What to replace wheat flour with? A doctor has named 5 healthy gluten-free alternatives

Gluten-free flour is a mysterious and fashionable trend in recent years. More products suitable for people diagnosed with celiac disease – genetically predisposed gluten intolerance – have started appearing on store shelves. This fact makes life much easier for those with the condition.

General practitioner, ex-director of the Hillel Foundation in Saratov

Gluten gives the finished product a dense structure, so it can be difficult to get accustomed to cooking on gluten-free analogs. Let’s find out which types of flour you can use in your kitchen in the best way.

The main secret

In products made with gluten-free flours, it’s usually best to use a mixture of different alternative flours and the starches they contain. Specifically to achieve the perfect texture. The kind that wheat flour gives baked goods – stretchy and neutral in flavor.

Gluten-free flour requires a flour blend (depending on the recipe) to replicate this characteristic of the flour we are used to.

Varieties of gluten-free flours are.

Brown rice flour

Brown rice retains a thin bran film, replaces regular flour in a 1:1 ratio. It has a “wheat” flavor and provides the desired texture. Because of its density, it is recommended for mixing with lighter starches: potato and corn starches, as well as with almond flour.

Oat flour

Oat flour fits well in recipes that call for a dense texture and a mild, slightly sweet flavor. Avoid adding too many heavy, sticky ingredients to oat flour, such as bananas. And don’t forget the dough leavener to help it distance itself and give it a lighter texture.

Oat flour is easy to make at home and is rich in fiber. Which means it’s good for intestinal peristalsis. Pancakes made with this type of product are especially good.

Nut flour

Universal advice for different types of flour derived from nuts on the example of almond flour. Take raw blanched (stripped of the brown skin) almonds, grind them and get flour for your baking. You can take ready-made almond flour, which has a finer grind.

This and other types of nut flour (from hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans) add the necessary protein, fiber to baked goods. It is well used in recipes containing eggs.

Bean Flour

Dried beans are just as easy to grind into flour as grains. Chickpea flour, also known, is used in the south of France for flatbreads. Lentil flour is also found in Indian cuisine.

All of them are rich in protein and fiber. Such flour has a fairly strong bean flavor and can be dense in consistency, so it would not be a good choice for sweet baked goods.

Coconut flour

A very dense flour made from dried coconut flesh. Dough made with it always wins with an egg because of its density, it also requires extra water to be added to the mix.

Flour can be brown, but does not come crispy because of its fat content. Rich in fiber, it tastes good in no-bake desserts such as carrot cakes.

Almost all of the above types of flour can be made at home! Making homemade gluten-free flour can save you money and give you better control over the consistency and flavor of your dishes.