As indicated by my DIY garlic powder, homemade Mexican vanilla extract, and from scratch ranch dressing... to name a few... I like making everything I can from the very base level!
Almond flour is no exception. Many years ago when I found out I was allergic to modern wheat (and before discovering einkorn flour) I realized that it was easy to make my own almond flour and have been doing so ever since!
And as we recently starting adhering to the GAPS diet again, we have been using a lot of almond flour! I'm very thankful that this homemade almond flour recipe is so easy, because it's saving me a ton of money!
Homemade Almond Flour
Most recipes that call for almond flour use blanched almond flour. This recipe is not blanched and will yield slightly different results when used for baking.
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However, I've used this homemade almond flour in my gluten free, low carb dessert recipes over store bought almond flours for about five years now and have had no complaints!
You can buy the almonds in bulk and save big money if you use a lot of almond flour in your baking!
As an additional bonus above and beyond the money saving aspect - this almond flour contains the skins of the nut, which hold tons of nutrients (20 potent antioxidant flavonoids)... and this flour is sprouted, so there are even more benefits there.
By soaking the almonds before drying them, you trick the almond into thinking it's been planted. This causes it to release nutrients to aid in the growth process, and then you get to eat those extra nutrients!
Homemade Sprouted Almond Flour
Make your own sprouted homemade almond flour and skip the high prices of store bought flour.
Ingredients
- Large bowl
- Dehydrator
- Almonds Any amount
- Distilled water
Instructions
- Place almonds in a bowl with twice the room needed for the almonds. They will grow in size when soaked, just like beans.
- Fill bowl to top with water. You can use tap or filtered, whichever you are more comfortable with.
- Soak for at least 8 hours and a max of 12 hours.
- Rinse almonds thoroughly. You will be amazed at how much dirt comes off those little guys.
- Place on dehydrator trays and dry on 145 for 24 hours and then check for crispness. They should be completely crisp all the way through with no chewiness at all. This has taken up to 4 days for me before. It all depends of the humidity in your home and the time of year.
- Allow to cool in the dehydrator (so just leave it off) for about 8 - 10 hours.
Then you can store them in an air tight container without condensation building inside the container. Any moisture at all would cause the almonds to get soggy and allow for mold growth. - Place a handful of almonds into a coffee grinder (not one that you grind coffee in. Use a dedicated nut/flax/coconut grinder).
Grind until as fine as possible, but be careful because it will turn to butter quickly and that's just a mess. Scrape powder into a sieve to catch any big pieces and then separate the two.
Big pieces in one bowl, flour in another. You will regrind the big pieces once you've finished the whole almonds. Repeat until you have enough flour for your project.
You may need to take breaks if your grinder starts getting warm. It may overheat and shut down for awhile, but it will come back on if that happens... it just needs to cool down first. Try to avoid that by being sensitive to how much you can grind before it even starts to overheat. - Use them all up and start again!
Recipe Notes
Tip: There is a lot of time involved with this process, but only about 30 minutes of active work. The rest of the time is just waiting for the dehydrator.
Melanie says
I’m intrigued and am soaking almonds right now for this purpose but I’ll be using a low temperature on my oven. Have you ever tried grinding the soaked nuts and using those directly as an almond flour sub in a recipe?
Also, would this soaked, DIY almond flour freeze well?
Victoria says
Hi Melanie! I have never tried grinding the soaked nuts before drying because I don’t think you’d be able to get that fine texture without them being dried first. Let me know if you try it! And yes, you can freeze the almond flour for use later on! :-)
Cindy says
Can an oven be used instead of a dehydrator?
Victoria says
Hi Cindy! You can use an oven too, yes. I like to do them at a low temp and that’s tough in an oven because it takes a while. However, you can do them at 200-225F until dry if you start them in the morning!