Sprouted raw almonds are a delicious, affordable and easy superfood.
They’re simple to do and sprouting them – technically soaking the almonds – makes it much easier for your body to absorb their many nutrients.
Here’s how to make the most of sprouted almonds and some great ideas for sprouted almond recipes – including sprouted almond milk recipes.
Why bother sprouting or soaking almonds?
Almonds, like other nuts and seeds, contain enzyme inhibitors. These stop the seed from sprouting too early, out in nature, and hence being wasted by trying to grow before the conditions are right.
These enzyme inhibitors also mean that the enzymes in the seed or nut are blocked, so that when you or I eat one, we can’t make use of nature’s special helpers – the enzymes – to aid our digestion of it. Our body’s own enzymes can help, but it basically means you have to ‘work’ much harder to digest the food than you would if the enzyme inhibitors weren’t there – and you’re likely to be missing out on some of the goodness.
The good news
The good news is that enzyme inhibitors are naturally released when you soak the seed or nut. The soaking time varies on the food (I always try to remember to tell you what it should be in the recipes and on the ingredients pages!).
For almonds, it’s ‘about’ (it’s not an exact science) overnight.
- Simply take your almonds and cover them with water – filtered if possible, to remove chlorine etc – and soak them overnight. They absorb the water and swell up, even while they’re releasing the enzymes, so make sure your bowl is big enough and have the water level a couple of inches (about 5cm) above the almonds.
- Drain – discarding the enzyme-inhibitor-rich soak water.
- They’ll keep in the fridge for 2-3 days or you can use them right away in your favourite raw almond recipes.
If you taste one, you’ll notice it’s not as bitter as a ‘dry’ almond and it’s incredibly creamy.
Just imagine the difference that will make to your raw almond creams and other recipes!
It also makes almond milk much smoother, as it’s easier for your food processor or liquidiser to break up the whole almonds.
And it makes almond butter easier and creamier too. The shorter processing time means you’re much less likely to accidentally heat your raw almonds above the crucial 41 C.
How to sprout raw almonds
Sprouting raw almonds, once you have soaked them and removed the enzyme inhibitors, helps to release more of the nutrients, just as with sprouting other seeds, nuts and legumes.
This only works with raw (not heat-treated) almonds.
Unfortunately, in many places it can be difficult to source raw almonds. However, in the UK we’re fortunate that they’re still readily available.
- To sprout your almonds, soak them first, as above. Do 2-3 handfuls – depending on how big your hands are 🙂
- When you have drained them, spread them out on a large plate. It doesn’t have to be a single layer, you just want to give them a bit of space.
- In cooler weather, cover them with a light cloth and leave them on the side, rinsing morning and evening, for about 2 days. In warmer weather you might need to do this in the fridge.
- You’ll see the almonds starting to ‘sprout’ when a tiny white tail appears from the narrow end.
- At this stage, they’ll keep for a day or two in the fridge in a jar or you can use them immediately.
How to make the most of your soaked or sprouted almonds
Some of my favourite sprouted almond recipe ideas are:
Sprouted almond milk
Take your soaked or sprouted almonds and blitz them in a good liquidiser or a Vitamix with enough water to give the consistency of milk you like. When they have been soaked and sprouted, the almonds are sweeter, so you’re less likely to want a sweetener.
If you want some variety, add a chunk of vanilla pod for vanilla almond milk.
Almond smoothie
Add a small handful of these almonds to your favourite smoothie recipes for a super-creamy result.
Soaking / sprouting the almonds first mean they don’t taste ‘bitty’ in the final smoothie.
Here’s one of my favourite almond smoothie recipes – Fabulous Purple Smoothie.
Almond cream
This is – again – simple and delicious. Take a couple of handfuls of sprouted / soaked almonds and blitz them with as little water as you can – just enough to make a smooth paste.
Add a few dates or a drop of raw honey, for extra sweetness. I love to add a level teaspoon of cinnamon, too.
For variety, add a heaped tablespoon of soaked pumpkin seeds (about 4 hours then drain).
Serve instead of ‘whipped cream’ for fruit salads or any other dessert.
Have you experimented with sprouting almonds?
Do you have a favourite sprouted almond recipe?
We’d love to hear from you – please share via the comments box!
