Does the high price of gluten free or grain free flour keep you from exploring the world of alternative flours?
The cost of gluten free product can be quite prohibitive. Sometimes I feel like you need to win the lottery before embarking down the gluten free isle of the supermarket.
Luckily, it doesn’t have to be this way!
With 4 simple steps you can create your own fresh, fluffy almond flour in the comfort of your home. The best part – you can grind your own almond flour with a regular high-powered blender (I use Vitamix). No grain attachment necessary!
Almond flour is my favourite. You can make pancake batter, gluten free bread, cookies, clean desserts and grain free porridge. The options are almost endless!
Almond flour is also a perfect grain-free, Paleo friendly option for anyone with food sensitives to wheat or grain.
4 Simple Steps. Ready, Set, Go, Enjoy!
1) Measure 1 cup of raw or blanched (skin removed) almonds
(Raw almonds will create more of a almond meal while blanched [skin removed] almonds will create more of a finer store bought almond flour. I use raw almonds all the time and I’m always happy with my results. Try both ways to see which you prefer!)
2) Place almonds into your blender. One cup just covers the blades of my Vitamix (next time you won’t have to measure, just eyeball to save time!)
3) Secure the blender lid and place the tamper inside the blender. Turn blender on high for 7 seconds, using tamper if needed (For Vitamix process on High, Speed 10)
4) Done! Pour fresh ground Almond Flour into a container with a tight sealing lid. You will have beautiful, fluffy flour!
In summary, here are the 4 Simple Steps to Making Homemade Almond Flour in your Blender!
The Ingredients:
- 1 cup almonds*
*As stated above, you will need a high powered blender for this recipe
The steps:
- Measure 1 cup almonds
- Place almonds into your blender
- Secure the blender lid and place tamper inside blender (use tamper if necessary to get almonds moving)
- Turn blender on high (for Vitamix use High, Speed 10) for 7 seconds, done!
Using your blender to create homemade flour, meal or nut butters can dramatically reduce your weekly food bill. Buying almonds in bulk can even further your savings.
Make pre-milled almond flour/meal a thing of the past. The savings stay right in your pocket!
Until next time,
Simply Hollie
Simply Whole Foods 
108 thoughts on “4 Simple Steps to Making your own Almond Flour”
Lyle Jeakins
Good job Hollie!
Sent from my iPhone
Apache
I’ve tried but mine turn to slop, must be from oil in almonds did i mixed to long.
Simply Hollie
Yes, processing too long will turn it into nut butter 🙂
leovlad
awesome – of course it was so simple. never again pre-made almond flour!
Simply Hollie
I know…I feel the same way! I’m in love with how easy the process is (not to mention how fresh the flour is!)
Jean
Can you toast the flour or would you toast the almonds first?
Simply Hollie
Hey Jean, out of curiosity, why do you want to toast the flour? I guess you could toast the almonds first if you wanted…
Abbey
Jean – I toast mine before grinding them into a flour. I think it would be somewhat difficult to toast the flour afterwards… Toasted almonds taste so good 😀
Courtney
This is so easy! How awesome…
How long with the flour last in airtight container?
Simply Hollie
Hello, it should last around 3-4 weeks in the fridge and a few months in the freezer. It really is so easy to make 🙂
Angelina Orabuena
Hollie-
You have solved a huge want. I dont know why I never looked up how to make almond flour,You are Amazing!! You have truly helped me to feed my family Healthier foods.I have Enjoied your website n IG feed. Having fun in the kitchen….Keep up the Awesome work.
Simply Hollie
Hi Angelina – Thank you so much for your kind words!
I started this website to share simple, healthy ideas with families like yours. Comments like these make me very happy 🙂
Christi
I had read somewhere that I would have to blanch then soak then grind for some nutritional reason? That’s really a lot of steps that are hopefully unnecessary! Can I buy blanched almonds? I want to use the flour mostly for baking. Thank you for this information! So helpful.
Simply Hollie
Most experts say that soaking first removes phytic acid so you can absorb more nutrients. You can definitely buy them blanched and then follow the same steps from that point on to make your own flour!
