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10 great ways to use almonds
Blended, toasted or simply scattered, almonds certainly pack a punch of flavour and nutrients.
Here are some suggestions on how to supercharge your breakfast, lunch or dinner with these popular nuts.
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Try almonds for gluten-free baking instead of flour
Whether they're chopped, ground into flour or used for decoration, almonds are a baking all-rounder.
Try them for yourself in recipes to suit any occasion from cakes, pizza crusts and biscuits, to low-carb pancakes.
Handpicked content: Mini lemon meringue pies
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Scatter over porridge with a drizzle of honey
Top a warm bowl of porridge with whole or sliced almonds for extra protein at breakfast-time.
Finish with some fresh or dried fruit and a trickle of honey or agave nectar.
Handpicked content: Peanut butter porridge with caramelised banana slices
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Toast some slivered almonds and sprinkle them on your salad
Baking almonds in the oven for a few minutes intensifies their flavour and turns them crispy and golden.
Mingle them with sliced crunchy apples, shredded kale and rich avocado for a flavourful salad that’s perfect for lunch or as a side dish at dinner.
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Grab a handful of homemade almond trail mix when you’re on the go
The story goes that trail mix was invented to give you a kick of energy and protein while hiking.
But even if the furthest you’re heading is to the office, there’s no reason to miss out on this energy-dense, portable snack.
Simply combine almonds with seeds and dried fruit in an airtight container and store somewhere cool and dry.
- Add a few almonds to smoothies
All you need is a blender and a few spare minutes to make a delicious smoothie.
For a great smoothie base, start with a frozen banana, almond milk and yoghurt then throw in almond butter or whole almonds for added nutritional goodness.
Handpicked content: Healthy smoothie breakfast bowl
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Garnish soup with crunchy almonds
A handful of almonds adds a pleasant contrast to creamy soups.
This works particularly well with rich, smooth soup bases like broccoli, cauliflower and butternut squash.
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Sprinkle almonds over desserts like fruit crumble
Top cooked fruit such as apples or berries with chopped or flaked almonds mixed with oats, dates, cinnamon and butter.
Pop into the oven until the crumble is bubbling hot and golden brown.
Handpicked content: Apple & blackberry oat crumble
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Pour a dash of homemade almond milk into hot drinks
Soak whole almonds in water overnight and blend until smooth.
Strain the mixture then keep the dairy-free almond milk in the fridge, sweetening if necessary. Enjoy with coffee or hot chocolate.
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Stir in toasted almonds to liven up rice dishes
Aromatic spices, toasted almonds and cooked brown rice make a quick and easy midweek meal that will feed the whole family in minutes.
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Soak almonds to make a face scrub
Almonds are rich in vitamin E which may have an anti-inflammatory effect on the skin.
Try this nourishing scrub to gently exfoliate away dead skin cells.
Almond face scrub recipe
1
Soak a handful of almonds in water for 8 hours.
2
Drain and store the paste in a container.
3
Depending on your skin’s needs, add honey to moisturise or lemon to combat greasiness and treat blemishes.
4
Gently apply to face before rinsing.
3 wonderful recipes using almonds
Not only can almonds help you lose weight – a study published in the International Journal of
Obesity revealed those who eat almonds lose more weight, and keep it off too – one handful can provide 65 per cent of your RDA of vitamin E!
Almonds are also rich in calcium and magnesium, essential nutrients for fighting premenstrual syndrome, and also contain prebiotics that can nourish healthy bacteria in our gut.
Use almonds along with other nuts to replace proteins such as red meat in stir-fries, salads or pasta dishes, or try one of our three great almond recipes below.
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Nutty flapjacks
Good for: boosting digestive health
Serves: 6
Nutrients per serving
| Energy | Total fat | Saturates | Protein | Fibre | Carbs | Sugar | Salt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 247kcal | 15g | 7.2g | 4g | 1.9g | 23g | 11g | 0.29g |
Ingredients
- 150g butter
- 50g light brown sugar
- 100g golden syrup
- 225g porridge oats
- 75g chopped nuts – almonds, pecans or walnuts
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC/fan 160 C/Gas 4. Lightly oil a 23 cm (9 in) square baking tin.
1
Put the butter, sugar and syrup in a heavy-based saucepan and heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted.
2
Remove from heat. Combine the oats and nuts.
3
Transfer to the tin, level the surface and bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes until golden brown around the edges and still soft in the middle.
4
While still warm, score into 12 bars with a sharp knife.
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Spicy nuts
Good for: healthy snacking
Serves: 4
Nutrients per serving
| Energy | Total fat | Saturates | Protein | Fibre | Carbs | Sugar | Salt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 186kcal | 15g | 2.4g | 6.8g | 1.6g | 4.1g | 2.7g | 0g |
Ingredients
- 100g mixed nuts including almonds, peanuts, cashews and pecans
- 1tbsp olive oil
- 1tsp honey
- ½tsp cayenne pepper or chilli powder
- 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
- ½tsp ground cumin
Method
1
Preheat oven to 180°C/ fan 160°C/ gas 4.
2
Mix together ingredients with ½tsp sea salt and black pepper.
3
Roast on baking tray for 15-20min, tossing occasionally, until nuts are golden.
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Almond hummus
Good for: boosting digestive health
Serves: 6
Nutrients per serving
| Energy | Total fat | Saturates | Protein | Fibre | Carbs | Sugar | Salt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 86kcal | 4.9g | 0.6g | 3.5g | 2.4g | 5.9g | 0g | 0.03g |
Ingredients
- Large tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 rounded tbsp almond butter
- 1tbsp olive oil
- 1tbsp lemon juice
- ½tsp smoked paprika
Method
1
Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
2
Serve as a dip with crudités or use as a filling for sandwiches and wraps.
Last updated: 7 September 2021
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