Almond flour has exploded in popularity due to the twin rise of gluten-free baking and the growth of alternative diets like Keto and paleo. It’s not been the only beneficiary – coconut flour has done well for itself too – but it holds a lot of advantages over most flours. Here’s why:
Why bake with almond flour?
Almond flour is incredibly versatile and makes for an excellent substitute for all-purpose flour, and its nutty flavor is pretty much universally beloved.
Plus, it has a lot of attractive attributes depending on what you’re looking for. Want to cut carbs? Almond is one of the lowest-carb flours out there. Need to control your blood sugar? Almond flour is one of the lowest-glycemic index flours, so it’s designed NOT to spike blood sugar. Want good, healthy fats? Almond flour is great for that. That combination of high fat content and low carbs is one of many reasons almond flour has made our list of the best Keto flours out there.
So, whether it’s because you need it for a diet or just love its nutty flavor, almond flour is fantastic.
Make sure you get the right almond flour
I’ve extolled almond flour’s virtues, and rightfully so – it’s flexible, it’s naturally moist, it’s gluten-free, it’s Keto-friendly…
But that all only really applies if you get good quality almond flour. Because it’s a major ingredient in all of these recipes, I want to really emphasize how important it is to have great almond flour.
You have two choices: Make it yourself, or buy.
Here at The Coconut Mama, we’re bakers empowering bakers to take control of the ingredients they’re putting in their food, so I highly recommend checking out this simple recipe to make your own almond flour. We believe the best food is always homemade.
However! We’re also realistic. I have two small kids, and I don’t have time to make my own flour in this season of my life.
So if you’re buying instead, here’s what you should keep in mind:
- Buy organic. This isn’t shocking. Organic is the most sustainable for the environment and for our own bodies.
- As few ingredients as possible. The best almond flour only has one ingredient: Almonds! No additional nonsense.
- All natural. No additives, chemicals, or preservatives. (Almond flour will last plenty long if properly stored without all that extra stuff.)
You can, of course, do your own research – and I’d encourage you to! But we’ve also written the definitive guide on the best almond flour you can buy, if you’re looking to save time. We’ve done the hard work so you don’t have to.
Common almond flour FAQs
The secret is to recognize that almond flour isn’t all-purpose flour – it requires more binders to hold it all together, and its naturally higher fat content means that it’ll impart extra moisture on your bake. This is often great – nobody likes dry banana bread – but it CAN cross over into a “greasy bake” if you’re not careful.
The ratio is 1:4 – so one cup of coconut flour to four cups of almond flour. You only need a tiny amount of coconut flour for baking because it absorbs a TON of liquid – much more so than almond flour.
The best binding agent for almond flour, hands down, is an egg. (Or, depending on the recipe, several eggs.) You can use flax or chia as a vegan alternative, but egg is by far and away the most reliable and consistent binder I’ve found for almond flour.
No, it’s actually quite easy to bake with. But I would recommend starting your almond flour baking journey with recipes designed for almond flour instead of trying to substitute for all-purpose – because it needs extra binders to provide structure (but not too many), there are some risks when substituting if you aren’t experienced with it.
The best gluten-free flours for baking are almond flour, coconut flour, brown rice flour, quinoa flour, and sorghum flour. All five of these flours are versatile and can substitute effectively for all-purpose in various different specialties. Here’s more information on these top gluten-free flours.
The biggest difference you’ll notice when baking with almond flour vs all-purpose flour is that it needs more binders because almond flour is naturally gluten-free. Those binders provide liquidity and structure to the whole bake, and because there are more of them (plus the fact that almond flour is naturally higher fat and has all those natural almond oils), your bakes will generally be moister.
25+ delicious almond flour recipes
I’ve collected some of the best almond flour recipes right here to help you create beautiful grain-free dishes. These recipes are all kitchen-tested, so you know that you won’t waste time OR money on untried stuff and less-than-ideal ingredients.