Maria
Hello. I just read some of the comments about blanching almonds. I believe that blanching is simply soaking in hot water to remove the skin. Soaking actually has a different purpose. You need to soak for at least 24 hours to allow the almond kernel to germinate. That releases nutrients that are very beneficial. As it turns out though, both raw and germinated offer invaluable nutrition. Keep in mind that if you soak the almonds, you can make almond milk using the water! Lovely and creamy. Naturally, there is a process in doing this and you can find easy methods online. Have a great day.
Simply Hollie
Hi Maria, I love making homemade almond milk! You are so right about the creamy consistency. I really enjoy adding the creamy milk to my coffee in the mornings.
I soak my almonds overnight when making almond milk.
Have a fabulous day!
Barbara
Hi, Hollie!
I just wanted to add that leaving the almond skins ON has a nutritional value. Coupled with the fact that it’s Easier (Yay!) to skip the blanching step and that it provides a greater selection of items depending on store specials each week, I choose to leave the skins ON! Did I mention it’s Easier? 🙂 heehee ~ Almonds with skins left ON taste a little bit “healthier” or “earthier”, so they aren’t perfect for serving desserts to guests (although fine for our healthy family, right?). Here’s a blurb from a healthy web site about the nutritional value of the skins:
“The flavonoids found in almond skins team up with the vitamin E found in their meat to more than double the antioxidant punch either delivers when administered separately, shows a study published in the Journal of Nutrition.” from: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=20
Simply Hollie
Hi Barbra,
Thanks so much for sharing the info! I’m with you on using almonds with skin on for homemade treats for the fam-I do it all the time and family loves them 🙂
Joanna
I bought roasted, salted almonds the other day (for something else) but then I had a few recipes I wanted to try that called for almond flour, then couldn’t find any at the store I usually go to…wouldn’t you know they’d be sold out just when you want to get it! Can I use these for almond flour or would it be weird tasting?
Simply Hollie
Hey Joanna! I probably wouldn’t use them for almond flour because of the salt added. I’m not sure how salty they are but that could significantly change the taste of the baked goods (even with reducing the amount of salt called for in the recipe). I would try using the almonds in other ways-perhaps chopped up and added as garnish to savory dishes and soups or added to home-made trail mix
Joanna
OK, Thanks!
ketchdrifter
If I can only find salted nuts or only have salted nuts, I wash them. It may not remove every bit of salt, but it takes away most of it.
Laura
Joanna;
I’ve been experimenting with using small chopped nuts as a breading for chicken (usually stips or nuggets). Your roasted, salted almonds might be perfect for that…add some other seasonings for what ever flavor profile you want…bread your chicken with the nut mixture and bake…yummo!
The (Gluten-Free!) Food Gurly
Sounds yummy, will have to try that! Thanks! 🙂
Joanna
Oh, also….does one cup whole almonds make 1 cup flour?
Carolyn
We recently started eating paleo & have been buying almond flour for $10 a pd at our local co-op, I didn’t realize how easy & inexpensive it is to make my own flour. Thank you for a great recipe
Simply Hollie
Hi Carolyn, thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to comment! I also can’t believe the price difference. How long has it been since you switched to paleo? How are you finding the transition?
Janet Wood
Hi
Just new to this but I have done years of study about nuts and seeds the information says to soak the nuts because of the enzymes within them they all have enzyme inhibitors which in themselves cause lots of problems in our bodies
Just wondered if you heard/read that too
Thanks
Simply Hollie
Hi Janet!
Yes, I’ve heard and read about that as well. Soaking your nuts prior to making almond flour or eating them in general is a good habit to get into it. It’s more time consuming as you have to dry the nuts completely before using them to make flours etc. but it will make digesting easier on the body.
You mentioned that you’re new to a whole foods based diet, I’d love to know how you’re finding it? Have a great day!
bwtchd
Has anyone tried this with toasted almonds? I think it would be great as a sauce thickener.
Mark Burgess
Hi Hollie
This is a great easy to follow recipe, When I move back to NZ I will look at how to get almonds in bulk as I am thinking making almond oil( cold pressed ) then use the remainder to Make flour.
