I’ve been baking with almond flour quite a bit lately, trying it in everything from cakes and cookies to quick breads. And I’ve learned it can be hit or miss depending on the brand of almond flour you use.
As it turns out, they’re not all the same. Some flours are ground to a very fine consistency, while others are coarser or even kind of oily, which I’ve found can make a big difference in how baked goods turn out. Think soft versus crumbly, light versus heavy, moist versus dense. It can make a pretty big difference.
I wanted to find one brand of almond flour I could rely on to work across a range of recipes. So, I put Bob’s Red Mill’s to the test in chocolate chip cookies, blueberry muffins and almond cake to see if it’s versatile enough to handle all three. Here’s my Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour Review:
What’s So Tricky About Baking With Almond Flour?
Before we get to the results, here’s a quick look at why baking with almond flour can be so unpredictable.
First, it’s just not all-purpose flour. It doesn’t absorb liquid the same way, and since it has no gluten, there’s no structure to hold everything together. Also, almonds contain natural oils, which can make baked goods moist but can also make them heavy or slightly oily.
Then there’s the variation between almond flours. Finely milled almond flour bakes up softer and more tender, with a smoother crumb, while coarser almond flour doesn’t blend as easily into batter and can lead to a grainy texture or baked goods that feel more crumbly or dense.
So even if you follow a recipe exactly, your results can vary depending on the almond flour you use.
How I Tested Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour
I chose Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour for this experiment because it’s made from blanched almonds and ground to a super-fine, powdery texture. The blanching process involves removing the skins for a cleaner flavor and lighter color. That fine grind gives baked goods a softer feel, with less chance of grittiness.
In my experience, it’s the texture, moisture and consistency that really separates one almond flour from another, so that’s what I paid the most attention to. I watched how the batters came together, how everything baked up and what the final texture and flavor were like.
I also stuck with recipes designed for almond flour and didn’t use any all-purpose flour to help things along. That way, I could see whether this almond flour could stand on its own.
Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
I chose cookies for my first test because I knew they would show wins or flaws right away. Would they spread too much? Turn into hard pucks? Fall apart after cooling? Plus, I was really in the mood for chocolate chip cookies!
How they mixed: The almond flour blended in evenly without clumping, which was a good sign right away. And the dough came together smoothly and felt soft without being greasy. It was sticky and very thick, and the recipe called for forming the dough into cookie shapes ahead of time since they wouldn’t spread.
How they baked: The cookies held their shape exactly as formed and didn’t spread at all, which made them look very uniform when they came out of the oven. They browned lightly around the edges and evenly on the bottoms.
How they tasted: In short, really good! Inside, the centers were soft and chewy, not at all heavy or dense. You could tell they were made with almond flour, but the texture wasn’t gritty or grainy.
They had a lightly sweet, nutty flavor, but it didn’t overpower the butter, vanilla and chocolate.
1-2 days later: A few days later, the cookies were still soft and tender, and even a little cake-like. And the flavors were even more pronounced, in a really good way.
Overall: This one was a clear win. The dough was easy to work with and baked into soft, chewy cookies that held together well without being dense or crumbly.
Do they taste exactly like a classic chocolate chip cookie? No. But they’re not trying to be. They’re their own version, and it’s a really good one.
Almond Flour Blueberry Muffins
I’m not going to lie, the muffin test had me the most worried. Without all-purpose flour to rely on for structure, I was expecting something heavy, dense or overly moist. I specifically chose blueberry muffins because I wanted to see if the batter could actually support the blueberries. And I used large frozen blueberries, so the batter definitely had its work cut out for it.
How they mixed: The batter was smooth and thicker than a typical muffin batter, which made it easy to scoop and portion into the muffin cups.
How they baked: They rose nicely in the oven with gently rounded tops and an even golden color. Not quite as tall as traditional muffins, but still enough to look like classic blueberry muffins.
How they tasted: So delicious! They were soft, tender and moist without being wet, and they held together well when sliced. The texture leaned slightly dense and hearty, which is pretty typical for almond flour, but I wouldn’t call them heavy or gummy.
And the blueberries held their place beautifully. They didn’t sink to the bottom and stayed evenly distributed throughout the muffins.
The next day: After a night in an airtight container, the tops softened, which I expected. The crumb stayed soft and moist, and the flavor deepened, which is often the case with quick breads.
Overall: These turned out closer to a “regular” blueberry muffin than I expected. The texture and flavor felt familiar, not just “good for almond flour.” Soft, moist, flavorful—I’d happily make these again.
Almond Flour Cake
Cake is the ultimate test for almond flour. Unlike cookies, which we expect to be chewy, or muffins, which are naturally a little denser, cakes are supposed to be light, soft and airy. So I wasn’t entirely sure how an all-almond-flour cake would pull that off. Still, I went in optimistic — a pretty important ingredient when you’re baking.
I chose a simple almond flour cake so I could clearly see the texture without anything distracting it. No mix-ins, no dark colors, no intense flavors to hide behind. Just a clean look at the structure and texture, and a clear read on the flavor.
How it mixed: The batter was smooth and cohesive, with no separation or oiliness. It was noticeably thicker than a traditional cake batter and needed to be spread into the pans rather than poured.
How it baked: The cakes baked evenly, with flat tops and a light golden color. There was no doming like you’d typically see with a wheat flour cake, but the layers looked nice and uniform. While still warm, the cake was quite delicate, which is fairly normal, so once it cooled, I chilled the layers to firm them up before frosting and stacking.
How it tasted: Oh. My. This cake was soft and tender with a luxuriously velvety texture. It had a slightly dense feel, but at the same time, it still somehow came across as light and fluffy. It sliced cleanly and held together beautifully without crumbling.
The flavor was rich and buttery, with a subtle sweetness and distinct notes of almond and vanilla that worked really well together.
The next day: Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, the texture and flavor improved even more overnight. The crumb stayed soft and moist, and the buttery, almond-vanilla flavor stood out even more. It didn’t dry out at all. If anything, it was even better the next day. Next time I make this for a special occasion (and I will), I will make it a day ahead.
Overall: This was easily the most impressive result of the three tests. The texture, flavor and overall structure all came together in an incredibly special way. It’s the kind of cake you could confidently make for any birthday or celebration.
Is Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour Worth It?
There’s nothing more disappointing than putting your time, ingredients and love into a batch of cookies, muffins or a cake, only to pull it out of the oven and find it just didn’t turn out right. Or worse, not realizing it until you’re cutting the cake at a birthday party.
Baking should feel enjoyable, not like a guessing game. Choosing an almond flour that is consistent and easy to work with makes a big difference in how your recipes turn out.
From my testing, Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour proved to be a reliable option. It baked up consistently soft, moist and tender across cookies, muffins and cake, without any of the grittiness or heaviness that can sometimes come with almond flour.
If you’re looking for an almond flour you can count on, something that works across a range of recipes and gives you consistent, dependable results, this is one you can feel confident reaching for.
