100 Crazy Good Recipes Using Almonds

February 08, 2017
Quentin Bacon
If you thought almonds were just a simple stir-in for salads, you've woefully underestimated them. We're going nuts over these almond recipes. With recipes from dips to casseroles to streusel toppings to desserrts, pretty much everything is better with almonds. You can buy them bagged in slivers and store them in the freezer to keep the fresh so that you always have a handful around when you need it.
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Almond-crusted Chicken

Photo: Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Dan Becker
Almond-crusted Chicken Recipe
Coast strips of chicken breast with sliced almonds for this almond-crusted chicken dinner that delivers great flavor and satisfying crunch.
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Raspberry-Almond Streusel Muffins

Photo: David Prince; Styling: Linda Hirst
Raspberry-Almond Streusel Muffins Recipe
Raspberry-Almond Streusel Muffins get an update with slivered almonds for a nutty crunch.

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Spiced Banana-Almond Smoothie

Photo: Travis Rathbone
Spiced Banana-Almond Smoothie Recipe
Thanks to almond milk and almond butter, you get a double dose of the good stuff in Spiced Banana-Almond Smoothie. This smoothie satisfies as a breakfast or snack beverage.
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Smoky Almond-Parsley Pesto

Photo: Victor Prado
Smoky Almond-Parsley Pesto Recipe
A base of smoked almonds helps to create a rich, earthy pesto.

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Almond Toffee Popcorn

Almond Toffee Popcorn Recipe
Dress up your popcorn with the perfectly paired flavors of almond and toffee.

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Cranberry-Almond Coleslaw

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Amy Burke
Cranberry-Almond Coleslaw Recipe
Smoked almonds and dried cranberries give this sideline favorite just the right amount of flavor.
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Almond-Crusted Trout with Dill

Photo: Jennifer Causey
Almond-Crusted Trout with Dill Recipe

Trout gets an extra-crispy crust from the almonds. You could sub flounder for the trout and pecans or walnuts for the almonds.

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Blackberry Cobbler with Almond-Ginger Biscuits

Photo: Alison Miksch; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham
Blackberry Cobbler with Almond-Ginger Biscuits Recipe

Pockets of spicy crystallized ginger and sweet almonds are a surprising addition to this biscuit topping.

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Fresh Fig Galette

Photo: James Ransom; Styling: Claire Spollen
Fresh Fig Galette Recipe

Almond meal is nothing more than finely ground almonds; it adds a rich, crumbly texture and nutty flavor to the crust of this free-form tart.

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Marcona-Rosemary Ice Cream Sandwiches

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Lindsey Lower 
Marcona-Rosemary Ice Cream Sandwiches Recipe

Salt is essential in desserts; here it enhances all the herby-nutty flavors. If you can't find Marcona almonds, use toasted blanched almonds.

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Chocolate-Almond Fondue

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Kristen Shelton Fielder
Chocolate-Almond Fondue Recipe
Decadent Chocolate-Almond Fondue can be whipped up in one pot. Once ready, dunk your favorite chocolate vehicles, from pound cake to marshmallows and more, into the almond liqueur-laced fondue.

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Grapefruit and Avocado Salad

James Carrier
Grapefruit and Avocado Salad Recipe
Havilah Stewart puts smoked almonds in this salad for a salty, complex note. If smoked almonds are unavailable, substitute roasted salted almonds.
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Chocolate Almond Cupcakes

James Baigrie
Chocolate Almond Cupcakes Recipe
These rich chocolate cupcakes start from a package of cake mix and get a triple hit of almond flavor from almond paste, sliced almonds, and almond extract in the glaze. 

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Pesto and Almond Farfalle

Photo: Colin Clark; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford 
Pesto and Almond Farfalle Recipe
Fresh-cut greens beans and almonds add extra flair to this side dish of Pesto and Almond Farfalle.

