15 Best Almond Flour Substitutes for Your Pantry

Almond flour is one of the healthiest types of flour to use in baking. It used to be just another substitute for regular wheat flour.

However, as more people become more conscious of their health, almond flour quickly became popular for its benefits in reducing the risk of chronic illnesses.

I personally use this for most (if not all) of my baked goods. But this also means I use them all up rather quickly.

Fortunately, I have several alternatives that are just as healthy (or easy to find when in a pinch). I'm here to share my best almond flour substitute with you.

Jump to:

• Understanding Almond Flour
• Nut-Based Almond Flour Substitutes
• Nut-Free Almond Flour Substitutes
• Accessible Almond Flour Substitutes
• Choosing What to Replace Almond Flour With
• Almond Flour Substitute FAQs
• The Best Almond Flour Substitute
• Recipe

Understanding Almond Flour

If you're one of the many people who switched to a healthier diet, you might have encountered several almond flour recipes in the past.

But what exactly is almond flour? Where does it come from? And why do we use it to replace traditional wheat flour?

What is Almond Flour?

As the name suggests, almond flour comes from almonds, or more specifically, blanched almonds (peeled).

It's different from an almond meal, which can come from blanched or whole almonds (unpeeled). Nonetheless, it's rather common to use these two terms interchangeably.

Almond flour is a gluten-free flour and contains numerous vitamins and nutrients. This makes it a popular alternative flour for paleo, keto, gluten-free, vegan, and low-carb diets.

You may also use almond flour to replace bread crumbs to coat food for frying.

How Is It Different From Whole Wheat Flour?

Even though almond flour has a slightly sweeter taste than whole wheat flour, it has a lower sugar and carb content.

This is why it's a common substitute for regular flour in sweet recipes, especially among people suffering from diabetes or trying to manage their blood sugar labels.

Despite earning the label "flour," finely ground almonds do not have the same consistency as regular wheat flour.

Instead, it's more of a fine granule than powder-ish, like what you'd expect from any type of flour.

Nut-Based Almond Flour Substitutes

If you've discovered you ran out of almond flour, you can always switch to a different type of flour. Let's start with other nut flours that work well as an almond flour substitute.

1. Cashew Flour

Go online and type in "cashew flour." You'll find dozens of brands selling this and even recipes teaching you how to make one at home.

One advantage it has over almond flour is that it has a milder nutty flavor and overall taste, so it doesn't affect the final taste of your favorite recipes.

To make it even better, cashew flour is better at absorbing flavor. So, aside from reducing the nutty taste, you're also enhancing the overall flavor of your baked goods.

Since cashew flour comes from nuts instead of wheat, it's also a gluten-free alternative. It's an excellent choice for baking recipes with delicate flavor profiles.

You can substitute almond flour with cashew flour in a 1:1 ratio.

Best for all baked goods.

Try using this substitute on this Rainbow Cake recipe.

2. Pecan Flour

Pecan flour comes from grinding pecan nuts. It's a great substitute for almond flour because of its slightly richer and smoother taste.

However, it's relatively harder to find than almond flour (unless you want to make it yourself). It also adds a nutty flavor to your recipe.

Pecan flour is an efficient thickener and binder, which only means two things; it's the perfect substitute for sauces and baked goods.

You can substitute one cup almond flour with one cup pecan flour (1:1 ratio).

Best for all baked goods and nutty sauces.

3. Hazelnut Flour

Hazelnut is a popular flavor in various treats and sauces, so you might already be familiar with its taste. Hazelnut flour has a similar flavor profile.

Because of its distinct strong taste, it's not the best option for most recipes. Instead, it's more popular when making scones, pie crusts, and cookies.

Hazelnut flour is significantly thinner than almond flour. While it will still bind your ingredients, almond flour is still a better binding agent.

You may also use it to bread fish or chicken before frying or sprinkle a pinch over oatmeal for additional flavors.

Use it as an almond flour substitute for low-carb recipes in a 1:1 ratio.

Best for scones, pie crusts, cookies, and breading.

Here's a Sourdough Pizza Crust recipe to test it out.

4. Macadamia Nut Flour

Macadamia nut flour has the strongest flavor among all the other types of nut flour on this list. So, be mindful when using this to replace almond flour.

It only works as an almond flour substitute in recipes whose flavor blends well, like coffee-flavored treats or baked goods.

Nonetheless, it has a lower carb content than almond flour and contains healthy fats, making it a prime choice for keto recipes.

