Wondering which gluten-free flours taste good, are good for gravy, baking bread, making cookies? These are common questions we all have.
If you've transitioned to a gluten-free lifestyle, you might be considering doing more baking yourself. What are the advantages of baking your own foods?
Avoiding unhealthy additives found in processed gluten-free foods. To extend the shelf life of gluten-free foods, certain unhealthy ingredients are often added. By baking your own foods, you can steer clear of these additives.
Using healthier ingredients - many gluten-free food manufacturers opt for affordable ingredients that may not be the healthiest choice. Baking your own foods allows you to use healthier ingredients, such as various flours with added health benefits.
Customizing your baked goods to your preferences. Whether you like nuts in your chocolate chip cookies or prefer banana bread with chocolate chips, baking your own foods gives you the freedom to tailor the flavors to your liking.
Saving money - gluten-free processed foods can be quite expensive, so baking your own foods can lead to significant savings. Who wouldn't want to cut down on their grocery expenses?
Almond Flour
Almond flour offers a low-carb, nutrient-dense alternative to traditional wheat flour. It packs fiber, vitamin E, magnesium and other essential nutrients in each serving. With its subtly sweet, nutty flavor, almond flour can add richness and depth to a variety of dishes. While it's not an exact 1:1 substitute in baked goods recipes, almond flour shines when used thoughtfully.
This flour creates wonderfully crisp crusts and textures for macarons. As a breading, it provides a delightful crunch to chicken, fish or steak. For best results, seek out recipes specifically formulated for almond flour.
With its high calorie count, a little almond flour goes a long way. Use it strategically to boost nutrition and flavor. Almond flour - an intriguing option for low-carb, gluten free and nutrient-focused cooking.
Amaranth Flour
A flour that is nutritious, versatile and offers a nutty flavor. Filled with fiber, protein and calcium, amaranth flour packs a nutritional punch.
Its mild, nutty flavor blends well with other ingredients without overpowering them. This makes amaranth flour a great addition to recipes when mixed with up to 25% of other flours.
Use it to add nutrition and texture to biscuits, muffins, pancakes, pastas and flatbreads. Amaranth flour also thickens soups, stews and gravies nicely. With its tendency to crumble, it may not work well in bread recipes. Overall, amaranth flour is a healthy, flavorful flour that brings texture and nutrition to a variety of baked goods and other dishes. Experiment with adding it to your usual flour blends.
Banana Flour/Green Banana Flour
This flour is a resistant starch, a type of fiber digested slowly, making it a nutritional powerhouse for your health. By stabilizing blood sugar levels, it supports glycemic control. As a prebiotic, resistant starch maintains a flourishing microbiome by feeding healthy gut bacteria. Additionally, it delivers key minerals - zinc, magnesium, phosphorous, and manganese.
Raw green banana flour carries a subtle banana essence, while baking tempers its flavor to a mellow, earthy note.
With versatile applications, this flour makes an easy 1:1 substitute in gluten free baking. Beyond baked goods, it thickens sauces, stews, and gravies. Since it absorbs liquids, you may need less than typical flour quantities in some recipes. With benefits for blood sugar, digestion, and nutrition, resistant starch in green banana flour promotes whole-body wellness.
Brown Rice Flour
For those seeking a high-fiber alternative to white rice flour, look no further than nutty brown rice flour.
This wholesome flour adds texture and depth to breads, cakes, sauces, and gravies. Though not a perfect cup-for-cup substitute, brown rice flour's lighter, less sticky texture can be used to replace some or all white rice flour in recipes.
Packed with magnesium, selenium, vitamin B6, and phosphorus, it provides more nutrients than white rice flour. However, brown rice does contain trace amounts of arsenic, so enjoy its earthy goodness in moderation.
With its pleasant grit and rustic flavor, a sprinkle of brown rice flour can transform your baked goods and thicken your sauces into something special.
Buckwheat Flour
Although commonly mistaken for a grain, buckwheat is actually the seed of a flowering plant, making it naturally gluten free and grain free, and full of nutritional benefits.
This hearty flour lends recipes a rich, earthy flavor with hints of walnut and cocoa. When blended with other flours at ratios up to 1:4, it adds a complex, nutty taste to baked goods.
Beyond its bold flavor, buckwheat contains an impressive lineup of nutrients like fiber, antioxidants, iron, magnesium, folate, zinc, and manganese.
Its versatility makes it ideal for quick breads, yeast breads, pancakes, muffins, crackers, and pastas. So don't be fooled by the name - buckwheat is a nutritional powerhouse that brings a unique, full-bodied flavor to gluten free baking.
Cassava Flour
Cassava and tapioca flours, are nutritious and versatile baking ingredients. While the two flours are interchangeable, cassava flour is made from the entire cassava root, whereas tapioca flour comes only from the starchy part.
This gluten free flour can be seamlessly incorporated into a wide variety of baked goods like muffins, cookies, pancakes, cakes, and breads.
