Nowadays, you are not limited to using regular wheat flour, especially if you have specific dietary needs and preferences. Other ingredients can be used to create versatile flour, such as blanched almond flour.
However, if you are not familiar with blanched almond flour, you may be curious as to what blanched almond flour is. I did the research, and here is what I learned!
What Is Blanched Almond Flour?
Blanched almond flour refers to almond flour that uses ground-up blanched almonds, which means that skin of the almonds has been removed. Typically, blanched almond flour is the best flour to use for most recipes, especially since blanched almond flour is free from any colored specks, which is why blanched almond flour is ideal for macarons and more.
Do you want to learn what the difference between unblanched almond flour and blanched almond flour is, how blanched almond flour is made, and how you can use blanched almond flour? Keep reading!
What Is In Blanched Almond Flour?
Generally, blanched almond flour only contains blanched whole almonds, but the skin of the almonds is usually removed before creating the flour.
What Does Blanched Almond Flour Taste Like?
Typically, blanched almond flour will taste slightly nutty, bitter, and sweet like an almond, but blanched almond flour will not distinctly taste like almonds.
However, it is important to note that not all blanched almond flour will taste or look the same since it will depend on the manufacturer, storage conditions, etc.
What Is Blanched Almond Flour Used For?
Nowadays, most people use blanched almond flour in their recipes because blanched almond flour is a gluten-free alternative to wheat flour since it is made from almonds, not wheat.
However, you should keep in mind that you may not have the same results as wheat flour because blanched almond flour does not contain gluten, so you may not get much rise or density in your dish.
Moreover, some recipes will specifically request that you use blanched almond flour, such as macarons which are a famous French dessert.
Additionally, blanched almond flour is excellent for baked goods that you want to be moist and tender, which includes cookies, quick bread, cakes, and more.
What Type Of Almond Flour Is Best For Baking?
Generally, blanched almond flour is better for baking because blanched almond flour generally provides moist and tender results, which is ideal for most baked goods.
Certain recipes will specifically call for almond flour, and one of the most popular examples is macarons.
It is important to remember that blanched almond flour is not the same as almond meal because almond meal contains the almond and the almond’s skin, which creates a coarser texture than blanched almond flour.
How Is Blanched Almond Flour Made?
Depending on the manufacturer, the manufacturer often first blanches raw almonds by boiling the almonds in water to remove the almond’s skin.
Occasionally, the manufacturer may use other methods to further remove the skin of the blanched almonds.
Next, the blanched almonds get ground and sifted repeatedly until the almonds become a fine flour.
Does Blanched Almond Flour Have Gluten?
Blanched almond flour does not have gluten because blanched almond flour is only made from blanched almonds, which do not contain any gluten.
However, it is important to check the manufacturer for your blanched almond flour before using it, especially if you are allergic or sensitive to gluten.
Some manufacturers may produce their blanched almond flour in factories that make gluten-containing products, which increases the chance of cross-contamination in your blanched almond flour.
Typically, you can check the ingredients list on the packaging of your blanched almond flour to see if it says “may contain gluten.”
What Is The Difference Between Almond Flour And Blanched Almond Flour?
Technically speaking, there will be no difference between almond flour and blanched almond flour since almond flour is a general term used for flour made from almonds.
Therefore, blanched almond flour specifically refers to flour created from blanched whole almonds.
However, you may want to specifically get blanched almond flour for certain recipes if you want a “clean” appearance since other types of almond flour like unblanched almond flour look different from blanched almond flour.
Can I Use Unblanched Almond Flour Instead Of Blanched Almond Flour?
A huge difference between unblanched almond flour and blanched almond flour is how they are prepared.
Typically, unblanched almond flour contains the skin of the almonds, which creates red-brown flecks in the unblanched almond flour.
On the other hand, blanched almond flour does not contain almond skins, so the blanched almond flour will be off-white and free of any flecks.
Therefore, you may get a slightly different appearance in your dish depending on what type of almond flour you use.
While some people may not notice much difference in flavor, some people state that unblanched almond flour is heavier than blanched almond flour.
What Can I Substitute For Blanched Almond Flour?
If you are not concerned about gluten, you can use plain flour or all-purpose flour in place of blanched almond flour to achieve a similar color and flavor profile.
However, you may get a little bit of rising in your dish if you use plain flour because plain flour contains some gluten whereas blanched almond flour does not have any gluten.
If you want another gluten-free alternative to blanched almond flour, unblanched almond flour can work in a pinch if you do not mind the red-brown specks.
Moreover, sunflower seed flour is great if you want a gluten-free and nut-free flour that can mimic blanched almond flour well.
Take a look at our other articles to find out what bean flour is, what bajra flour is, and what bao flour is.
Conclusion
Blanched almond flour is created from ground-up blanched almonds, which are almonds that had the skins taken off.
Typically, blanched almond flour is used to make recipes like macarons, but blanched almond flour is another popular substitute for wheat-based flour if you are allergic to gluten.
Since blanched almond flour does not have gluten, you will not get the same volume or rise from blanched almond flour, but you will get moist and tender results.