If you have been around for a while, you know that I love using almond flour in my baking. Over the years, I have published several almond flour recipes and have gotten a great response from my readers.
With that being said, several readers reached out to let me know that they find almond flour to be too expensive to use it on a regular basis. I can certainly relate because before a recipe goes onto the blog it gets tested at least 3 times. This means using the same ingredients 3 times. And this does not include the version I made to photograph the recipe for the blog post. As you can imagine, it adds up resulting in big grocery expenses every month.
So I decided to take the matters into my own hands and find a way to make almond flour at home cheap. Or I should say, cheaper than what it is sold for at the supermarkets. I am happy to tell you that I was able to succeed in using two different methods. However, before we start talking about how to make almond flour, we need to talk about how to blanch almonds.
While you can make almond flour using almonds with skin on (that version is called almond meal), most almond flour sold at the supermarkets are made with blanched almond flours. One of the reasons why it is expensive is for the labor that goes to the blanching process. The good news is that with just a little planning and time you can easily blanch your own almonds.
Here is a comprehensive guide with all your questions answered on how to blanch almonds at home, what they are, and different methods on blanching them:
What Are Blanched Almonds
Blanched almonds mean almonds without skins. Some markets sell and call them as “skinless almonds.” Here, blanching means removing the skins from the almond.
How To Blanch Almonds
When it comes to blanchings almonds you have 2 options:
Overnight Soaking Method
You can soak raw almonds (with the skin on) in a cup filled with cold water.
To do so, simply place almonds in a bowl and fill it with cold tap water until they are fully covered. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap or a paper towel and let is sit overnight.
In the morning, drain almonds using a colander and gently squeeze the almonds to loosen their skin. It should come off easily.
Boiling Method
Alternatively, you can fill a small saucepan with 2 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, you can place the almonds into the saucepan and let them sit in there for 2 minutes.
Drain using a colander, rinse under cold water and start peeling off immediately. Here there are 2 important things:
- Be sure to keep an eye on the almonds as if you let them sit longer they will start softening too much. You should drain them as soon as you see their skins start looking wrinkled. In my experiments, I found out that this happens between 1 or 2 minutes.
Once you drain and rinse them, you need to start peeling the skins while they are still warm because as they sit in room temperature (and cool down) it becomes harder to remove the skins. - Depending on what recipe you plan on using them, it is important to make sure to dry them completely. This step is crucial especially if you are using blanched almonds to make almond flour at home.
How To Peel?
After they are soaked or boiled, the almonds will be slightly softer. To remove skins from almonds, gently squeeze between your index finger and thumb. It should easily slide off.
How To Dry?
To dry, line a sheet pan with a few sheets of paper towels, scatter the freshly blanched almonds on it, and let them dry for 4-6 hours or even overnight.
With that being said, I do not recommend letting them sit longer (than overnight) as they will start losing their freshness.
How To Store Skinless Almonds? & How Long Do They Last?
The best way to store blanched almonds is to place them in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and keep them in a dark, cool, and dry place. This way they will be fresh up to a month.
Alternatively, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 months or in the freezer for up to a year.
Are Blanched Almonds Healthier?
The following is from Healthline:
The powerful antioxidants and Vitamin E in almonds are largely concentrated in the brown layer of the skin. For this reason, blanched almonds — those with skin removed — are not the best choice from a health perspective.
Healthline: Benefits Of Almonds
What To Do With The Almond Skins (aka Almond Peel)
It is no secret that as you peel almonds you will be left with a lot of skins. I used to throw them away, but after learning that the outer layer is where all the goodness is at I no longer do that.
Instead, I dry them on a sheet pan, process them in a food processor to later add in my smoothies or oatmeal in the morning.
How To Roast?
If you are a fan of roasting almonds, you can easily roast whole blanched almonds. To do so simply:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees.
- Place skinned and fully dried almonds on a small sheet pan.
- Roast 10-15 minutes checking and turning them every 5 minutes.
The Uses of Blanched Almonds
While I am publishing this how to blanch almonds post in preparation to show you how to make almond flour at home, there are many other uses of blanched almond flours. Most people use to make almond milk or almond flour to use both in savory recipes and in gluten-free baking.
