean paste and blend again for a few seconds until incorporated. 

3. Using your spatula, remove the macadamia nut butter to your jar. 

4. Lick the spatula! 

If you’d like a crunchy version, before blending the 2 cups of macadamia nuts, grab a handful and pulse them in your blender until you have small chunks of nuts. Remove them from the blender and set aside for manually stirring into the creamy nut butter after you’ve completed the vanilla step, if using. 

Your low histamine nut butter should now be ready to enjoy and the rest will keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Remember to use clean utensils each time you take a serving out of the jar as you’ll want to prevent any bacterial contamination as it can trigger an allergic response and worsening of your histamine symptoms. 

Introducing Your New Favorite Low Histamine Nut Butter Into Your Diet

If you haven’t eaten macadamia nuts for some time or haven't had them at all, it would be wise to slowly introduce the macadamia nut butter into your diet. 

Start with just a small teaspoon-sized portion added to an otherwise well tolerated low histamine meal, then wait 2-3 days before trying it again. This way, you’ll have a good idea as to whether you’re developing any symptoms from eating macadamia nuts. If you feel like this small amount hasn’t caused you to develop any additional bothersome symptoms and you feel like you haven’t had any reactions from it, you can include a little more every three or so days over the course of a week or two.

Remember, as with any food - whether you’re histamine intolerant or not - it’s important not to overdo the portion size or the number of times in a day you consume one single food. The same principles apply to this low histamine macadamia nut butter. 

Try to keep the portion size to 2 tablespoons and have it no more than once or twice per day to ensure you don’t start reacting to it simply because it's in your diet in high amounts. Especially when you’re at a stage where you’re still overall more sensitive to different foods. 

This macadamia nut butter can be enjoyed as is, or as a topping on low histamine bread (using this pizza base recipe!), or even with my absolute favourite: faux banana bread. You could have it with your go-to low histamine crackers or any other way you desire! Thin it out with a little olive oil and it can even be drizzled over vegetables or protein for a decadent touch. 

And there you have it. Now you can forget about almonds and peanuts! You definitely don’t need them in your life anymore! Macadamia nuts are the ones. Macadamia nuts, and macadamia nut butter for the win! 

References:

1. Abubakari F, Fernando DR, Nkrumah PN, Harris HH, Erskine PD, van der Ent A. Cellular-level distribution of manganese in Macadamia integrifolia, M. ternifolia, and M. tetraphylla from Australia. Metallomics. 2022;14(8):mfac045. doi:10.1093/mtomcs/mfac045

2. Ako H, Okuda D, Gray D. Healthful new oil from macadamia nuts. Nutrition. 1995;11(3):286-288.

3. Ahmed N, Barrow CJ, Suphioglu C. Exploring the Effects of Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids on Allergy Using a HEK-Blue Cell Line. Int J Mol Sci. 2016;17(2):220. Published 2016 Feb 6. doi:10.3390/ijms17020220

4. National Institutes of Health. Manganese. Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. 2021. 

5. Xiao, Y., Yan, Z., Ren, F., Tan, Y. (2025). Bacterial exotoxins in medicine: potential value and perspectives. International Journal of Medical Sciences, 22(9), 2010-2019. https://doi.org/10.7150/ijms.110104.