Another thing that puzzles a lot of people is margarine versus butter and is there a home made alternative ?
Thanks
Mark
Simply Hollie
Hi Mark, sorry for the delay, I just saw your message now.
Yes, I would always suggest grass fed butter over margarine of any sort. Here is a good article to refer to: http://chriskresser.com/for-a-healthy-heart-stick-to-butter If you are sensitive to dairy, coconut, red palm oil or rendered animal fat are all great options for cooking as they have high smoke points. Hope this helps!
Megan
Hi Hollie.
This is a great and easy recipe to follow. But see I’m trying to make my own macaroons and the only ingredient i didn’t have at my house was alone flour so i thought why not try to make my own. Would this recipe for almond flour work to make macaroons? please reply as soon as you can. thank you.
Simply Hollie
Hi Megan, you certainly can. I’ve seen plenty of macaroon recipes made with almond flour. Here’s one for you! http://www.mommypotamus.com/vanilla-bean-coconut-macaroons-gaps-paleo-primal/
David E
When using almond flour as opposed to other flours such as whole wheat flour in baking, are there adjustments one has to make regarding the other ingredients and the amount of flour required?
I make my own almond milk and am left with the almond pulp. Can I use the pulp as almond flour in baking?
Simply Hollie
Hi David! Yes you can use the almond pulp for baking! You can dehydrate in the oven at a very low temp or with a dehydrator. Once the pulp is completely dry you can pulse in your blender for a few seconds to create a flour like consistency. There is learning curve when using almond flour instead of gluten flours. I suggest trying some recipes from some online blogs to get a feel for working with nut flours as a first step!
Chris
Did I use the wrong almonds? It took forever to peel, after blanching, 12 oz of almonds. Each almond has to be handled individually and the peels make a sloppy, get in the way of everything, mess. Then they have to be dried….sure took me way way longer than a minute. Will buy blanched almonds next time for a bit more money
Chris
My apologies. I did not get instructions for how to blanch your own almonds from this site or you. The site I did get it from boasted it only took a minute and I was a bit miffed.
Jolene
Wow. I bought pre packaged blanched slivered almonds and made my own almond flour.. saved 5 dollars! It literally took maybe 2 minutes from opening the package to pouring the flour on a ziploc. Amazing 🙂 Thank you!
Dawn Hixson
How much flour does one cup of almonds make?
Sally
Dawn, I just tried it. I put 3/4 of a cup in my Vitamix. It came out just under a cup.
Simply Hollie
Thanks Sally!!
Sorry Dawn! I must have missed the original comment. I usually measure 1 cup almonds (which just covers the blades) and it comes to just under 1.5 cups of almond meal/flour.
Wendy
First time making almond flour. Used my Vitamix, and every thing came out great, just one thing though, my flour was rather moist. Is it supposed to be like that, or should I dry out the almonds before making the flour?
Simply Hollie
Hi Wendy! Did you have your almonds in the freezer or fridge just prior to making your flour? My almonds are room temp before processing.
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Veronica
Almond milk..I soaked a cup of almonds overnight with a teaspoon of salt in hot water..covered with a towel..in the morning..I throw away floater almonds..they are rancid..then I drain and rinse till water is clear….then I put one cup of almonds to 3 to 4 cups of water into the blender (i did this twice for a total of 8 cups of almond milk)…then blend on low..then high for about a minute…i strain through cheesecloth or nut bag…squeeze out the cheesecloth..dump almond meal onto a cookie sheet…dry out the almond meal at 200 for about 2 hours…blend in blender for a few seconds…if u go longer…bonus almond flour or almond butter! Lol! That almond butter happened my first time making flour!
Simply Hollie
Thanks for your input Veronica!
Marie
A small coffee mill will grind up enough almond flour (blanced or not) for me to use in our favorite sweet potato pancake recipe in about 30 seconds.