Namaste,
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Hello, thank you for the information, but I’ve noticed that many other articles I have found concerning this topic instructs people to add salt to the water that the almonds soak in, but you do not mention that. I would assume the addition of salt to the water is not really necessary?
Hi Tammy,
Great question! I have no idea why anyone would want to do that?
Surely if they want salty almond milk, they could add salt at that stage?
Personally I wouldn’t do it. I don’t know whether or not it might affect the enzyme inhibitor removal?
Curious!
Anyone else tried this?
Thanks for asking, Tammy!
>Hi!
>
>Very quick… I was silly and forgot to drain my almonds before blitzing
>with fresh water. I just took the water they soaked in, and blended it
>all together.
>
>Why is this so bad, and do I need to throw it out?? It’s such a waste…
Hi Leigh,
Great question.
I wouldn’t throw it out – it’s no different to eating the unsealed almonds, which millions do each day.
But next time I would definitely give them a good rinse and use fresh water for the blending.
Thanks for asking.
Clare
I think you need to explain more clearly about what kind of almonds can be sprouted. It is very hard to find raw almonds that can be sprouted. If people find them they should be in the refrigerated section of a health food store. When a person finds raw almonds in the store, they just can’t be sprouted, because they have been heat treated. But they need to be raw to soak to get rid of inhibitors. Maybe I just explained it. But this needs to be stressed more. That is why people are getting mold, they think just because they purchased raw almonds from the store they will sprout, not true. You are just removing the inhibitors. Thanks
Hi Cathy,
Thank you for your comment.
I’m not sure which country you’re in, but in the UK, non-heat-treated almonds are sold in packs in the nut aisle, not the chiller section (have never seen them there).
I do, however, understand that some parts of the USA routinely require almonds to have been heat treated. In this case, as you and I and others state, they won’t sprout. But they will still benefit from soaking to remove enzyme inhibitors.
I wouldn’t see any point in soaking ‘roasted’ nuts, but that’s different from the standard heat treatment processes that are used in some countries.
Mould isn’t down to whether or not they were heat treated. As with all sprouting, it will be due to lack of frequent enough rinsing, too high humidity, or leaving them for too long. And the ‘how often / how long’ is an imperfect science, because it depends on your location, your weather / climate, and (icky!) the bacteria in the local environment 😉
Hope this helps.
Should the be skinned or not? I’m guessing some inhibitors would remain on the skin no matter how long you soak them.
Hi Zafer – great Q. I wonder if anyone has done any lab research on this?
Personally I rarely skin them, mainly because I’m too lazy… 😉
However, the soaking would remove the vast majority of the enzyme inhibitors, activating the almonds, and we have always found them much more digestible after that.
Plus skinning them usually means you need to blanch them in hot water, which would damage the ‘good guy’ enzymes. So I’m guessing it’s swings and roundabouts.
Have you noticed any difference in how you feel after eating them with / without the skins, having been soaked?
Just tried this process. The soaking was fine but the sprouting resulted in mold and throwing away $15 worth of raw unpasteurized almonds. Ugh. They were left out to sprout for 2 days – in a colander. I rinsed them 3-4 times a day and had a light cloth over them. Any idea what I did wrong? Most books say to sprout for 2-3 days, but I will just get more mold right? Should I have put them in the fridge since it’s humid this time of year? Any insight would be much appreciated.
Hi Dave,
Sorry to hear about your almonds.
Not sure where you’re based but at this time of year, even in the UK, sprouting anything goes fast. As does mould growth in warm, damp conditions. And almonds, still in their skins, have a tendency to look great and then turn really quickly.
Keeping them in the fridge would have helped, yes. And the amount of rinsing you did should have helped, too.
However, the most important thing is the soaking, to release the enzyme inhibitors.
With almonds, I usually soak & then fridge in summer.
I’d say it’s much more important to keep them mould-free and un-sprouted than sprouted and toxic.
Really hope that helps and that your next experiment goes really well.
I can’t get the almonds to sprout. I didn’t know you (Clare) didn’t advise soaking for more than overnight. I read elsewhere that one should soak for 24 hours and then continue with the rest of the drainage and sprouting process. My only conclusion at this juncture is that 24 hours is too much soaking time. Does that sound right? Further, FYI, I saw no “comments box” available beneath the article with which to communicate. That’s why I clicked on the “reply” tab to the right of one of the comments. The only other way appeared to be the “contact Clare” tab. Thanks.
