Take the guesswork out of baking with almond flour! This comprehensive guide will teach you everything you need to know about this low carb, gluten-free flour alternative. Learn to make delectable keto desserts that rival anything from a bakery.
I’ve been baking with almond flour for so long that it’s become second nature to me. But it wasn’t always that way! Once upon a time I was like you, wondering how ground nuts could possibly make tasty baked goods. I made the classic error of trying to replace wheat flour cup-for-cup with almond flour. What a mess! My low carb cakes collapsed in on themselves and my keto cookies spread out too much. But I was determined to get it right.
Every “failure” taught me something important about how almond flour behaves, and that has completely changed the way I bake. Almond flour has become one of my keto pantry staples and I am never without a big bag of it. I love how versatile it is, and I use it for everything from fluffy keto muffins to the coating for keto chicken piccata.
But I also know how intimidating it can be for beginners – you feel like you are learning to bake all over again. This guide is here to walk you through everything I’ve learned over the years. I share all of my best tips and tricks so you can skip some the frustration and start baking with confidence. Because I firmly believe that once you understand how to use almond flour, you will come to love baking with it as much as I do.
What is Almond Flour?
Almond flour is made from finely ground blanched almonds. It has a light texture and neutral flavor, making it one of the most popular flours for low-carb and gluten-free baking. It’s rich in fiber, protein, and healthy fats, so it’s ideal for making keto desserts and treats.
Almond flour has only 5 grams of carbs per 1/4 cup, whereas wheat flour has 23 grams of carbs.
Many brands bill themselves as “finely ground” but are more coarse than I like. My favorite brands include Bob’s Red Mill, King Arthur Flour, and Wellbee’s. Blue Diamond is a cost-effective choice, although it’s a little more coarse than others.
Almond Flour vs Almond Meal
Almond flour: Made from blanched almonds, finely ground, pale color, and the best choice for cakes, muffins, and cookies. It tends to be more expensive but produces a finer texture.
Almond meal: Made from almonds with the skin on, coarser in texture, darker with flecks, best for coatings and more rustic recipes. It’s less expensive but baked goods can be coarse and a little gritty. They also fall apart more easily, as there is less cohesion.
If you are new to keto baking, always start with finely ground almond flour for the most consistent results. Try easy recipes like Keto Almond Flour Cake or Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies to test it out.
How Almond Flour Behaves in Baking
- Gluten-free: Because almond flour doesn’t contain any gluten, it doesn’t provide as much structure as wheat flour. This can be offset with other ingredients, including eggs, protein powder, and xanthan gum.
- Fat and moisture content: Almond flour contains much more fat and moisture than wheat flour. Many almond flour baked goods need less oil and liquids than conventional recipes.
- Density: Almond flour is heavier than wheat flour and can produce dense baked goods if adjustments aren’t made. More leavening agent (baking powder or baking soda) is required for a proper rise.
- Not as fine: No matter how finely ground the almonds are, it won’t ever be as fine and powdery as wheat flour. But with proper care, you can make cakes and cookies that have a tender crumb and aren’t gritty.
Try my recipe for Keto Chocolate Chip Muffins to see how I use other ingredients to create a good rise and fine texture with almond flour.
Tips for Substituting Almond Flour
There is no simple formula for substituting almond flour for wheat flour – it all depends on what you are trying to make. Cookies are dense and crunchy whereas cakes should be light and fluffy, and they are going to take very different ratios of almond flour to other ingredients.
- No 1:1 swaps: For most recipes, like cakes and muffins, you will need more almond flour than wheat flour. When I am making over a recipe, like my Keto Birthday Cake, I often use 1.5 times the almond flour than a conventional recipe would call for.
- Oven temperature: I often reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees to avoid over-baking.
- Binders: As almond flour lacks gluten, I often increase the eggs. But be careful, as too many eggs can result in a rubbery texture! You can also add a little bit of xanthan gum (up to 1 teaspoon) for added structure.
- Protein powder: This is one of my best tricks for working with almond flour. Since gluten is a protein, another dry protein powder like whey or egg white, can help the baked goods rise properly and hold their shape. Try it out in recipes like Keto Zucchini Bread.
- Thicker batter: Be mindful that almond flour batter will always be thicker than those made with wheat. Resist the urge to thin it out too much, or you will end up with a soggy mess that won’t bake through.
Almond Flour vs Coconut Flour
You cannot sub coconut flour for almond flour in a 1:1 ratio. I cannot state this more emphatically! Don’t even think about trying it or you will end up with hard, inedible thing that is only good for using as a hockey puck. Check out my article on Baking with Coconut Flour for more information.