Unless I need a much larger amount of flour – I just use the coffee grinder (used only for this purpose so there are no cross flavors) and it works great and takes up very little space on the counter. So if you are looking for a thrifty way to grind almonds – a coffee mill us it. Got mine for $3 at a thrift store. I love my Vita mix – but it is an older model and a pain to clean. The almonds plug the drain hole. 😕
Abbey
That pancake recipe sounds good! Mind sharing it with me? 🙂
Simply Hollie
Hi Abbey, I just realized that I don’t have an almond flour pancake recipe on my site! I’ll have to remedy that! I do have a few others though. Most recently, Rice Flour Pancakes. They taste very similar to classic wheat pancakes. Here’s the link: https://simplywholefoods.com/2015/07/22/perfect-rice-flour-pancake-recipe/ If you’re looking for grain free, I do have a couple options (although not almond flour based! :))
Abbey
Hi Hollie! There wasn’t a reply button next to your comment, so I replied here – I hope you see it!
I’m loosely following a mix of paleo and vegan (life is hard – especially when it comes to baking!) so no grains unfortunately. However, potatoes are my exception. That was actually what interested me in the pancake recipe she mentioned – not the almond flour, though I do use almond flour in baking.
You don’t happen to have any grain-free vegan recipes off hand, do you? 😉 I usually find regular recipes and sub coconut/almond milk for dairy and flax eggs for chicken eggs. It doesn’t always work but when it does it is so worth it 🙂
Ozzie Chef
Hi, did you use the Vitamix wet or dry container? Does it make much of a difference?
Simply Hollie
Hi Ozzie, I actually use the wet container and find it works better for nut or seed flours! I have both but prefer the wet for this use.
Jill
This is exciting to learn. I asked for a dry container for Mother’s Day (today) but I don’t think hubby got the message. And I have an almond pancake recipe the kids wanted to make me. I’m going to try this in my wet container and see how it goes. Thanks, Hollie!
Simply Hollie
Hi Jill, haha that’s too funny! Sometimes you have to almost spell it out for them 🙂 The good news is that I totally find the regular container much better at processing grain free flours! You should be set for some yummy pancakes. Happy Mother’s Day!
totolove
Hi Hollie-
What a great little tutorial! Can I just ask- using my Vitamix blender- can I just set the machine to ‘high’ speed and turn it straight on for the 7 seconds? Or do I need to go through the usual procedure of starting off at low speed and then gradually/quickly speeding up to High- and then leaving it on for the 7 seconds?
Thanks in advance!
Simply Hollie
Thanks so much! I would suggest using the normal procedure. The blades are going to be pulverizing whole nuts! Going to high/10 would be a bit of a jolt to the Vitamix system 🙂
Heidi
It works fine to set the Vitamix at 10, hold the pulse down for the five seconds and it comes out fine. If we go for longer than five seconds the edges start to turn into Almond butter. The Vitamix has no problem with starting at a high speed setting.
serena
Hi! Instead of using a vitamix, would my food processor work?
Simply Hollie
Hi Serena, I’ve never tried with a food processor. You really want to get as fine of a flour as possible and the Vitamix does a really great job. I’ve heard some people try small batches in their coffee grinder but again, I haven’t tried this method. Best of luck!
Rosy Gomez
I tried using a food processor but the flour was lumpy, instead of a fine powder. I’m guessing this could affect my recipes.
I don’t own a Vitamix and I was about to buy one, but I’m reading some bad reviews in amazon and I understand some models are being recalled, so I don’t know if I should go with the coffee mill or consider buying a Blendtec. Any thoughts?
Simply Hollie
Hi Rosy,
I’ve owned my Vitamix for over 5 years now and love it! I can say that I did have a small issue with my blender a couple years ago but Vitamix took care of the problem. Customer support was able to figure out the issue over the phone by listening to the motor run. I received my new part the following week and it’s worked perfectly since.
I would recommend the Vitamix if you are in the market for a good blender that is capable of doing LOTS of things like flour, nut butters, purees, soups, smoothies. It’s expensive if you are only going to use occasionally. A coffee mill may work for nut flours but I’m not sure how fine the end result will be.
I don’t have experience with the Blendtec so can’t comment on it’s abilities. Hope this helps!
Rosy Gomez
Thank you for kind comments Hollie !!
Simply Hollie
Your welcome Rosy! Have a great day!!
