Nut and Seed Substitutions within Raw Recipes

Nut and Seed Substitutions

A lot of raw gourmet recipes call for nuts and/or seeds. They are heavily used because they are great replacements for glutenous grains and flours. Nuts and seeds play many roles in a recipe. They give bulk to recipes, act as binders, add flavor, some make creamy bases, and most importantly, they add in nutrition. But due to tastes, availability, allergens, or dietary restrictions, we may need to find substitutions. I will be giving replacement suggestions, keep in mind these are a guideline, not the golden rule. I selected nuts and seeds that MOST compliment the item you need to replace.

How to Choose The Right Substitute for Your Recipe

When choosing the right substitute for the job, it’s important to consider what the nuts are adding to the finished product. Are they contributing texture? Flavor? Visual appeal? As you weigh your options, also think about the size of the nuts that you’re replacing. Swap them measure for measure, and you should have good results without necessarily compromising the integrity of the original recipe. You can usually combine a variety of nuts and/or seeds as a substitution for one nut or seed. Exchanges can alter a recipe but that’s not always a bad thing, you will just be creating a different result than the recipe creator.

I could quickly type out a list of what subs for what but in my typical style… I want to teach you the characteristics of nuts and seeds so you start to understand why you could use one over the other. Knowing this information will help you further on down the line when you go to design your own recipes. I will be covering the most COMMON nuts and seeds used in raw recipes.

SUBSTITUTIONS FOR NEUTRAL FLAVORED NUTS

Almonds

Characteristics

Almonds are a hard nut.
They have a slightly sweet but neutral flavor, which lends to both savory and sweet dishes.
Great to use for white/cream colored recipes when skins are removed. Learn how (here).
Learn more about them (here).

Their Uses

Creamy – almonds once soaked and blended with liquid, can create creamy textures that you find in yogurt, cheese, milk, etc.
Crunchy – roughly chopped, they are great in granola, trail mix, bars, cookies, crust recipes, etc.
Thickener – when blended as almond butter, it can be great to use as a thickener.
Flour replacement – in a food processor, almonds break down to a small crumble that works well as the base in recipes. Whole almonds will NOT break down to a fine flour. The best way to achieve this is to dry almond pulp which you can learn about (here and here).
Make your own almond butter. Learn how by clicking (here)!

Almond Substitutions

Cashews
Macadamia Nuts
Hazelnuts
Brazil Nuts

Brazil Nuts

Characteristics

Brazil nuts are a hard nut.
Brazil nuts feature a three-sided shape with sweet, nutty-flavored white meat.
They have a thin papery skin that is difficult to remove, so if you need a “white” nut for a recipe, this may not be the best choice.
They have a “dry” texture when chewed, so keep that in mind if they are the star of the dish.
Learn more about them (here).

Their Uses

Creamy – once soaked and blended with liquid, Brazil nuts can create creamy textures that you find in yogurt, cheese, milk, etc. I prefer to combine them with other nuts such as cashews when making yogurts. They do not get as creamy as cashews or almonds.
Crunchy – roughly chopped, they are great in granola, trail mix, bars, cookies, crust recipes, etc.
Flour replacement – in a food processor, Brazil nuts break down to a small crumble that works well as the base in recipes. They won’t create a fine flour, so keep this in mind when mouth-texture or visual aesthetics are important.

Brazil Nut Substitutions

Almonds
Hazelnuts

Cashews

Characteristics

Cashews are a softer nut.
They are actually a drupe, not a true nut.
Cashews have a rich neutral flavor that works well in both sweet and savory dishes.
They create a wonderful creamy texture when soaked and blended.
Great to use for white/cream colored recipes.
Learn more about them (here).

Their Uses

Creamy – when blended with liquid, cashews can create creamy textures that you find in yogurt, cheese, dips, cream, milk, etc.
Crunchy – roughly chopped, they are great in granola, trail mix, bars, cookies, crust recipes, etc.
Flour replacement – in a food processor, cashews break down to a small crumble that works well as the base in recipes. They won’t create a fine flour so keep this in mind when mouth-texture or visual aesthetics are important.
Make your own cashew butter!

