Nuts have long been a popular inclusion in snack and bakery products, and for good reason. Peanuts, almonds, pecans, and other items can add interesting flavors, appealing texture, nutritional enhancement, and other benefits. To learn more, Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery connected with Teresa Polli, senior marketing director with Olam Food Ingredients (OFI).

Jenni Spinner: Could you please talk about the evolution of nuts as bakery and snack inclusions?

Teresa Polli: Nuts are one of the most ancient and widely consumed food stuffs still enjoyed today. Thousands, if not millions, of recipes from across culinary traditions feature nuts and legumes as a star player, from creamy cashew curries to a classic PB&J. In the U.S., this gives nuts an inherent sense of nostalgia and comfort, but this applies more to some varieties than others. While almonds or pecans might conjure images of indulgent festive cakes and pies for instance, pistachios and pine nuts are more closely associated with summer vacations and dreamy Mediterranean sunsets. 

While nut inclusions have been popular for generations, think peanut brittle and the Dreams Bar (a precursor to Almond Joy), demand for plant-based, gluten-free, keto and clean-label products means the humble snack nut is pushing forward to new frontiers. For example, nut flours are moving from niche, free-from applications to mainstream product launches as they offer functional versatility and can add an interesting depth of flavor to formulations. 

JS: Please talk about different kinds of nuts, their attributes, and what makes them excellent for some applications (and possibly less of a great choice for others).

TP: Each type of nut comes with its own roster of attributes making it more or less suitable for certain applications. When ground into flour for instance, almonds deliver a clean, relatively neutral flavor that makes them an ideal foundation for other tastes to shine. At the other end of the spectrum, cashew and walnut flours offer a more distinctive, nutty flavor and textural benefits great for extruded snacks or gluten-free pastries. Pistachios or hazelnuts, on the other hand, work well in baked goods and desserts, either as the ‘main event’ or as the perfect complement to fruit or chocolate. 

JS: Could you please talk about how different methods of processing can make a difference in how nuts taste and deliver a different mouthfeel?

TP: Nuts offer a playground of possibilities. One of our favorite ways of unleashing the natural potential of nuts is through our nut flour and protein powder ingredients and within these there is a lot of variety. For example, our almond flour can be created from blanched nuts for a lighter, finer flour or natural varieties for a more rustic, ‘home-made’ appearance with red and brown flecks. Almonds can also be transformed into protein powder with moisture retention properties that can help create wheat-free baked goods with a moist mouthfeel and neutral taste. 

Our cashew protein powder was also created to have an extra-fine grind that provides a smooth, melt-in-the-mouth texture that’s ideal for biscuits and cookies.

JS: What about health benefits—can you talk about the general benefits nuts offer, and then touch upon specific benefits of different nuts?

TP: With consumers today becoming increasingly health-conscious, it’s no surprise they’re seeking products that are both nutritious and delicious. While plant-based products remain popular in the healthy eating space, there’s also more demand for products with less sugar, salt, and fat. We’ve had many of our customers come to us for support in reformulating products to improve their nutritional profiles.

Nut-based ingredients are our superpower in nutritious reformulation. Our customized nut powder blends help brands add a source of minerals, protein and fiber, and can be a low-carb, non-GMO and gluten-free alternative for innovating in the bakery and snack space. 

JS: Please offer some advice for bakery and snack producers looking to include more nuts in their offerings, or maybe change things up a bit.

TP: Flours or protein powders from different nuts can be blended together or added to traditional wheat flours to create higher-protein formulations without extra additives or flavor modulators. 

JS: What products and solutions does OFI offer?

TP: OFI offers nuts for a huge range of snacking and baking applications including almond, cashew, walnut, hazelnut, peanut, macadamia and pistachio, and these nuts are available in a variety of roasts and formats from whole and chopped to flour and protein powders. 

But before the nuts are processed, we work with our customers and other partners to help make these ingredients better for consumers, farmers and the planet. Our Almond, Cashew and Hazelnut Trail sustainability strategies define a broad set of 2030 targets that include ambitious 2030 goals. For example, we’re aiming to help tackle poverty among cashew farmers by increasing average yields by 50%; offset 75% of the energy used to produce almond crops; and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions produced by the cashew supply chain by 50%.

Related: Snack and bakery inclusions must strike a balance to connect with consumers