Barbara
I don’t have a Vitamix. When I make almond milk, I dry the pulp just by leaving it on parchment paper over night uncovered. Then in the coffee mill and it comes out perfect. But when I try it with just the blanched and dried almonds, it comes out really sticky and unusable. I guess you must really need the Vitamix when using the whole almonds 😦 I do get better results with cashews which I use for breading chicken. Can you substitute cashew flour for almond flour in recipes?
Simply Hollie
Hi Barbara,
I haven’t experienced my almond meal/flour becoming sticky after processing but I do always use the regular attachment of the Vitamix. I love the tip about leaving the pulp out to dry over night instead of drying in the oven. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, you should be able to substitute cashew flour as long as they are blanched and very finely ground.
christy
I have a vitamix but it only came with a wet container….did you use a wet or dry container to make your almond flour??
Simply Hollie
Hey Christy, I actually prefer the regular wet container for grain free flours! Sounds like you’re all set to make almond flour 😊
danielle
Hi there! Can you make almond flour from left over almond pulp from making almond milk? Thanks! 🙂
Simply Hollie
Hi Danielle, so sorry I just saw your question! Yes you can BUT you need to make sure your pulp is totally dry. You can google how to dry almond pulp in a low oven. Once it’s dry you’re good to go. I would just give it a whirl in your blender!
Farhan
I tried making almond flour the other day, but it came out extremely oily and mushy, and almost paste-like. how do I avoid this?
Simply Hollie
Hello, I’m sorry to hear that your flour didn’t turn out! The nuts need to be completely dry before processing. I wonder, do you store your almonds in the fridge or freezer? Also, you will get the best results with fresh nuts. I’d suggest trying again with totally dry, fresh nuts! Good luck.
Deborah
Hi, I have just brought a jar of gluten free Almendrina Crema de Almendras in Spain and was wondering what I could make with this .any ideas ?
Simply Hollie
Hi Deborah, I’m not familiar with that product/brand? If you give me a description I’d love to help come up with some ideas!
elegantlyeco (@elegantlyeco)
If you don’t have a high powered blender a coffee grinder or spice grinder works as well.
Simply Hollie
Thanks for sharing!
Majid
Could we use a food processor instead of a high powered blender?
Simply Hollie
Hi Majid, the problem with a food processor is the consistency. You really need a high powered blender to achieve the fine “flour” consistency you’d be looking for. I’ve heard some people have had success using a coffee grinder if you don’t have a blender. Hope that helps!
The Baker
Hi,
I’ve tried grinding my almonds into a fine meal using a coffee grinder, but always wind up with a “crunchy” meal with tiny unground pieces in the meal. I’ve even tried chopping the almonds before grinding them to have smaller pieces to grind. Is there something I’m doing wrong or is there another way to eliminate the “tiny pieces” leftover? They are giving my baked goods an unpleasant crunch every time I take a bite.
Thanks!
eatyournuts
Hi – Coffee grinder might not get the flour as fine as a high powered blender, but my coffee grinder does get it pretty good. I would suggest grinding it longer… that’s the only thing I can think of. How fast does your coffee grinder spin?
The Baker
Hi again!
I’m not sure how fast my coffee grinder is. I can try to grind the nuts for a longer amount of time. The only issue is that I am grinding other grains at the same time and have a set amount of time to combine this grinding with that kind and don’t want to affect the grains themselves, or they wouldn’t grind completely, thus affecting my baked goods. Is there anything else you can suggest I do to the nuts beforehand, or am I going to need to do them separately (I’m not sure I would even be able to do that since I don’t grind that many of them at once).
Abbey
Do you blanch your nuts? That helps me get a finer flour (versus an almond meal). What about soaking your nuts beforehand? If nothing works, maybe you could try doing them seperately like you said… that might be what’s messing your almond flour up. Depending on what type of coffee grinder you have you might be able to grind very few at once (with my smaller one, I can grind just one almond if I really wanted to without a problem). Good luck! 🙂
The Baker
That’s a good idea. I’ll try grinding them separately and see if that helps.
For your other questions, I do not blanch them and don’t want to remove a nutritionally optimal part of the nut, so I would avoid doing that. The same thing with adding water-I don’t want to have the drained water taking valuable nutrients along with it. Let me see if the new grinding technique works the next time I do my baking.
