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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Thanks for this. Anyone having a COSTCO membership might be interested to know that they have started carrying Almond Flour in 3 lb. bags for around $10- $11. Seems like a bargain to me.
That’s in Charlotte, NC, anyway.
You mentioned that you might add whey protein in almond flour recipes to compensate for the absence of gluten when you remove the wheat flour. But, pure whey powder is gluten free. Did you make a mistake? Or, is there something other than gluten that you are seeking out in the whey powder that offers gluten-like influences?
Thank you whole heartedly for your article. It’s packed full of useful information and you’re truly a pioneer in almond flour baking.
I am not trying to add gluten. I am trying to add a dry protein. Gluten is a protein and part of what it does is help baked goods rise and hold their shape. So does whey protein.
I am new to your website, I just subscribed. I’m so happy I found you, as I have Hasimoto’s (hypo thyroid) and have had to go gluten free. Finding satisfying, tasty breads and desserts has been hard, as I live in the Caribbean and it is hard to find many of these things, that are also low carb. I have been experimenting with almond, coconut and tapioca a bit, and have made some nice things. This is so helpful and I have been drooling over so many of your recipes. Thank you for such a great and informative website..
So glad to help!
I have had some questions about nut flours and yeast lately and this has helped me get a little better understanding of what is happening. Thanks!
I really want to bake a healthy biscotti recipe for my family. Will oat flour work in place of the almond meal????
I really can’t say, I don’t use oat flour at all. Sorry!
I know this is an older post of yours, but I am hoping you and your readers find my comment helpful. ( Though you may already know this info and posted about it. )
I’m always on the lookout for low carb ingredients in my local grocery stores because I’m super impatient and want to try new recipes and new ingredients yesterday! I don’t like waiting for things to be shipped to me. I have ordered things, of course, but I really prefer getting my paws on it ASAP!
I have found a super finely ground and finely ground almond flour by Bob’s Red Mill, and once I even found the King Arthur super fine almond flour in a store. ( That blew my mind, haha. My jaw literally dropped right there in the flour aisle. ) I can find Bob’s Red Mill at Publix, Whole Foods, and I’ve seen it at Wal-mart too, which is where I found the King Arthur, but the store closest to me does not carry it. I’ve used both of the brands and find they are just as good as Honeyville and JK Gourmet. Just wanted to put that info out there, if that’s okay. I thought it may make it easier for people like me who hate waiting for ingredients…haha. 🙂
Hope it is okay to name the stores. If not, I apologize in advance.
Your blog is just so great, and has helped me broaden my low carb baking horizons. I’ve been doing low carb exclusively for 3 years now, and I also have a wicked sweet tooth, so your blog has been indispensable to me. Yay for low carb yummies!
Thanks for the heads up. Bob’s has recently changed to a more finely ground version which thrills me!
Hi Carolyn! Beautiful presentation of delicious almond flour recipe, you have shared. What an almond flour recipe it was! This is my favorite one also. I love your blogs which always come with new recipe with new taste. Keep it up and keep sharing as such.
Great info here. I wonder if you’ve seen or used King Aurthur almond flour. It seems finer than the Red Mill, and I can get it without having to mail order. If you’ve seen it I’d appreciate you’re telling me how it compares to your preferred choice. Thanks.
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/almond-flour-1-lb
how do I keep baked goods made of almond flour & other low carb flours
from over browning on the bottoms, I made your handpies with a meat filling
but it was really difficult to tell when they were done. At 12 min, they still looked raw on top, at 15 they started to turn a light gold on the edges, but the tops were still white so I left them in for a total of 17 min; they looked perfectly done on top
but when I removed them the sheet to cool they all were very dark brown on the bottoms, I baked them on parchment paper on a 9 by 11 jelly roll pan
on the very top rack of my electric oven, which has only 1 rack, that I can adjust.
Sounds like your oven might be the issue here, not conveying heat very well to the rest of the oven. Not sure how to fix this for you if you are already putting them on the top rack! One suggestion may be to get a silpat (the silicone baking mats) to protect the baked goods a little more on the bottom.
Many thanks for this – very helpful. I’m hoping you can help even more, though!
My wife is allergic to grasses, so she is trying various recipes. Ground a!minds for cupcakes goes well, but she has recently been using almond flour to try to replicate choux pastry, for profiteroles, but without success. Do you have any experience of making choux pastry yourself, and any advice?
I would like to try some of your recipes, and I live at 6000 feet. Do you know if high altitude affects baking with almond flour? I don’t have the patients for trial and error, and I hate to waste ingredients if it doesn’t turn out well.
I don’t live at altitude so it’s hard to say for sure. But I had this one person say some things about my multipurpose bread recipe and it may apply to other recipes as well:
I’ve lived at high altitudes my whole life. My elevation here is over 5000 feet. The air pressure is lower, so things rise too fast before the structure has set, which makes it collapse. You have to DECREASE the baking powder and INCREASE the temperature. I made this with those changes and got a lovely loaf that did not deflate. I used 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder with an oven temp. of 375 degrees. I baked it in an 8″ x 4″ nonstick metal pan, sprayed with coconut oil spray, for 75 minutes. Then I took it out of the oven, which I turned off, put the loaf on a metal rack and put it back in the oven to slowly cool for another hour. Since I was using Now psyllium, I used the higher water amount.
Thank you so much!!
I’ve used this recipe a couple of times but have trouble with the bread falling as it cools, after I take it out of the oven. I bought some blanched almond flour at my local Natural Grocer store that looked as if they had ground it at the store. They keep it in the big cooler at the back of the store. BUT, after reading your description of almond flour, I have to wonder whether what I have is really almond flour, because it looks rather gritty to me. Could this be the reason why my bread keeps falling as it cools?
It very well could be. Working with psyllium is tricky anyway so if it’s more like almond meal, then it probably won’t cut it.
It is quite possible that I’ve never seen true almond flour, SO, I think I’ll order some online from Honeyville. Thanks for responding so quickly. 🙂
Hello-
We are trying to find low carb bread recipes but can’t use almond flour. My daughter is allergic to tree nuts so any tree nut flour is out. Any suggestions on what to use instead? Thanks!! :o)
Sunflower seed flour.
Thanks Carolyn that sounds Interesting. Would the flour have that distinct sunflower seed taste?
Yes, a little but it can be masked with other flavours, particularly chocolate.
I was baking a lot with almond flour, until last year when I discovered I cannot eat eggs or dairy. The amount of eggs required in these recipies has scared me away from trying them, not wanting to waist ingredients having it not work. I DO use ground chia seeds and water to sub in other recipies, but only to replace 1 or 2 eggs. Do you have any experience using substitutes for eggs in the larger quantities?
I don’t I am afraid. My fear is it would not work out well but I think in your case, it might be worth a try. I’d add more leavening agent to help things rise a bit more.
Thank you so much for this great information! Could you please share what whey protein you use in your baking? Thanks!
Well, right now I am using some from Bob’s Red Mill, but I also like Jarrow and Tera’s Whey.