One of the most versatile alternative flours you can use is almond flour. It is a fantastic wheat flour replacement in any recipe that involves flour and is great to use any time of the day. It provides proven nutritional benefits while still feeling like wheat flour in its consistency. Almond flour recipes are usually the same as all-purpose flour recipes, but they have a slight difference in taste and density.
Almond flour is perfect for those who follow a low carb/keto diet, or for those who simply want to eat healthier. It may be more expensive than other flours, but it is well worth its cost.
There are many different ways you can use almond flour, and you can make plenty of unique foods with them. In this article, I have listed six different recipes that are the most beneficial for you to replace your regular flour with almond flour. This list does not have to be concrete for you. In reality, you can use almond flour in virtually any recipe that uses flour as an ingredient.
Benefits of using almond flour over regular flour
Alternative flours are taking the spotlight over wheat flour due to their many health benefits. Almond flour is one of the most commonly used alternative flours and is becoming popular to use in many recipes.
Almond flour contains many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. One of the vitamins that almond flour is rich in is magnesium, which helps the body balance its blood sugar levels. This is great, considering that wheat flour is usually notorious for raising blood sugar levels if consumed in excess, due to having gluten.
Additionally, it is high in monounsaturated fats and low in carbohydrates, making it a heart-healthy food. It also has vitamin E which helps prevent negative heart conditions such as stroke.
Almond flour lacks gluten and contains prebiotic dietary fibers and protein, which makes it much easier to digest than other flours. Despite this, however, almond flour contains 1.5x as much calories as wheat flour (180 calories per cup), so even though it is healthier on your gut, you should not consume too much almond flour foods in one sitting, particularly if you are calorie conscious.
Almond flour has a similar texture and volume to other flours, so you can use it as a replacement for wheat flour in almost any recipe.
Other good flours to use are coconut flour, cassava flour, and buckwheat flour.
6 best recipes to make with almond flour
Almond flour for pizza crusts
Almond flour is a fantastic substitute for any flour used in making pizza. It is very simple to make, requiring only almond flour, eggs, baking soda, and water kneaded into a moist dough. Pizza crusts made with almond flour tend to be crispy and slightly chewy when baked correctly. It is also quite common in vegan/breakfast pizza recipes.
For those who follow a keto diet or have gluten allergies, almond flour is great for them because it contains no gluten and has few carbohydrates. Out of all the nut-based alternative flours, finely ground and blanched almond flour is the best for a gluten-free pizza that still tastes just as good as regular pizza. Even for those who don’t have food allergies, almond flour is still highly preferable as a crust due to it being healthier on your gut.
If you don’t like almond flour’s taste, coconut flour can give you the same result for your pizza crust. It is slightly sweeter, but it still makes your crust taste chewy and tasty. If you use coconut flour, try using more seasonings. This can cover up the natural sweetness of the flour to give you more of a traditional pizza taste.
Almond flour cookies
Almond flour is great to use for baking cookies, especially because the flour has a lot of natural fats in it already. This means that you can use far less oil to make your cookies than normal. Again, though, almond flour is higher in calories than wheat flour, so you should portion and consume your cookies wisely.
Any kind of cookies, from chocolate chip to sugar to oatmeal, work great with almond flour. They are very quick to make, usually never requiring more than 30 minutes to create and bake. For the gluten-sensitive population, these are the perfect cookies to eat to satisfy your cravings. It is not too difficult to learn how to make almond flour cookies from scratch!
Almond flour pancakes
By far one of the best foods to make with almond flour, since this is one of the few recipes to change the texture a lot. Almond flour goes so well with pancakes because the nut flour makes the pancakes super soft, sweet, and chewy. This combines very well with sweet syrups to make them moister and easier to cut apart. Put this together with all the right creamy ingredients like bananas, and you will be tasting a literal slice of heaven.
Like almond flour cookies, these pancakes are great for serving to your family first thing in the morning. A common complaint with pancakes is that they tend to give people belly aches, and almond flour can remedy that issue for your pancakes. Almond meal can also be used to make your pancakes, which are slightly coarser and less versatile than almond flour. Finely ground almond flour is the best option if you want your pancakes to be soft and fluffy. Give this recipe a try!
Almond flour chocolate brownies
Need a high-quality sugary baked food to satisfy your sweet tooth? Almond flour brownies can remove a lot of the guilt associated with normal brownies. Brownies made with almond flour see almost no difference in taste but tend to be chewier. This can be supplemented with a smooth and creamy chocolate icing on top to make your brownies moister.
You can make it with as few as 6 ingredients, then top it off with fruits, nuts, syrup, or powdered sugar for a delightful recipe that will make you come back for more. It is also possible to make your brownies sugar-free while still tasting great.
Almond flour crackers
The perfect recipe to make when you need a crunchy snack on the go or while working at home. Crackers are great for consuming almond flour in small, manageable bursts to retain their health benefits. They aren’t very difficult to make and don’t require a heavy ingredient load. You can either buy almond flour crackers from trusted brands or make it from scratch with your own ingredients.
Any kind of dip or charcuterie board works great with these crackers, and there really is no limit to how many things you can do with them. These almond flour crackers are great for their simplicity and flexibility.
Almond flour waffles
No superb breakfast is complete without waffles, and almond flour provides a crispier, crunchier taste than wheat flour. Simply portion almond flour in a similar ratio to wheat flour and blend everything as normal, then pour the mixture in your waffle maker.
You can pair your morning almond flour waffles with Greek yogurt or an egg wrap for a complete breakfast that will keep you satisfied the whole morning. They are often eaten in paleo or keto recipes as a balanced breakfast option. In these diet types, topping the pancakes with fruits like strawberries and blueberries provides a natural flavoring to them.
You can also mix in nut butters like peanut butter to your waffle batter or add them as a topping. They go great with delicious syrups like chocolate and caramel. Nut butters can give your waffles a big boost in protein and fiber if you are feeling extra hungry.
Takeaways
The bottom line is that there is no limit to how many recipes you can use almond flour, but these six foods are most ideal for substituting almond flour. Coconut flour and buckwheat flour are viable alternatives to almond flour in any recipe.
Almond flour can usually be substituted for wheat flour in a 1:1 ratio, but not in all cases. Because almond flour lacks gluten, baked goods made with it may be dense and slightly flat comparatively. Prepare to add more wheat flour than usual in certain recipes like brownies to ensure it stays nice and intact. Recipes made with almond flour must be stored in cooler environments like the fridge or freezer. This guarantees that there will be minimal moisture loss during storage.
