Coconut Flour Offers Gluten-Free Alternative
It might well be the year of the coconut: water, milk, cream, chips (savory and sweet), shredded, oil and now also coconut flour. It is a new darling in gluten-free circles in particular, and it does offer some welcomed properties, but it takes some getting used to when substituting it for other more traditional flours. Here is what you need to know about coconut flour so that you can experiment yourself.
- Coconut flour is very finely ground coconut after the oil has been removed. We do not recommend that you try to make your own; best to buy commercial coconut flour, such as Bob’s Red Mill.
- Look for coconut flour in natural food stores and online.
- Store in an airtight container in refrigerator or freezer if not using within a week. Bring to room temperature before using.
- It tends to clump upon storage. Whisk well before measuring.
- Coconut flour is gluten-free but it does not substitute 1 to 1 for other flours. Use recipes developed for coconut flour.
- If you really want to try it as a substitution, replace about 20% of the wheat flour called for in a recipe with coconut flour but also add an equivalent amount of liquid.
- Or if you want to eliminate wheat flour, try using about 25% of the wheat flour called for with the coconut flour. It is that absorbent. If the mixture looks dry, add more liquid also.
- Every cup of coconut flour needs at least 2 eggs, sometimes up to 4.
- An equal amount of liquid to coconut flour is a good place to start.
- Nutritionally it is very high in fiber, low in digestible carbohydrates and fairly protein rich.
- It is paleo and grain-free diet friendly.
- It does have a coconut flavor, but perhaps not as much as you would think.
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