The delicious world of almond recipes from almond pastries and cakes to Amaretto cocktails, guaranteed to satisfy any almond lovers’ cravings.
Do you crave almond recipes?
I do. I’ll pick out the almond pastry in any bakery lineup, any day. I can scan a dessert menu for the word almond in a nano second. And every time I open a bottle of almond extract I have to spend a few quiet moments just inhaling that aroma. When I’m spiking a recipe or want a special cocktail it’s got to include Amaretto. Almond recipes are my everything.
Is that weird? I hope a few of you feel the same way (or I’ll definitely feel weird.)
Let’s dig in
- Do you crave almond recipes?
- What’s so special about almonds?
- What makes that amazing almond flavor?
- What’s the best almond flavoring for your almond recipes?
- Almond extract is a secret weapon
- Almond Cakes
- Almond Cookies
- Almond Bars + Blondies
- Almond recipes for breakfast
- Almond tarts and pavlovas
- Almond flour cake recipes
- Frozen almond desserts
- Almond candy
- Savory almond recipes
- Other almond recipes
What’s so special about almonds?
- Technically,ย almonds are not true nuts like walnuts, Brazil nuts, and cashews.
- Almonds areย drupes. Drupes are a type of fruit containing a single seed surrounded by a fleshy mesocarp (middle layer) and a hard endocarp (inner layer) ~ the pit we often associate with the fruit. Examples of drupes include cherries, peaches, and apricots.
- Almonds contain a higher concentration of a specific aromatic compound calledย benzaldehyde. Benzaldehyde is responsible for the characteristic almond flavor we love so much.
- Research suggests potential health benefits associated with moderate almond consumption, including reduced risk of heart disease, improved blood sugar control, and weight management.
What makes that amazing almond flavor?
The story of almond flavoring is surprisingly interesting! Traditionally, bitter almonds were used to make almond flavoring. They contain amygdalin, which breaks down into benzaldehyde, the compound responsible for the characteristic “almond” flavor. However amygdalin can also break down into cyanide, a potentially deadly poison, and so this practice was risky. You cannot buy bitter almonds in the US today, because of this.
Amygdalin is also found in:
- Apricot pits
- Peach pits
- Cherry pits
Many if not most modern flavorings are safely made with synthetically produced benzaldehyde, which still gives the flavor, without the risk. But some brands of pure almond extract are still made from small amounts of bitter almond oil, and they tend to be more expensive. These ingredients will be clearly printed on your almond extract or flavoring bottle.
What’s the best almond flavoring for your almond recipes?
Epicurious did a study of over a dozen almond flavorings and extracts ~ they came up with McCormick’s Almond Flavoring as the winner. My personal choice? Neilsen-Massey Almond Extract (made with bitter almond oil.)
Almond extract is a secret weapon
I use almond extract in so many ways in my kitchen. In the almond recipes below, of course, but you’d be surprised the number of unlikely places I sneak it in (Nantucket cranberry pie….blueberry muffins…cardamom plum crumble bars.) It serves as a perfect companion to vanilla and creates a whole new, so much more complex flavor profile in a lot of desserts. I like the combo so much I rarely use vanilla alone anymore.
Almond Cakes
- Almond Ricotta Cake
- Almond Layer Cake with Blackberry Buttercream
- Norwegian Rhubarb and Almond Cake
- Almond Fig Cake
- Cherry Almond Crisp Dump Cake
- Swedish Visiting Cake
Almond Cookies
- Paste di Mandorla ~ Sicilian Almond Paste Cookies
- Flourless Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Almond Lace Wafers
- Sarah Bernhardt Cookies
- Toasted Almond Russian Tea Cakes
- Roasted Rhubarb Ladyโs Kiss Cookies (baci di dama)
Almond Bars + Blondies
- Almond Shortbread Bars
- Raspberry Almond Bars
- Scandinavian Almond Bars
- Sour Cherry Almond Bars
- Outrageous Almond Butter Skillet Blondies
- No Bake White Chocolate Almond Butter Squares
Almond recipes for breakfast
- Raspberry Almond Puff Pastry Danish
- Overnight Steel Cut Oats with Whiskey Butter
- Almond Poppy Seed French Toast
- Almond Poppy Seed Muffins
Almond tarts and pavlovas
- Almond Pear Tart
- White Peach Frangipane Galette
- Rainier Cherry Almond Tart
- toasted almond pavlova with summer berries
Almond flour cake recipes
- Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
- Meyer Lemon Cake
- Easy Almond Macaroon Cake (gluten free!)
- Flourless Tangerine Cake
- Flourless Tangerine Cake
- Gluten Free Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Frozen almond desserts
- Toasted Almond Milkshake
- Easy Plum Amaretto Sorbet
- Wild Blueberry and Almond Butter Yogurt Popsicles
- The Frozen Turkey Cocktail
Almond candy
Savory almond recipes
- Green Beans Almondine
- Sicilian Pasta with Almonds and Anchovies
- Fragrant Toasted Almond Rice Pilaf
- Spanish Almond Soup โajo blancoโ
- Couscous Almondine Salad
What wonderful almond recipes. If you love breathing in the aroma of almond flavoring (as do I) then try breathing in the aroma of pure anise oil – absolutely wonderful and so relaxing!
I’ll try that!
This is a great collection of recipes!