Healthy Highlight: Almonds

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One of the best go-to snacks to keep in the cabinets are almonds. Almonds are native to the Middle East but the U.S. has quickly become the world's largest producer. It is so easy to get almonds into your diet, by eating just a handful of them, chopping them up and adding them to pasta dishes or salads, or making desserts with them!

  • One ounce of almonds contain 37% of the RDI of Vitamin E, 32% of the RDI of Manganese and 20% of the RDI of Magnesium
  • Almonds are a great source of antioxidants, which protects against oxidative stress, inflammation, aging, and certain diseases like cancer
  • Almonds are low in carbs, and high in healthy fats, protein, and fiber. This makes almonds a great choice for people trying to maintain their blood sugar

Sweet and Spicy Roasted Almonds (cafesucrefarine.com)

  • 2 cups whole almonds
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 ½ tablespoon honey
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • ½-1 ¼ teaspoons cayenne pepper Cayenne pepper can vary in intensity. Start with less and add more to taste.
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  1. Preheat oven to 350˚F with a rack in the center of the oven. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper. Set one of the prepared sheet pans near the oven.
  2. Measure almonds onto the center of the other sheet pan. Drizzle the oil and honey over the almonds. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt. .
  3. Place the almonds in the preheated oven for 3 minutes, then remove and stir well to make sure all the almonds are coated with the honey mixture. Spread the almonds back out to an even layer
  4. Return the pan to oven and roast for 10-13 minutes or until nuts are a nice golden brown, Stir and spread to an even layer one more time half way through baking time.
  5. While the nuts are baking, combine sugar, cayenne pepper and kosher salt. Stir well and set aside.
  6. Remove the nuts from oven and transfer to the clean parchment paper, leaving any pooled honey/oil on the pan. Sprinkle the nuts immediately with the sugar/cayenne mixture and toss with two spoons till nuts are thoroughly coated. Spread nuts to a single layer and cool completely. Transfer to an airtight jar or container, leaving any excess sugar on the pan.

Almond Bars (Shugarysweets.com)

For the bars:

  • 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp almond extract

For the topping:

  • 2 Tbsp milk (any variety)
  • 1 cup sliced almonds

For the glaze:

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • ½ tsp almond extract
  • 2 Tbsp milk (any variety)
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Generously butter (or use baking spray) on a half sheet pan (approximately 18"x13"). Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add in eggs and almond extract. Beat until combined. Slowly add in flour mixture. Mixing until well blended.
  4. Press this dough into the bottom of your prepared baking dish. Use your fingers or a pastry roller to smooth the top of the dough.
  5. Using a pastry brush, brush the milk to the top of the dough (you may not need to use all of it). Sprinkle with sliced almonds, pressing them lightly into the dough.
  6. Bake for 20-22 minutes until done. You don't want to brown these bars.
  7. Cool for about 5 minutes, then cut them with a knife into bars. If they are too soft to cut, allow to cool a little bit more. Carefully remove them to a wire rack to continue cooling.
  8. Once cooled, you can make your glaze by whisking the sugar with the almond extract and milk. Drizzle over the bars and allow to set.

Almond Butter (cookieandkate.com)

  • 16 ounces (3 cups) raw almonds
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Optional: ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Optional: ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Optional: 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread the almonds across a large, rimmed baking sheet and toast the almonds for 10 minutes, stirring halfway.
  2. Let the almonds cool until they’re just warm (not hot), about 10 minutes.
  3. Transfer the almonds to a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend until creamy, pausing to scrape down the sides as necessary. You’re going to think it’ll never blend, but be patient! The almonds will go from flour-like clumps, to a ball against the side of the food processor (keep scraping down the sides and breaking up the ball), and finally, it will turn lusciously creamy. If the mixture gets crazy hot along the way, stop and let it cool for a few minutes.
  4. Once the almond butter is very smooth and creamy (no sooner!), you can blend in any add-ins you would like. I always add salt, for more flavor overall. You can also add cinnamon for a hint of spice, and vanilla and/or maple syrup for almond butter that tastes more special than store-bought.
  5. Blend until the add-ins are evenly dispersed. When I added maple syrup, I had to let the mixture cool, and then blend a few additional minutes, to make it creamy again.
  6. Let the almond butter cool to room temperature, then transfer the mixture to a mason jar and screw on the lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or until you see or smell any signs of spoilage.