Almond flour, also known as almond meal, is made of finely ground almonds. Often used for baking, almond flour has a similar texture as white all-purpose flour, but unlike wheat flours, almond flour is gluten-free. Almond flour contains zinc, calcium and iron and is a good source of protein, magnesium, vitamin E and polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Best of all, you don't have to pay a premium for almond flour. It's easy enough to grind at home.
Step 1
Remove almonds from the bag. Nuts can be blanched, meaning the skin is removed. This will give the flour a cleaner look without brown flecks, though some of the nutrients will be lost. They can also be raw or roasted. Roasted nuts will turn into a flour that has a toasted flavor.
Step 2
Place nuts in a clean coffee grinder. To prevent a cross contamination of flavors, this grinder should be thoroughly cleaned between uses and solely reserved for grinding nuts or other gluten-free flours.
Step 3
Pulse the grinder on and off. This will prevent the flour from heating up too much and releasing oils that will change the texture into more of a paste. If the grinder is grinding unevenly, you may have too many almonds in the grinder at once. Remove the excess until the grind is uniform.
Step 4
Grind the almonds until you get a course meal.
Step 5
Pour the contents of the grinder into a sifter, which will separate the large chunks from the finely ground flour.
Step 6
Remove and discard any large pieces of almond.
Step 7
Grind the remaining almond flour once again to ensure even grounds. The flour should be fluffy.
Step 8
Store flour in an airtight container or plastic bag. Store in the fridge for short-term use or in the freezer for several months.
Tips and Warnings
- Up to a 1/4 cup of almond flour may be substituted per 1 cup of traditional flour in recipes, according to the New Grain Recipes website. Meaning, if a recipe calls for 2 cups of flour, you can use 1/2 cup almond flour and 1 1/2 cups regular flour.
Things You'll Need
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup blanched, roasted or raw almonds
- Coffee grinder
- Sifter
- Plastic bag or container
Member Comments