Almond flour cookie and brownie recipes
Who doesn’t love cookies? One of my favorite things about them is that they’re generally simple and straightforward – just a handful of ingredients, nothing super finicky like when you’re baking bread or a cake.
Plus, let’s face it, nuts add a LOT to cookies – so almond flour is just such an ideal pairing here. Let’s dive in!
2-ingredient almond flour cookies
Ok, talk about simple! These beautifully simple cookies have just two ingredients: Almond flour and maple syrup. That’s it. No nonsense, no fuss, no gluten, no weird chemicals or refined sugars – just simple ingredients and delicious cookies.
(Ok fine, you can dip them in chocolate if you want to take things up a notch and are ok with expanding to a whopping three ingredients.)
Chocolate chip almond flour cookies
Do you love chocolate-covered almonds? Or chocolate chip cookies? Then you’ll love these chocolate chip almond flour cookies. These cookies are a bit more involved than the two-ingredient cookies above, and for best results you’ll want to chill the dough for 30 minutes before you bake it. However, the extra hassle is 100% worth it for the taste and the gooey, caramelized texture. Chocolate and almond go together so well, and these cookies will remind you why.
Decadent chocolate brownies
These brownies are naturally fudge-y because of the almond flour. More specifically, because gluten provides structure – and almond flour doesn’t have any gluten – these brownies are super gooey and rich. You’ll love them. (If you’re looking for gluten-free cake-y brownies instead, try these coconut flour brownies.)
They’re also shockingly easy to make – two bowls, one pan, five minutes. I kid you not. Talk about a win-win!
Almond flour sugar cookies
Ok, so from the picture you would probably assume that this sugar cookie recipe is mostly for holiday occasions.
And, sure, fair enough, that’s accurate.
But to be honest, one of my favorite things to do with sugar cookies any time is doing a decorating buffet with my kids. It’s a great activity for a rainy day or really any time that we could use some festivity, some artistry, and a little sugar pick-me-up!
These cookies are fantastic, and you won’t be able to tell that they’re grain-free!
Vanilla almond flour cookies
Another simple cookie recipe, with a beautiful balance between sugar, nuttiness from the almonds, and just a hint of salt. (And, sure, it’s more than two ingredients, but still easy and straightforward.) This is another easy recipe with delicious flavors that takes two minutes of prep time and 12-15 minutes of baking. Some of the easiest and quickest cookies you’ll ever make – proof that gluten-free baking doesn’t HAVE to be difficult!
Almond flour biscotti
All great biscotti has nuts in it. (The only exception is this delicious chocolate chip and orange biscotti I make every Christmas.) This almond flour biscotti, though, is a step above the rest. The cinnamon and nut flavors complement each other so well, and because almond flour naturally tilts toward moister bakes, this biscotti won’t dry out.
It’s a great gluten-free alternative to regular biscotti. And to be honest, I love how moist it is – just a real advantage over regular biscotti. Try this out – you’ll love it.
Almond flour peanut butter cookies
Almond and peanut go together remarkably well – the flavors are so similar anyway that using almond flour as a base really takes the peanut butter to the next level.
These naturally grain-free and gluten-free cookies are delicious, easy to make, and contain only natural and easy-to-pronounce ingredients. No weird nonsense here.
(And if you’re looking for something a little more adventurous than straight peanut butter almond cookies, try the cinnamon and cardamom flavor variation for some really gorgeous autumn spices!)
Almond flour oatmeal cookies
The best oatmeal cookies are soft and chewy. You know what I’m talking about.
These deliver on that in spades, and the almond flour adds a slight darkness to the whole cookie that really brings out the spicy flavors.
Plus, like all almond flour cookie recipes – simple, straightforward, just a handful of ingredients.
10/10 would try again.
Almond flour cakes
Almond flour is great for baking cakes because it’s so generally similar to all-purpose flour in its baking…but tends to slightly greater moisture because of all the fat content in the almonds. I’m not saying it’s impossible to have a dry bake with almond flour – try leaving out the eggs, and you’ll see just how dry it can get! – but it’s a very forgiving dough so long as you follow the recipe and keep those (egg and flax) binders!
