What’s the Deal With Almond Flour?

Gluten-free, almondy deliciousness: it’s almond flour. You’ve probably seen it pop up in the flour aisle of your local grocery store, or seen it used in craft baked goods. You may even be wondering what all the hype is about when All-Purpose Flour has been your tried and true go-to for years now. Well, we’re here to rep this simple ingredient for all its almondy goodness!

What’s in Almond Flour?

Almond flour is—drumroll, please—made out of ground-up blanched almonds. Yep, that’s it! This also means it’s incredibly easy to make at home: briefly drop the almonds into boiling water, drain, dry and remove their skins (that’s the “blanched” part). Then, simply grind them up. If you want to make it even easier, you can leave the skins on, resulting in a coarser flour.

Is Almond Flour Nutritious?

Yes! After all, almond flour is just ground-up almonds, and their health benefits are nuts! (Sorry.) A serving of almonds and ~¼ cup of almond flour contains 14 grams of fat, 6 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, and 6 grams of protein.

Not only that, almond flour contains a high amount of magnesium, so it’s great for blood sugar and blood pressure regulation. But wait, there’s more! It’s a wonderful source of Vitamin E, which is an incredible antioxidant to add to your daily nutrition. Plus it’s even been shown to lower LDL cholesterol levels.

Additionally, it’s a great option for those with celiac disease or a gluten-intolerance. And for those on a low-carb diet looking for suitable flour, almond flour is low in carbs and scores low on the glycemic index.

To give you an idea of just how naturally nutrient-dense almond flour is, let’s compare it to your go-to: all-purpose flour. To make all-purpose flour, the brown casing containing the majority of wheat’s nutrients (the bran) is removed from the endosperm, which is then milled. While there are enriched varieties of all-purpose flour, they come with their own problems and we don’t recommend them. Bottom line? Almond flour gives you natural health benefits that all-purpose flour just can’t match. 

What Can You Use Almond Flour For?

Whether or not we’ve convinced you that the hype is worth it, we here at Snap Kitchen believe firmly in the health benefits of almonds. It’s a versatile ingredient that works well as a more nourishing, gluten-free substitute for all-purpose flour, which is why we incorporate it into meals and baked goods whenever we can!

For example, our popular grain-free blondie recipe. Our chefs rely on the power of almond flour to not only imbue this dessert with a subtle nuttiness but also to make a sweet treat just a bit healthier. Use almond flour to make other desserts such as cake, cookies, or muffins, or, go the savory route with galettes, pizza, or even croissants! 

What’s your favorite use for almond flour? Let us know in the comments!