Is almond flour a good flour for the Paleo diet? I am asked this question here on this website many times each day, and the answer is a resounding yes!
First, almond flour is highly nutritious. For those of us watching our glycemic index, it is high in good fats and protein, and low in sugar and carbohydrates. Second, it is easy to use. Most of my almond flour recipes have 7 ingredients or less. Third, and most important of all, it tastes great! It is moist and delicious with a smooth buttery texture. Unlike other alternatives to wheat flour, such as rice flour, almond flour does not have an odd gritty texture.
I started testing gluten-free flours in 1998, when I was diagnosed with celiac disease. After having tested just about every gluten-free flour out there, I can save you a lot of time and hassle when I say that almond flour is far superior to other flours in terms of every major aspect –nutrition, ease-of-use, and taste!
Please note, in all of my recipes, I use blanched almond flour! My recipes will not work with unblanched almond products, or almond meal, in fact, they will be epic failures, so I do not recommend even trying unblanched products.
I avoid purchasing almond flour retail at all costs! It is more than $15 per pound in the grocery store. If you purchase it online it is generally less than half of that including shipping. Yes, still expensive, but packed with protein and flavor, so for me, worth the cost.
One brand you will find in retail stores is Bob’s Red Mill. This product yields poor, runny results when used in my recipes. Compared to other brands it has a very coarse texture. I do not recommend using Bob’s Red Mill almond flour in my recipes.
I store my almond flour in gallon or half-gallon glass mason jars
I hope you enjoy using this amazing flour as much as we do! I love it so much that I wrote a cookbook called The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook, which was published by Random House in 2009.
For more information on this super food flour, you may want to check out the following helpful articles:
elana says
Carey,
Those are great questions. I write my recipes from scratch so am not the best person to answer inquiries about ingredient substitutions. I would recommend experimenting or posting your queries in my forums.
Sorry I can’t be of more help and thanks for stopping by :-)
Elana
Carey says
Hi Elana, I saw you have a cookbook coming. Congrats! I can’t wait to get it. Now, I read through all the FAQ’s and didn’t see a couple of things addressed. Can you use almond flour in just about any baking? I don’t particularly care to buy all the other flours and mix them but have made a blend that works in just about everything especially pizza and focaccia. I’d rather just buy and use one or two products and be done with it. Thoughts on this? The other question that I didn’t see addressed was whether or not you can use coconut oil and grapeseed oil interchangeably. Sometimes I find one on sale rather than the other and didn’t know if it was just better to bite the bullet and keep both on hand. Sorry for the novel but thanks for reading.
elana says
Hi Stephanie,
It might be worth the try, though I haven’t heard from readers who have had success using this brand of almond flour with any of my recipes.
Please let me know how it goes if you do decide to experiment.
Elana
Stephanie says
I just bought a 5 pound bag of Bob’s Red Mill almond flour, thinking I was going to be using something healthier. Ahh. Can I whiz it around the food processor a little while to make it finer to be able to use it?
Thanks,
Stephanie
V says
I also purchased some poor-quality almond flour and find that it works well as a substitute for almonds. For example in smoothies and shakes. I also used it in Elana’s almond bars (which by the way are fabulous!). Since I do not have a food processor, it is hard to grind whole almonds. So I use a mixture of whole almonds and almond meal.
Melissa says
If you bought the Bob’s Red Mill almond flour and are looking for ideas, I use it to make baked “breaded” chicken (just add in some of your favorite seasonings, coat the chicken and bake!) or I also use it for quiche crusts. It seems to do alright for those types of things, just not in baking Elana’s delicious goodies!
elana says
Kristi,
You could try purchasing it from this vendor. I haven’t used their product, though it looks fantastic in the picture. I think it’s worth a try.
Hope this helps.
Elana
Kristi Mallinson Vogel says
Elana, thanks for all the great info and recipes. I am having trouble finding the almond flour you recommend in Canada. Honeyville will not ship to Canada. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Kristi
monique says
try this place:
they are in canada:
http://www.jgourmet.ca/
Jeanne says
$85 for 10 pounds of almond flour plus shipping? Ok, this is beyond me … plus, I wouldn’t be able to take any of my creations made with this to work as we are a nut free school …. too bad! :(
garlicbulb says
The site is actually http://www.jkgourmet.com
IF you click on this link http://www.jkgourmet.com/buyinstores.html you will find where their products are in Canada- no shipping charges!! Yeah.
I don’t know specifically if they carry almond flour at all the locations but all it takes is a phone call.
I love this site!! Thank you Elana.
From Vancouver, BC
Denise says
I used Swansons Raw Almond Flour and it worked just fine even though it didn’t say blanched.
elana says
~M,
As I mention above, “I store my almond flour in gallon or half-gallon glass mason jars. I keep one out in a cabinet and leave all the other ones in the freezer. Using almond flour straight out of the freezer is an exercise in clumpy frustration, which is why I leave one out.”
Hope this helps.
Elana
~M says
Hi Elana,
This doesn’t quite answer my question. My question is that when you finish the jar you left in the cupboard (let’s call it jar A), and it’s time to pull out a second jar from the freezer (jar b), how do you get rid of the clumps? Do you just whisk the entire contents of jar bar and then return it to its jar? Or does it become usable just by moving it from the freezer to fridge or cupboard? Does this make more sense? I’m trying to figure out whether I should purchase 25 lbs or only 5 lbs of almond flour. Thanks!
Michelle says
I understand your question and although you posted it a long time ago, it may help other readers. When I pull the almond flour out of the freezer, I let it come to room temperature so I can work with it. I do this with the mason jar I store in the fridge too. Always work with it at room temperature, otherwise, it will be harder to work with and will have clumps. Once it’s at room temperature, if there are any clumps left, I just whisk them away and the flour is just perfect. That’s my suggestion. If you need to use if right away and all you have is frozen flour, I pull what I need out and stick it in the microwave for 10-20 seconds. Not enough to cook or burn it, but just warm it up and then, it will work just fine. I run my fingers or a spoon through it to release any clumps and I’m ready to bake.
Bruce Paulsen says
I keep my (blanched) almond flour in the refrigerator and when I need to use it, I take the needed amount out, sift it in a flour sifter (I have the double-sifter style) and leave on the counter for about 10 minutes to get to room temperature. I have great results every time!
~M says
Would you please explain how you fix the almond flour from the freezer so it’s not clumpy? Do you whisk it all at once and then put it on the counter? Or just whisk the amount you plan on using for the specific recipe?
Thanks, Elana!
~M
elana says
Janie,
The closet thing I can offer right now is my Almond Butter Blondie recipe.
I will add your Brownie recipe request to the little post it above my desk :-)
In the meantime you may want to ask my other readers in the forums.
Janie says
Hi Elana, Have you ever made Brownies with almond flour? I’m looking for a Brownie recipe made with almond flour. I made your DF chocolate chip cookies. They are to die for. The best chocolate chip cookie I ever ate. Thanks Elana.