Gifting sugar-heavy mithai for Diwali is passé, and good old kaju-badam are boring too. It’s premium nuts like macadamias, hazelnuts, and pecans that are all the rage this festive season, prized for their luxury quotient and health benefits
Pic/iStock
Amid the familiar almonds, cashews, and raisins that have long adorned Diwali gifts, a new kind of indulgence is making its way into hampers and tables with macadamias, hazelnuts, pecans, and pine nuts. Rich, buttery, and subtly luxurious, these premium nuts are quietly redefining celebrations, offering a thoughtful, modern twist on tradition.
Coffee-flavoured chocolate-laced pecans from Le Pure
Mansi Ahuja, Principal at Ampro Marketing, tells Sunday mid-day, Indian gifting is evolving, with consumers moving from sugar-heavy sweets to healthier indulgences. Premium nuts like macadamias and hazelnuts are becoming festive essentials, prized for luxury, wellness, and presentation. Favoured by urban millennials, high-income households, and corporate buyers, they are redefining gifting and entertaining with sophistication and health-conscious appeal.
Chef Rakhi Vaswani feels macadamias, hazelnuts, and pecans aren’t just delicious, they’re rich in heart-healthy fats and vitamin E, making them perfect for giving traditional mithais a modern, wholesome twist without losing their classic appeal — think macadamia date rolls, Mathura peda with a nutty touch, chikkis, or hazelnut katli. “Fusion dishes that weave in these premium nuts alongside beloved classics resonate most with consumers during festivals, offering both familiarity and indulgence,” she tells us, adding, “Their health benefits make them ideal for elevating recipes, and with a solid understanding of basics, it’s convenient to transform a traditional sweet into something luxurious, nutty, and nutritious. Recipes can be personalised — using healthy substitutes like nuts cooked without sugar, with date syrup or jaggery powder, still yielding indulgent, flavourful creations.”
Chirag Kenia, Founder and CEO of Urban Platter says, “Over the past two and a half to three years, we’ve seen a steady rise in the popularity of premium nuts such as macadamias, pecans, and hazelnuts, as Indian consumers have become increasingly curious and open to experimenting with global ingredients, allowing these nuts to naturally find their way into modern pantries, growing at an encouraging pace of around 25–30 per cent year-on-year with prices starting from '1,800 per kg and above depending on quality and sourcing, reflecting their import-driven, premium positioning.”
Mansi Ahuja and Chirag Kenia
Santa Cruz based gourmet store Food Square has also observed a notable spike in customer interest in premium nuts, as they increasingly choose options like Bento Gift Boxes featuring pecan, macadamia, hazelnut, and pine nuts — making them a popular choice for premium Diwali gifting. Customers have received the pricing of these boxes at Rs 6,000 each. Food Square has seen an impressive 140% increase over the last few years. When looking specifically at products incorporating these premium nuts, the growth has been even more remarkable, exceeding 400 per cent. The average pricing for these nuts at Food Square is macadamia: Rs 4,000 per kg, pecan: Rs 4,500 per kg and hazelnut: Rs 2,750 per kg. Within the Indian sweets segment, premium nuts are featured in creative varieties such as Hazel Surprise, Macadamia Magic, Pecan Spice Mix, Pecan and Nuts Chikki Brittle, and Hazelnut Chikki Brittle, delighting customers with a fusion of traditional flavours and premium ingredients.
While Urban Platter prefers to keep them in their pure, unroasted, and unflavoured form so customers can enjoy their authentic taste and use them creatively in recipes, the consumers driving this demand are primarily health-conscious, ingredient-aware end users who purchase these nuts for personal or family consumption. “though we also see interest from bakers, chefs, and gifting audiences, but the core appeal remains the everyday consumer exploring premium-quality ingredients in their own kitchens,” says Kenia.