Almond flour cake
This cake is soft and fluffy and genuinely exploding in flavor. The combination of almond and vanilla flavors is just superb – making for a light and simple cake that you can easily customize to whatever you’re looking for. (Personally, I love eating it plain as a snacking cake.) Almond and vanilla go great with chocolate chips, dried fruit, melted chocolate, or even a swirl of jam!
If you want to bake with almond flour, this cake is a great place to start.
Almond flour carrot cake
The thing that makes a carrot cake really “pop” is a light texture and lots of spices. Almond flour is great on both counts – the nuttiness really emphasizes the ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg yielding that classic carrot cake taste.
And because almond flour is so naturally moist, you won’t even need the cream cheese frosting!
(But seriously, include it anyway. No carrot cake is complete without it!)
Almond flour poundcake
This delicious poundcake is fantastic and makes for both a great dessert AND a great breakfast!
I love how the nuttiness and moisture of the almond flour creates this great flavor and texture – plus, because it’s not an overly sweet recipe, you can easily customize the flavor (adding coconut yogurt and coconut oil to make it more coconutty; raspberry frosting vs lemon frosting, adding crunch by incorporating whole almonds in the dough, etc.). Sure to be a favorite!
Almond flour mug cake
Mug cakes are some of my favorite recipes because they’re super simple and fast to make – just mix the ingredients in a mug, pop in the microwave to cook, and voila!
A great last-minute weeknight snack when you’re craving something sweet after putting the kids to bed at the end of a long day.
This rich cake is sure to delight.
Almond flour for breakfast
Breakfast is a great time to wake up your taste buds. And almond flour does SUCH a good job of doing just that – its natural nuttiness is a great addition to breakfast foods like banana bread, bagels, and muffins.
And as always – because it’s gluten-free and Keto-friendly, it’s a great way to start off the day right!
Almond flour bagels
These delicious almond flour bagels are a great gluten-free alternative to your traditional NYC bagel. The asiago cheese in the recipe gives them a lovely flavor, and I recommend topping them with dried onions, garlic, and everything bagel seasoning (as you see above.) Give them a try – I think you’ll be really happy you did.
Decadent, SUPER simple almond flour pancakes
Pancakes with nuts in them are AWESOME. They only have two big problems in my opinion:
- The nuts are never quite evenly distributed
- There’s always the risk of chipping a tooth.
That’s the great thing about making pancakes with almond flour – you get that nutty flavor griddled evenly throughout, and of course no risk of chipping a tooth.
Plus, of course, you get all the other benefits of almond flour – this pancake recipe is naturally gluten-free and Keto-friendly. Plus, it only takes 20 minutes start to finish, so it’s a total breeze.
Try these pancakes; I’m confident you’ll never go back to the regular stuff again!
Almond flour waffles
I just covered a pancake recipe, so it’s probably no surprise that we’ve got an awesome waffle recipe for you, too. Almond flour is such a great healthy alternative to all-purpose flour, and its natural moistness creates these really absorbent and rich bakes that are SO good at soaking up all that syrup.
Yum.
Plus, the almond flavor is a great nutty counterpoint to syrup and butter. (And don’t forget that it’s gluten-free, Keto friendly, grain-free, low-carb, and so much more.)
Super moist banana bread
Almond flour’s high fat content (for flour) means that it’s really good for moist bakes, and nowhere is this more obvious than in banana bread. If you’ve ever had dry banana bread (you know, the kind that needs tons of butter or cream cheese just to cross over into “edible” territory), then you know how valuable this is.
Plus, the nuttiness from the almonds just adds a beautiful complexity throughout the whole bake. 10/10 highly recommend.
Perfect almond flour banana muffins
What goes well with bananas?
Nuts!
And these almond flour banana muffins will remind you why.
