Hazelnut meal is made from whole raw hazelnuts and has the texture of course flour with a deliciously sweet and nutty flavour.

Hazelnuts, also known as filberts, have been consumed for over 9000 years with remains of cooked hazelnut shells found in a pit on an island in Scotland, suggesting that even back then humans enjoyed the taste of roasted hazelnuts.  Hazelnuts are grown and commercially harvested all over the world with Turkey leading the way, producing over 660 thousand tonnes every year.

There are many health benefits to hazelnut meal as they retain most of the nutrients of whole hazelnuts or filberts, only losing some of the oils and some anti-oxidants in the grinding process. Hazelnut meal is a good source of mono-unsaturated oils, which are known to reduce LDL cholesterol (bad fat) and can increase HDL cholesterol (good fat). It also contains considerable levels of Vitamin E, a potent anti-oxidant that can reduce inflammation in the body and slow down aging. Hazelnut meal is a good source of folate, which helps to reduce the risk of degenerative brain conditions in older age and its also contains thiamine (B1) to assist with cognitive function and nerve health.

Hazelnut meal/flour is especially useful in gluten free cooking as it can replace normal flour in some recipes such as cakes and muffins. However, due to its high fibre content, hazelnut meal will create a denser, moister cake if used without combining with flour.  Generally when baking, up to 30% of the flour in a recipe can be substituted for hazelnut meal, which will add texture and a subtle sweetness, without compromising the structure.

Hazelnut meal makes a nutritionally dense addition to breakfast cereals, porridge, pancake mix and smoothies and is perfect for making biscuits, savoury muffins as well as gluten free pie crusts.