Cashew Substitutions

Almonds
Macadamia Nuts
Pinenuts (in small applications)
Young Thai Coconut flesh (for a non-raw version, try full-fat coconut milk from the can) – this substitution depends on the type of recipe.

Hazelnuts

Characteristics

Hazelnuts are a hard nut.
They are neutral in flavor and work well in both sweet and savory dishes.
They have paper-thin skin that is difficult to remove.
Learn more about them (here).

Their Uses

Creamy – when blended with liquid, they can create creamy textures that you find in ice cream, sauces, dips, cream, milk, etc. I like to combine them with almonds and cashews to even out their strong taste. Hazelnuts will NOT break down as creamy as cashews.
Crunchy – roughly chopped, they are great in granola, trail mix, bars, cookies, crust recipes, etc.
Flour replacement – in a food processor, hazelnuts break down to a small crumble that works well as the base in recipes. They won’t create a fine flour, keep this in mind when mouth-texture or visual aesthetics are important.
Make your own hazelnut butter!

Hazelnut Substitutions

Almonds
Macadamia Nuts

Macadamia Nuts

Characteristics

Macadamia nuts are a hard nut. Very hard actually.
They have a rich buttery flavor that works well as a neutral base.
Keep their unique buttery flavor in mind when you are creating recipes that have an extra buttery taste.
They are prized for their nutritional qualities, having the highest amount of monounsaturated fat out of any nut.
Because they are so hard, you need to be extra careful when processing them. Macadamia nuts will start to release their oils quickly which could ruin a recipe.
Learn more about them (here).

Their Uses

Creamy – when blended with liquid, they can create creamy textures that you find in ice cream, yogurt, sauces, dips, cream, milk, etc. Macadamia nuts tend to be pricer, so I like to combine them with almonds and cashews to cut costs.
Crunchy – roughly chopped, they are great in granola, trail mix, bars, cookies, crust recipes, etc.
Flour replacement – in a food processor, macadamia nuts break down to a small crumble that works well as the base in recipes. They won’t create a fine flour so keep this in mind when mouth-texture or visual aesthetics are important.
It’s best to rough chop them before blending in a blender or food processor, especially if you don’t own high-powdered appliances.
Make your own macadamia nut butter!

Macadamia Nut Substitutions

Almonds, skinned
Cashews
Hazelnuts

Pistachios

Characteristics

Pistachios are semi-hard.
Did you know that pistachios are not actually a nut? The fruit is a drupe, containing an elongated seed, which is the edible portion.
They have a rich flavor and buttery texture.
They add a great pop of green to recipes.
Learn more about them (here).

Their Uses

Creamy – pistachios don’t blend to an ultra-smooth finish. I like to combine them with almonds and cashews to create smoother textures.
Crunchy – roughly chopped, they are great in granola, trail mix, bars, cookies, crust recipes, etc.
Flour replacement – in a food processor, pistachios break down to a small crumble that works well as the base in recipes. They won’t create a fine flour so keep this in mind when mouth-texture or visual aesthetics are important.

Pistachio Substitutions

Almonds
Hazelnuts
Cashews

SUBSTITUTIONS FOR UNIQUE FLAVORED NUTS

Pecans

Characteristics

Pecans nuts are a soft nut.
They have a slightly sweet buttery taste much like macadamia nuts and walnuts.
Come in many different sizes.
Learn more about them (here).

Their Uses

Semi-Creamy – when blended with liquid and strained through a mesh bag, pecans can create delicious cream and milk. They play more of a supporting role in creamy recipes. By themselves, they leave a slightly grainy texture.
Crunchy – roughly chopped, they are great in granola, trail mix, bars, cookies, crust recipes, etc.
Flour replacement – in a food processor, pecans break down to a small crumble that works well as the base in recipes. They won’t create a fine flour so keep this in mind when mouth-texture or visual aesthetics are important.
Because they are a softer nut that is high in fat, it is easy to over-process them in the food processor. If this happens, they start to release their own oils which could ruin a recipe.
Make your own pecan butter!