These banana muffins turn out moist every time. (Nobody likes dry muffins.)
Try them. You’ll be glad you did!
Almond flour bread, tortillas, and crackers
Almond flour is a truly versatile gluten-free flour. Because it lacks that inherent structure that gluten provides, it needs binders to hold everything together – but it works really well with them, meaning it can still be a great flour for really structured bakes like bread, tortillas, and crackers. These recipes epitomize all of almond flour’s really incredible flexibility.
Keto almond flour crackers
These crackers hold up well and have plenty of tensile strength to hold up whatever toppings you pile on them (cheese, hummus, whatever you like). They’re also great to top soups, and the recipe is easily adapted to savory or sweet varieties, depending on what you’re looking for.
But the best thing about them by far is the fact that they have just three ingredients and are super easy and straightforward to make. I’m all about making things easy in the kitchen, and these almond flour crackers are PERFECT for that.
Almond flour flatbread
Love flatbread but looking to cut carbs (or gluten) out of your diet?
I got you.
This delicious almond flour flatbread recipe is straightforward, low-carb, and delicious. Homemade flatbread is one of my favorite things because it’s just SO MUCH better than store-bought, and I love the nuttiness (plus the health benefits) almond flour adds to the mix.
Try it out – you can taste the difference!
Almond flour tortillas
This recipe is fantastic – because almond flour yields a really hearty gluten-free tortilla that stands up well to whatever toppings you roll up into it. Because almond flour doesn’t have its own gluten, this recipe uses an egg and a little xanthan gum to thicken it all up and build that structure into the bake. (And if you need your tortilla to be fully vegan, don’t worry, we’ve got an adjustment for that.)
One of the things I love best about this recipe is that you can play around with the flavors for some truly imaginative tortillas – think garlic powder, paprika, cumin, cayenne, etc. – which will get you some of the best tacos you’ve ever tasted.
Almond flour crepes
Crepes are really something special. (I have so many fond memories of eating Nutella crepes, salmon and cheese crepes, and even Nutella crepes both when traveling as a kid and then later on dates at this cute little creperie just down the road from my house.) You want soft, supple, and delicate so the crepes can provide structure and a little bit of flavor to supplement whatever toppings, which are the real hero of the recipe.
Almond flour does this really well – and the natural nuttiness is a great counterpoint to the cheese or chocolate you’ll find on many crepes. Really recommend this simple recipe for anyone who wants to turn their house into a mini-Parisian cafe for the night!
(And of course, like almost every other recipe in this list – they’re Keto!)
Almond flour bread
One of the things you’ll find when baking with almond bread is – it uses a LOT of eggs! This is because the eggs serve as a binding agent in place of the gluten that almond flour naturally lacks.
Which means that almond flour bread, in addition to being great for cutting carbs and naturally tasting delicious…will also keep you feeling full for longer, because you’re getting that good protein and fat from the eggs.
This recipe is simple and delicious – and really proves how awesome it can be to bake your own bread at home.
Beautiful no-egg bread
I love almond flour for low-carb baking because it’s so rich in nutrients and flavor – and you really see that in this no-egg almond bread, which is naturally vegan and Keto.
Because it has no egg (unlike the recipe right above), this bread is going to rise quite a bit less – so it’ll be denser and thicker. It’s great for hors d’oeuvre sandwiches, croutons, and desserts. This is one of my favorite recipes for cinnamon bread (just add sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg), but it’s also great as just a standard go-to savory bread around the house.
Delicious almond flour cornbread
Cornbread is one of those recipes that’s kind of easy to mess up, but is really fantastic if you get it right.
The real risk is a dry bread that needs a ton of butter to just be edible. (Not that I hate butter, mind you.)
That’s one of the things I love about almond flour – because it’s moister than all-purpose flour, a lot of that risk is kind of automatically removed so long as you follow the recipe and put in enough (egg) binders.
This cornbread recipe is simple, delicious, gluten-free, and naturally moist. Check it out.
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