Coconut flour is an entirely different creature than any flour based on tree nuts. It’s fine, powdery, dense and soaks up liquids like nobody’s business. It also requires more eggs to keep the final product together. And you want to use far less coconut flour for a recipe than you would almond flour, sometimes as little as one-third.
For beginner keto bakers, I recommend sticking with well-tested coconut flour recipes, if that’s what you want to use. I have a wonderful list of Coconut Flour Recipes for you to try.
How to Measure Almond Flour
You have two choices for measuring almond flour accurately.
- Scoop and level: This refers to scooping your measuring cup into the bag or canister, and leveling off the top with a knife or other straight instrument. Never pack the almond flour into the cup. A well-written recipe will always specify whether you need to pack an ingredient.
- Weigh your almond flour: The most accurate method for measuring any ingredient is by weight, rather than by volume. If you have a kitchen scale, you can use that for almond flour. A cup of almond flour weighs roughly about 110 grams.
Storage and Shelf Life
Because almond flour has a high fat content, it can go rancid faster than wheat flour. Depending on how quickly you use it, you may want to store it in a fridge or a freezer.
I recommend making sure the storage container is airtight. I store unopened bags in my cool basement pantry. Any opened bags are transferred to an airtight canister in my baking cupboard.
Best Practices for Baking
- Let your almond flour baked goods cool completely. I can’t emphasize this enough. While it’s tempting to dig in soon after they are baked, they are very fragile at this point. The texture and cohesiveness of low carb baked goods always improves upon cooling and sitting. Crackers, cookies and tart crusts will crisp up better and breads and muffins will hold together better when left to sit for an hour or two.
- Room temperature ingredients. Make sure your eggs, butter, and cream or almond milk are at room temperature, unless otherwise specified by the recipe. If they are cold, your batter will clump up.
- Grease that pan well! Low carb goodies can stick more than conventional ones, so really work that butter or oil into the corners of your pan.
- Watch it carefully. Almond flour baked goods can also brown more quickly than wheat flour recipes. If I am adapting a wheat-flour recipe, I almost always lower my oven temperature by 25 degrees F, and I watch it carefully. If the top and sides are browning too quickly, I cover the pan with aluminum foil.
- Don’t over-bake. Oven temperatures can vary tremendously so please only ever use baking times as a rough guideline. What takes 20 minutes in my oven may take more or less time in yours. You should always set your timer for 5 minutes LESS than the baking time says, and then check on it every 5 minutes after that.
Freezing Keto Baked Goods
Most almond flour baked goods are freezer-friendly. I have successfully frozen cakes, muffins, cookies, scones, and even keto pie crust. I usually freeze after baking before I glaze or frost the baked good in question.
Raw cookie dough can also be stored in the freezer. I often have a roll of dough for Keto Butter Pecan Cookies in the freezer, so I can bake a few whenever I want. And when I make a big batch of cookies like Chewy Keto Ginger Cookies, I often roll them into balls and freeze some of the uncooked balls.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make almond meal at home, but you likely won’t be successful at making finely ground almond flour. Small home appliances (food processors or blenders) are not strong enough to grind the almonds finely without turning them into almond butter.
Almond flour is a great choice for keto and low carb diets, as it has only 5 grams of carbs per 1/4 cup serving. It also has 3 grams of fiber, which means that each serving has only 2 grams net carbs.
Chances are that the almond flour you are using isn’t quite as finely ground as others. Blue Diamond and Kirkland (Costco brand) tend to be a little grittier than Bob’s Red Mill or Wellbee’s. But they are also more cost effective, so it’s a trade off.
If the cakes or muffins are crumbly, they don’t have enough binder in them. Eggs usually provide more structure, as does protein powder and xanthan gum. Consider adding an additional egg or more protein powder when you try again.
The best nut-free substitute for almond flour is sunflower seed flour. You can purchase it online or make your own at home, and it can be used cup for cup. Do be aware that leavening agents like baking powder or baking soda cause a reaction with the chlorophyll in sunflower seeds and baked goods can turn a funny green as they cool. But you can offset this by adding a tablespoon of an acidic ingredient such as lemon juice or vinegar. Make sure you read all my tips on how to make and use sunflower seed flour!
Almond Flour Recipes to Try
Ready to test out this versatile low carb flour? Here are a few of my most popular recipes to get you started!
- Keto Almond Ricotta Cake
- Keto Blueberry Muffins
- Brown Butter Keto Blondies
- Keto Shortbread Cookies
- Keto Texas Sheet Cake
Have fun and let me know what you think! And if you have any other burning questions, leave a comment and I will do my best to answer them.
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Hi Carolyn,
Do you have this information on baking with almond and other flours in a book you are selling? I would love to purchase it if you can point me in the right direction. Thanks!
