How To Make Almond Meal

Almond meal is definitely a pantry staple in my house!  It's my go-to replacement for regular breadcrumbs in many of my recipes since it's low-carb and gluten-free.  I'm sharing all the details on how to make it yourself... all you need is raw almonds and a high-speed blender or a food processor, and you'll have almond meal at the ready for all your cooking needs!

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If you’re not familiar with almond meal it’s a great gluten-free, low-carb replacement for higher carb, processed fillers like breadcrumbs.  I use it regularly in my meatball, meatloaf, and even my burger recipes.

It used to be readily available at the grocery store but it has become more and more difficult for me to find.  A while back I resorted to purchasing it online but now I just make my own. 

Just call me Ms. Resourceful!

It’s so quick and easy, and literally requires only 1 ingredient and a high-speed blender or food processor.  Amazingness right here friend!

Almond Meal vs Almond Flour:

There’s one thing I want to make sure I mention: almond meal and almond flour are not the same thing. 

Almond meal is made from whole raw almonds with the skin on. Whereas almond flour is made from blanched almonds with the skins removed.

Almond meal is a little coarser grain, and almond flour is usually finer.

This makes almond flour great for baking things like breads and cookies, and almond meal terrific to use as a moisture retainer in dense meat dishes like meatloaf, or even as a coating for chicken tenders, etc.

Now that we know there’s a difference let’s chat about why I love it, and how you can make it yourself.

Almond Meal Recipes:

Several years ago I was making meatloaf and following a low-carb diet.  The recipe called for regular breadcrumbs which as you know are not low-carb.  So it got me thinking about what else I could use in their place.

Then I remembered how in one of my South Beach Diet cookbooks they used ground almonds instead of breadcrumbs for the coating for low-carb chicken tenders.

So I gave it a shot… I ground up my own almonds in the food processor and it worked like a charm.  It was such an exciting moment!  Don’t judge people – you gotta celebrate the wins no matter how big or small.

All I can say is I haven’t looked back since.  I’m an almond meal making/using fiend.  It is the filler of choice in the Taste And See kitchen for meatballs, burgers, and more! 

Another benefit to using it is that you get a little bit more protein and fiber than breadcrumbs. 

Almond Meal vs Bread Crumbs:

Let’s see how they stack up against each other…

In ⅓ cup of almond meal there are 6 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber and 6 grams of carbs.  In ⅓ of a cup of traditional plain breadcrumbs there are 4 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, and 22 grams of carbs.

So you get 2 more grams of protein, 1 more gram of fiber, and 16 less grams of carbs when compared to regular bread crumbs.

If anyone is keeping track – there is A LOT of winning going on right herrr!

Oh and a quick side note… if you’re wondering why we need breadcrumbs in things like meatballs and meatloaf it’s because they keep the texture a bit lighter.  Meaning it keeps it from turning into a dense brick of meat – it holds in moisture which helps it from becoming too dry.

Makes sense – right!

So what have gleaned from this post so far? 

1. Almond meal and Almond flour are not the same.
2. Almond meal is a great substitute for other fillers that are higher in carbs.
3. You need a filler to keep many compacted ground meat dishes from becoming too dense and dry.
4. And you can make your own almond meal at home with 1 ingredient and the right equipment.

Which leads me to the reason we’re all here today…

Let’s do this!!

How to make almond meal:

All you need is a high speed blender like a Vitamix, or a food processor. 

The only ingredient you will need is raw almonds with the skins on.  You can find these in the bulk food area of your grocery store.

How to make almond meal in the Food processor:

1. Place the almonds in the food processor and secure the lid.
2. Pulse the nuts, holding the pulse button down for 1 second at a time (DO NOT just turn it “on” and walk away). Pulse about 60 times, holding for a second each time.
3. You may need to remove the lid of your food processor and scrape down the sides to be sure everything is combined.
4. Be sure to store almond meal in the refrigerator in a sealed jar or plastic bag.

How to make almond meal in a High Speed Blender: 

1. Add the raw almonds to the blender, turn it to the highest setting and process for 4-6 seconds or until a fine almond meal is achieved.
2. If you see any clumps then stir the mixture or give it a good shake and blend again until you get a fine meal grain. Be careful to not over process and turn the mixture into an almond paste.
3. Store almond meal in the refrigerator in a sealed jar or plastic bag.

As you can tell, making your own almond meal couldn't be any easier.  And using it as a low-carb, gluten-free replacement  for breadcrumbs is really a no-brainer.  Whip up a batch and try it out in one of my many meatball recipes - you'll be an almond meal convert in no time.