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If you’re following a gluten free diet or looking to bake without grains, almond flour is a must-have in your pantry. Making almond flour or almond meal at home is cheaper, fresher and tastier than anything you can buy. With the Vibe Blender System, it couldn’t be easier or faster. Watch whole almonds become meal in under 10 seconds!! Once you master this DIY blender technique, you’ll be able to make bulk almond flour in minutes.
Almond flour is made from one ingredient - almonds. Grinding whole almonds yourself means your flour is guaranteed fresh and packed with the complete nutrition of the original nut.
People on a paleo, keto, low-carb or gut-healing protocol like SCD & GAPS love to bake with almond flour because it tastes delicious and is so versatile.
Many recipes use the term ‘meal and flour’ interchangeably however there is a difference. Almond meal is coarser and can include the skin. Almond flour is more finely ground (or sifted) and if store-bought it is made from blanched almonds.
Sifting the almond meal is a personal choice and really depends on what you are making. If you require super fine almond flour for light and fluffy baking, we recommend this extra step. Because of the natural nut oil, sifting takes some time. Note: The blender breads, cakes and muffins recipes we share on the ‘Luvele Life’ blog do not require sifted almond flour.
There are many varieties of almonds. Whole, unsalted almonds are the freshest. The below 3 types of almonds deliver the best results:
Raw whole almonds with the skin on: These almonds are unprocessed and are packaged after having their shells removed and are the most economical. Almond flour and meal made with almonds with the skin on produces a brownish flour. Raw almond meal can be sifted.
Blanched Almonds: These are raw almonds with their skins removed. Blanched almonds are more expensive than raw almonds because of the labour involved. You can blanch your almonds at home (a bit time consuming – see below) or purchase store-bought blanched almonds. Almond flour made from blanched almonds is lighter in colour and best resembles traditional white flour in baking.
Activated Almonds: (pre-soaked and dehydrated). Almonds contain compounds known as ‘anti-nutrients’, which can make digestion problematic for some people. When almonds are soaked in water for a time, the anti-nutrient compounds get broken down. The soaked nuts are then dried at a low heat to retain the beneficial enzymes. Store-bought, activated almonds, are the most expensive option, but they can be done easily at home. Activated almond flour contains the skins and will be light brown in colour. We found that activated almonds produced a coarser meal, however this may vary from batch to batch.
1. Soak whole raw unsalted almonds in boiling water for 10 minutes.
2. Strain the almonds in a colander and rinse under cold water to cool.
3. Blot the almonds dry with a clean tea-towel. You'll notice that the skins will be slightly shrivelled or split.
4. One by one, with your fingers, gently squeeze each almond out of their skin. They just pop out.
5. Once the skins are removed, place the blanched almonds on a tray and leave to completely dry out or use a food dehydrator on the lowest setting.
If you use almond flour or almond meal in your cooking and baking regularly then it is a great idea to grind several cups and store it for later use. If you are planning to use it within a week or two, place it in an airtight jar, and keep it in the pantry, preferably in a dark place. In warmer weather, keep it in the fridge.
For larger quantities or if you require almond flour infrequently, place it in an airtight jar, or sealed bag, in your freezer. It is also possible to vacuum seal portions of almond flour then freeze.
Almond flour burns easier than wheat flour or other gluten-free flours. Paleo baking also often uses honey as a sweetener. This combination burns easily. To prevent spoiling your creation, lower the oven temperature a fracture and check on it 5-10 minutes before it is cooked. It may be necessary to use baking paper on top to prevent it burning at the edges.
1 cup of almonds* (raw, blanched or activated)
* Repeat in 1 cup increments until you have the desired amount of flour.
1. Place the whole almonds into the clear Vibe Blender jug and secure the lid on.
2. Choose ‘nut’ mode and blend for 8-10 seconds.
3. Turn the freshly ground meal out into a large bowl.
4. The meal may be clumped together. Use your hands to break up the clumps.
5. Ground nut will collect around the blades and along the inside of the jug. Use a firm pointed spatula or plastic spoon to gouge it out.
6. Scrape away all the remaining ground almond from the jug before repeating the process. If you plan to make large quantities it may be necessary to wipe the inside of the jug with a clean, dry tea towel to remove the build-up of oil.
7. Sifting the meal into a finer flour is optional. Place a wire sieve over a large bowl.
8. Add 1-2 cups of meal into the sieve then gently shake or stir until the finer grains fall into the bowl.
9. Place the pieces of unmilled almond back in the blender jug, pulse a few times and then sift again. Repeat this process until all the meal is sifted.
Make sure you pop over to our recipe blog for a wide range of Luvele Life recipes using almond flour.