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Chocolate-Almond Ice Cream with Coconut

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Cindy Barr
Chocolate-Almond Ice Cream with Coconut Recipe
Dark cocoa, roasted almonds and shaved coconut are added to this no-cook frozen dessert of Chocolate-Almond Ice Cream with Coconut.
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Almond Green Beans

Photo: Randy Mayor; Stylist: Cindy Barr
Almond Green Beans Recipe
This simple side dish of Almond Green Beans comes together easily and quickly. Toasted almonds add extra flavor and crunch to this fresh side.

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Watercress Salad with Verjus Vinaigrette

Photo: Anson Smart
Watercress Salad with Verjus Vinaigrette Recipe
At Benu, chef Corey Lee fries almonds and peels grapes for his compelling salad. At home, use roasted marcona almonds and unpeeled green grapes.

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Buttermilk Peach-Almond Cake

Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Styling: Gerri Williams 
Buttermilk Peach-Almond Cake Recipe
Buttermilk Peach-Almond Cake is a lightly sweet, very moist and simply delightful treat. The ground almonds give this cake pizzaz.
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Salted Candied Almonds

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Linda Hirst
Salted Candied Almonds Recipe

These salty and sweet almond treats are easy to make ahead. 

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Smoked Trout-Celery Root Salad

David Prince
Smoked Trout-Celery Root Salad Recipe
Roxanne Chan garnishes this delicious fall salad with chopped smoked almonds. We liked it with plain toasted almonds too.

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Peachy Almond Shortcakes

Photo: Johnny Miller; Styling: Sarah Smart
Peachy Almond Shortcakes Recipe
Peachy Almond Shortcakes make a divine dessert when using ripe, locally gorwn peaches.
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Coconut-Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

Photo: Kate Sears; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps
Coconut-Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
These tiny Coconut-Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies pack a lot of flavor!

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Almond-Graham Crust

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Linda Hirst
Almond-Graham Crust Recipe
Almond-Graham Crust serves as the tasty base for Key Lime Pie with Raspberry Sauce. We pump up the flavor to this graham cracker crust by adding chopped sliced almonds to the mixture.

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Linzer Muffins

Photo: Alison Miksch; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford
Linzer Muffins Recipe

Tender almond cake surrounds a raspberry filling in this playful riff on classic linzer torte.

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Peanut-Almond Snack Bars

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Cindy Barr
Peanut-Almond Snack Bars Recipe
Peanut-Almond Snack Bars feature pretzels, marshmallows, peanut butter, almonds, and even a little hint of chocolate. Is there any snack attack this bar can't beat?

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Almond Torte with Grilled Figs

Photo: Thomas J. Story
Almond Torte with Grilled Figs Recipe

From Erin Scott, creator of the blog (and cookbook) Yummy Supper, comes this lovely, not-too-sweet torte. It's equally good for dessert, a late-afternoon treat, or even breakfast. Almond flour gives it a rich, buttery texture; almond extract and sliced almonds heighten the flavor.

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Toasted Almond and Pecorino Snap Peas

Photo: Johnny Autry; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross
Toasted Almond and Pecorino Snap Peas Recipe
Toasted almonds and shaved pecorino Romano cheese heighten the flavor of these sugar snap peas. Serve this quick side of Toasted Almond and Pecorino Snap Peas to complement your favorite entree.
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Apricot-Almond Cobbler

Oxmoor House
Apricot-Almond Cobbler Recipe
Almonds and a sweet batter turn canned fruit into a decadent dessert.

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Chocolate-Dipped Cannoli with Pistachios

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Cindy Barr
Chocolate-Dipped Cannoli with Pistachios Recipe
Budget tip: You can substitute chopped peanuts or almonds for the pistachios.

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Pecan-Chocolate Chip Snack Cake

Photo: Karry Hosford
Pecan-Chocolate Chip Snack Cake Recipe
You can substitute chopped walnuts, almonds, or cashews for the pecans.
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Smoky Chipotle Snack Mix

Photo: Thomas J. Story; Styling: Randy Mon
Smoky Chipotle Snack Mix Recipe
This fun snack mix features corn cereal, slivered almonds, raisins, and ground chipotle chiles!