Cassava flour is naturally low in fat and sugar but provides an array of vitamins and minerals like protein, fiber, folate, vitamin C, copper, thiamine, vitamin B6, potassium, magnesium, and niacin.
Its mild, earthy flavor won't overpower other ingredients. For bakers seeking a high-fiber, nutrient-dense flour, cassava is an excellent choice that can elevate the nutrition profile of sweets and savories alike.
Chickpea Flour
Chickpea flour is an ingredient with many names and benefits. Also known as gram flour, garbanzo bean flour, or besan flour, it has a mildly nutty and distinct flavor that can't be replicated.
While it can't be substituted 1:1 for all-purpose flour, blending it creates lighter textures in pastas, tortillas, crepes, brownies, and crackers.
Chickpea flour is nutritionally superior to regular wheat flour. It is rich in protein, fiber, thiamine, folate, iron, magnesium, and copper. The abundance of antioxidants boosts immunity. Additionally, it is lower in calories and carbohydrates in comparison. In summary, chickpea flour adds great nutritional value to baked goods and other flour-based foods.
Its unique, nutty taste shines through when used thoughtfully in flour blends. This legume flour works well for pastas, tortillas, crepes, brownies, and crackers.
Coconut Flour
Coconut flour is a fine, soft powder made by grinding dried coconut meat into flour. This flour is rich in dietary fiber and low in carbohydrates. It also boasts calcium, protein, and is low on the glycemic index.
Whether you love or loathe the tropical essence of coconut, this flour offers versatility. While it does impart the sweet nuttiness and subtle floral notes of fresh coconut meat, the flavor is understated. For bakers seeking a hint of coconut without an overpowering profile, this flour strikes a delicate balance. However, if you prefer no coconut flavor at all, a few tweaks can minimize it even further. Simply add a touch of chocolate, spices, or other bold ingredients to beautifully blanket the coconut essence. With a light hand and the right supporting flavors, this flour can adapt to suit coconut fans and skeptics alike.
Unlike regular flour, coconut flour can suck up moisture like a sponge, so you'll want to use it sparingly. A good guideline is to substitute coconut flour for only 1/4 to 1/3 of the total flour called for in a recipe. For example, if a recipe calls for 1 cup of all-purpose flour, use just 1/4 to 1/3 cup of coconut flour and fill in the rest with another gluten free flour. This coconut flour ratio helps prevent your baked goods from turning out dry and crumbly.
Millet Flour
Discover the nutritional benefits of millet flour, a power-packed pantry staple. This gluten free flour is rich in protein to support muscle growth and repair, as well as essential amino acids that your body needs. The complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber in millet flour provide steady energy and keep you feeling full. Not only that, millet is one of the best plant-based sources of manganese, phosphorus, and magnesium - minerals that play key roles in bone health, metabolism, and blood sugar control.
This nutrient-dense flour made from millet grains adds a pleasant, hearty texture to recipes.
Your muffins, breads, and other baked goods will be a little denser but packed with more nutrition thanks to the addition of millet flour. In most recipes you can use millet flour as a cup for cup substitute.
Oat Flour
Oat flour packs the wholesome goodness of oats into every bite. With a mild flavor and soft texture, it effortlessly substitutes for regular flour in recipes, adding extra fiber and protein too.
Whip up fluffy pancakes, hearty breads, and delicious cookies with oat flour.
This flour is easy to make on your own in seconds with a blender. Simply blend whole oats into a fine powder, et voila! You've got a gluten free flour ready to add nutrition and texture to your baked goods.
Though oats themselves don't contain gluten, cross-contact during processing can introduce traces of it. So if you're avoiding gluten, be sure to use purity protocol, certified gluten free oats and oat flours.
Quinoa FlourQuinoa flour offers a unique, earthy flavor that can be satisfying for some. While it may have a slight bitterness, toasting the quinoa beforehand can help mitigate this. It's important to note that quinoa flour doesn't taste like all-purpose flour and works best in recipes with bold flavors like cocoa powder and warming spices.
This flour is a high protein, whole grain flour that's full of nutrients. Try replacing half (or all for some recipes) of regular, all-purpose flour with quinoa flour for the health benefits. Manganese, phosphorus, copper, folate, iron, magnesium, and zinc are just a few of the main vitamins and minerals in quinoa.
Quinoa flour is great for gluten free baking. A lot of gluten free flours require the addition of gums and thickeners to provide structure to baked goods. But because of quinoa's high protein content, there is no need to add anything.
Sorghum Flour
Sorghum flour is a fantastic gluten free alternative that deserves more attention in the culinary world. This unique flour is derived from the sorghum grain, a hardy cereal crop that thrives in arid and semi-arid climates around the world. While sorghum flour does have a distinct, slightly sweet and nutty flavor profile that some may find unfamiliar at first, it offers a wealth of benefits that make it a worthy contender in the gluten free baking and cooking arena.