Thanks for the suggestion!
Abbey
Good luck! Also, just a note: Soaking nuts beforehand can actually be really beneficial from a nutritional standpoint. It can disable some of the phytates and lectins, as well as enhance the nutrients in the nut. There are some good articles out there if you want to Google it… Just a thought 🙂 Either way, hope it all works out!
The Baker
I thought I would let you know that I tried grinding the nuts separately yesterday like I said I would, and it did help quite a bit. I think there was still just a hint of crunchiness leftover, but it is pretty much gone now.
Once again, thank you! It sure is great using the almonds this way!
Abbey
Glad it worked out! That’s awesome. I recently made some almond flour from whole, unsoaked almonds by grinding it up in the food processor so it was chynky and then transferring it to my coffee grinder to get it into the flour consistency. It worked out pretty well.
Simply Hollie
That’s a pretty awesome tip Abbey! Thanks for sharing😊
Dee
Hi Hollie,
I was wondering if you use the wet or dry vitamix container? If you use the wet (normal) 🙂 container, do you happen to know if the dry container would work too?
Thank you for posting this!
Simply Hollie
Hi Dee, I actually use the regular wet container as I find it works better for nut flours. For grain flours like rice flour, I’d suggest the dry container. Hope that helps!
Dee
That does! Thank you so much! 🙂
Simply Hollie
You’re welcome. Have a fabulous day!
Connie Shaddy
Don’t forget to make your Almond Milk, then your Almond Flour! I love Almond Milk in my morning coffee. I will never again buy Almond Milk…..and I will use my Almond Flour for my pups’ cookies and pupcups! Love it!
Nancy
Hmm, using my Vitamix to make almond milk from soaked almonds, there is just one thing…. there is no pulp!
I gets all the almonds in my milk!! 😉
Tiffany
Any blender will works? I am gonna make macaroons😁
Marg Lake
Great recipe! I want to make it ASAP! But could you tell me what a tamper is? Thanks!
Simply Hollie
Thanks Marg. The tamper comes with the Vitamix. It’s used to help push down the ingredients towards the blades for easier processing.
Shekhar suman
Hi! I was able to make very good almond flour in a jiffy thanks to your guidance! I first toasted them and then ground them in a mixer.
Simply Hollie
Yeah! Thanks for the feedback Shekhar!
Silvina
Hi, question. Why did you toast them before grinding them? Will it prevent caking? Or does it give it better flavor?
Morin
Hello. So I have tried making Almond flour in my vitamix. The problem I have it either comes out with the nuts not fully ground with large pieces or if I leave it longer, it starts turning into almond butter! Could it be because I’m putting too much in at a go? I usually try and do 2 cups because I have one of those squat wide containers. Thanks for your help.
Simply Hollie
Hello,
Yes, it sounds like you’re putting too many almonds in at once. I process in smaller batches and only add enough almonds to clover the blades. I also prefer the regular container to the grain container for nut flours. Hope that helps!
RosieTulips
Was that the wet blade that you used?
McDee
Hollie, I just came across your site today, and tonight I used half a bag of almond pieces to make almond flour in my Vitamix. Came out fantastic. Thank you so much. It’s nice to know I can make just small amounts as I need it.
Jerome J
thank you so much, I have a recipe that calls for almond flour and just got so tired of spending so much for a small amount. Thank you for sharing this… blessings to you and your family.
Simply Hollie
Hi Jerome, You are very welcome! Have a wonderful day.
NADER
Hello dear Hollie . I am 66 and never knew how to make almond flour, 4 simple steps to make almond flour was great , I am looking forward for more simple recipes . God bless you . Nader
Angie Pearce
Hi Hollie! I just stumbled across this while googling the necessity of a grain container for my new Vitamix 5300. It only comes with a 64 Oz wet container. Are you saying I don’t need a dry container to make flours? If so, you have saved me a nice chunk of change!
Hollie Jeakins Photography
That’s right! If you’re wanting to make almond flours or nut flours I find this works better! Just be sure to process in small batches as indicated in my post 🙂