The carbs in most dips come from what they sit on.
Crackers and bread usually carry more refined carbohydrate than the dip itself. This spread skips that layer: cream cheese, mayonnaise and macadamia nuts make up almost all of the volume, and all three are low in carbohydrate and high in fat. Macadamia nuts are mostly fat, with only a small amount of carbohydrate and a good share of that as fiber, so 150g barely moves the count across a full batch. Bacon and spring onion add flavor without adding sugar or starch. The result holds together well enough to eat straight off a spoon if crackers aren't part of your plan.
Low-Carb Bacon Macadamia Spread
Bacon, macadamia nuts and cream cheese, no cooking beyond browning the bacon.
Ingredients
- 150 g macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 225 g cream cheese, softened
- 0.5 cup mayonnaise
- 80 g bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 0.5 tsp garlic salt
- 0.5 tsp onion powder
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 spring onions, finely chopped
Instructions
- 1
Cook the bacon in a pan over medium heat until crispy. Remove, let cool, then crumble into small pieces.
- 2
Roughly chop the macadamia nuts, or pulse briefly in a food processor until slightly chunky. Do not process into a paste.
- 3
Finely chop the spring onions.
- 4
In a mixing bowl, add the softened cream cheese and stir until smooth.
- 5
Add the sesame oil, garlic salt, onion powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well.
- 6
Add the chopped macadamia nuts and combine.
- 7
Stir in the mayonnaise until smooth and creamy.
- 8
Fold in the crumbled bacon and chopped spring onions.
- 9
Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- 10
Serve immediately, or chill slightly for a firmer texture. Serve with cucumber slices or low-carb crackers.
Nutrition per serving
Net carbs here means total carbohydrate (6g) minus fiber (2g). There are no sugar alcohols in this recipe, so nothing else is subtracted. Also per serving: 15g saturated fat, 3g sugar, 55mg cholesterol, 520mg sodium, 184mg potassium.
Nutrition is calculated from ingredient data and will vary with brands, sizes and exactly how the batch is portioned. Treat it as close, not exact.
Nut swap. Pecans or walnuts work in place of macadamia nuts if that's what you have on hand, though the flavor turns more toasty than buttery. The carb count stays close either way, since all three are low in carbohydrate.
Bacon. Cook it until genuinely crisp before crumbling. Bacon that's still a little soft turns chewy once it sits in the cold spread rather than staying crumbly.
Make ahead. This keeps well, covered, in the fridge for up to four days. If anything, the flavor improves after a few hours as the garlic salt and onion powder settle in.
Serving. Cucumber slices and low-carb crackers both work well. It also holds up fine as a stuffed-celery filling if you want something with more crunch.
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