A good example of where I use blanched almonds is this Braised Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms and Almond Puree dish. In this recipe, I pureed blanched almonds in my food processor to use as a thickener for the sauce. Though I published this recipe back in 2015, I make it often in my kitchen and love the nutty flavors that the almonds give to the overall dish.
Other Recipes To Using Skinless Almonds:
Here are a few simple ideas to put them to good use:
- Top off your steel-cut oatmeal with a handful of them.
- Use them in granola recipes as I did in my chunky granola recipe.
- Place them in a food processor or high-powered blender (such as Vitamix) and make almond flour at home and use it to make Almond Flour Banana Bread, Almond Flour Bread, or Almond Flour Cookies.
FUN TIP: You might be wondering what is the difference between blanched almonds vs raw almonds. The difference (if that) is in the terminology.
A raw almond could be with or without the skin (aka blanched).
Where To Buy Blanched Almonds
If the additional cost is not an issue for you, you can always get blanched almonds at your supermarket. I usually order it on amazon have used this brand (affiliate link) to be a good one.
How to Blanch Almonds – Blanched Almonds Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw almonds they should not be salted or roasted
- 2 cups water – cold tap water is fine
Instructions
Method 1 – Overnight Method:
- Place almonds in a small cup and fill with water.
- Let is sit overnight.
- In the morning drain using a colander and rinse with cold water.
- Gently squeeze each almond to remove its skin.
- Place blanched almonds on a sheet pan lined with paper towels to dry.
Method 2 – Boiling Water Method:
- Bring water to boil in a small saucepan.
- Once it comes to a boil, add in the almonds and let them sit in there for 1-2 minutes or until the skins start getting wrinkly.
- Drain and rinse with cold tap water.
- Gently squeeze each almond to remove its skin.
- Place blanched almonds on a sheet pan lined with paper towels to dry.
Notes
- The nutritional value below is for 1 cup of blanched almonds
-
If you are a fan of roasting almonds, you can easily roast whole blanched almonds. To do so simply:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees.
- Place skinned and fully dried almonds on a small sheet pan.
- Roast 10-15 minutes, checking and turning them every 5 minutes, until they turn lightly golden. Let them cool before serving.
Nutrition
This post was published in May 2018. It has been updated with additional helpful information with no changes to the originally published recipe in May 2020.
Roberta Morrell
I have been soaking almonds and blanching for years and love them. I do this to get the phytates off of them so they are easier to digest. I just found out that they also have lectins on them and soaking them takes the lectins off also. I usually soak them overnight and had no idea I could boil them. My question is does boiling them get rid of the phytates and lectins the same as if soaking them overnight even if I leave the skins on? Also after I soak them I put them in my dehydrator for about 30 to 34 hours. They are so good. I give them as gifts to many people who tell me that they have never had almonds taste so good. I
usually keep my almonds in the fridge to keep them fresh. Thank you for all your good recipes, tips and ideas.
Aysegul Sanford
Hello Roberta,
I love your tip about putting them in a dehydrator. I do not have one but I have always wanted to get it so this might be a good excuse.:)
To be honest, I am not 100% sure but I think boiling has a similar effect. I don’t boil them for too long but you can certainly boil them longer should you wish to do so.
Hope this helps.
Ann Augustine
Costco has a great deal on raw almonds and I am always looking for ways to use up the 3# bags. I eat a handful for breakfast and roast some for salads but start to get anxious that they lose freshness if I don’t freeze them or use faster.
Aysegul Sanford
Good point. Thanks for sharing Ann.
Mirasol G. Barg
Hi just bought roasted almond with skin as you said It can’t be blanch when it is roated can I still use it as an almond butter instead of peanut? Can I made almond flour out of roasted almond with skin?
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Mirasol,
Here are my answers to your questions:
– Can I still use it as an almond butter instead of peanut? You absolutely can use it to make almond butter. Simply put roasted almonds in a food processor and process until it turns into almond butter.
– Can I made almond flour out of roasted almond with skin? You can. However, if you decide to use it in baking, your baked goods will have a strong roasted flavor. In some recipes this might be a good thing, while in others you may feel like the roasted flavor has taken over. For example, if you are making a almond flour chocolate cake, the flavor of cacao is strong enough to compliment the roasted flavors. Whereas, if you are making it to make an Almond Flour Apple Cake, it may take over the whole cake.
