40 Must-Try Sweet and Savory Almond Recipes

This is one of the best peach dump cake recipes in the world. It’s sweet, tender cake with a beautifully crisp cobbler topping. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side, and dessert’s golden. —Keri Sparks, Little Elm, Texas

This fresh and colorful side dish is delicious served warm or cold. I get lots of compliments on the homemade salad dressing. —Millie Vickery, Lena, Illinois

If you love fun baking gadgets, you’ll enjoy making these crispy, almond-flavored cookies, which get their unique waffle design from a pizzelle maker. They bake up golden brown in only a few minutes. Feel free to double the chocolate drizzle if you’d like to cover the cookies more generously. —Hannah Riley, Norwalk, Ohio

Our state produces an abundance of lemons, and everyone is always looking for new ways to use them. This beautiful tart is my delicious solution to the excess-lemon problem! —Lois Kinneberg, Phoenix, Arizona

As kids, my friends and I sandwiched Almond Joys between cookies. For our high school reunion, I re-created the idea with a tasty cookie version that breaks apart like chocolate bark.—Faith Cromwell, San Francisco, California

I had never seen a "pie without a pan" until my daughter brought back this wonderful pear almond tart recipe from a Rotary Club exchange program in Belgium. It's still a family favorite after all these years. —Sherry LaMay, Capitan, New Mexico

My mother taught me how to cook when I was a young girl. The sweet tangerines and crunchy caramelized almonds make this one of my favorite recipes. —Helen Musenbrock, O'Fallon, Missouri

Similar to an almond crescent, this coffee cake is light and flaky, with a rich almond center. It’s so versatile you can serve it for dessert, breakfast or brunch. It will taste as if it was made from scratch at a bakery, yet the packaged puff pastry makes the recipe quick and easy. —Gina Idone, Staten Island, New York

For a change from the usual toasted tomato appetizer, try this baked crostini recipe. If you like, slice the baguette at an angle instead of making a straight cut. —Leondre Hermann, Stuart, Florida

One Christmas, my good friend gave me this recipe and a sack of ingredients. I think of her every time I stir up these pumpkin-spiced nuts. —Patti Holland, Parker, Colorado

Buttery, rich and delicious, these classic almond sandies are my husband's favorite cookie and very popular wherever I take them. —Joyce Pierce, Caledonia, Michigan

Since changing to a healthier style of cooking, I’ve come up with new coatings for baked fish. I pair the health benefits of almonds with panko bread crumbs and a smidge of hot sauce to add crunchy texture with nice heat. —Amanda Flinner, Beaver, Pennsylvania

With colorful green beans and pimientos, this attractive casserole is terrific for the holidays. This is true comfort food at its finest. —Kat Woolbright, Wichita Falls, Texas

Cornmeal adds a rustic quality to this delicate dessert flavored with citrus and almond. It’s sure to be a staple in your recipe collection and also makes a great holiday party hostess gift. —Roxanne Chan, Albany, California

This soup tastes rich and decadent, but is really very healthy! Bonus—it’s vegan, and also makes your house smell amazing! —Barbara Marynowski, Hutto, Texas

My grandmother made this treat every year for Christmas. It’s much better than everyday apple pie. The recipe is a family treasure. —Maxine Theriauit, Nashua, New Hampshire

Give traditional lemon bars a tasty twist with the addition of almonds and coconut. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

This pie recipe is one I clipped years ago that became a big hit with my husband and three daughters. I’ve been baking since I was 9 years old. Back then, my friends and I would get together on Saturdays to bake chocolate chip cookies…but we liked the dough so much we ate lots of it raw! Of all the cooking I do today, I think I still enjoy baking best. —Diane Larson, Roland, Iowa

This tender side dish is perfect for the holidays or any time you want to add a special touch. Dried cranberries, currants and almonds serve up color and texture. My co-workers all make this rice pilaf for their families. —Pat Gardetta, Osage Beach, Missouri

I received this recipe along with a set of springform pans from a cousin at my wedding shower 11 years ago. It makes a heavenly cheesecake. My son Tommy has already told me he wants it again for his birthday cake this year. —Brenda Clifford, Overland Park, Kansas