Best for coffee-flavored baked goods.

Nut-Free Almond Flour Substitutes

"But I have nut allergies! How can I replace almond flour if all the substitutes are nut-based?" Say no more.

Here are the best nut-free almond flour substitutes.

5. Coconut Flour

As we speak, countless websites are uploading their coconut flour recipes online. That's how popular this flour is.

However, you must be extremely careful with it as an almond flour substitute. It acts very differently from other types of flour.

For instance, coconut flour absorbs moisture rather quickly. Ergo, if you use it as a 1:1 substitute for almond flour, you'll end up with crumbly and dry baked goods.

To prevent this, add an extra egg or more liquid to introduce extra moisture to the mix. Or you may also use a mixture of half coconut flour and half other types of flour.

If you ask me, it's better to look for specific recipes that substitute coconut flour for other flour. Don't worry. They're very easy to find.

Use ½ part coconut flour and ½ part other flour to replace one part almond flour.

Best for bread loaves, wraps, and pizza crusts.

Check out this Coconut Cheesecake recipe and replace flour with coconut flour for a better blend of ingredients.

6. Sunflower Seed Flour

Sunflower seed flour may not come from nuts, but it still gives your recipe a slightly nutty flavor, albeit milder than the other alternatives here.

One of the best things that make this an excellent substitute for almond flour is it has a similar consistency.

It's rich in protein, fiber, and antioxidants, so you already know it's good for your health. Because it comes from sunflower plants, it's a nice substitute if you follow a gluten-free diet.

The only downside is it will give your recipe a noticeable green hue, mainly caused by chemical reactions with baking soda.

Don't worry. The texture and taste of the recipe stay the same (except for the mild nutty flavor).

One cup of almond flour equals one cup of sunflower seed flour.

Pro-Tip: Introduce a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice) to the mixture to prevent it from altering the recipe's color.

Best for baked goods and treats.

7. Cassava Flour

Cassava flour is arguably the closest thing to wheat flour in consistency. It's finer than almond flour but reacts similarly to common baking ingredients.

Since it comes from the cassava root, it's also a naturally gluten-free flour, achieving global popularity in the paleo community.

You may use cassava flour to replace almond flour in a 1:1 ratio. However, since it's finer, I suggest you find a recipe that uses cassava flour instead of almond. This ensures you won't encounter problems relating to consistency.

Best for tortillas, wraps, and breads.

Here's a Ground Beef Burritos with Guacamole recipe to test it out.

8. Flaxseed Meal

Ground flaxseed meal is a popular alternative to several other ingredients, including eggs and xanthan gum.

It's a wonderful substitute if you need a thickener, but it also works efficiently as a binding agent. Yep, you can make gluten-free and eggless bread just by having ground flaxseeds.

It's one of the best nut-free substitutes for almond flour, although they still lend a mild nutty taste to your recipe.

You can use a food processor or a blender to make ground flaxseeds if you have whole seeds. Use it as an almond flour substitute in a 1:1 ratio.

Best for just about anything.

9. Pumpkin Seed Meal

Grinding pumpkin seeds will give you a pumpkin seed meal. It's slightly coarser than wheat flour but is still finer than almond flour.

It's an excellent substitute if you have a nut allergy but still hope to get a delightful nutty taste from your flour.

However, you might have trouble finding this in your local supermarket. You have better chances if you go to health food stores selling healthier alternatives to common ingredients.

On the other hand, you can always order it online if you're unsure where to get it.

You can substitute almond flour with pumpkin seed meal in a 1:1 ratio.

Best for cakes, muffins, and soups.

10. Plantain Flour

It's easy to mistake plantain for a banana because they look similar (Hint: They come from the same plant family!) They are denser than bananas but not as sweet, making them a prime candidate for flour-making.

One of the things I love about this substitute is it's seed-free, gluten-free, and nut-free, so it's an excellent substitute if you have a very strict diet.

You may substitute almond flour with plantain flour in a 1:1 ratio. However, keep in mind that plantain flour is starchier.

Ergo, they might cause your baked goods to be denser than usual. Nonetheless, you can always introduce more liquid to increase its moisture.

Best for pancakes, sauces, and soups (as a thickening agent).

Replace all-purpose flour with plantain flour in this Banana Pancakes recipe and taste the difference.

11. Psyllium Husk

Psyllium husk comes from an herb called Plantago ovata. It's a low-carb alternative to almond and wheat flour.