Pecan Substitutions

Walnuts

Walnuts

Characteristics

Walnuts are a soft nut, similar to pecans.
They have a slight buttery taste but can be bitter to some. The soaking process helps with the bitterness.
Learn more about them (here).

Their Uses

Semi-Creamy – much like pecans, when blended with liquid and strained through a mesh bag, walnuts can create delicious cream and milk. They play more of a supporting role in creamy recipes. They leave a slightly grainy texture when on their own.
Crunchy – roughly chopped, they are great in granola, trail mix, bars, cookies, crust recipes, etc.
Flour replacement – in a food processor, walnuts break down to a small crumble that works well as the base in recipes. They won’t create a fine flour so keep this in mind when mouth-texture or visual aesthetics are important.
Because they are a softer nut that is high in fat, it is easy to over-process them in the food processor. If this happens, they start to release their own oils which could ruin a recipe.
Make your own walnut butter!

Walnut Substitutions

Pecans

Pine Nuts

Characteristics

Generally considered a seed.
Pine nuts are soft.
They are VERY expensive.
Very high in oil, giving them an almost buttery texture.
You might be able to detect a slightly resinous pine-like flavor if you crunch a few on their own.
Once mixed with other ingredients, their flavor is more mild and sweet.
Pine nuts can produce what is known as “pine nut mouth” or “pine nut syndrome.” It causes everything you eat to have a bitter, metallic taste.
Learn more about them (here).

Their Uses

Pine nuts are typically used in pesto recipes.
They are great sprinkled on salads.
Can be ground down to a small crumble for raw cookie, bar, or crust recipes.
I think of pine nuts as more of a garnish due to the expense.

Pine Nut Substitutions

Cashews can be used in pestos instead of pine nuts.
Stick to small applications.

Peanuts

Characteristics

Peanuts are semi-hard.
They are actually a legume and not a nut.
Many people have peanut allergies and need to be careful when making foods for others.
Peanuts have a very distinct taste, and caution should be made with subbing them out.
Learn more about them (here).

Their Uses

In raw cuisine, peanuts are usually used in the peanut butter form.
Peanut butter can then be used when a thick creamy texture is desired as in smoothies, porridge, brownies, cheesecakes, etc.
They can be added whole or chopped to make raw granola, cookies, brownies, salads, etc.
Make your own peanut butter!

Peanut Substitutions

Sacha Inchi seeds

SEEDS and HOW to EXCHANGE Them

Seeds have more distinct flavor profiles than nuts do, at least in my opinion, making them more challenging to exchange in recipes IF you are wanting to mimic the ingredient being used. But don’t let this discourage you. Different flavor profiles lead to different recipe results which can be just as favorable. When substituting, you can usually use a single seed, a mix of seeds, or a blend of seeds and nuts.

The other unique traits to seeds, other than their strong flavor profiles, are that some seeds are used for thickening, only in small quantities, and used in garnishing. Keep this in mind, and you will do perfectly fine.

Flaxseeds

Characteristics

Flaxseeds are tiny, crunchy seeds.
For your body to absorb their nutrients, they need to be either soaked or ground into a flour-like texture.
Flaxseeds are typically used as a thickener in raw recipes.
They come in golden and brown colors. The darker seeds are a bit stronger in taste but not very noticeable when combined with other ingredients.
They have a slightly nutty flavor.
If you are put off by their flavor, use chia seeds instead.
Learn more about them (here).

Their Uses

Their most common use is as a binder in raw recipes since they swell up, creating a mucilage-like gel that helps bind ingredients together.
Flaxseeds can be ground to a flour-like texture or used whole as long as they are soaked in a liquid.
They shouldn’t be used as the main “flour” in a recipe. It will create a heavy, gummy texture to the end product.
Ground flaxseeds work as a binder in wraps, crackers, pastries, and used in raw bread recipes.
You can add 1-2 tablespoons of flaxseeds to smoothies, creams, and dips to give them a slightly thicker texture.

