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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I notice that you bake your cakes at a slow oven 325. Is there a reason for this ?
Helps them rise better without holes, and also sometimes almond flour cakes over-brown at 350F. Depends on the recipe.
I am a pretty good conventional baker and I bake for younger women who struggle….pies, cinnamon rolls, butter tarts. I am 76 years old and need to loose weight so I am very excited to learn these new methods with new ingredients. Pork Rinds, wow !! I haven’t seen any of your recipes with Lupin Flour. I will keep my eye out for them. You are such an interesting person and I understand you. I raised one daughter and three sons. I found you because of your victory in the doughnut competition !
How can I make almond pancakes more moist? I’ve used almond flour, protein powder, water and eggs but it’s just so dry! I mean, I want to drink 3L of water during. I was thinking about adding chia gel. Thoughts? Ty in advance!
Try this recipe: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/keto-almond-flour-pancakes/
Thank you so much for the info on baking with almond flour! I so needed this! Now I am ready to be more confident baking knowing what to buy and how to measure! I’m excited! I will probably still have failures, but, feeling a lot better!
Excellent information…much needed!!! I get so tired of reading comments of people that do not do what they should and then bash the recipe/blog writer because it is a failure…even to the point of saying “I had to throw it away”. Disgusting. Then there are people that do not read and ask the same questions over and over!! I’ve wanted to say these things many times; and this was my chance! I’ve read your blog for a long time. Thanks for some great recipes and your hard work getting information like this out.
Thank you for this post! I am a very novice keto baker. I have found that all this timgs I’ve baked so far…breads, muffins even bagels all kind of have the same flavor. I’m guessing its the almond flour. I’m excited to learn how change this and be a better baker!
just wanted to say thank you for
the tips on low carb baking.
pat.
Some recipes I see ask for almond flour AND a little coconut flour. I really dislike the taste of coconut flour – is it necessary to use it in the recipe or can I just add more almond flour? Is there a reason 1 Tablespoon of coconut flour is necessary?
Yes it’s necessary. It will give you a better texture, with NO coconut flavour.
I am anxious to make some yeast almond flour bread. My recipe calls for Super Fine Almond flour, I am sure what I have is not Super Fine. Is there something I can do with what I have to make it Super Fine? I want to make it today, and with the Pandemic I don’t really want to start going to multiple stores trying to find it.
What brand is it?
The recipe didn’t specify a brand just stressed super fine.
No, I meant what brand do you have? That way I can tell you if it’s fine enough.
Hi Carolyn,
First, I’d like to thank you for all the fabulous information. I’ve learned a great deal from you today. I think I may be the oddball of the bunch (nothing unusual there) as I am not trying to go wheat-free, not trying to go completely Keto, nor trying to achieve gluten-free. What I do want is to learn ways to reduce the carbs and sugars in my recipes to something a little more friendly overall. Is there any “magic formula” (said tongue in cheek, of course) that will allow me to replace just half of the wheat flour with… I don’t know – maybe almond flour and xanthan gum or psyllium husk? And maybe replace half of the sugar with a sugar alcohol?
Any thoughts and advice would be greatly appreciated.
I’m sorry, I don’t bake with wheat flour so I can’t really guide you.
Well, it was worth a shot. Still have learned so much from you. Thanks!
Glad to hear it! Sorry I can’t be more helpful. Now on the very rare occasion I bake with wheat, I have no clue what I am doing.
Hello!
I’m looking for some guidance on how much whey protein I should use. I’m going to be making a carrot cake so it will be moist on top of using almond flour.
Thank you!
You don’t need more than 1/4 to 1/3 cup.
I’m new to baking with Almond Flour so please bear with me a moment. I did a German Chocolate cake the other day using blanched superfine almost flour. It’s terrible! The cake is dense and not moist at all – perhaps cardboard it a good comparison. lol In all fairness, the recipe called for “fine” almond flour. I’m wondering if I should use a little less or perhaps add more egg etc. Any advice would be very much appreciated.
Can you tell me what recipe it was? Chances are it’s the rest of the recipe that’s the issue.
Have you tried any of your recipes using cast iron, glass, or stone bakeware? If so, what were the results.
I always recommend metal pans unless the recipe specifies otherwise. Glass, ceramic, and stoneware do not conduct heat that efficiently so your baked goods can take a lot longer to bake through.
Thank you so much for sharing, free, your experiences with baking for no flour recipes. I appreciate your sharing and expertise as I am not a baking type cook but want deserts and breads in my food plan.
Again, thank you.
Is there a way to neutralize the almond taste? I can barely force myself to eat stuff made with almond flour but I want to eat low carb.
Sorry, I get no “almond taste” from these baked goods so I don’t have any advice. To me it tastes like vanilla, or chocolate, or whatever I intend it to taste like.
Good afternoon Carolyn,
Thank you so, much for the almond (nut) flour 101 class. you are an awesome teacher.
Your recipes sound Uberlicious (my word). I’m going to experiment in the kitchen in a few moments.
The mini video running in the lower corner is Ubertastic (my word).
You mentioned using a scale. my scale, although, it works is from the 1950’s. So, I bought a great scale from Sam’s club ($26.98).
Royal DG110. you can weigh up to 110 lbs. Read out is in lbs, oz, ks, or gs. The digital display is on a coiled cord, you can set to the side or even disconnect and place up to 36″ away. The base is small enough to side into a plastic bag to keep clean 7 3/4′” x 6 1/2″ but, large enough to set bowls and/or cookie sheets and such on.
Thanks, Kelli