Almond Bread: Low carb, high protein, gluten-free, and tasty!
My husband is gluten-free and I often bake and experiment with alternative flours. I was curious about making a bread out of almond meal since it's so conveniently available at TJ's. I stumbled upon a recipe at Elana's Pantry, an inspiring gluten-free recipe blog. Elana's bread recipe uses almond flour, whi
ch is pretty similar to almond meal, except that almond flour uses almonds that have been blanched (skin removed). In Elana's recipe, she made a mini loaf in a 4x6.5-inch pan. I played around with the recipe, adjusting so I could use nearly the whole bag of TJ's almond meal and make a larger standard-size loaf. The recipe is really simple - just a quick mix of a small number of ingredients. In fact, I was done measuring, mixing, and loading the pan in the few minutes it took my oven to preheat!I haven't experimented yet with additions to this recipe, but I think it would yield great banana bread or blueberry muffins.
What else can you do with almond meal? You can use it to coat chicken or fish before baking or pan-frying. In "Cooking with All Things Trader Joe's" we feature a unique and tasty almond pudding recipe - simple with a lot more nutritional value and flavor than your typical pudding. And the world of almond-based cookies, cakes, and breads seems endless. My kids and I recently made some light crunchy almond cookies using just the almond meal and no other flour - they loved the cookies and named them "marzipan cookies." Do you have any favorites uses or recipes?
Almond Bread
4 1/2 cups almond meal
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
5 eggs
2 Tbsp agave nectar
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1.) Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2.) In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.
3.) In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and add the remaining wet ingredients.
4.) Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix thoroughly.
5.) Transfer the mixture to a 5x9-inch standard loaf pan, lightly oiled (a spray oil makes it easy).
6.) Bake for 60+ minutes or until a skewer/knife inserted in the bread comes out clean.
7.) Cool and slice.
Makes one loaf (if you want to try a mini loaf, just follow Elana's original recipe, substituting almond meal for almond flour)
Posted by Deana Gunn at January 15, 2010 
Categories: Vegetarian and Vegan , Food Recipes
Tags: bread gluten free almond meal
Categories: Vegetarian and Vegan , Food Recipes
Tags: bread gluten free almond meal
What did you think of the taste of the bread?
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I really liked the taste - kind of nutty and mild. If I hadn't known what it was and ate it, I might have thought it was some kind of dense, moist whole grain bread.
It has a sweetness to it too - which is why I like the idea of banana bread and muffins for it.
If you like almonds and hearty breads, I think you'd like it. I don't think a white bread devotee would be into it.
Deana
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I'll have to try this recipe. I made biscuits with the almond meal and they weren't very good. Then again, I didn't add much agave syrup to the recipe.
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I became adventuresome and added 3 Lg. very ripe bananas (I mean BLACK-skinned) plus 1/4 tsp. Gum with 1/2 c. TJ's Oat Bran and WOW! It's TERRIFIC!!! THANX for the SIMPLE recipe.
The one thing I've found frustrating is that gluten-free bread recipes are so intensive, this one's so EASY and full of protein! It's a whole new way of looking at bread!!
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You're right - I never knew Trader Joe's had almond meal and I practically live there! I grind almond meal myself to use in cakes and cookies (almond meal is GREAT in baked desserts. Lots of great European recipes online that use it) - but I'm definitely going to start looking for it at TJ's! How easy. Thanks!
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It isn't clear to me - is it wheat free? I appreciate that it is gluten free but that doesn't mean wheat free of course.
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If something is gluten-free, it is also wheat free inherently. The reverse is not true.
The ingredients are listed above and contain no wheat/gluten ingredients.
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sounds good love to try it
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Can you suggest any substitutes for the agave nectar? I have honey and sugar-beet-syrup (similar in texture to corn syrup). I'd rather not have to buy another sweetener. Would either of those---or a certain amount of sugar or brown sugar---work?
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I haven't tried them all in this recipe, but you should be able to substitute any sweetener. Honey should work fine. Agave nectar is pretty sweet, so if you use regular sugar, I would use 3 Tbsp instead of 2.
Let me know how it turned out!
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Deana, thanks for replying. I'm going to try the recipe this week with honey and let you know. Cheers!
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I was wondering if you think this will work with egg replacer? MY siser in law can't have eggs or gluten. I'm looking for some good things to make her as she's very down about it. I've heard flax can be swapped for the eggs. Thoughts?
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Hi Jennifer,
When the recipe doesn't call for a lot of egg, or if it isn't very dependent on the egg, I have used applesauce or blended silken tofu or flaxmeal. BUT, in this recipe which calls for 5 eggs, I might try a commercial egg replacer like the Ener-G brand product. I haven't tried *any* of these myself in this particular recipe - I've only made it with real eggs. Let me know if you try it and how it turns out.