Hi Paul,
Like you, 24 hours feels too long. The initial soaking removes the enzyme inhibitors. Much longer than overnight, though, and the almonds will start to soak up the water again.
Raw almonds will usually kick out a tiny ‘tail’ at the thin end (about 1-2mm), but to get them to sprout properly, nuts need to be in their shells and (in the UK!) go through a winter and frosts.
Sorry the comment box wasn’t visible for you. Have checked and it’s working today. Sometimes a screen refresh helps? Glad you were able to comment, anyway.
And I hope you enjoy your almonds!
Hi Clara!
I’m working on my first batch of sprouted almonds, now, and I’ve just put them in the dehydrator. I found your site after soaking for 24 hours (I changed the water a few times), and because of your injunction against soaking longer than 12 hours, I decided to start dehydrating since I don’t have the space to spread several pounds of almonds all over my kitchen for a few days for full sprouting. But when I peeled a skin off, they had already sprouted! Is this normal? My almonds had a light white film this morning that rinsed off easily, and they don’t smell bad, so I can’t imagine they got moldy….
Also, I got these almonds in a local Arizona grocery store called Sprouts, which advertised them as raw almonds in the bulk food bins area (since you have so many people looking for raw almonds).
Thanks for your information on this process!
This all sounds completely fine, Gabrielle!
I wouldn’t soak them for too long or they’ll start to reabsorb the enzyme inhibitors.
But the fresher the almonds and the warmer the weather, the faster things will happen.
Brilliant news that you have found a source of non-heat-treated almonds in the USA!
The film may just be the soaking water drying on them. The main thing is to do what you did – to rinse them and to sniff them 😉 Your body knows when things are going off.
Enjoy!
Hi Clare,
Where do you get raw almonds in the UK that will sprout?
I have tried a few different suppliers and cannot get them to sprout.
Thanks,
Peter
Hi Peter,
Great question – thank you for asking.
I get organic almonds via Suma (wholesale) and they currently aren’t heat-treated.
However, you won’t actually get an almond to sprout a growing tail without it being in its shell. They have to be outside in soil over a winter to then kick into life the following spring – the same goes for walnuts and hazelnuts etc.
What we can achieve through soaking them is removing the enzyme inhibitors that otherwise make them difficult to digest and bringing a bit more life force into them.
Sometimes I see a teeeeeeny white ‘tail’ on mine after a few days, but they won’t sprout like mung beans or other seeds.
I hope that makes sense and answers your question!
Happy almond munching 🙂
Namaste, Clare
Thanks for the wonderful post!
I just purchased some raw almonds from our local Farmers Market and am in the process of sprouting them (already soaked and rinsed 3 times). I rinse every 12 hours (9a and 9p) but am noticing that they are somewhat dry (on the outside) by the time I rinse them. What concerns me is that if they dry out this much, mold may be growing. How can I tell if my almonds are moldy? I just want to be sure not to get my family and myself sick.
I do plan on dehydrating them after a couple of days of this rinse cycle and not sure if that will kill any mold (if there is even any on them). Do you know anything about this?
One last thing regarding dehydrating, can I dehydrate at the lowest temp of my dehydrator (which is around 95°)? I don’t mind the extra time it takes but like the idea of heating it at the lowest possible temp.
Thanks again for this helpful post!
Hi,
thanks for this great page, however if an almond is pasteurized then surely the enzymes are now dead because heat kills enzymes and no matter if you soak them or not the enzymes are not going to activate. Like to get your feedback on this as my understanding from everything I have read over the years on enzyme nutrician is that anything heated and definitely anything that is pasteurized is now devoid of any living enzymes.
Hi Shay,
Thanks for your comments – and a great question.
I would still soak them because you want to remove the enzyme inhibitors – the bit that mother nature puts in there to stop them from sprouting. These inhibitors make them harder for us to digest. So soaking them overnight to remove these makes them easier for your body to process, whether or not they are pasteurised.
I hope that makes sense!
