When a recipe calls for “blanched almonds,” do you run to the store to buy a bag? No need! You can easily skin a batch of almonds using the simple method outlined below.
Certain dishes require the use of skinless almonds. Removing the skin gives the almonds a smooth texture, which is helpful in making dishes like almond flour, almond butter, or marzipan.
Blanching your own almonds is more cost-effective than buying the skinless kind at the grocery store, and it only takes a minute… literally, just one minute! You’ll never spend the extra money on pre-blanched almonds again.
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How to Blanch Almonds
8 Varies
15 minutes
1 minute
Parve
Description
Learn to easily skin a batch of almonds in just minutes with a pot of boiling water.
Ingredients
- Raw unsalted almonds, more or less as needed
Recipe Notes
You will also need: pot of water, paper towels, colander or strainer.
Instructions
Bring a small pot of water to a boil.
Place your raw almonds into the boiling water. Let them boil for exactly one minute. Don't boil for any longer than 60 seconds, or your almonds will start to soften.
Drain the almonds immediately in a colander or strainer and rinse them with cold water to cool them.
Blot the almonds dry with a paper towel. You'll notice that the skins will be slightly shriveled.
Use your fingers to gently squeeze the almonds and loosen the skin from them. Careful, if you squeeze too hard they'll shoot across the room-- which is fun, but not super practical! You can squeeze them from one hand into another to keep them from "launching" too far.
Once you remove the skins, let the almonds dry off completely. Discard the skins.
Now the almonds are blanched and ready to use in your recipe!
Note: Nutrition information above is for 1/4 pound blanched almonds.
Gerry says
March 8, 2019 at 4:46 amThis was so easy! Thank you for posting this. Now I have blanched almonds….what to create with them? Obviously marzipan, and then….
helen says
February 14, 2019 at 7:09 amI’d been looking for skinned almonds at the store. This is really easy and I am sure save lots of money over buying them skinned! Thank you.
helen says
February 14, 2019 at 7:08 amI’d been looking for skinned almonds at the store. This is really and I am sure save lots of money over buying them skinned! Thank you.
Angela says
December 26, 2018 at 9:21 amThank you for the preface of the ads and how it is a means for you to make money. I appreciated the forthrightness and educational aspect of this and it made me even happier to learn about blanching almonds from you!
Jean says
October 21, 2018 at 8:39 pmThank you for being there to help me when I asked
Tom Dempsey says
October 18, 2018 at 3:05 pmI didn’t know you could do this. Thank you so much.
Janet L Walsh says
August 16, 2018 at 2:07 pmOMG . . . seriously the EASIEST way to remove the almond skins . . . going to make Almond Milk and read that with the skins removed the “milk” will be silky smooth . . . and it is!!!! Great tip, and perfect step by step instructions.
Janet from Wisconsin
Tim says
July 6, 2018 at 6:49 amI really hate it when food writers tell you how easy stuff it is; and it really isn’t! However this is a glorious exception; thank you!
Tori Avey says
July 6, 2018 at 8:17 amYou’re welcome! 🙂
Patti says
July 3, 2018 at 7:26 pmI do this with those roasted almonds left from the mixed nuts. They take a bit longer in the hot water, but I rub them in a clean dishtowel to get the skins off , spread them out on a cookie sheet in a 200 degree oven for 30 minutes. then I chop or grind then for use in recipes.
Freda says
June 13, 2018 at 1:50 amThanks for this! I love your site.
Steven says
April 15, 2018 at 2:17 pmThanks! Very helpful.
Marcia says
March 10, 2018 at 1:10 pmThank you for your easy instructions about blanching almonds..
Tori Avey says
March 11, 2018 at 9:24 amYou’re welcome! 🙂
Barbara Farar says
February 26, 2018 at 11:45 amhi I need all the information and help I can get. I managed to get mixed nuts for ONE doller a pound, we are eating lot’s of walnuts. and I am freeze some. but I have more almonds.like OVER 50 pounds.
