Can Blenders Crush Almonds? 3 Of The Best Tips

If you have started your blender journey to healthier living, you have probably started experimenting with lots of different ingredients. While we all know blenders can crush ice, mix fruit and vegetables, and even make hot soup, can blenders crush almonds and other nuts?

Today we will be talking all about blenders and almonds, and how you can chop your almonds and make delicious almond butter. We will also discover which is better for crushing almonds, a blender or a food processor.

To answer the original question, blenders can absolutely crush almonds. They have powerful blades that spin ridiculously fast and can easily chop your almonds into a fine powder. In fact, you can easily add a scoop of almonds to any smoothie to ingest their goodness and their nutrients. Plus, almonds don’t really taste like anything when you mix them into a smoothie, and they always blend seamlessly.

But almonds have a lot more to offer than just being placed into somebody’s smoothie. You can process them into delicious almond butter, which you can then slather on your toast or another pastry dessert.

Should You Blend Almonds with a Food Processor or a Blender?

When it comes to crushing almonds with a machine, you have two choices. You can use a traditional blender or a more complicated food processor. Each works to chop your almonds, but you may actually find a food processor works a little better. Food processors are geared for chopping food into thicker chunks, whereas your blender will end up making finer dust out of the almonds.

The difference is not severe enough to really notice, but the food processor definitely chops your almonds into a more uniformed texture. This is because the blender does not give you that much control over your blend. You will end up with a powder when you use your blender.

However, when it comes to making almond butter from the raw nuts, I would suggest using a blender. The blender works to get a smoother and creamier paste, whereas the food processor is not quite as efficient in making creamy butter.

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Can Blenders Crush Almonds: Three Ways to Crush Almonds

There are three clever ways to chop nuts. You can of course use your blender or your food processor, but there are two other ways that might save you a bit of time.

Food Processor or Blender

If you are going to use a food processor or a blender, I recommend doing small batches of almonds. When blending, be sure not to turn your machine all the way to its highest setting. This will blast your almonds into a fine powder, which you are probably not looking for.

The best method for chopping your almonds is by using the pulse feature on your blender or food processor. The pulse feature works to turn the machine on and off rapidly, blending in such a way that the nuts are chopped into a very small size. You can continue pulsing until you’ve reached your desired texture.

I should quickly mention that if you want to make almond powder, you could probably go ahead and blend your almonds until they are transformed into a fine dust. But if you want chunks of almond, you definitely need to use the pulse feature.

Cut with a Knife

It may feel counter-intuitive to cut nuts using a knife, but it is actually really easy. Get a chopping board and a serrated knife and simply start chopping your almonds. You want to hold the handle of the knife with one hand and hold the tip with the other hand, then saw at your almonds slowly and steadily until you have sliced them all into the perfect slivers.

Use a Hammer

You can also use a hammer to chop your nuts into a loose powder. Simply put as many almonds as you want into a resealable plastic bag, seal the bag, then bash your almonds with a kitchen mallet or with a hammer. You can also use a rolling pin to crush them. This is a mess-free way to complete the job in just a few minutes, and it might even help relieve some of your anger or frustration.

Different Types of Chopped Almonds

Believe it or not, there are a lot of different forms of almonds, and each form has its own unique purpose. As you are undoubtedly aware, almonds are packed with the best nutrients for your health, including calcium, fiber, magnesium, protein, and even riboflavin. You can enjoy almonds as a healthy snack, you can add them to a salad or sprinkle them into your drink, or you can grind your almonds into a paste and create your own almond dip!

Here is a list of the different forms of almonds:

Whole Almonds: These are almonds that are left whole. They are ideal for snacking or even taking to the cinema.
Dry Roasted Almonds: Dry roasted almonds are also ideal for snacking. However, when you dry roast your almonds they get a seriously rich flavor that is unsurprisingly addicting.
Blanched Almonds: Blanched almonds are whole but have their skins removed. You generally use blanched almonds as a garnish. These are great with salads and other similar recipes.
Slivered Almonds: Slivered almonds is what happens when you use your knife to expertly slice your almonds into thin slivers. These are generally used as toppings on things like pasta, pizza, cooked vegetables, and salads. They add a very satisfying crunch to your meal.
Sliced Almonds: Sliced almonds are quite similar to slivered almonds. You use them as toppings on dessert dishes like cakes and muffins. They are sliced extremely thin and don’t offer a huge crunch, but they are great on muffins, cakes, and other pastries.
Ground Almonds: Ground almonds are added to smoothies so that you can ingest their health benefits in your drink. Ground almonds are also sometimes added into a breading mixture that goes onto fish or meat. You can use ground almonds to make your almond butter.