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Supercharged Cherry-Almond Cookies

Photo: Plamen Petkov
Supercharged Cherry-Almond Cookies Recipe
Fruits and nuts give this cookie nutritional cred: Almonds provide vitamin E, calcium, and magnesium; tart cherries contribute disease-fighting anthocyanins and sleep-regulating melatonin. Find almond flour in your supermarket's natural foods section, or pulse 1 cup almonds in a food processor.

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Raspberry-Almond Torte with Chocolate Ganache

Photography: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Lydia DeGaris-Pursell
Raspberry-Almond Torte with Chocolate Ganache Recipe
A torte is a cake enriched with nuts and often layered with jam. Almond paste is a mixture of ground almonds and sugar. Look for it in the baking aisle of most supermarkets.
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Strawberry-Almond Salad with Basil-Balsamic Vinaigrette

Oxmoor House
Strawberry-Almond Salad with Basil-Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe
The vinaigrette used to dress this salad adds a tang and sweetness to the crunchy almonds and juicy strawberries.

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Almond-Saffron Cake

Photo: Rick Lew; Styling: Ana Kelley
Almond-Saffron Cake Recipe

This delicious Almond-Saffron Cake delicately combines the flavors of orange zest, almond paste, and saffron - a costly spice derived from the saffron crocus flower.

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Apricot-Thyme Galette

Photo: Gentl & Hyers; Styling: Kendra Smoot
Apricot-Thyme Galette Recipe
A little bit of almond flour (also labeled almond meal) makes the dough more tender. Look for it on the baking aisle or in the gluten-free section.
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Baked Camembert with Pears

Photo: Christina Holmes
Baked Camembert with Pears Recipe
A splash of pear brandy plus maple syrup and Spanish almonds put a modern spin on baked Brie.

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Maple-Pecan Sundaes with Cinnamon Crisps

Photo: Brian Woodcock; Styling: Cindy Barr
Maple-Pecan Sundaes with Cinnamon Crisps Recipe
Vary the nuts to your kids' preferences--walnuts or almonds would be equally tasty.

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Banana-Caramel Sundaes

Photo: Oxmoor House
Banana-Caramel Sundaes Recipe
Candy-coated almonds give this superfast, simple ice-cream sundae a little something extra special. For variety, try substituting your favorite sugared or candied nut for the almonds.
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Spiced Honey Almonds

Oxmoor House
Spiced Honey Almonds Recipe
Intensify the flavor and add extra crunch to your almonds by toasting them first. The spicy-sweet coating tastes delicious on almonds or any nut such as pecans, peanuts, or cashews.

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Almond Brittle

Photo: Romulo Yanes; Styling: Paige Hicks
Almond Brittle Recipe

Substitute pecans, walnuts, peanuts, or pine nuts for almonds, if you prefer.

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Wasabi Peas & Almonds Coating

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas
Wasabi Peas & Almonds Coating Recipe
Wasabi Peas & Almonds Coating takes you beyond the basic breadrumb topping for your favorite pork or chicken cutlet.
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Fried Brown Rice with Red Pepper and Almond

Photo: Justin Walker; Styling: Cindy Barr
Fried Brown Rice with Red Pepper and Almond Recipe
Thinly slice the pepper and onion so they cook quickly. You can sub cashews for the almonds.

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Chocolate-Dipped Almond Shortbread

Photo: Theresa Raffetto; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps
Chocolate-Dipped Almond Shortbread Recipe
Satisfy your sweet and salty cravings in one bite with these Chocolate-Dipped Almond Shortbread treats.

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Olive-Almond Green Beans

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Lindsey Lower
Olive-Almond Green Beans Recipe
Move over plain green beans for a side serving of Olive-Almond Green Beans. The kalamata olives give these beans its saltiness, toasted almonds a bit of crunch, and a touch of citrus thanks to lemon rind.
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