Dorothy Relling says
January 3, 2018 at 6:26 pmThank you thank you Thank you. I tried your method and it worked perfectly. I am making rainbow cookies from scratch and I decided to make my own almond paste. Will let you know how things turn out.
Shanna says
December 25, 2017 at 12:12 pmThis even works on roasted nuts if you don’t have raw ones and are not going to the store…Again…
Tori Avey says
December 25, 2017 at 8:00 pmI’m guessing this happened to you during holiday cooking… I ran out of a few things myself this season, and could not stomach another trip to the market!!
Laura Katsaros says
December 24, 2017 at 3:43 pmThanks, Tori! My almonds came out great! Such an easy method. I used the almonds to make baklava, which came out looking great! Thanks again!
Tori Avey says
January 13, 2018 at 8:45 pmYou’re welcome Laura!
Trish says
December 23, 2017 at 8:10 amThis worked beautifully! Thanks so much for the instructions. I plan to use my almonds to make macarons.
Michelle says
December 22, 2017 at 2:01 pmI have been boiling almonds in water for up to 5 minutes for more years than I care to state (my hair is grey!). I would then leave them in a baggie for another 15 minutes. By the time I attempted pealing off the skins they were dry and the skins stuck to the almonds. I am absolutely delighted with your recipe. It works quickly and efficiently!! I, my family and friends who enjoy my Almond Butterballs thank you a thousand times over.
Trudie says
December 14, 2017 at 1:14 amEvery Christmas my late mother, peeled them , then roasted them in butter and put them in a paper bag full of salt and Shook them to coat with salt…………champagne cocktails and you are away!
Larry Crosby says
December 15, 2017 at 1:28 pmSimilar to my Dads recipe, he basted the almonds.I have no idea how long he baked,other than going by color.
Laurel Paulson-Pierce says
December 21, 2017 at 3:50 pmI am about to do this……i got a “special” cookie cutter of a small bear with extra long arms that is meant to hug an almond or other nut…which you place on his “chest” and wrap the arms around…..here goes! I have made a ginger / molasses cookie dough and thought the lighter color of the blanched almond would contrast nicely with the dark cookie…..we shall see!
Yair Barniv says
December 4, 2017 at 12:32 amTori, I just made my first batch of almonds (shot them across the room). Your instructions worked just beautifully (I am now roasting them).
Thank you VERY MUCH!
Carol Sanderman says
November 29, 2017 at 3:30 pmThis worked perfectly. My only source of almonds that are not contaminated with other nuts are sold as raw or roasted salted. It is so exciting to be able to make a traditional Christmas cookie this year that my grandson can enjoy and not be told “that one is not for you”.
Robin Loperfido says
November 12, 2017 at 5:04 pmI remember spending many hours “shooting them across the room” with my mom. I had forgotten until I found one of her long lost recipes that called for blanched almond halves. Thanks!
Nunnie Rose says
November 4, 2017 at 8:39 amThis really works. Thanks for the tips ???????
Sam says
October 13, 2017 at 2:15 pmThanks going to be using this technique for an almond ricotta recipe I’ll be trying.
Julie says
October 28, 2017 at 2:24 pmHah, saaame.
Lynda says
November 7, 2017 at 7:36 amThank you! I am making lemon cookies from Pinterest that are gluten free.
Linda says
October 9, 2017 at 8:42 amThis is a brilliant idea, it worked like a dream. It was just like shelling broad beans, thanks Tori x
Nina says
October 6, 2017 at 10:07 pmWorked like a charm.
JuleeD says
October 1, 2017 at 12:59 pmYou, my friend, are a genius.
I’ve purchased blanched raw almonds for years and it never occurred to me that I could buy the less expensive whole almonds and DIY.
This reminded me of shelling beans with my mother and grandmother, sitting outside in the cool breeze and gabbing about the relatives. ?
I’m so happy to have found this, thank you!
Jan says
September 24, 2017 at 9:55 amI followed your directions to the letter! Excellent success. So easy! Thank you!