With all this being said, I think it is a personal preference. I urge you to give it a try and see what works for your taste buds.
I hope I answered your question. If not, I am always here to help. Feel free to send your questions my way.
Cheers,
Ice
Darly Spacey
I’m using always the 1st method, but I tried the 2nd one also. It’s so easy and usable. Thanks for the instructions
Aysegul Sanford
You bet. So glad to hear that you have been using these techniques Darly. Thanks for coming by and sharing your experience.
Amanda MacIntire
I wanted to make some macarons, but almond flour is stupid expensive, so you can imagine how happy I was when I found these instructions. It is so satisfying to do something at home this easy instead of paying for a little convenience.
I wasn’t sure if I should boil the almonds or just let them sit in the hot water, so I turned off the heat but left the sauce pot on the burner for the two minutes, rinsed them and the skins came off as easy as you please.
Thank you!!
Aysegul Sanford
So glad to hear that it worked for you Amanda.
Though I have to mention, to make macarons you need very fine almond flour. Most commercial brands call it superfine almond flour.
You can achieve superfine almond flour at home, but you would have to sift it several times after you process them in your blender or food processor. It is achievable but might take a longer time compared to making almond flour or almond meal.
I hope this helps. All the best of luck.
Mariano
why remove the skin of the almonds if they contain so many antioxidants and you are going to eat them later? After reading several other articles my understanding was that almond skin contains an enzyme inhibitor limiting the amount of nutrients absorbed by body and making them difficult to digest.
Aysegul Sanford
HI Mariano,
I totally agree with you. Almonds and their skins are so good for you. And if you can, you should consume them as raw and with the skins on.
However, in the world of baking, sometimes you need to use almond flour (think of gluten-free making or famous French macarons). That is when you use blanched almonds. While most almond flour recipes can be made with almond meal (aka pulverized almonds with the skins on to turn to flour/meal), you have to use blanched almonds for some recipes.
I shared that recipe to help people who are trying to make almond flour at home (you can see it here).
Like you mentioned, I am a big fan of keeping almonds with their skins on, but for the purpose of this recipe, I was trying to help solve a different problem (aka how to make almond flour).
I hope you understand. Thanks for stopping by.
Maria
Great recipe but unfortunately it didn’t work for me ? I let them sit in the water for around 4 hours, then peeled off the skin and let them dry. They didn’t dry. Not even after one day. I don’t know what I did wrong .
Aysegul Sanford
Himm.. I am sorry to hear that.
Though I am not sure if I understand what didn’t work. You mean, they didn’t dry?
If so, I would recommend placing them in a pre-heated oven set to the lowest temperature (perhaps 125-150 F degrees) and letting them dry there. Though keep a close eye on them as you do not want them to roast.
I have some that I am testing now to see how long it will take for them to dry in the oven so I will give you an update when I have more information.
Hope this helps Maria. And thanks for sharing your experience.
Gary
After you add the almonds to the boiling water do you keep the water boiling or do you remove the pan from the heat?
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Gary,
I would remove it. It is such a quick process in that just 2 minutes in that super hot water should be sufficient.
I hope this helps.
Cheers!
PS: Be sure to try them well 🙂
Joanne
Wow, I had no idea this was so easy! Thank you!
Ashley @ Wishes & Dishes
I love baking with almond flour too!
Melissa Sperka
I need some of these in each hand
Kristen
This totally saves me so much money!! I use blanched almonds all the time but had no idea they were so easy to make at home. thank you!!
Lori @ RecipeGirl
I use this method all the time. Handy tutorial!
Traci | Vanilla And Bean
This is SO helpful Aysegul. I love how you’ve included two methods, too, just in case I forget to soak over night. Thank you for sharing too how to use those gorgeous almond skins – full of goodness (and one reason I don’t make almond milk at home – that leftover pulp is such a waste). Beautiful work! xo
Kelly
I make almond milk and use the pulp to make the flour. No waste. Simply put the pulp on a cookie sheet and put it in the oven on a low temperature. Then, pulverize it in a food processor.
Jenna
Great post – really informative! 🙂 Love your blog
-Jenna <3
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