Rethinking Opportunity with Nut Flours and Powders

Our nut flours come in a variety of grinds to meet your application needs from coatings to crusts to a simple ingredient for your baking needs.

Currently, ofi provides two options for our almond flours: natural meal (fine) and blanched superfine flour, with organic options available as well. The fiber content in almond flour allows for improved moisture retention, which adds moisture to baked goods.  

Our Blanched superfine almond flour contains almonds with their skin removed before grinding. This makes the flour lighter in color, with a fine, smooth and fluffy texture. Perfect for pastries, baked goods, premium snacks, and much more!

Natural almond meal has red/brown flecks, due to the skin on the almonds, providing an artisanal look to baked goods. Alternatively, blanched superfine almond flour contains almonds with their skin removed, making the flour lighter in color, with a smooth and fluffy texture.  

Our pasteurized cashew meal continues to gain popularity among consumers seeking a nuttier tasting grain-free option to replace wheat-based flours. Our cashew flour provides a good source of iron, and like almond flour, the fiber content allows for increased moisture retention.  

A tasty, wholesome, sustainable source of nutrients, nuts offer a pleasant taste compared to other plant-based proteins. It can act as a clean label binding agent and replace flours and proteins with low solubility. 

Our almond protein powder and cashew protein powder are produced by cold-pressing high-quality, almonds and cashews.  For almonds, 60% of the fat content is removed during this process, while cashews see a 50% reduction, and there is a 25% reduction in caloric content. While we see fat and calories decrease, mineral content such as fiber, iron and protein remain untouched. Our protein powders provide a plant-based protein source, as well as an enhanced nutritional profile of the finished product.  

For our almond protein powder, we use raw whole or blanched almonds, with a protein content ranging from approximately 35-40%. Our cashew protein powder is made from the finest quality cashews, ground, and sieved to perfection, with 30% protein content. 

Meal is typically made by grinding the nuts into a coarse powder. It is ideal for recipes that call for a breadcrumb like texture, such as pie crusts, muffins, pancakes, or breaded foods.  
Flour is blanched before fine grinding, which enhances the texture, and makes it superior for baking since its consistency is more like the traditional wheat flour.  

Similar to flour, protein powders are another substitute for the wheat-based flours. A bonus for using protein powders is the moisture retention, and increased protein content. In fact, ofi food scientists tested protein powder in our chocolate chip cookie recipe and found three times the amount of protein versus the leading brands final product, with three grams of protein for a 28-gram serving, compared to one gram of protein for a 28-gram serving. 

While the world of gluten-free, grain-free and wheat alternatives can seem intimidating, the truth is these alternatives are here to stay. Are you thinking of reformulating your product to appeal to gluten-free, grain-free lifestyles? Interested in developing a healthier product with a simplified ingredient list? We understand the need to provide options for your consumers when it comes to the finished product. To learn more about how we can help you reformulate your products, or to discover our various flours, protein powders, and meals, contact our team or learn more on our almond and cashew pages.

References:

1. Future Market Insights, Almond Flour Market: 2019 Analysis and Review of Almond Flour Market by Form – Blanched and Natural for 2019 – 2028, [Report], 2020.
2. Searing, A., Watson, C., McKeague, J., Joseph, P. (2020). Alternative Proteins: Market Research on Consumer Trends and Emerging Landscape. Meat and Muscle Biology. 4.10.22175/mmb.11225.