Almond Flour

Almond flour is a highly nutritious ingredient that can be used for gluten free baking. In fact, this flour is more nutritionally dense than traditional wheat flour. Sweet almonds contain a good balance of carbs and protein, with a high percentage of healthy fats. They’re rich in vitamins, fiber, and minerals, and may help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Almonds are technical a drupe and are not a true nut, but those with tree nut or peach allergies should be aware that they may have cross-reactivity with almonds. Sweet almonds are the type generally consumed, but bitter almonds are used in small quantities in specific recipes. Note that bitter almonds contain an enzyme that reacts with water to create cyanide. Because of this, it’s best to be very careful when consuming bitter almonds. Bitter almond extracts should be made only by professional chemists to avoid this issue. Luckily, you don’t need to worry about cyanide poisoning when consuming sweet almonds, which is the type that will always be used to make almond flour.

There are two main types of almond flours: unblanched almond flour (almond meal), and blanched almond flour. Unblanched almond flour, or almond meal, is made of ground almonds with the skin left on. This will contain more fiber, have brown flecks from the skins, and will weigh more, creating a slightly more dense texture in baked goods. Blanched almond flour is made of finely ground almonds that have first been blanched to remove the skin. This flour will be light colored, fluffy in baked goods, and have a more neutral taste. Both flours are lightly sweet and each type has its place in a variety of gluten free recipes. You’ll generally find almond flour as part of a flour blend with other types of lighter flours or starches to create a texture that more closely matches gluten-containing foods and holds together a bit better. Because almond flour is grain-free, it’s often used in keto and paleo recipes.

Almond flour isn’t the cheapest, but you can find good deals and buy it in bulk. Because of the health benefits, I think it’s worth the investment. The foods you make with almond flour will be much more filling and nutritionally dense than if you’d used only highly refined flours or starches. To save money, you could try making your own almond flour at home. You can also make flours from other nuts and seeds at home, but almond flour and almond meal are the easiest nut flours to find in stores.

Almond flour recipes:

• Vanilla wafers from Minimalist Baker

• Lemon polenta ricotta cake from Green Kitchen Stories

• Small batch brownies from Hummingbird High

• Keto biscuits from Wholesum Yum

• Almond flour bread from Elizabeth Rider

• Cherry frangipane tart from Gluten Free Alchemist

• Keto garlic star bread from Mad Creations Hub

Almond meal recipes:

• Whole orange cake from Recipe Tin Eats

• Rosemary almond crackers from Minimalist Baker

• Paleo baked chicken tenders from Eating Bird Food

• Almond chocolate chip cookies from Bob’s Red Mill

• Keto bread crumbs from Keto in Pearls

Traditional almond recipes that are naturally gluten free:

• Macarons from Tasty

• Kransekake from Molly Yeh

• Almendrados from The NY Times

• Gató de Almendras from The Islander

• Panellets from The Spruce Eats

• Bienmesabe Canario from Spain Recipes

• Ricciarelli Cookies from Juls Kitchen