Coconut Flour Power

Anita

by | Updated: December 3rd, 2016 | Read time: 2 minutes

The whole office is buzzing about our new #RaiseHealth campaign, and I’ve been racking my brain for healthy habits to pick up in 2015. I lift weights*, I run and do yoga, I eat (mostly) clean, but there’s one vice I could stand to get under control…

I like baked goods. It’s not like I’m eating them all the time, but slide a sliver of pie or a cookie my way and it’s tough to say, “no.”

Rather than completely deprive myself (a huge dieting no-no), I’ve resolved to make some healthy and creative substitutions for common ingredients. First up: coconut flour!

Coconut Flour Power

What I’m hearing about this ingredient is that it’s a heartier, healthier alternative to regular flours – you usually need less of it, and it contains fewer carbs (lower glycemic impact), but more protein and fiber. Hmm, maybe that means I’ll be full after one cookie…

Apparently it’s a popular alternative for gluten-free baking but it can be a bit tricky to get the hang of substituting for other flours. Here are some tips I’ve gathered:

  • For every 1 cup of grain-based flour, use ¼ to ⅓ cup coconut flour
  • You’ll need more liquid – six eggs (or egg-free equivalent) for every cup, plus a cup of milk alternative or other wet ingredient
  • You’ll need to mix/beat your ingredients with a little more gusto, since coconut flour can be clumpy
  • It’s not just good for baked goods – you can actually sub coconut flour 1:1 for frying and sautéing!

Pumpkin Spice Tea CookiesLuckily, you can find plenty of tried & tested recipes on our blog that include coconut flour. In fact, my co-worker Liz just baked up a batch of these pumpkin tea cookies – they were delish!

If you’ve had any experience baking with coconut flour, pretty please share it with me – I may have been involved in a few culinary catastrophes in the past…

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*Here’s me lifting something heavy! #RaiseHealth