If you want to use almond meal or almond flour in recipes, it is best to make your own. This is because of Phytic Acid & Enzyme Inhibitors which lock up the nutrients within the nuts and make them harder to digest. So the nuts must first be “Soaked and then Dried” before processing into flour. Prepackaged or commercially available nut flours are not processed in this manner, therefore I do not recommend them.
But making your own almond meal or flour is simple. First let’s talk about the difference between almond meal and almond flour, then we’ll get into the how-to.
What is the Difference Between Almond Meal & Almond Flour?
Almond Meal
Almond Meal is a coarser grind of either raw almonds (with the skin) or blanched almonds (without the skin, meaning less fiber).
Almond Flour
Almond Flour is typically made with blanched (skinless) almonds, and is a finer grind. This works really well in baked goods, like cakes and muffins.
Equipment & Method for Grinding
Food Processor
One way to grind your own almond meal is to use a food processor. This works well at making almond meal (the coarser type), but not so well for the finer type (almond flour). As it tends to turn into paste, or almond butter if you grind too much.
Vita-Mix (Dry Container)
This is by far the best piece of equipment I have found for making your own almond meal, or almond flour. As you can grind as much as you need to get the consistency you want.
How to Make Almond Meal / Flour
Have the amount of soaked & dried almonds ready that you wish to grind. If you want to make almond “flour”, you should also have blanched your almonds before as well.
- Place almonds in container of either a food processor or dry Vita-Mix container.
- Process until desired consistency, being careful not to grind too much or you will make almond butter.
- If not using all right away, it is beneficial to store the nut meal/flour in the refrigerator or freezer to keep it from going rancid quickly.