Beyond its gluten free status, sorghum flour is packed with essential nutrients like protein, fiber, and antioxidants, making it a nutritious choice for those with dietary restrictions or simply seeking healthier ingredient options.
Its versatility also shines through, as sorghum flour can be utilized in a wide array of baked goods, from breads and muffins to cakes and cookies. The flour's dense, sturdy texture lends itself well to heartier applications like crackers, tortillas, and even pasta.
And for those seeking to add more whole grains to their diet, sorghum flour provides a delightful alternative to standard all-purpose flour. So while its distinctive taste may take some getting used to, sorghum flour's remarkable nutritional profile and functional properties make it a gluten free gem worthy of exploration in any home cook or baker's repertoire.
Teff Flour
Teff flour is a remarkable gluten free alternative to traditional wheat flour that offers a wealth of nutritional benefits. Derived from the tiny, nutrient-dense teff grain native to Ethiopia, this flour is packed with an impressive array of essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber that make it a superior choice for those seeking a healthier, more wholesome baking and cooking ingredient.
This flour is renowned for its impressive protein content, containing all nine essential amino acids that the body cannot produce on its own. It is also exceptionally high in iron, calcium, and complex carbohydrates, providing steady, long-lasting energy without the blood sugar spikes associated with refined flours.
The subtly nutty, slightly molasses-like flavor of teff flour lends itself beautifully to a diverse range of baked goods, from hearty breads and rolls to delicate pastries and cakes. And with its finely ground, powdery texture, teff flour is incredibly versatile, seamlessly substituting for wheat flour in recipes while imparting a wonderfully moist, tender crumb.
Whether you are following a gluten free diet or simply seeking to boost the nutritional value of your baked creations, teff flour is a game-changing ingredient that delivers an abundance of wholesome goodness in every bite.
Tigernut Flour
Tiger nut flour is a versatile and nutritious ingredient that deserves more attention in the world of gluten free baking.
Derived from the small, tuber-like tiger nut, this flour is naturally free of gluten, making it an excellent choice for those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivities. Beyond its gluten free properties, tiger nut flour is packed with an impressive array of nutrients that provide a boost of nourishment to your baked goods. Rich in fiber, the flour helps to promote digestive health and can even aid in regulating blood sugar levels. It also contains a significant amount of healthy fats, including oleic acid, which has been linked to reduced inflammation and improved heart health. But the benefits don't stop there - tiger nut flour is also a great source of vitamins and minerals like vitamins E and C, as well as magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus. These vital nutrients play crucial roles in everything from immune function to bone strength.
Best of all, this flour has a subtly sweet, almost nutty flavor that complements a wide range of baked goods, from breads and muffins to cookies and cakes.
Whether you're looking to add more nutrition to your gluten free diet or simply want to experiment with new and interesting flours, tiger nut flour is definitely worth incorporating into your baking repertoire. Its versatility and impressive nutritional profile make it a true superfood for the gluten free kitchen.
White Rice Flour
White rice flour can be a useful substitute for wheat flour in various baking and cooking applications, though it does come with some important considerations. While this type of flour lacks the gluten structure that wheat flour provides, it has a unique sticky, binding quality that can be beneficial in certain flour blends. However, it's generally not advisable to use white rice flour as a direct, one-to-one replacement for wheat flour, as the finished product may end up with an undesirable gummy or dense texture. Instead, rice flour works best when incorporated as part of a larger flour blend, where it can contribute its binding properties without dominating the overall makeup.
That said, it's crucial to be mindful of the potential presence of arsenic in rice products, including rice flour. While the risks are generally low with moderate consumption, it's still important not to overdo the use of rice flour, and to ensure a balanced diet that doesn't rely too heavily on this ingredient. With the right approach and awareness of its strengths and limitations, white rice flour can be a versatile component in gluten free and wheat free baking, adding unique textural qualities to a variety of recipes. Where to buy
The Gluten Free Mall is a website I rely on, where I can conveniently purchase my preferred foods and flours from the comfort of my home. They offer free shipping with a minimum order, and provide clear labeling for allergens, making it easier for people with multiple food allergies to find suitable products. To order via The Gluten Free Mall, click HERE!
If you found this article helpful, would you please consider making a small donation to support the continued availability of these blog posts and the website, free of advertisements.
$5 donation - https://buy.stripe.com/cN2dR70bc5Mjg0g7ss
$7 donation - https://buy.stripe.com/bIY9AR3nob6D01i3cd
$10 donation - https://buy.stripe.com/8wM3ctgaa3Eb9BS7su
$15 donation - https://buy.stripe.com/28o14l6zA8Yvg0gbIL
*This blog post is not a substitute for medical advice. Always work with an educated healthcare provider when looking for diet, nutrition, and supplement advice. If you would like to speak with someone about your journey to better health, reach out anytime to The Nutritional Advisor via our CONTACT FORM!