What nuts can be substituted for each other in recipes?

I live in Kenya where almonds and hazelnuts are not available, but some of my favorite cakes involve them - sometimes in a central role. Are cashews comparable in oil content to hazelnuts or almonds, or will it cause problems to grind them with sugar or flour?

sabrina0
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3 Comments

nishis
nishis June 23, 2011
When substituting nuts that serve a mix-in or topping function, most are interchangeable; however it seems you are looking at a nut flour/paste application in which case walnuts, pistachios, pine nuts, and brazil nuts are your best bets; note that they vary in terms of both cost and color of the finished product.
 
beyondcelery
beyondcelery June 23, 2011
I second hardlikearmour's vote for a trail run and looking for pistachios. You can also try walnuts, if you can find those. I've lately been really enjoying ground sunflower seeds in my baked goods--they lend a nutty flavor and mimic some of the texture. How about macadamia nuts? Those might work, though I imagine they'd be a little stickier (with fat) than almonds or hazelnuts.
 
hardlikearmour
hardlikearmour June 23, 2011
You may have to do a trial run and see what happens. I'd also look into pistachios if you have them available in place of almonds or hazelnuts.
 
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