Deana
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Hi again,
I finally go around to making the bread and just substituted honey for the agave nectar. It had a nice flavor, but I thought the texture was kind of heavy, since it's purely nuts and eggs. I wonder if you could incorporate some rice (or other GF) flour or whip the egg whites separately to lighten it up?
Would love to see where you take this recipe...
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Are you planning to post the recipe for the "marzipan cookies"? They sound delicious. My newly gluten-free mother-in-law is really missing cookies, and I'd love to try them out for her. Thanks!
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Hi Shauna,
Yes, I'll work on getting that recipe posted soon. Almost forgot about getting it on the blog. In the meantime I wanted to suggest a few other gluten-free cookie ideas for your mother-in-law.
First, I know it's a mix, but Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix is very very good. In fact, all of Bob's Red Mill gluten-free mix products are really great (and they're made in a dedicated gluten-free factory and tested gluten-free). They're not sold at TJ's but they're easy to find.
Here are some gluten-free cookie recipes from our blog: We have a Rice cookie recipe that I love. The texture is not that of a traditional cookie - it's more delicate, crumbly, like a tea cookie. http://blog.cookingwithtraderjoes.com/2009/04/13/rice-cookies.aspx
We also have Sunflower Butter Cookies:
http://blog.cookingwithtraderjoes.com/2010/03/14/sunflower-butter-cookies.aspx
Did you see our Lemon Ricotta Almond Cake? Delicious and moist.
http://blog.cookingwithtraderjoes.com/2010/02/17/lemon-ricotta-almond-cake.aspx
Our no-bake Pumpkin Cheesecake is another one with a gluten-free filling and a crust made from Tj's gluten-free gingersnaps (that's also another cookie that's ready made and gluten-free)
http://blog.cookingwithtraderjoes.com/2009/11/23/no-bake-pumpkin-cheesecake.aspx
These are a few off the top of my head. Please browse our site for more gluten-free meal ideas and substitutions. Let us know if there's ever something particular she'd like a GF recipe for and we'll try to help.
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Thanks so much for the speedy reply. I'm definitely making those nut butter cookies now, even though I won't be seeing my M-I-L for a few weeks! I also found a great website (glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com) with lots of baking recipes, if you're looking for some for your family. She likes Bob's Red Mill products too. Looking forward to the almond cookie recipe.
Shauna
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I read that ground flax seed can be substituted for egg in baking recipes. Has anyone experimented with this and almond meal?
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Do you see any WHEAT in the recipe???
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This looks very good! I have some almond meal I used as a facial scrub. And I still have plenty to make almond bread. Thanks for the recipe.
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In your recipe you call for "baking powder", yet in Elaina's recipe she calls for "baking soda". These ingredients create very different results. Which one is correct; powder or soda?
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Hi Karen,
Both recipes call for baking soda - Can you please point out where you see "baking powder" - and I'll take another look. I see "baking soda" in this ingredient list.
That said, in this recipe the two are interchangeable. Baking powder would actually work fine here. Baking soda is not always interchangeable in recipes unless there is an acidic component (here it's apple cider vinegar). Baking powder already has the acidic component and just needs to become wet to work.
Baking soda will have more increased browning than baking powder, making a more brown "crust" on this bread. Other than that, and slight affects to the flavor profile, there's not much of a difference.
Hope that helps!
Deana
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Adding a tsp of xanthan gum can help the bread rise, taking the place of gluten. There are some general rules for xanthan gum on the web, depending on what you are baking. I made brownies with almond meal and xanthan gun--they weren't too flat or cakey.
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try the recipe as is, first. I find it DELICIOUS, as do many I have since shared it with.
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Looks good! Nutrition facts?
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If you slice the loaf into 12 slices, it is 317 calories per slice, 25g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 13 g protein, 11g carbs, 5 g fiber, 450 mg sodium.
It might seem like a lot of calories - Most nut/seed loaves of bread are sliced into paper-thin slices which make it seem like less calories at first glance, but I preferred to slice it into "regular" slices. And being made of ground almonds, it is richer and heavier than regular bread. It's very filling and satisfying.
Enjoy!
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Hi!
Wow, the calories and fat seem really high per slice, given the fact the bread is made with so few ingredients.
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Hi Ellie,
The fat and calories are high because the bread is made using almond meal, with no other flour. Almonds are high in good fats and other nutrients. The slices can be cut thinner (usually commercial breads made with nuts and seeds are sliced very thinly). A little bit is very filling.
The good news is that it's a healthy bread that is gluten-free and a great alternative to breads made with refined flours. Tasty too!
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Great! Sounds yummy
I just started my gluten free diet and prefer the taste of almond flour. Is it okay to use almond flour for the bread recipe and does that change the nutritional content per slice?
Thanks!
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Hi Ellie,
Almond flour and almond meal are interchangeable in this recipe - either will work great. The texture of the bread is slightly less coarse when you use almond flour (since almond meal is usually more coarsely ground and includes the almond skin). Nutritional content is roughly the same.
Enjoy!
