Stop Overlooking This Flour For Baked Goods With An Extra Protein Boost - Tasting Table

"Much of what we bake at home or buy as baked goods is made from wheat flour. Not only is it cheap and plentiful, but wheat has a high gluten content that gives breads and pastries structure and elasticity. On the nutritional front, however, it might not offer all you need. Wheat flour is a good source of vital carbohydrates, but if protein is your focus, then you might want to consider using almond flour instead."

"Weight for weight, almond flour contains around twice as much protein as wheat flour, with 26 grams per 100 grams, compared to 12 grams in wheat flour. It's also significantly lower in carbs, making it a popular choice for those on keto diets. But despite this, it has around three times the fiber as all-purpose flour. Almond flour is also good source of healthy fats, though this does mean that it's more calorie dense than regular flour."

"Almond flour lacks the gluten found in wheat flour, which does make it a good ingredient for gluten-free baking, but will result in some textural differences. If you need structure for something like cake, you might find you need to add extra egg or another binding agent, and you won't get the same chewiness in bread you might be used to. However the lack of gluten and the high fat content adds a moist and delicate crumb to muffins and cookies."

Almond flour contains about 26 grams of protein per 100 grams, roughly double wheat flour's 12 grams, and provides significantly fewer carbohydrates and about three times the fiber of all-purpose flour. Almond flour supplies healthy fats, making it more calorie-dense than regular flour. The absence of gluten prevents the same structural elasticity, so recipes requiring strong structure often need extra egg or another binding agent, and breads lack typical chewiness. The high fat and lack of gluten produce a moist, delicate crumb in muffins and cookies. Almond flour adds mild sweetness and nuttiness, pairing with both desserts and savory dishes, and requires recipe adjustments because different flours behave differently.

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