For individuals new to the ketogenic diet or those seeking to recreate familiar baked goods, almond flour has emerged as a popular and versatile ingredient. This article explores the keto-friendliness of almond flour, its nutritional profile, potential substitutes, and other considerations.
What is the Keto Diet?
The basic principle of the ketogenic diet is to consume high-fat, moderate protein, and low-carb foods. Nutritionists equate that to saying no to high-carb foods, such as white rice, pasta, and baked goods. The ketogenic diet prioritizes high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carbohydrate consumption to shift the body’s metabolism towards burning fats instead of carbohydrates, known as ketosis. This dietary approach is popular among individuals looking to enhance metabolic health and reduce weight.
Almond Flour: A Keto Staple
When searching for low carb flours, you've probably noticed that almond flour tops the list. But what is it about almond flour that makes it popular amongst low carb and keto eaters? Almond flour works well when substituted into carb-heavy recipes that usually call for all-purpose flour. While the result may be a bit more dense and chewy than you're used to, it will be much lower in carbs and still taste delicious.
So, is almond flour keto-friendly? Absolutely. Almond flour is a 100% keto-approved baking flour. It is also the most widely used keto flour on shelves.
Nutritional Benefits
Almond flour contains some pretty impressive health benefits. Though it won't add many carbs to your baked goods, it will add a bit of flavor. Fiber is an essential part of a well-working digestive system, and almond flour is loaded with it. Almond flour is also an excellent source of healthy fats, one of the essential components of a ketogenic diet. Each 100 gram serving of almond flour will provide you with 50 grams of healthy dietary fat.
Read also: Decadent Keto Brownies
Because it’s made from peeled and ground almonds, almond flour is nutrient-dense. It’s particularly abundant in vitamin E, which is important for vision, reproduction, and blood, brain, and skin health. Unlike wheat-based flour which causes spikes in blood sugar levels and leaves you feeling tired and hungry, almond flour has a low glycemic index.
Potential Drawbacks
However, what it lacks in carbs, it makes up for in calories. Though almond flour is significantly higher in calories than many other flours, it also contains considerable amounts of protein and fiber.
And while almond flour contains a lot of fat (which is excellent for keto), most of the fat comes from omega-6. Generally speaking, most people eat too many inflammatory omega-6 fats and not enough omega-3 healthy fats.
Almond Flour vs. Almond Meal
While almond meal and almond flour can be used interchangeably, they're not the same thing. Like almond flour, almond meal is made from ground almonds. However, when making almond meal, the skin of the almond is not removed before grinding. Because of this, when compared to almond flour, the texture of almond meal is a bit more coarse and grainy.
Cooking Tip: While almond meal can create baked goods like cookies and muffins, its coarse texture makes it an excellent keto-friendly breadcrumb substitute.
Read also: The Ultimate Keto Bread Guide
Almond Flour Substitutes
While almond flour is a popular low carb baking ingredient, it's not for everyone. If you're not a fan of almond flour, don't worry. There are several other flours that you can use to create delicious treats, one recipe at a time. If you recently ran out of your favorite keto-approved almond flour, then it's time to search the pantry for another low carb flour that you can use in its place.
You can use keto-friendly flour as a substitute for wheat-based flour to reduce the carbohydrate content of your baked goods. Using keto flour instead of regular flour is not always a 1:1 substitute. Depending on the type of low-carb flour you use, you might need a smaller amount because these flour types have higher absorbency. Low-carb flour also requires more liquid to achieve the right consistency.
Coconut Flour
Looking to swap almond flour with something that is equally as tasty? Try using coconut flour instead. Coconut flour is an excellent alternative to almond flour and adds a tropical taste to whatever you combine it with.
Coconut flour is made from ground and dried coconut meat, giving it a mildly nutty flavor that you’ll love in keto bread, brownies, and cakes. It’s low in carbohydrates, containing only 9 grams of net carbs per 2-tablespoon serving. The fat content in coconut flour is mostly made up of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). MCTs are popular for their weight loss benefits.
When using coconut flour, it's important to note that it absorbs more moisture than almond flour. Because of this, many recipes will need to be slightly modified to include additional eggs or liquids. Combine Organic Coconut Flour with other nut flours to create excellent gluten free baked goods, or use it to coat chicken, fish and other proteins.
Read also: Delicious Weight Loss with Almond Butter
Coconut flour is incredibly absorbent, so 1/4 cup of coconut flour is roughly equivalent to a full cup of almond flour. That means for each dollar spent on coconut flour, you’re getting up to 40 times greater value. Sorry, almond flour.
Sunflower Seed Flour
Made from hulled sunflower seeds, sunflower seed flour has a similar consistency to almond flour. This makes it excellent gluten free, and nut-free flour substitute when you don't have almond flour on hand or are baking for someone with a tree nut allergy. In addition, sunflower seed flour will produce baked goods with a similar taste and texture. However, due to the reactions with baking soda and powder, it typically adds a greenish tint to whatever it's mixed with.
Using sunflower seed flour for your keto dishes can give your recipes a health boost. Sunflower seed flour is made with blended sunflower seeds.