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I can't wait to try out this recipe!! Just curious, what is the purpose of the apple cider vinegar? Do you think the recipe could do without it?
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Hi Juliana,
In quick breads (breads that don't have yeast), the reaction of baking soda and vinegar helps the bread rise. Irish soda bread and many gluten-free breads rely on this kind of acid-base reaction. If you don't have apple cider vinegar, you can probably substitute lemon juice, buttermilk, other type of vinegar...something acidic (although I haven't tested it with anything else).
Deana
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Hi. Michael here. My wife & I just went "all-almond" bread in a diet we're on. Love it! Had this question: we've only had almond MEAL bread, not almond FLOUR bread. Could we make a loaf of almond bread, using a bag of almond MEAL & FLOUR mixed together, using the other ingredients necessary for each?
My hope is that it would be less "crumb-ly", bigger, etc. Thank you!
Michael
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Hi Michael,
I haven't tried it, so big disclaimer here, however, I think you could substitute the almond flour for almond meal in this recipe with no problem. It would definitely be less coarse and grainy, and possible a bit more fluffy. You could also do half flour and half meal - I don't see why that wouldn't work just as well as the original recipe. Let me know if you try it!
If you're avoiding white wheat flour in your diet (is that what it is?) another bread to try is Bob's Red Mill GF Wonderful Bread. It's make with garbanzo and other flours and it's really good!
Best,
Deana
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Thank you so much for providing your recipe for almond meal bread. I had VSG surgery, am trying not to eat carbs and have had a hankering for something bready. I added a 1/2 c. of flax meal in place of the half cup of almond meal to give it more fiber. This recipe not only fit the bill but satisfied my craving! Can't wait to look at the rest of your site. I also love TJ's but unfortunately there isn't one close by so when I go there, it's like a day trip!
- Nica
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Hi Nica,
Thanks for your comment - so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
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Thank you so much for providing your recipe for almond meal bread. I had VSG surgery, am trying not to eat carbs and have had a hankering for something bready. I added a 1/2 c. of flax meal in place of the half cup of almond meal to give it more fiber. This recipe not only fit the bill but satisfied my craving! Can't wait to look at the rest of your site. I also love TJ's but unfortunately there isn't one close by so when I go there, it's like a day trip!
- Nica
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I don't like to buy a lot of unusual ingredents, especially if I only use one teaspoon, so would it work to use honey, molasses or maple syrup in this recipe? I always have those in my kitchen.
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Any of those sweeteners would work! Thanks for asking.
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I just tried this- wonderful! I spread a little coconut manna on it and it was like dessert!
Here are the nutrients I figured out:
12 slices/loaf- 1/2 recipe
6 g Carbs
7 g Protein
31 Cals
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I just made this Bread, and it look great , but smell of ammonia? It's normal? this is the first time that I have cooked with almond flour, and would like to continue to do so , but Ammonia is not a very hunger inducing smell...
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I've never encountered or heard of an ammonia smell with almond-flour baked goods. Was the almond meal or almond flour recently purchased? Nut flours can go bad/rancid over time.
I've also heard of certain kinds of baking soda giving baked goods an ammonia smell. I would toss the baking soda and baking powder in your pantry and buy new containers. It's inexpensive and worth swapping out.
There is also something called baking ammonia - usually used in cookies which are thin enough to release the ammonia smell. I doubt if you're using this by accident instead of baking soda, but thought I'd mention it anyway.
Good luck and let us know if the second batch goes better for you.
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Used Arm & hammer baking soda...
May have been the almond flour?
Did same bread using yeast? Worked pretty good. Lacking in overall rise, but great flavor... Thanks
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It sounds like there is something wrong with one of your ingredients. I've made this bread several times and no smell.
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I make a nice porridge with this almond meal too.
1/4 cup almond meal
1 cup unsweetened almond meal
1 tsp guar gum or xantham gum (get this in Whole Foods Market)
About 1/8 tsp salt
A dash of nutmeg
2tbsp xylitol (I use Xylosweet)
1/4 cup whey protein powder (I use Designs for Health - a very good brand. It mixes easily and well. Mix this whey protein powder in another 1/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk. Yon can do this in another shaker bowl or cup or mix it with a fork.
I put that all in a glad plastic bowl with the scew on lid and shake it well (about 15 seconds) until the mixture smooth then put it in the microwave for about 2 minutes until it starts to rise towards the top of the bowl.
Mix in the almond milk/whey protein powder mixture into the almond meal mixture and enjoy. Great breakfast. Low carb, healthy fats and adequate protein.
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This sounds great! (and would be a great addition to the recipe database at http://cookTJ.com if you would like to add it there and share it with other TJ fans) We make a pudding with the almond meal as well - recipe is featured in our first cookbook "Cooking with All Things Trader Joe's" - almond meal cooked with whole milk and sugar (similar to rice pudding recipes) and flavored with cinnamon, a little instant coffee, and vanilla.
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