While living in Canada, I sampled this colorful dish at a neighbor’s. The following Christmas, I served it instead of my traditional turkey, and I received numerous compliments on it. I frequently substitute shrimp or sausage for the chicken … or add all three. —Bonnie Brann, Pasco, Washington

Summer is peak season for Key limes, a must for this pie’s distinctive sweet-tart flavor. Unlike other Key lime pies, mine has a smooth marshmallow top layer that makes it stand out as a crowd favorite. —Judy Castranova, New Bern, North Carolina

This combination of buttery shortbread and sweet chocolate is wonderful. Whenever I make it, there's nothing but crumbs left. Be sure to cut these into small squares because they're very rich. —Valarie Wheeler, DeWitt, Michigan

When I meet former co-workers for lunch at our favorite restaurant, we always order this salad. I wanted to share it with my husband, so I made it my mission to re-create it. Mission accomplished! —Lisa Bynum, Brandon, Mississippi

This cheesecake is easy to make—but it's definitely not easy to wait till the next day to eat it! The recipe is from a friend I used to work with.—Darlene Brenden, Salem, Oregon

We had a “Taste of Home” party with friends who love to try new recipes. These party appetizers were a hit. —Sheila Wyum, Rutland, North Dakota

As a twist to my mother's original recipe, I added toasted almonds for more crunch, taste and nutrition. —Sarah Nevin, Gila, New Mexico

I love to make recipes with nuts. These are chocolaty with a hint of coffee—elegant and addictive! I love giving these gifts in a jar; I’ve even made them as edible wedding favors. —Annette Scholz, Medaryville, Indiana

A cookie-like crust holds the sensational filling of cream cheese, apples and almonds. This comforting apple torte will be welcomed addition to a bake sale or potluck. —Sheila Swift, Dobson, North Carolina

Sometimes that “missing ingredient” idea comes to me in my sleep, and I have to jot it down. The surprising filling in these cookies makes them fun to bake and even more fun to eat! —Angela Sheridan, Opdyke, Illinois

This pie is delicious and I serve it often when I have guests over for dinner. New York is one of the nation's top producers of maple syrup.

My mother used to prepare this chicken salad with grapes and almonds for an evening meal during the hot summer months. It’s my favorite of my mother’s chicken salad recipes. You can also serve it as a delicious but quick luncheon or potluck dish. —Kathy Kittell, Lenexa, Kansas

My idea was to make a cheesecake taste like my favorite candy bar, which has chocolate, coconut and almonds. This cheesecake also works in bite size. Use a mini muffin pan with muffin liners, fill 3/4 full and bake 15-17 minutes. Allow to sit and cool completely before topping with chocolate, coconut and almonds. —Keri Brammer, Lawton, Oklahoma

A special cousin shared the recipe for this comforting casserole. The almonds and water chestnuts give it a nice crunch. —Jill Black, Troy, Ontario

A luscious, chocolate-studded cannoli filling separates the tender vanilla layers of this rich cake, which starts with a package mix. It’s best when served well chilled.—Antoinette Owens, Ridgefield, Connecticut

I’m always looking for fun ways to use the fresh veggies that come in my Community Supported Agriculture box, and this salad is one of my favorite creations. I like to improvise with whatever I have on hand, feel free to do the same here! —Shayna Marmar, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Every Christmas morning, I bake a coffee cake that’s rich and creamy like a cheesecake. My family loves cherries on top, but make it yours with any kind of fruit preserves. —Sue Torn, Germantown, WI

My children and grandchildren often request these old-fashioned cookies. I freeze the unbaked dough so I can whip up a batch whenever my family comes for a visit. They are a good unfrosted choice for a cookie plate, too. —Betty Speth, Vincennes, Indiana

Toasted almonds add crunch to this no-fuss treatment for fresh beans. They get extra flavor from convenient onion soup mix and Parmesan cheese. —Edna Hoffman, Hebron, Indiana

Make a one-handed grab for this tender cake studded with toffee bits. Victory is extra sweet with a treat this good. — Nicolette Burnett, Green Bay, Wisconsin