Almond flour comes from ground almonds. It has a number of health benefits and contains lots of nutrients and vitamins, including vitamin E. Almond flour features in many baking and cooking recipes and is a popular gluten-free alternative to wheat flour.
Making almond flour involves blanching almonds in boiling water, before removing the almond skins. A person then grinds the almonds and sifts them into a fine powder.
People may opt to use almond flour in baking and cooking for several reasons. A person may be intolerant of or allergic to gluten, or they may be following a low-carb, keto, or paleo diet. Some people may simply prefer almond flour’s nutty flavor.
This article will explain the nutritional profile of almond flour, its uses, health benefits, and how it compares to other types of flour.
Almond flour comes from ground almonds. Here are the steps involved in making almond flour:
- Blanch the almonds in boiling water.
- Remove the skins from the almonds.
- Grind the peeled almonds until they become a fine powder.
- Sift the almond flour to remove any lumps or large pieces.
Almond flour is not the same as almond meal. While almond flour uses blanched peeled almonds, almond meal comes from ground whole almonds that still have their skins.
Almond meal tends to be coarser and grainier than almond flour.
Two tablespoons, or 14 grams (g), of almond flour
- Calories: 79.9
- Protein: 3 g
- Fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Dietary fiber: 2 g
- Magnesium: 10% of the recommended daily intake (RDA)
- Vitamin E: 25% RDA
- Saturated fatty acids: 3% RDA
There are a number of health benefits to using almond flour. These include:
Lowering ‘bad’ cholesterol and increasing ‘good’ cholesterol levels
There are two types of cholesterol: low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL).
HDL, or “good” cholesterol, can absorb cholesterol and carry it to the liver. The liver then removes the cholesterol from the body. High HDL levels can reduce a person’s risk of heart disease and stroke.
Research has proven that almonds
Reducing risk of cardiovascular disease
The review added that almonds may help:
- reduce a person’s cholesterol levels
- reduce a person’s body mass index (BMI) and body weight
- reduce a person’s blood sugar levels when fasted
Another study from 2014 analyzed healthy males ages 20–70 years. Half of the participants ate 50 g of almonds each day for 4 weeks, compared with a control group who ate normally.
The study stated that almonds increased the levels of antioxidants in the participants’ bloodstream. It also added that almonds helped reduce blood pressure and improve blood flow. These factors indicate that almonds may be able to help reduce a person’s risk of developing heart disease.
The researchers reported that these benefits may be because almonds create an increased sense of fullness after eating, and they contain flavonoids, which may have antioxidant properties.
Almonds contain vitamin E
Free radicals are unstable molecules in the body. These molecules are important for good health. However, an imbalance can cause problems to arise.
If there are more free radicals present in the body than necessary,
Medical professionals refer to this damage as oxidative stress, which they often link with the progression of Parkinson’s disease.
Almonds are high in vitamin E, which
Almond flour is gluten free
Wheat flour contains gluten. This is a protein that helps keep dough stretchy, which enables it to rise during baking.
Many people avoid gluten in their diet. This may be a personal preference, although some people cannot eat gluten due to having celiac disease or a wheat intolerance.
Celiac disease and wheat intolerances can cause a person’s body to produce an autoimmune response when they eat gluten. This can damage the gut lining and
Almond flour is gluten free, which means it is a good alternative to wheat flour in baking and cooking.
Almond flour is a versatile flour that has many uses.
A person can use almond flour in gluten-free baking as a replacement for wheat flour. When baking, a person can simply substitute wheat flour for almond flour.
Almond flour can cause baked goods to become more dense. This is because the gluten in wheat flour helps trap air within the dough, which allows the baked goods to rise.
Almond flour works well when making gluten-free brownies, macarons, cookies, and desserts.
A person can also use almond flour in regular baking, alongside wheat flour. If doing so, they can substitute a quarter of the wheat flour with almond flour. This gives bakes a slightly nutty flavor. This method works well when baking scones and cookies or making pancakes.
Almond flour even works as a replacement for breadcrumbs or wheat flour when coating food before frying. A person can coat meat or fish with almond flour, then fry it in oil to get a crispy coating.
For an even crunchier coating, a person may wish to use almond flour with chopped almonds.
Depending on a person’s dietary requirements and what they plan to use it for, almond flour can be a suitable replacement for other flour. See how it compares below.
Almond flour vs. wheat flour
Almond flour is lower in carbohydrates than wheat flour. This makes it a good choice for people who are on a ketogenic (keto) diet.
Almond flour is keto-friendly due to its low carb content and the fact that it is also higher in fat than wheat flour.
However, there is some controversy around the keto diet, as it
Due to its higher fat content, almond flour is higher in calories than wheat flour. However, it also offers good nutritional value as it contains vitamin E, manganese, magnesium, and fiber.
Almond flour vs. coconut flour
Coconut flour is keto-friendly, although it has a
There are also fewer calories in coconut flour compared to almond flour, while almond flour has more vitamins and minerals.
Coconut flour is not as easy to bake with as almond flour because it absorbs moisture, which can cause baked goods to become dry. A person baking with coconut flour may want to add some liquid to their recipe to help avoid this.
Almond flour vs. white rice flour
White rice flour is another good gluten-free option. However, rice flour and almond flour have different characteristics.
White rice flour has a much
White rice flour also has a neutral taste with a very slight nuttiness in baked goods, compared with the almond flavor that almond flour adds to most recipes.
Rice flour contains lots of starch, which means it absorbs more liquid than almond flour, giving baked goods a different finish.
Compared to almond flour, rice flour works well in noodles, cakes, and recipes that require a lighter finish. Rice flour also offers thickening qualities that almond flour does not. This means it works well as a thickener in soups, sauces, and pie fillings.
Almond flour comes from ground almonds. Manufacturers blanch the almonds in boiling water and then remove the skins. They then grind the almonds into a fine, flour-like powder.
Almond flour contains lots of nutrients and vitamins, including vitamin E, magnesium, and fiber.
Almond flour is gluten free, making it a popular alternative to wheat flour in gluten-free baking and cooking. Almond flour is also low in carbohydrates and high in fat, making it suitable for someone on a keto diet.
There are a number of possible health benefits associated with using almond flour. These include lowering bad cholesterol levels, improving heart health, and reducing the risk of oxidative stress.