If you’re making something that won’t be baked—like edible cookie dough—you may have heard that regular flour needs special attention first. But what about almond flour? They may both be called flour, but they aren’t the same ingredient.

Watch Me Explain It

Regular Flour Is a Raw Food

All-purpose flour is made from wheat, and the normal milling process does not necessarily kill bacteria that may have been present on the grain. That’s why raw wheat flour—and raw dough or batter made with it—is not considered ready to eat.

For recipes that will be baked or otherwise thoroughly cooked, the normal cooking step takes care of this. For no-bake recipes, use flour that has been commercially heat-treated and labeled as safe for ready-to-eat use rather than assuming ordinary raw flour is safe.

What About Almond Flour?

Almond flour is made from almonds rather than raw wheat, so the usual warning about raw wheat flour does not apply in exactly the same way. However, processing varies by brand. If you’re using almond flour in a recipe that will be eaten without cooking, check the package and manufacturer guidance instead of assuming every almond flour has received the same treatment.

Laura’s Tip

The big thing to remember is that the word “flour” doesn’t mean every product was made or processed the same way. Regular wheat flour is not a ready-to-eat ingredient unless it has been specifically treated for that use. With almond flour, check the package if you’re using it in something that won’t be cooked.