Namaste,
Clare
okay so what you are saying is even thought the enzymes have been killed the soaking still removes the inhibitors. But they are still dead food from the perspective a of a raw food eater. I’m lucky in that I live in Australia and it is reasonably easy to source raw almonds however I have tested many of those from the supermarkets even the Macro brand which claim to be a health related brand and none of them sprout they just go rotten after about 5 days of trying to sprout them like you would sprout any other seed or grain.
What is the purpose of sprouting the almonds after soaking? What’s the advantage of the extra step? Or is it just to make them a little creamier?
Hi Gary,
Great question!
If your almonds are not heat-treated, then sprouting them will allow them to start their growth process – converting more of their nutrients into totally bio-available food.
However, it’s not essential. Soaking them to remove the enzyme inhibitors is the most important stage and then you can keep them in the fridge for 2-3 days until you’re ready to use them.
Clare x
Perfect, I did something very similar on my site. I actually had a hard time digesting almond until I started activating them.
Spot on, Eric! It’s hard to digest them while they’re still packed with the enzyme inhibitors that make the digestion hard.
It’s such a simple thing to do – soaking them overnight and then chucking out the soak water – and it transforms them into a super-food!
Namaste,
Clare x
Thanks for the info. I was wondering if they would sprout at all in non-natural conditions, realized I have been expecting these in warm conditions and probably with heat treated almonds. This article helped :).
Hi Prashanth,
You’re right – they might well be heat-treated.
Even if not, it’s unlikely that you’ll get full-blown sprouting from a shelled almond. But soaking to remove the enzyme inhibitors is still essential.
And – everyone – watch out for ‘warm and wet’ – it’s a super-quick way for your almonds to go slimey and inedible. If your local temperature is quite warm, keep them in the fridge.
Namaste,
Clare x
Hi Clare,
Thanks for your nice post. I soaked my almonds for 24 hours (drainded and water changed after 12 hours) and the rest of my nut mix over one night. I put them separated in a strainer and after one day on a plate. I kept them moist and drained them twice a day. I think there weren’t raw 🙁 however I wanted to use them over the next three days. I put them in a glass jar with water (water needs to be changed once a day) but already the next day the water wasn’t clear and seemed white. The smell wasn’t too trustful either. So I drained them, eat some of them and dumped the rest. Did I do something wrong?I read to keep them in a glass jar with water to avoid a muld process and keep them longer fresh.
Hi Nina,
Thanks for your comments.
The almonds won’t always show ‘tails’. If they’ve been previously heat-treated, then they won’t sprout. In that case, just drain them and move straight on to the ‘fridge’ bit of the process.
However, soaking them is still really important, as it releases the enzyme inhibitors and makes them easier to digest – and tastier, IMHO 🙂
After the first 12 hours or so, don’t soak them in water again, otherwise they will ferment (white & smelly!).
Keep them covered, ideally in the fridge, and rinse AND DRAIN daily for max 2-3 days.
Trust your instincts on whether or not they’re ok.
Hope that helps! Let me know how you get on.
Namaste,
Clare
Clare, I just got some Raw Almonds from livingnutz.com today in the mail. They claim to not have reached the temperature that harms them. I bought them as raw nuts but we will see if they sprout. I think the company is in the US, California I think.
Did you hear about how ‘raw’ almonds from CA aren’t really raw anymore? All farms are required to pasturize now bc of an outbreak of ecoli. It’s all a bunch of garbage and the gov should not have ever been involved, but the big crime is that company’s are still saying their almonds are raw when they are not.
You can still buy unpasteurized almonds in the US if you buy directly from the farmer (at farmers’ market, farmstands, or via mailorder). And yes, it’s appalling that almonds sold in stores are required to be pasteurized but can still be labeled raw.
Hello, I live in the UK & recently found out that in the US raw almonds have been labeled raw, when in fact, they’ve been pasteurised in some way or another. Is this sort of mis-labeling/deceit allowed in the UK?
Hi Amy,
Thanks for the info.
It’s an interesting question you raise. In the UK, the almonds aren’t usually labelled as ‘raw’ or otherwise. So we wouldn’t necessarily know.
However, in the USA the heat treatment has been a requirement of selling them, which is why it has been happening. That’s not the case in the UK. It is possible that someone has figured a way to sell them raw and has been able to use that label. I’d be interested in hearing what the ‘raw’ almond seller says about whether or not their almonds are taken above 41C / 105F at any point in the processing?
Namaste,
Clare