Homemade Almond Flour: How to Make It to Enjoy All Its Benefits

Almonds are not only a perfect nut for snacking, but they are also a great ally when you want to bake, as you can make almond flour at home.Almond flour is a great alternative to traditional wheat flour because it is low in carbohydrates, packed with nutrients, and has a slightly sweeter flavor.It can also provide more health benefits than traditional wheat flour, as it helps in reducing LDL cholesterol, or “bad” cholesterol, and insulin resistance, it is gluten-free, low in carbohydrates, and contains fiber and magnesium.Despite its many benefits, almond flour is not as popular in kitchens perhaps because it is a more expensive product; however, you can try making your own almond flour at home.How to make almond flourAlmond flour is made from ground almonds. The process involves blanching the almonds in boiling water to remove the skin, then grinding and sifting them into a fine flour.Sometimes a distinction is made between almond flour and almond meal. The difference is that the meal is made by grinding almonds with the skin, resulting in a coarser flour. This is important in recipes using almond flour where the texture makes a big difference.To make homemade almond flour, you need to grind them, so you can use a food processor or a coffee grinder. You decide whether to grind them with or without the skin. Once ground, sift the flour with a strainer and store it in the refrigerator.The best recipes with almond flourIf you don’t know what you can prepare with this type of flour, just think that you can replace any other flour with almond flour most of the time.However, there are some recipes where you should consider the consistency of the product you are working with. For example, macarons require fine almond flour, usually blanched (that is, ground without skin) for smoother finishes.On the other hand, if you use almond flour for breading, you might prefer a coarser consistency for a bit more texture.Don't miss out on the benefits of almond flour and use it in your recipes to make pancakes, cookies, or try some of these almond flour recipes we have for you:Strawberry zebra cheesecakeAlmond breadNut ballsNeapolitan macaronsChocolate-filled macarons