Yes, The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking: https://amzn.to/4qcwFlC
Good morning Carolyn, I have to say your protein book has been a game changer for me. I would like some advice. I made the jalapeno biscuits and the batter was more like cornbread so I put them in a muffin pan with cupcake liners. They were soooo yummy. And I wouldn’t mind if that’s how they always turn out. But they stuck to the cupcake liners. I made the strawberry muffins and used cupcake liners again, and again these stuck to the liners. Should I not be using liners and just spay the pan really good or is there a trick to it?
Paper liners are a no-no. The recipe for the strawberry muffins states silicone or parchment. And if you ever use my recipes from the website, I am clear about that as well. Paper liners are awful for low carb recipes.
I seem to be rather sensitive to the sandy texture of almond flour-yes even the more finely ground ones you recommend . I have been experimenting using almond butter for at least part of the flour with some success. Can you guide me better on this substitution or do you have recipes that have already made this switch? Many thanks for your amazing work with providing recipes for managing both low carb and gluten free!
Great tips! I’m wondering how you feel about Lupin Flour? I’ve recently started using sweet lupin flour (Australian) with almond flour (around 1:1) for baked goods, pancake/waffle mix etc. and it’s working quite well with no bitter after taste. It’s lower in carbs and calories and is 40% protein which helps with the macros! Your thoughts?
I don’t use it as it seems to spike my blood sugar. It’s not lower in carbs… it simply has more fiber. For some people, it still has an impact.
Hi Carolyn,
I have been learning to cook keto from your website. Your recipes are great, my favorite is the cowboy cookies. Even my husband likes them. Thanks for all the work you do with this. It makes living with diabetes easier when you can have a cookie!
Maria Plott
Thank you, Maria!
You *can* make your own, fine nut flours at home. The method is to grate the nuts in a rotary grater with a fine grating drum. I don’t know of a powered way to do this, though, so it’s a bit of work. I only use this method for nut flours that aren’t readily available like hazelnut or macadamia flour.
Thank you for this article; the most comprehensive & well-written explanation I can recall. I will print and save in a handy place; likely next to my bag of almond flour (which needs to go in an air-tight container!)
The pop up ads and videos are over the top! I understand the need to generate income but it is disruptive and frustrating.
They really aren’t. In fact, I took the time to group together the various sections so ads did not disrupt the reading. HOWEVER, if you are coming through Facebook without opening a new browser, it adds a tracking link that messes with the code, causing issues. Please take THIS URL and post it into your browser separately. https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/baking-with-almond-flour/
Sorry to be so dense, but is this a cook book? Can it be printed from the email without the pictures? Can it be printed with the recipes or do they need to be separate? Whenever you have time. Diane
No, this is an article to be read on my website. If you would like a cookbook version, you should purchase The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking. https://amzn.to/3VR6Fie
Great info! Very helpful. I’ve been keto for a while and have had trouble with the gritiness of almond flour. I’ll try your recommendations to see if that helps. Thanks for all you do for the keto community – you are loved!
Thank you for this guide! I appreciate the information, as well as all the info, notes, and tips on all the recipes. I find it all helpful. My favorite baked goods of yours so far are Blueberry muffins, pumpkin muffins, cinnamon coffee cake, and gingerbread cookies. This site is absolutely essential for a LC lifestyle.
Thank you for sharing your Gift talent about Goodies Baking
i also bread veggies with almond flour and pan fry. my problem is that the flour crumbs build up in the pan too easily and burn even if the pan is on medium. any suggestions
Wipe out the pan between batches.
Hello, I absolutely love all your recipes and enjoy reading all your expert tips and tricks. We use your cookbook as our weekly meal guide. I am trying to bake using almond flour but my kiddos do not like the strong nutty taste. Is there anything I can add to make that go away? Thank you for all you do.
I don’t experience any flavor from almond flour, I find it very neutral. Can you tell me what brand(s) you’ve tried?
I like your recipes but not so much the long dissertation with every one. Are your cookbooks like this? I need recipes with directions not the history behind everyone of them.
I am not giving you “the history behind” my recipes. I am giving you valuable information about the recipe to help you be successful. Whether you choose to use that information or not is up to you.
You always give great information along with your recipes. It Helps
Certainly you don’t have to read the info, just skip to the recipe, its as easy as that.
What would you recommend to make keto fried fish? I tried almond flour but was disappointed. It wasn’t crusty, like fried fish ought to be. Do you have a suggestion for the type of flour and a simple recipe? Thanks very much! PS: I really love your muffins and scones. My hubby is diabetic with a huge sweet tooth and these have been a huge help.
https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/keto-air-fryer-fish-sticks/