Here's everything worth knowing about almond oil and how to pick it, what it is, how to store it, and what to use instead, plus 13 recipes to cook tonight.

What is almond oil?

Almond oil is pressed from almonds, and it is the gentlest of the nut oils. Where walnut and hazelnut oils announce themselves, almond oil whispers. It is pale and light-bodied, faintly sweet, with a soft nuttiness rather than a roasted punch.

That mildness is the point. It adds a clean almond background without taking over a dish, which makes it a flexible finishing and baking oil.

One thing to sort out at the store. Sweet almond oil is the kind you cook with. Bitter almond oil is a concentrated flavoring (and a cosmetic oil) that is not used straight in cooking, so check the label says sweet.

How to Use Almond Oil

Refined sweet almond oil takes moderate heat and has a fairly neutral taste, while unrefined almond oil is more delicate and best kept off the stove. Either way, this is not a high-heat frying oil.

Its sweetness suits the oven. A spoonful in the batter brings a soft almond note to spice cookies like Spekulatius and Pfefferkuchen, sitting comfortably alongside the warm spices rather than fighting them.

It is just as good cold. Whisked into a light vinaigrette, it rounds out a Grilled Chicken Salad with a Fresh Strawberry Dressing, where its gentle nuttiness flatters berries and other fruit.

It also makes a clean finishing drizzle. A thread over Brussels Sprouts Almondine or Baby Potatoes Coated with Almonds doubles down on the almond theme already in the dish.

Pairing and Common Mistakes

Almond oil loves sweet and delicate company: stone fruit and berries, honey, vanilla, citrus, and other nuts. It is at home in both desserts and light salads, which few oils manage.

The first mistake is grabbing bitter almond oil to cook with.

It is far too strong and is meant as a drop-at-a-time flavoring, so the sweet, food-grade kind is the one for everyday use.

The second mistake is wasting it on high heat. Frying in almond oil scorches its delicate flavor and burns money, since neutral oils do that job for far less.

Substitutes

For its mild nuttiness, a light walnut or hazelnut oil stands in, though both are stronger and will read as more assertive, so use a little less. Toasted almonds blitzed into a neutral oil and strained chase the same flavor at home.

When you only need a soft, slightly sweet oil for baking or a dressing, a neutral oil such as sunflower or light olive oil works fine, just without the almond note.

Buying and Storing

Choose sweet almond oil labeled for food, and favor refined for cooking or unrefined (cold-pressed) for the fullest flavor in cold uses. Dark glass helps it last, since light hurts every nut oil.

Almond oil is fairly high in monounsaturated fat, which makes it more stable than walnut or hazelnut oil, though still more perishable than a neutral cooking oil. Refrigerate an opened bottle to be safe.

Use it within several months and trust your nose. A sweet, faintly nutty smell is good; a sharp or paint-like one means it has gone rancid.

Quick facts

In Chinese

杏仁油

British (UK) term

Almond oil

en français

huile d'amande

en español

aceite de almendras

Recipes using almond oil

There are 13 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 13 recipes