Low-Gluten Flour Alternatives
1. Barley Flour
- What…a non-wheat flour made from grinding whole barley
- Taste…mild, but very slightly nutty
- Nutrition…has slightly fewer calories and more than 4 times the fiber of all-purpose flour
- Cooking Tips…When making yeast bread recipes, there is not enough gluten in barley flour to properly develop the bread, and it is recommended swapping only one quarter of all-purpose flour.
- Best for…quick breads and pancakes.
2, Pumpernickel Flour
- What…made from coarsely-ground whole rye berries
- Taste…pumpernickel breads tends to be dense, dark, and strongly flavored.
3. Rye Flours
- What…rye flours typically fall into one of three categories—light, medium, and dark—depending on how much of the bran has been removed through the milling process
- Nutrition…Rye bread may be a better choice than wheat bread for persons with diabetes.
- Cooking Tips…When baking, substitute one-third of the amount of rye with wheat flour to ensure the bread will rise properly.
4. Spelt Flour
- What…flour made from spelt, another member of the wheat family
- Nutrition…the fats in spelt flour are more soluble than any other type of flour, making it a good choice for people who have issues with wheat digestion, but who are not “gluten”…also spelt flours have a higher nutritional content than traditional wheat flour
- Taste…a nutty and slightly sweet flavor similar to that of whole wheat
- Best for…one of the most popular and widely available of alternative baking flours
Gluten-Free Flours
1. Almond Flour
- What…made from ground almonds
- Best for…pastry crusts, cookies, and quick breads
2. Amaranth Flour
- What…produced from ground amaranth, an ancient grain which was commonly used by the Aztecs
- Nutrition…contains more protein than any other gluten-free grain and more protein than wheat flour.
- Cooking Tips...Substitute up to 25% of the flour in your original recipe with this.
3. Buckwheat Flour
- Taste…nutty
- Uses…pancakes, soba noodles, crepes,
4. Chickpea Flour
- What…made from dried chickpeas
- Uses…a staple ingredient in Indian, Pakistan, and Nepal cuisines
- Cooking Tips…use as an egg substitute in vegan cookery….substitute up to half the amount of all-purpose flour called for in a recipe with chickpea flour
5. Coconut Flour
- What…ground from dried, defatted coconut meat
- Nutrition…highest fiber content of any flour, very low concentration of digestible carbohydrates
- Taste…very light coconut flavor
- Cooking Tips….replace up to 20% of the flour in a recipe, but add eggs and an equal amount of oil to compensate as this flour soaks up the liquid
6. Corn Flour
- What…made from finely-ground cornmeal
- Uses…used for breading and in combination with other flours in baked goods…also used as a filler, binder and thickener in cookie, pastry and meat industries
- tortillas, tamales’
7. Millet Flour
- What…made from millet, one of the oldest foods known and possibly the first cereal grain to be used for domestic purposes
- Taste…naturally sweet flavor
- Uses…most commonly used in desserts and sweet breads
- Cooking Tips…When substituting for wheat flour, it is usually best to start with about a 3-to-1 ratio of wheat to millet.
6. Oat Flour
- What…made from ground whole oats
- Uses…to make a baked good more moist than wheat flour
7. Quinoa Flour
- Nutrition…one of the most nutritious grain flour available
- Uses…ideal solution for those following a gluten free, vegan or vegetarian diet
- Cooking Tips…substitute this flour for half of the all-purpose flour called for in many recipes…also completely replace wheat flour in cakes and cookie recipes
8. Rice Flour
- What…can be made from finely ground grains of white or brown rice…which can be used interchangeably
- Nutrition…lighter, milder, and easier to digest than wheat flour…bown rice flour has higher nutritional value than white rice flour
- Uses…great as a thickening agent in sauces…widely used in Western countries especially for people who suffer from gluten-related disorders
9. Sorghum Flour
- What…made from ground whole grains of the sorghum plant
- Uses…very good substitute for wheat flour in many recipes, especially if combined with other, more denser, flours.
10. Soy Flour
- What…made from ground soy beans
- Uses…works best in sweet, rich, baked goods like cookies, soft yeast breads, and quick breads
- Cooking Tips…substitute for 10% to 30% of flour called for in the recipe.
11. Tapioca Flour
- What…made from the starch extracted from root of the South American cassava plant
- Taste..slightly sweet
- Uses…improves the texture of baked goods…also an ideal thickening agent for a wide variety of baked goods—such as breads and pancakes…as well sauces and desserts—such as tapioca pudding
- Cooking TIps…use 2Tbsp tapioca flour for each 1Tbsp corn starch
12..Teff Flour
- What…made from teff, an ancient and intriguing grain
- Nutrition…packed with nutrition…higher in protein than wheat…has a high concentration of a wide variety of nutrients—including calcium, thiamin, and iron…very high in fiber …is thought to benefit people with diabetes as it helps control blood sugar levels.
- Uses…dark breads…of considerable importance in eastern Africa