Flaxseed Substitutions

Chia seeds, an equal amount
Psyllium husks, an equal amount in small quantities

Chia Seeds

Characteristics

Chia seeds are tiny, crunchy seeds.
They come in black and white colors.
Chia seeds are basically tasteless.
Learn more about them (here).

Their Uses

Their most common use is as a binder in raw recipes since they swell up, creating a mucilage-like gel that helps bind ingredients together.
Chia seeds can be ground to a flour-like texture or used whole.
They shouldn’t be used as the main “flour” in a recipe. It will create a heavy, gummy texture to the end product.
Ground chia seeds work as a binder in wraps, crackers, pastries, and used in raw bread recipes.
You can add 1-2 tablespoons of chia seeds to smoothies, creams, and dips to give them a slightly thicker texture. They can affect the recipe appearance so be mindful of that.
I often use chia seeds as a garnish on top of crackers and raw breads.

Chia Seed Substitutions

Flaxseeds, an equal amount
Psyllium husks, an equal amount in small quantities

Sesame Seeds

Characteristics

Sesame seeds are tiny, semi-soft seeds.
You usually see black and whitish/tan colored seeds.
They are crunchy and have a subtle nutty taste.
Learn more about them (here).

Their Uses

When ground to a paste they create what is known as Tahini. This paste can be used in place of other nut/seed butters, but the flavor of sesame seeds is very distinct.
I often use sesame seeds as a garnish on top of salads, crackers, and raw breads.
I rarely use them as the base of a recipe.

Sesame Seed Substitutions

Any seed when used as a garnish
Sunflower seeds
Hemp seeds

Sunflower Seeds

Characteristics

Sunflower seeds are slightly crunchy.
Sunflower seeds have a slightly nutty and grassy taste to them.
They are small and add a nice crunch to recipes.
Learn more about them (here).

Their Uses

Be sure to remove from the shell before using.
Sunflower seeds can be used to produce sunflower butter, a popular allergy-friendly alternative to nut butters made from peanuts or almonds.
When ground to a butter it can work as a binder/thickener in a raw recipe.
Since sunflower seeds have quite a unique flavor, I use them in crackers, granola, raw breads, and cookies.
They can be ground down to small crumble but not a fine powder.
Great to use as garnishes on top of crackers, raw breads, salads, etc.

Sunflower Seed Substitutions

Hemp seeds
Pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin Seeds

Characteristics

Pumpkin seeds have a malleable and chewy texture.
They are subtly sweet and have a nutty flavor.
Learn more about them (here).

Their Uses

Be sure to remove from the shell before using.
Pumpkin seeds can be ground down to small crumble but not a fine powder.
They are a great addition to add bulk, flavor, and nutrients to raw bars, cookies, and granola mixes.
Pumpkin seeds combine well with sunflower seeds.
Mix into granola and trail mixes.
Great to use as garnishes on top of crackers, raw breads, salads, etc.

Pumpkin Seed Substitutions

Sunflower seeds

Sacha Inchi Seeds

Characteristics

Sacha Inchi seeds are hard and crunchy.
They have a slight peanut undertone to them.
Learn more about them (here).

Their Uses

Sacha Inchi seeds can be ground down to small crumble but not a fine powder.
I find them to be a great stand-in for peanuts.
Mix into granola and trail mixes.
They blend quickly into a nut butter consistency.

Sacha Inchi Seed Substitutions

Peanuts

Hemp Seeds

Characteristics

Hemp seeds are light and on the softer side in texture.
The flavor is nutty and earthy. Imagine a cross between how flaxseeds and pumpkin seeds taste.
Learn more about them (here).

Their Uses

Hemp seeds don’t grind down very well to a flour-like texture, but they blend well into raw cookie and bar recipes.
They are great sprinkled over dishes.
Add 1-2 Tbsp worth to a smoothie.
They blend quickly into just about any raw recipe where you want to add a pop of nutrients.

Hemp Seed Substitutions

Chia Seeds
Flaxseeds
Sunflower Seeds
Pine Nuts
Sesame Seeds

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