Baking with Almond Flour
Almond flour is the backbone of our low carb baking. It makes tender pancakes, moist mug cakes and a crisp coating for fish. It also behaves nothing like wheat flour. There is no gluten, a lot more fat, and it browns fast. Once you know those three things, it is easy to work with.
Blanched almond flour vs almond meal
They both come from almonds, but they are not the same in the bowl.
- Blanched almond flour is made from almonds with the skins removed, ground very fine. It is pale, soft and almost powdery. Bags often say superfine. This is what our recipes mean when they say almond flour.
- Almond meal is ground with the skins on. It is coarser, darker and speckled brown. It has a toastier flavor and a heavier, grainier crumb.
Use blanched flour for cakes, pancakes and anything you want light and even. Almond meal works well for crusts, breading and rustic muffins where a little texture is welcome. Swap meal into a cake recipe and expect a denser, darker result.
For the numbers: we calculate almond flour as blanched almonds, which list 18.67 g carbs and 9.9 g fiber per 100 g, USDA FoodData Central. That works out to about 8.8 g net carbs per 100 g.
Measure by weight
A cup of almond flour can vary a lot depending on how you fill it. Scoop straight from the bag and you pack it down. Spoon it in loosely and you get less. In a recipe with only a cup of flour, that gap is enough to turn a fluffy cake into a dense one.
That is why our recipes list grams. A basic kitchen scale costs less than a bag of good almond flour and pays off every time you bake. Set the bowl on the scale, press tare, and pour.
No scale? Stir the flour in the bag to loosen it. Spoon it into the cup, then level it with the back of a knife. Do not tap or press.
Why you cannot swap it 1 for 1 with wheat flour
Wheat flour has gluten. When you mix it with liquid, it forms a stretchy web that traps air and holds a cake together. Almond flour has none. It is ground nuts, so it is high in fat and protein instead.
That means you cannot take a regular recipe and trade the flour cup for cup. The batter will be too wet, the cake will not rise the same way, and it may crumble. Start with recipes written for almond flour. Ours are tested that way.
Coconut flour is not a swap either. It soaks up far more liquid than almond flour. A recipe built for one will not work with the other.
Eggs do the binding
Without gluten, eggs hold the bake together. They add structure as they set and help the bake rise.
- Use the egg size in the recipe. Our recipes use large eggs. Extra-large or jumbo eggs add more liquid.
- Bring eggs to room temperature. Cold eggs can firm up melted butter into little lumps. Set them in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes if you forgot.
- Let the batter rest. Give pancake and muffin batter 5 minutes. The flour absorbs some liquid and the batter thickens a bit.
- Do not skip the leavening. Baking powder gives the lift that gluten would normally help trap. Check the date on the can. Old powder makes flat bakes.
Almond flour also works as a binder outside of baking. A few tablespoons help hold salmon cakes and meatballs together in place of breadcrumbs.
Watch the browning
Almond flour browns faster than wheat flour because of its fat and protein. The outside can look done while the middle is still wet.
- Bake a little lower. Most of our almond flour bakes go in at 325°F to 350°F, not 375°F.
- Tent with foil. If the top is golden but a toothpick still comes out wet, lay a sheet of foil loosely on top and keep baking.
- Use the middle rack. Too close to the top element and the crust darkens fast.
- Cook pancakes over medium-low. Wait for small bubbles and set edges before you flip. Higher heat scorches them before the center cooks.
- Check doneness by touch too. The top should spring back when pressed lightly.
Let it cool before you cut
Almond flour bakes are fragile when hot. They firm up as they cool. Give muffins and cakes at least 15 minutes in the pan, then move them to a rack. Cut too early and you get crumbs. Mug cakes are the exception. Let them sit a minute or two, then dig in.
Storing the flour
Almond flour is ground nuts, and the oil in nuts goes stale at room temperature. Buy a bag you will use within a few weeks, or store it cold.
- Seal it in an airtight container or a zip-top bag with the air pressed out.
- Keep it in the fridge or the freezer if it will be around longer than a few weeks.
- Let it sit out for a bit before baking so cold flour does not chill the batter.
- Smell it before you use it. Fresh almond flour smells sweet and mild. Bitter or sharp means it has gone off.
Storing the bakes
Almond flour bakes stay moist longer than most wheat bakes, but they are rich and can spoil. Cool them fully, then cover them and keep them in the fridge. Eat them within 3 to 4 days. Anything with a cream cheese filling or frosting goes in the fridge within 2 hours.
Pancakes and muffins freeze well. Cool them, layer them with parchment so they do not stick, and freeze in a sealed bag. Reheat pancakes in a toaster or skillet. Thaw muffins in the fridge overnight or warm them briefly in the microwave.
Quick fixes
- Dense and heavy: too much flour. Weigh it next time.
- Burnt outside, raw inside: oven too hot. Lower the heat and tent with foil.
- Falls apart: cut it too soon, or an egg was missing or small.
- Gritty: you used almond meal. Switch to blanched, superfine flour.
