What is blanched almond meal?

Blanched almond meal is a flour-like ingredient made from almonds that have had their dark outer skins removed (blanched) before being ground. To produce it, raw almonds are briefly soaked in hot water to slip off the skins, dried, and then ground into a meal or flour texture.

Because the brown skins are removed, blanched almond meal has a uniform pale cream color, a light texture, and a mild, sweet nut flavor. It differs from unblanched almond meal, which includes the dark skins and results in a speckled, coarser texture. Blanched almond meal (or finely ground blanched almond flour) is widely used in French macaron baking, low-carb recipes, and gluten-free cooking.