These quick and easy, microwave-roasted macadamia nuts flavored with sugar-free maple syrup and Sambal sauce are a perfect keto snack!

These quick and easy, microwave-roasted macadamia nuts, flavored with sugar-free maple syrup and Sambal sauce (or Sriracha sauce), are an addictingly delicious and protein-rich keto snack! This yummy, spicy-sweet, microwave-roasted nut recipe is adapted from Gemma Stafford at Bigger, Bolder Baking.
Microwave roasted nuts? Yes, roasting nuts in the microwave is a great alternative to roasting nuts in the oven or a skillet. First of all, it's much quicker — it only takes 5 or so minutes and you're done (remember, the oven can take up to 30 minutes from start to finish). Second, the microwave roasts nuts evenly and you're less likely to burn them when roasting (which is easy to do in a skillet). Lastly, microwave roasting produces crisp and tasty nuts.
The real show-stopper in this recipe is the sweet and spicy flavoring. To make the nuts sweets and spicy, we use Lakanto Maple Flavor Syrup and combine it with sambal sauce, which is very similar to Sriracha sauce, but with less carbs. Lastly, we add a touch of cayenne to enhance the heat and season the nuts with a little salt.
If you love spicy sweet snacks, then you'll love these nuts!
What is Sambal?
Sambal oelek is a spicy chili sauce that originates from Indonesia. It's somewhat similar to Sriracha or other Asian chili sauces/pastes, but it has no added sugar. Because of this, we prefer to use this chili sauce in low-carb and keto recipes.
How to Make
Making the spicy sweet microwave roasted nuts is simple. You simply:
- Combine nuts with a half teaspoon of avocado or coconut oil. Place nuts on a microwave-safe plate in one even level. Heat on high for one minute, then stir. Heat for one minute more. At this point, the nuts will not look toasted but they will smell like roasted nuts.
- Combine maple flavored syrup, sambal sauce (or sriracha), cayenne and salt. Pour over nuts and and mix well to combine.
- Put flavored nuts back on to microwave-safe plate in one even level and heat in 30 second increments (to prevent burning), stirring at each 30-second increment, for 3 minutes.
- Let nuts cool until no longer warm, roughly 10 minutes. Then, dig in!
Related Recipes
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear your feedback! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag @lowcarbsimplified on your photo of this recipe on Instagram or Facebook. We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!
Recipe

Spicy Sweet, Microwave Roasted Macadamia Nuts (Quick Keto Snack!)
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw macadamia nuts
- ½ teaspoon avocado or coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar-free maple flavored syrup (we use Lakanto maple flavored syrup)
- 2 teaspoons sambal sauce
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
Instructions
- Prepare nuts: Combine nuts with a half teaspoon of avocado or coconut oil. Place nuts on a large microwave-safe plate in one even level. Heat on high for one minute, then stir. Heat for one minute more.
- Make spicy sweet flavoring: Combine maple flavored syrup, sambal sauce, cayenne and salt. Pour over nuts and and mix well to combine.
- Finish: Put flavored nuts back on microwave-safe plate in one even level and heat in 30 second increments (to prevent burning), stirring at each 30-second increment, for 3 minutes. Let nuts cool until no longer warm, roughly 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy.
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