Chia Seed Flour
Made from chia seeds, chia seed flour is abundant in omega-3 fatty acids, which have a lot of benefits for your body and overall health. Aside from its primary health benefit, chia seeds are incredibly low in carbohydrates.
Cassava Flour
Not all almond flour substitutions are low carb, and that's okay. Quickly rising to popularity, cassava flour is making a name for itself amongst paleo-bakers. Though it's made from the cassava root, its texture is incredibly similar to wheat flour, and it can be used in many of the same recipes. When searching for an almond flour substitute, cassava flour is an excellent option and can be substituted at a 1-to-1 ratio. However, because cassava flour can be a bit tricky to bake with, if you're trying out cassava flour for the first time, we recommend searching for recipes explicitly created for this flour. Recipes like these Cassava Biscuits and Cassava Brownies are the perfect place to start.
Wheat Flour
Don't need your recipe to be low carb? Try substituting almond flour with wheat flour. While it may not create a keto-approved treat, we're confident that it will make a delicious one. Almond flour can be substituted with any wheat flour you can find. When substituting the two, it's important to note that wheat flour will change the dish's carb content, density and flavor, so you may have to adjust the quantities. Swapping almond flour for all-purpose flour is simple. Because they are similar in texture and weight, all-purpose flour can be substituted at a 1-to-1 ratio. However, the other ingredient might need to be adjusted a bit. Because almond flour does not contain gluten, it typically requires more eggs or binding agents.
Oat Flour
Picture this: You have all the ingredients to make your favorite almond flour recipe, except the almond flour. Instead of heading to the store to purchase another bag, an easy solution is to swap it out with gluten free oat flour. Oat flour can easily be made at home by grinding rolled oats in a food processor or blender. If you're creating a gluten free recipe, make sure the oats you've chosen are certified gluten free.
Allergies and Sensitivities
Research shows that nut allergies are increasing, especially among children[*]. Allergic reactions to nuts can range from mild skin irritation to life-threatening respiratory distress. Even though almonds are technically drupaceous seeds, meaning seeds from thin fleshy fruits, they’re usually banned along with peanuts and tree nuts. When it comes to food sensitivities, almond flour fares a bit better. Anti-nutrients are compounds in foods that can upset your stomach and interfere with the absorption of nutrients.
Coconuts are drupaceous seeds like almonds, but fewer people have severe coconut allergies. So while some people are allergic to coconuts, it’s rarer, and having a nut allergy doesn’t necessarily mean someone is allergic to coconuts. If you aren’t allergic to almonds or coconuts and you aren’t packing lunches to go to a nut-free school, almond flour and coconut flour are tied when it comes to food allergies and sensitivities.
Environmental Impact
Nearly 80% of almonds come from California. The bad news? According to recent peer-reviewed literature, it takes between one and three gallons of fresh water to produce each almond in California[*]. On the other hand, Spanish almond farmers tend to use rainwater instead of artificial irrigation methods. They’re probably more efficient when it comes to water usage.
Coconut flour comes from coconut pulp. This pulp is a byproduct of coconut milk manufacturing. The good news is that coconut production doesn’t require pesticides or herbicides, and they’re generally harvested by hand rather than giant machines. Unfortunately, as demand for coconut products grows, coastal mangroves are being cleared for coconut monocrops[*]. While you can buy coconut flour with Fair Trade and other eco-certifications, these credentials don’t appear to address the ecological impact of mangrove clearing. When it comes to manufacturing and environmental impact, almond flour has a slight edge over coconut flour.
Baking with Almond Flour
While most cooking is an art, baking is a science, and it can be pretty unforgiving. Almond flour browns more quickly than wheat flour, so keep an eye on it. If you’re new to baking or new to coconut flour recipes, they can be pretty tricky. Don’t pack the measuring cup. In summary, it’s probably a good idea to test out small batches first. Plan ahead.
Cupcakes with Almond Flour
Ketogenic, gluten-free cupcakes containing varying amounts of almond and coconut flours were evaluated for textural and sensory attributes. Coconut-flour particle-size influenced cupcake volume and crumb structure, with smaller flour-particle size resulting in increased volume and decreased crumb density. Although almond-flour particle size itself did not directly influence cupcake properties, volume increases were observed in cupcakes with higher percentages of almond flour. Addition of coconut flour increased cell size and decreased cell density. Mechanical testing showed almond flour resulted in a cupcake that was more tender.
Quantitative descriptive analysis and consumer acceptance evaluation indicated that cupcakes containing almond flour were more moist and tender, and were preferred over cupcakes made with only coconut flour.During formula development, 25% almond flour (wt/wt) was determined as the ideal amount for a cupcake with the most accepted texture and taste. When this ratio was used for a coconut flour cupcake, the cupcake was dry and did not show any signs of leavening. Levels of coconut flour were progressively reduced until the most acceptable all-coconut flour products was obtained. Approximately 11% coconut flour (wt/wt) was optimal for cupcakes containing only coconut flour. Higher percentages of coconut flour resulted in a cupcake that was too dry; and lower percentages produced a cupcake with poor leavening that was excessively moist.