Year-round indulgence
Interestingly, premium nutsare no longer just seasonal treats — they’re year-round essentials, appearing in artisanal chocolates, pralines, cookies, tarts, and even nut butters. Roasted, honeyed, spiced, or chocolate-coated, they combine wellness with luxury, appealing to urban millennials, high-income households, and corporate buyers alike. Ahuja says, “Elegant gift boxes, reusable jars, and provenance-driven packaging have quietly turned premium nuts into the new language of gifting, while single-serve packs and limited-edition festive jars spark delight and discovery. Digital platforms and luxury retailers are bringing these once-niche treasures to every urban pantry, celebrating their story, quality, and healthy charm, and making them cherished companions for year-round enjoyment.”
Macadamia date roll; (right) Macadamia thecha paneer
Getting on board
Ahuja believes, “Industry boards can play a pivotal role in supporting importers and distributors by providing timely market insights, demand forecasts, and seasonal trend data to enable better inventory planning. They can offer guidance on storage, handling, and quality assurance to maintain product integrity, while training programmes on premium positioning, gifting, and usage — combined with in-store marketing, sampling, and coordinated logistics — help strengthen both festive and year-round sales.”
Rakhi Vaswani
Food Square has hosted regular promotional events in collaboration with international embassies for Australian Macadamia and American Pecan Nuts, which have resonated strongly with its customers. “These activations highlight the everyday use and health benefits of these premium nuts, along with creative pairing applications — such as combining them with chocolates, cheese, ice cream, cream cheese, healthy pâtisserie items, premium Indian sweets, and in sauces and dips.
Rugved Vartak
Ahuja feels that the World Macadamia Organisation can further drive awareness and adoption in India through education, partnerships, and storytelling, highlighting the origin, purity, sustainability, and health benefits, such as heart-healthy fats and antioxidants. Collaborations with chefs, nutritionists, premium brands, and influencers can demonstrate versatility in Indian dishes, desserts, and gifting, while co-branded promotions, festive campaigns, and digital storytelling position macadamias and hazelnuts as aspirational, health-conscious indulgences.
Despite growing popularity, gaps remain in understanding consumer behaviour in Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets, including willingness to pay, preferred flavours, packaging choices, and everyday consumption beyond gifting. These can be addressed through surveys, social listening, e-commerce analytics, pilot launches, and collaborations with chefs, influencers, and retailers, generating actionable insights to refine campaigns, enhance festive offerings, and expand consumption across India,” she adds.
Vaswani adds, “Consumers today want more than just ingredients; they seek inspiration and application insights that spark creativity, helping them craft healthier, more refined dishes with confidence. Regular awareness programmes or Masterclasses can educate audiences, showcase versatility, and reinforce the premium, aspirational positioning of these nuts in Indian festive cuisine.”
Pricing it right
While price sensitivity exists, most premium consumers are willing to pay more for authenticity, consistent quality, and premium packaging that conveys exclusivity. Festive demand shows moderate price sensitivity, with consumers ready to invest in high-quality macadamias when presentation, storytelling, and product integrity justify the cost. A tiered pricing strategy works best — entry-level trial packs, mid-range assortments, and high-end luxury hampers — while limited-edition festive discounts can encourage trial without undermining exclusivity. Regional pricing flexibility can make macadamias more accessible in emerging urban markets. Still, the focus should remain on reinforcing the luxury and wellness narrative, positioning the product as a premium yet attainable indulgence rather than competing on price.
Vartak says, “Chefs hosting premium events and high-end restaurants are incorporating these nuts into their tasting menus. There has also been a noticeable rise in home chefs, private cooks for HNIs, and culinary enthusiasts experimenting with them in food trials and gourmet preparations. Additionally, pairing cheese platters with premium nuts has become a consistent favourite among customers who indulge in cheese and charcuterie experiences and so, premium nuts are here to stay.”
140%
increase in sales over the last years at Mumbai’s premium grocery store
25-30%
year-on-year growth observed at an online gourmet store
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