Robin George says
September 17, 2017 at 7:08 amPerfect outcome! Thank you so much
Mark S says
September 8, 2017 at 6:31 amI usually toast the blanched almonds to enhance their flavour (for in e.g. a chicken, celery, almond and mayo salad) – about 4 minutes on a tray at the top of an oven at 170-180° C – I say “about”, because as with all nuts, even 30 seconds too long can be the difference between toasted and burnt – they should still be pale but just starting to ‘sweat’.
Christel says
August 29, 2017 at 10:02 amWe have been eating 15 Almonds each morning with a cup of green tea, that is a healthy way to start the day, BUT the Almonds have to be soaked and peeled, so in fact, they are almost sprouted. This increases their nutritious value by a LOT – please spread this in your blogs etc. to get more people to eat SOAKED/almost sprouted Almonds for their health.
Linda Dietrich says
July 9, 2017 at 7:44 amI’ve been looking for blanched almonds in the grocery store with no success. So have tried this method & the skin comes off easily. But just how long does it take for the almonds to completely dry so i can put them in a storage container?
saxmi says
July 8, 2017 at 1:55 amI soaked the almonds overnight but now they are too soft and changing into a paste instead of a powdery consistency what should i do?
Carla says
January 2, 2019 at 9:00 amIf you soak them overnight, you don’t need to boil them. Pinch from the small end and the almonds shoot out of the skin.
Cynthia says
July 7, 2017 at 5:55 amOmg this worked like magic. Thanks so much
William says
June 18, 2017 at 10:07 amIf you soak your almonds for 8 to 12 hours the skins will come off much easier than the blanching method. Soaking is recommended anyway to remove anti-nutrients. I assume that most of the anti-nutrients are in the skin so this point may be moot. In any case, if you can plan ahead, the soaking method will give you a much more harmonious outcome!
Caroline says
June 25, 2017 at 3:42 pmI’ve tried both, the tricky part is making sure you let the almonds circulate a little during the boil. I used “William’s” method of soaking overnight and it was easy, too.
Mark J says
December 11, 2018 at 11:49 amYes I have done both methods as well. After skin removal do we need to soak again to rid “anti-nutrients”? Does this also lose nutrition? What else other than the almonds and many beans should be soaked?
Ruthy says
June 13, 2017 at 8:28 amThis was so great and easy and when I have time, I’ll look into reading all these wise and useful comments. I had heard of your blog SITK and am so glad I found this and you. How wonderful!
Nate says
April 29, 2017 at 2:47 pmCool! That was easy and now my almonds are ready! :9
Stacey P. Weinstein says
April 5, 2017 at 7:01 pmEasy as…pie? I boiled them for the 1 minute, drained and cooled them and then sat at my kitchen table for about 15 minutes while watching MSNBC and, violà, they were all peeled and ready to dry and I’ll use them in my recipe tomorrow. Thank you!
Gabriela says
November 2, 2017 at 4:46 amThat’s funny. I did the exact same thing. MSNBC included.
Julia ong says
April 3, 2017 at 10:09 pmAfter skin the almond, do we need to roast them in the oven to totally dry them?
Ashley at ToriAvey.com says
April 4, 2017 at 9:27 amHi Julia, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. You don’t need to roast the almonds, they will dry on their own.
Mary says
April 1, 2017 at 11:31 pmI first read about this method back in the 1970s. But had forgotten all about it. I do not have a stove. So just boiled the kettle and soaked the almonds for one minute. Still worked. Although 45 minutes to shell one cup almonds was a tad boring. Nah next time I will buy them peeled 🙂
Arlene Fell says
March 28, 2017 at 7:23 amOf course, it does take longer than a minute, when you add in the time to remove the skins. On the other hand, it works amazingly well, and is very satisfying on a primal level, kind of like popping bubble wrap, but with something useful to show for your efforts at the end. Thanks for a great tip!
Lola KIss says
March 28, 2017 at 5:37 amHi
Really easy. Thanks a lot.
Lola
Janis Pochini says
February 18, 2017 at 4:47 pmworks unbeleivably! can’t thank you enough! how often does a website instruction site do exact what it says it will??!!!