It's more granulated than flour-like and works well as a binding agent and a thickener to maintain the structure of your recipe.

However, psyllium husk may not provide the fluffy texture you want in baked goods. Ergo, it's best to use it with other types of flour to aid in the baking process.

Additionally, psyllium husk is quite difficult to find in grocery stores, but if you get ahold of one, you can use it as a substitute for almond flour.

You might be able to reduce symptoms of constipation and diarrhea by using this substitute since it's a soluble fiber or a natural laxative.

Use ½ part psyllium husk and ½ part other flour to replace one part almond flour.

Best for bread, sauces, and soups.

Accessible Almond Flour Substitutes

If you run out of options and want to bake a recipe that needs almond flour, you can always switch to easily accessible substitutes.

Some of these are ingredients (or include ingredients) you often find in common households.

12. Homemade Gluten-Free Flour

The next substitute on our list is homemade gluten-free flour. It's an excellent alternative and a great recipe to learn since you can use the other ingredients for other recipes.

To make homemade gluten-free flour, you'll need rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, and xanthan gum. I'll teach you how to do this below.

Best for baked goods.

13. Oat Flour

If you have oatmeal at home, you're in luck. You can use this to make an almond flour substitute.

Use a blender or a food processor to grind whole oats until they turn into fine powder. This provides the same benefits you often get from oatmeal.

Use oat flour to replace almond flour in a 1:1 ratio.

Best for pancakes, muffins, and waffles.

Use oat flour instead of regular flour in this Air Fryer Oatmeal Cookies recipe for a better blend of flavors.

14. All-Purpose Flour

Almond flour started as a popular substitute for regular flour before becoming a staple in the baking world.

Ergo, you can use it to replace almond flour in your recipe. It may not have the same nutty taste, but it's widely available in supermarkets for a cheap price!

You might even already have this in stock.

One cup of all-purpose flour is equivalent to one cup of almond flour. However, all-purpose flour is the O.G. binding agent, so you don't need too much moisture to soften your batter.

Take it slow. Mix and add eggs one at a time until you've achieved the desired consistency.

If you're looking for that nutty flavor provided by nut flours, add a few drops of almond extract to the batter.

Best for just about anything.

15. Whole Wheat Flour

One common misconception is that all-purpose flour or regular flour is the same as whole wheat flour. That's just not true.

Whole wheat flour has a higher fiber content than regular flour. Additionally, regular white flour often undergoes a bleaching process to make it appear cleaner and pure.

Lastly, whole wheat flour is quite dense. Ergo, you can't use it as equal parts almond flour substitute.

You have to mix it with other types of flour to meet the almond flour demands of the recipe. Use ½ part whole wheat flour and ½ part all-purpose floor to replace one part almond flour.

Best for baked goods.

Choosing What to Replace Almond Flour With

You must be careful when choosing a replacement for almond flour because not all of them will provide the same benefits you get from almonds.

To help you navigate this, here are some questions you should ask yourself.

Do you have allergies?

Do you have a nut, seed, or coconut allergy? This is perhaps the most important question you must answer, as it can put your health at risk.

Almond is a nut, so choosing a nut-based substitute is probably a bad idea. So, it's better to stick with seed-based and coconut flour or just good old white flour.

However, if you don't have any sort of allergy, I encourage you to choose a nut-based alternative because of the tremendous benefits it brings to your life.

Are you using almond flour because it's gluten-free?

One of the main reasons why people switch to almond flour is it's gluten-free. If that's the case, you should also choose a gluten-free substitute.

All the substitute flours above are gluten-free except for those that come from grains (wheat and oat flour).

What's the purpose of almond flour in your recipe?

Sometimes, we use almond flour as a binding agent. Other times, we use it to thicken sauces, batters, and soups.

Determine almond flour's purpose in your recipe. If it's a binding agent, choose an alternative that works efficiently for the same purpose.

Nonetheless, you can always use substitutes that check both boxes, like ground flaxseeds.

Almond Flour Substitute FAQs

The Best Almond Flour Substitute

The best almond flour substitute is just around the corner. You have over a dozen alternatives to choose from, ranging from nut-based to nut-free to widely accessible substitutes.

All of them will give you the best baked treat you can make at home. You just need to consider how it affects your health and your recipe.

If you want to learn more about the best substitutes for the most common (and rarest) kitchen ingredients, visit Also The Crumbs.

We have an extensive list of great alternatives that don't just function like the real thing but also improve the nutritional value of countless recipes.

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Recipe