What Is Almond meal and How Can I Use It?
Almond meal is easier to cook with than it looks. Here's how to choose, use, and store it, what to substitute, and 13 recipes to get you started.
Key Points
- Almond meal is coarsely ground almonds, usually skin-on, nuttier than pale almond flour.
- It is gluten-free and high in fat, adding moisture and richness, not structure.
- Pair with eggs to bind; a cup-for-cup flour swap will spread and sink.
- It browns fast, so drop the oven about 25°F (15°C) and watch closely.
- For smooth macarons use fine blanched almond flour, not the coarse meal.
What is almond meal?
Almond meal is whole almonds ground to a coarse, sandy flour, usually with the brown skins left on. Those skins give it a flecked, rustic look and a deeper, nuttier flavor than its smoother cousin.
The difference from almond flour comes down to skins and grind. Almond flour is made from blanched, skinless almonds milled fine and pale, while almond meal is coarser and speckled. They swap into most recipes, but the meal bakes a touch heartier.
Like all ground almonds, it is gluten-free and high in fat, so it behaves nothing like wheat flour. It adds moisture and richness instead of structure. For the wider family, see the flour hub.
Baking With Almond Meal
Almond meal earns its place in moist, tender bakes where its richness is the point. It keeps muffins and cakes soft for days, as in these Grain Free Blueberry & Almond Muffins.
Because it brings no gluten, it works best with eggs to bind it. A Gluten Free One Bowl Chocolate Cake leans on that egg-and-almond combination for a dense, fudgy crumb.
It is not only for sweets. The meal makes a quick coating for fish or chicken, and a stir-in that thickens and enriches sauces, as the Creamy Chicken Curry does to round out its gravy.
Pairing and Common Mistakes
Almonds love sweet partners: chocolate, berries, citrus, stone fruit, and warm spice. The skins add a faint bitterness that suits dark chocolate and coffee especially well.
The most common mistake is treating almond meal like flour and using it cup for cup. It has no gluten and far more fat, so an all-almond batter spreads, sinks, and browns fast. Drop the oven about 25°F (15°C) and watch it closely.
For delicate work like macarons, the coarse meal is the wrong tool. Those need the fine, blanched grind so the shells stay smooth, which is where almond flour wins.
Substitutes
Blanched almond flour is the nearest swap, one for one, giving a paler, finer result. You can grind your own meal by pulsing whole almonds until sandy, stopping before they turn to butter.
Other nut meals such as hazelnut or pecan work in similar proportions and bring their own flavor.
In a pinch for a binder or coating, dry breadcrumbs stand in, though they lose the nutty richness entirely.
Buying and Storage
Look for almond meal in the baking or natural-foods aisle, often beside almond flour; check the label, since some brands use the names interchangeably. The speckled, coarser product is the true meal.
Its high oil content means it goes rancid quickly. Keep it sealed in the fridge for a few months or in the freezer for up to a year, and smell it before baking. A sharp, paint-like odor means it has turned.
Quick facts
- In Chinese
- 杏仁餐
- British (UK) term
- Almond meal
- en français
- repas d'amande
- en español
- harina de almendra
Recipes using almond meal
There are 13 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Pear Almond Clafouti with Red Wine Glaze
A whole-wheat vegan pear clafouti with almond meal base, naturally sweetened with fruit juice concentrate, finished with a glossy red wine glaze. A French-inspired dessert without dairy or refined sugar.
Gluten Free Casein Free Chocolate Avocado Muffins
Chocolate muffins packed with nutrients from an avocado you won't detect and protein from Quinoa Flakes!
Gluten-Free Casein-Free Lemon Raspberry Muffins
Delicious Lemon-Raspberry Muffins that are sensitive to the toughest of dietary limitations.
Grain Free Blueberry & Almond Muffins (Breakfast)
These gluten-free (can be dairy free and nut free, see Notes) muffins are a great start to the day as they contain no refined sugars and instead provide slow release energy through their relatively high protein content. If you are diabetic, use stevia in place of maple syrup.
Gluten Free One Bowl Chocolate Cake
Rich gluten-free chocolate cake with almond meal, raw cacao, and coconut sugar. Includes chocolate ganache topping for 15 servings.
Gluten Free Cookies
Very simple cookies made with an almond-meal base. Almonds are high in monounsaturated fats, which have been associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. They are also very high in vitamin E (a powerful anti-oxidant), magnesium and potassium (important for maintaining healthy blood pressure).
Summer Strawberry & Vanilla Friands
Instead of cupcakes, try these fluffy, light and delicious friands that are made with egg whites, almond meal and strawberries.
Wolfberry & Walnut Brownies with Chocolate Drizzle (Dessert)
Wolfberries are some of the most nutritionally dense superfoods on earth and have been used for thousands of years in Chinese and Tibetan medicine. They contain all the essential amino acids, making them complete proteins. They also have very high concentrations of vitamin C and 21 trace minerals necessary for health.
Gluten Free Cake
Gluten-free vanilla cake built on almond meal and coconut flour for a tender, grain-free crumb. A simple, fuss-free cake to serve with whipped cream and fresh fruit, no special flour blend needed.
Creamy Chicken Curry
Bone-in chicken simmered in a fragrant almond, turmeric, and garam masala sauce finished with coconut cream and garnished with hard-boiled eggs, lime, and flaked almonds.
Vegan Almond Cheesecake
A creamy tofu-based cheesecake loaded with almond flavor from almond meal, almond extract, and a crown of slivered almonds on a graham cracker crust. Blend, pour, bake. No dairy, no eggs, no stress.
