Here’s Everything You Can Make With A Bag Of Almonds

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If you have a bag of almonds, you pretty much have a bag of party tricks on your hands. Not only are almonds one of the cheaper nuts to buy, but they’re so versatile you can go do tons of amazing stuff with them in the kitchen. Whether you’re going savory or sweet, almonds come in clutch. Here’s everything you can do with a bag of almonds.

Add Some Crunch To A Stir Fry Or Grain Bowl

Whenever you need a little bit of a crunch in a stir-fry or grain bowl, chop up some almonds and sprinkle them in. You also can’t go wrong by toasting them first. Here’s a recipe for an easy almond chicken stir fry.

Make Almond Milk

If you’re feeling slightly ambitious, try making your own almond milk. Once you try homemade almond milk you might never go back to the store-bought kind. The process itself is really easy. All you need to do is soak almonds in water overnight for a couple days or so. (Here’s how to do it yourself.) Once you soak the almonds, all you need to do is drain them, put them in a blender on high speed with fresh water and then strain the liquid before drinking.

Blend A Smoothie

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Throw in a handful of almonds to give your morning smoothie more substance. The nuts give a little extra creaminess to whatever blend you’re drinking. You could go for a blueberry and almond smoothie or a banana and Greek yogurt smoothie with almonds. Depending on the strength of your blender, you might need to keep adding a little more milk or liquid until the nuts are ground down enough to drink smoothly.

Make A Crust For Your Protein

If you have poultry or fish in your fridge, you can make an easy crust out of any almonds you have lying around. Salmon or chicken would be the best. For a crunchy element and a healthy way to change up your breadcrumb routine, you can make a crust of almonds, herbs, spices and eggs. Here’s a recipe for almond-crusted chicken tenders with honey mustard that’ll ease you into the world of nut crusts.

Add Crunch To A Crumb Topping

Another clever way to use almonds is with a cobbler topping. Here’s a recipe for a blueberry-apple cobbler with an almond crumble topping that’s made of coarsely chopped almonds, all-purpose flour, sugar and cold butter. Normally a crumb topping is soft and buttery and melts in your mouth, but the addition of almonds adds another texture to the whole dessert.

Bake Granola

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Making your own granola is a magical experience. All you do is combine your wet and dry and ingredients, spread them out on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes until the mixture is slightly toasty. Here’s a recipe for a healthy homemade granola where you can use almonds along with any raw seeds, dried fruit, maple syrup, coconut oil, a little vanilla extract and some sea salt. It’s insanely easy to make and you’ll have snacks to munch on for the week. Add your homemade almond granola to any bowl of yogurt or cereal, muffin recipe or smoothie.

Whip Up Pesto

People tend to think making pesto is a pricey endeavor, but it doesn’t have to be. Traditional basil pesto is made of garlic, basil leaves, pine nuts, extra virgin olive oil, Pecorino cheese, freshly ground black pepper and salt. Pine nuts can be expensive, but you can easily make a cheaper version with almonds. The taste might be a little less buttery, but pesto with almonds will be just as good for any pasta dish or sandwich that you’re whipping up.  Here’s a recipe that substitutes almonds for pine nuts.