19 Easy Ways to Cook & Bake With Almonds
Okay, we're definitely "almond moms" if these are on the menu.
We know that being a so-called "almond mom" isn't necessarily the best title, but when it comes to maximizing almonds in our life? We are all about it. Yes, we're NUTS about almonds, you could say. You might be surprised just how many recipes get infinitely better thanks to almonds (like cakes, cookies, pastas, and even salad dressings), and not just for their many health benefits. If you, like us, are looking for new and exciting ways to add more almonds into your life, these 19 recipes will show you the many ways you can cook and bake with them.
When you think of almonds, most will likely first think about their supporting role in things like granola bars or trail mix. As for Team Delish? We're always going to start daydreaming about arguably one of the best pastries ever: almond croissants. Best of all, our almond croissant recipe is way easier than shlepping all the way to your favorite bakery (and only requires 5 ingredients!), making it a weekday-friendly treat that's almost too easy. If you're all about the almond baked goods (and why shouldn't you be?!), be sure to add our recipes for bakewell tart, Danish kringle, and almond cake to your baking to-do list.
Outside of the sweets and treats, almonds add a rich savory nuttiness and plenty of crunchy intrigue to a wide variety of dishes. Our green beans almondine and Brussels sprout salad are two of our favorite go-to easy side dishes for weeknights and holidays, for one, but it goes way beyond just that added crunch. Almonds are the backbone to our favorite salad dressing (our take on Trader Joe's almond butter turmeric dressing) and a pasta dish that'll surely shake up your pasta night rotation (Sichuan pesto noodles). So do yourself a favor and pick up an extra bag of almonds this week, for sure!
5-Ingredient Almond Croissant
If you need a fun brunch item to serve, croissants aren’t really the easiest and definitely very time consuming. For a more convenient approach, we made one giant croissant that takes advantage of store-bought puff pastry.
Get the 5-Ingredient Almond Croissant recipe.
Copycat Trader Joe's Almond Butter Turmeric Dressing
Trader Joe’s has a lot of hits, but it’s always so hard to see one of your favorites get discontinued. Their almond butter turmeric salad dressing may no longer be in stores, but we have the perfect copycat of it. Its bright yellow color will bring a lot of life to your salads and is great for dipping raw veggies in like carrots and bell peppers!
Get the Copycat Trader Joe's Almond Butter Turmeric Dressing recipe.
French Macarons
Featuring crisp, shiny shells sandwiching a luscious rich filling, these classy French delicacies are sure to impress and delight anyone who tastes them. Macarons have a reputation for being technically challenging and finicky to make. Don’t be intimidated. They’re truly not that difficult as long as you follow each step carefully and understand what to look for along the way.
Get the French Macarons recipe.
Green Beans Almondine
This classic French recipe turns humble green beans into an easy and impressive side dish you can make all year round. Sautéed with shallots and garlic, tossed with buttery, toasted almonds, and finished with lemon, these green beans are quick enough to serve for a weeknight dinner while also being fancy enough for holiday meals and dinner parties.
Get the Green Beans Almondine recipe.
Bakewell Tart
A Bakewell tart is a classic British dessert made of frangipane and raspberry jam. Frangipane is a soft, slightly chewy almond filling made from almond flour and is as simple as creaming butter and sugar together.
Get the Bakewell Tart recipe.
Sichuan Pesto Noodles
There are lots of ways to add spice to your meals, but when we’re looking for something really special, we turn to Sichuan peppercorns. You’ve probably encountered them in Chinese food dishes like Sichuan chicken, and they’re also surprisingly great to add depth to a sweet dish.
Get the Sichuan Pesto Noodles recipe.
Danish Kringle
If you love almond croissants, you’ve GOT to try this Danish kringle. Stuffed with creamy almond filling and glazed with icing, these flaky ring-shaped pastries are equal parts decadently rich and irresistibly delicious.
Get the Danish Kringle recipe.
Homemade Almond Milk
For every store-bought item, there is an exponentially better homemade version. The same holds true for almond milk! Making it yourself is cheaper, greener, and leaves way more room for customizing to find your perfect batch.
Get the Homemade Almond Milk recipe.
Panera Thai Chicken Salad
If you were shocked and dismayed when Panera Bread discontinued their Thai Chicken Salad, today’s your lucky day. Featuring chicken breast, blistered vegetables, and that iconic peanut sauce drizzle, our copycat version of this beloved Panera classic allows you to enjoy it at home any day of the week.
Get the Panera Thai Chicken Salad recipe.
Best Almond Cake
This is one of those gluten-free and dairy-free dessert recipes that you'll turn to again and again. If you're crazy about citrus cakes, go heavy on the zest (any type!), and your cake will shine like the sun.
Get the Best Almond Cake recipe.
Galette De Rois
What if we told you there was another Carnival season pastry you’re going to love? Time to meet galette de rois! While king cake is made of a yeasted dough rolled with a cinnamon sugar filling, galette de rois is made of puff pastry sheets filled with almond frangipane and jam.
Get the Galette De Rois recipe.
Brussels Sprout Salad
There are so many delicious ways to prepare Brussels sprouts. That being said, we understand: This popular vegetable can be divisive. When we want to incorporate this veggie into dinner time, we turn to this fresh, seasonal salad. With toasted almonds, shaved Parmesan, and pomegranate seeds, this is the side that will convert even the biggest Brussels sprout haters.
Get the Brussels Sprout Salad recipe.
Best Broccoli Salad
A simple and reliable side, the classic broccoli salad is loaded with flavor and texture. Ready in around 30 minutes, it’s the perfect make-ahead side for summer BBQs or last-minute parties, and makes a great base for a quick lunch or snack.
Get the Best Broccoli Salad recipe.
Amaretti Cookies
If you like French macarons, you might like this take on Italian amaretti cookies. Soft, pillowy, moist, sweet, and lightly scented with amaretto liqueur as well as citrus zests, amaretti is one of our top 10 cookies of all time.
Get the Amaretti Cookies recipe.
Almond Joy Cookies
What if your favorite coconut-almond-chocolate candy bar morphed into a crunchy, melt-in-your-mouth cookie… well, here it is! Joy is in the name for a reason. This wasn’t about re-creating the Almond Joy exactly, but rather encompassing the flavors into something tender and snappy and hard to put down.
Get the Almond Joy Cookies recipe.
Vegan "Scallops" With Succotash
In a dish that brings summer vibes to the table no matter the season, king trumpet mushrooms mirror the sweet, delicate flavor of sea scallops. Nestled into a colorful and crisp corn and snap pea succotash, this date-night-worthy dinner is sure to impress.
Raspberry Almond Pound Cake
We love a classic pound cake, but it never hurts to fancy things up a bit. This one uses both almond flour and extract to give it extra almond-y flavor, then gets topped with more almonds after being drizzled with a beautiful glaze.
Get the Raspberry Almond Pound Cake recipe.
Crunchy Mandarin Orange-Chicken Salad
This recipe was semi-inspired by the Chinese Chicken Salad at The Cheesecake Factory. It's sweet, savory, refreshing, and extremely crunchy, a perfect weeknight dinner made even easier with leftover rotisserie chicken.
Chiles En Nogada
This festive dish is often served in September for Mexican Independence Day, but due to the variety of spiced fruit and nut fillings, we think it’s ripe for improvisation to be served year round.
Get the Chiles En Nogada recipe.
