Is Almond Meal and Almond Flour Same

Many of you often ask: is almond meal and almond flour same? This question keeps popping up every now and then. Considering I bake a lot with almonds, I am the one who has to answer this query. Well, until now, like everyone, I, too, believed that both almond meal and almond flour are same. In fact, I used to think that almond powder is different from almond meal.

is almond meal and almond flour different or same?

So what's the reality?

Well, the logic is simple. The answer even simpler.

We make flax meal from roasted ground flax, right?

So when it comes to making almond meal, it is nothing but ground almond powder, which may or may not be blanched.

On the other hand, almond flour is prepared by blanching almonds (peeling off their skin) and then drying them to make almond flour.

But here is a twist. If you want an even low-calorie, low carb almond flour with less fat (though almonds are loaded with good fats that help boost your HDL levels), you may first make almond milk and then use the pulp to make almond flour. Sounds good, right?

What is almond meal?

When you ground almonds to powder, you get almond meal. You may choose to blanch almonds or not. But soaking almonds or boiling in hot water is a good way to remove any anti-nutrients from the almond cover. Remember, anti-nutrients cause digestion problems. Soaking almonds is a good way to reduce phytates from the outer layer or skin of almonds.

What are phytates?

Well, phytic acid is an anti-nutrient that can block calcium absorption while lowering the amount of iron, magnesium, zinc, and copper from almonds.

When you make almond milk, it will have extract maximum amount of fat from almonds. This almond flour will be less sweet and finer than almond meal. This type of almond flour is rich in fiber and low in sugar, carbs, calorie, and fat. You may choose either version.

So there is a difference between almond meal and almond flour, though a majority of us continue to use these terms interchangeably.

What is almond flour

Blanched, dried, and powdered almonds give you almond flour.

I have posted a video to show how to blanch almonds quickly. This method requires no soaking. But if you prefer soaking to heating, please go ahead with that. Both methods are safe.

The end result will be amazingly delicious almond flour, which can be used in a range of healthy recipes. So what are you waiting for?

Go, get your hands on vitamin E rich almonds that are also packed with good monounsaturated fat. This type of fat, as opposed to saturated fat, can help keep cholesterol levels under control because it raises HDL or good cholesterol, which can help lower your risk of heart disease.

Homemade almond flour is hygienic and you can control how you want to make it - sugarless, fat free or with fat. Nevertheless, it is a low glycemic index food, which will not cause blood sugar spikes.