Substitute For Hazelnuts in Baking

Hazelnuts are sixth among the most consumed nuts all over the world. They are rich in dietary fiber, fat, vitamin E and proteins. It adds to the healthy diet and delivers immense nutritional value to the person who eats them. By the way, there are many like walnut, peanut, and cashew nuts similar to hazelnuts.

It was started from southern Europe, and currently found in many countries. Hazelnuts today are commercially grown in many regions of the world for sales. It includes countries like Turkey, and the US who are known to cultivate the hazelnuts.

The nut can help people to shred their body weight and also offers many health benefits to its consumers. It includes preventing body cells from any damage and enhances the sensitivity level of insulin. It also eases inflammation and helps in reducing the cholesterol level. You can use it as an ingredient to make recipes related to sweets, chocolates, and more.

But you might be living in a country or region where hazelnuts are not available, and you wish to make a recipe that includes it. In such a case you can try one from various hazelnut substitutes generally available in your nearby or online store. So, let us check out a substitute for hazelnuts in baking or cooking purposes;

Nuts Similar to Hazelnuts

5) Cashew Nuts

Let us start with a dry fruit that is most commonly used in different recipes of the world, especially desserts. They look like kidney and originates from the cashew apple. People use it either in its raw or roasted form as per required flavor.

These nuts carries high-fat content and high nutritional value, like copper, iron, magnesium, fat, and protein. If we consider its health benefits, then they are suitable for our eyes, hair, and to maintain our body weight. You can use it as hazelnut alternative for sure but with an added creamy flavor.

4) Pecans

They are larger with shells in red-brown color. These nuts are used to make pecan oil; flour to help in baking, and to directly use them as ingredients for making sweet dishes.

In the absence of these nuts, you can also use macadamia or Brazil nuts. So you can sure use them as a food ingredient and as a hazelnut substitute, but you will notice a slight change in overall texture and taste.

3) Walnut

These nuts are very almost like hazelnuts in nutrition since both contain an equal number of proteins and fats. The nuts originate from the walnut trees and include a good percentage of fiber, low fat, and protein.

No doubt, it delivers many health benefits to our body. It helps in the well-functioning of the brain; reduces blood pressure, weight, and inflammation. You can use these nuts as substitutes of hazelnuts without much difference since you will get both good crunchy flavor and texture.

2) Macadamia

The nuts are seeds extracted from tough shells and are prevalent in Hawaii and South Africa. They are generally used for commercial purposes, and hence produced in bulks. The overall nutritional value that a consumer can receive with these nuts is similar to that of hazelnuts.

The nuts are rich in fiber, iron, manganese, calcium, and vitamin-E for health benefits. It can help you to reduce weight, lipid levels, inflammation, and enhances blood pressure. After using these nuts as the replacement of hazelnuts, you will notice a slight change in taste. After all, these nuts are a bit sweeter than hazelnuts.

1) Almonds

Now comes the most preferred choice among all and something that tastes much similar to hazelnut! You can consume them as raw or in roasted form, and they are almost identical to hazelnuts with the same kinds of nutrients and health benefits. They can be used to make almond milk, flour, butter, and oil.

These seeds or nuts are rich in manganese, vitamin E, fiber, fats, and proteins. By the way, after cashew nuts, these are mostly used as dry fruits in various recipes of products like ice cream, chocolate, oil, some liqueur, and cakes. You can prefer them as hazelnut substitute and get the almost similar texture in the outcome.