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.
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. 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.
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:
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. 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:
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.
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.
A raw almond could be with or without the skin (aka blanched). 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.
