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Nut and Seed Substitutions

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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

Their Uses

Almond Substitutions

Brazil Nuts

Characteristics

Their Uses

Brazil Nut Substitutions

Cashews

Characteristics

Their Uses

Cashew Substitutions

Hazelnuts

Characteristics

Their Uses

Hazelnut Substitutions

Macadamia Nuts

Characteristics

Their Uses

Macadamia Nut Substitutions

Pistachios

Characteristics

Their Uses

Pistachio Substitutions

SUBSTITUTIONS FOR UNIQUE FLAVORED NUTS

Pecans

Characteristics

Their Uses

Pecan Substitutions

Walnuts

Characteristics

Their Uses

Walnut Substitutions

Pine Nuts

Characteristics

Their Uses

Pine Nut Substitutions

Peanuts

Characteristics

Their Uses

Peanut Substitutions

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

Their Uses

Flaxseed Substitutions

Chia Seeds

Characteristics

Their Uses

Chia Seed Substitutions

 

Sesame Seeds

Characteristics

Their Uses

Sesame Seed Substitutions

Sunflower Seeds

Characteristics

Their Uses

Sunflower Seed Substitutions

Pumpkin Seeds

Characteristics

Their Uses

Pumpkin Seed Substitutions

Sacha Inchi Seeds

Characteristics

Their Uses

Sacha Inchi Seed Substitutions

Hemp Seeds

Characteristics

Their Uses

Hemp Seed Substitutions

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