Oilypedia.com – Benefits And Uses Of Supplemental and Essential Oils 
Photo credit: flickr
The use of sweet almond oil for therapeutic, cosmetic and skin care purposes is widely known. Many people are doubtful whether cooking with almond oil is possible. Almond oil can be definitely used in salad dressings, baking and desserts, as Wikipedia assures. Just make sure you have 100% sweet almond oil and it is not only for cosmetic purposes. This information is indicated on the label. The universal almond oil has culinary properties and is beneficial for our health when consumed internally.
Almond oil is sold in two forms, cold-pressed unrefined flavorful oil and refined type, which is less flavorful and tasteless. Both types of almond oil are appropriate for cooking. However, the ways of cooking with almond oil are dependent on the oil type you choose.
Is almond oil beneficial when it is cooked with?
Almond oil as any other oil derived from nuts is healthy. It is a rich source of “good fats”, or essential fatty acids necessary for the body functioning.
Almond-oil.org describes the oil as highly nutritive. 1 tbsp of almond oil yields 120 calories. Its fats are mainly monounsaturated oleic acid and polyunsaturated linoleic acid. These fats contribute to heart health and control cholesterol levels. They make almond oil a much healthier substitute for butter, animal fats and shortening used in baking. Almond oil contains vitamins and minerals, important for our health. Vitamin E is a strong antioxidant; vitamin B2 and B6 prevent skin dryness and irritation. Calcium is needed for our bones and joints, phosphorous is beneficial for teeth, magnesium rejuvenates the body. Phytosterols found in almond oil help lessen the level of cholesterol. Read more about health benefits of almond oil.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Cooking woth Flaxseed Oil – Do you Know How?
Cooking with almond oil: tips
Sometimes it is not indicated what type of almond oil to use in almond oil recipes. Or you may want to replace your regular oil for almond oil in your favorite dishes. Here are some tips.
Unrefined almond oil adds a strong nutty flavor to your dishes. It is not stable and should be used at low temperatures. It is ideal for salad dressings, desserts and smoothies.
Refined almond oil has a high smoke point, so you may fry with it and bake. Its flavor id light, so if you don’t like the oil taste, use refined almond oil. If you want to cook flavorful cakes or cookies, use refined oil with some amount of unrefined one.
SEE ALSO: Almond Oil for Babies
Almond oil recipes
- Salad dressing. Drizzle unrefined high-quality almond oil over steamed vegetables or a green salad. Add sliced almonds.
- Entries. Bake fish with an almond crust. Mix 3 tsp. of almond oil with 1 tbsp. of orange juice, fresh herbs, 1 tsp. of honey, salt and pepper. You may add crushed almonds. Coat the fish and bake for 15 minutes in an oven.
- Desserts. Take the same amount of almond oil instead of any oil for baking. If the recipe needs butter, replace only half of butter. The flavor of almond oil compliments the taste of a carrot cake, for example.
