Almond Meal

Make some homemade almond meal thanks to this super easy recipe. This gluten-free flour can be used in many recipes to make your baked goods gluten-free or to add moisture and nutrition. For the best grain-free baking, you can’t go wrong with this low-carb flour!

A metal measuring spoon sits in a bowl full of almond meal flour. There's a bowl of almonds in the background with more almonds on the table beside it.

You can buy almond flour and meal at the store, but you can save plastic bags and money by making it at home. Besides, having more of it around means you can add it to so many of your favorite baked goods. I sometimes add up to a quarter cup of almond pulp flour to my baked goods, like these vegan brownies. It adds a bit of tenderness and nutrition to boot.

What’s the Difference Between Almond Meal and Almond Flour?

Processing raw almonds with the skin into a flour-like consistency creates what we refer to as almond meal. You can make almond flour by removing the skins in a process called blanching. Processing blanched almonds creates a much finer and lighter flour, called almond flour. Both flours can be used in a number of recipes, but almond flour has a lighter flavor and consistency. Because of the skins, flour from raw almonds is darker and the texture is a bit heavier.

What Makes This Recipe Shine?

  • Using raw almonds makes the best almond nut meal because they have a dry, but soft consistency
  • Making this flour using either a food processor or a blender is easy
  • Buying almonds in bulk means you can create an almond nut meal at a moment’s notice!

Key Ingredients

You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.

  • Raw Almonds — You can buy raw almonds at places like Costco, grocery store chains, or health food stores.
Raw almonds are being poured onto a wood cutting board.

What Almonds are Best?

When making flour from whole almonds (with the skin), raw almonds are best. When it comes to “raw” almonds, they are not technically raw as they typically are heated for pasteurization purposes. However, there is a noticeable difference in texture between pasteurized raw and roasted almonds. I mostly buy raw almonds at Costco, but you can find them in bulk at health food stores like Sprouts.

How to Make Almond Meal

Two bowls hold almonds with the skins on and almond meal.

You can make your flour either in a food processor or blender.

  1. Food Processor Method: Add almonds to a food processor and pulse in short bursts until the almonds are broken down into flour.
  2. Blender Method: Add almonds to a blender jar and pulse in short bursts until the almonds are broken down into flour.

Here are more detailed instructions with step-by-step photos:

Step One: Add Almonds to a Blender

Add almonds directly to the blender.

Looking down on a blender with raw almonds in the bottom.

Step Two: Process to Create Meal

Whether you’re using a food processor or a blender, your goal is to process the nuts into a fine, flour-like powder. Here are my favorite steps for doing that:

  1. Add the almonds to a food processor or high-speed blender.
  2. Pulse on low speed until broken down into smaller pieces.
  3. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and below the blades.
  4. Pulse again, gradually increasing the speed to high until you achieve a flour-like consistency.
Looking down on a blender with almond meal in the bottom.

Frequently-Asked Questions

Does almond meal go bad?

Both almond flour and meal are made from almonds, which contain a high percentage of fat. Those fats can go rancid quite easily, so I recommend storing flours made from almonds in the fridge or freezer, where it can keep for months.

Does almond meal have carbs?

The amount of carbs in the coarser meal flour is the same as in finer almond flour, roughly 4 net carbs per serving.

Is almond meal gluten-free?

Meal flour made from almonds is entirely gluten-free, making it an excellent choice for those eating a gluten-free diet. It can be used alone in baked goods or added to gluten-free flour to create a softer texture.

Baking with Almond Meal

  • Flour Substitution — You can use almond nut meal 1:1 for all-purpose flour, but it does require using an egg replacer such as a mashed banana, a Flax Egg, or a Chia Egg. In fact, changing out flours can be a tricky thing when it comes to getting the binding right in Vegan Baking.
  • Flour Enhancer — You can use nut meal in addition to all-purpose flour. Simply reduce the all-purpose flour in your recipe by about ¼ cup and use almond flour or meal instead. You’ll love how nut flours add delicious moisture and soft texture to your baked goods, such as Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies or Vegan Carrot Cake.

Almond Nutrition

Why should you consider using nut flour? Because of the almond’s nutrition! First of all, almonds are low-carb, (with 3 net carbs per serving), making them perfect for keto diets. Almonds are also highly nutritious. They’re a great source of fiber, Vitamin E, magnesium, and more!

Storage Tips

Almonds, like most nuts, have oils that can go rancid when exposed to heat and/or humidity. Transfer the meal flour immediately to an airtight container and keep it at room temperature in a cool, dry cupboard for up to a month or in the fridge for up to a year. You can freeze it in freezer-safe containers/bags for up to 2 years.

Almond Meal Recipes

You can use ground meal from almonds in place of all-purpose flour in a number of recipes. Here are some recipes that use almond pulp flour or almond flour:

A metal measuring spoon sits in a bowl full of almond meal flour. There's a bowl of almonds in the background with more almonds on the table beside it.

Almond Nut Meal

Use this recipe to make your own almond meal flour at home. It's easy to make and a great addition to many of your home-baked goods.
5 from 3 votes
Course: Ingredients
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 1 minute
Cook Time: 1 minute
Total Time: 2 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 206kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw almonds

Instructions

  • Food Processor Method: Add almonds to a food processor and pulse in short bursts until the almonds are broken down into smaller bits. Use a rubber spatula to remove any almond bits on the side or bottom of the bowl. Repeat processing until a flour texture is achieved.
  • Blender Method: Add almonds to a blender jar and pulse in short bursts until the almonds are broken down into smaller bits. Use a rubber spatula to remove any almond bits on the side or bottom of the jar. Repeat processing until a flour mixture is achieved.

Recommended Equipment

(The products above contain sponsored links to products we use and recommend)

Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 252mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 1mg

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

2 Responses to Almond Meal

  1. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyElizabeth Reply

    5 stars
    This is way cheaper than buying it at the store. Thanks!

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      I love saving money. Thanks for your comment, Elizabeth!

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