5 Healthier Flour Substitutes for Tasty Baked Goods

Flour is a pantry staple for good reason: It goes into nearly all of our baked goods, it can help thicken sauces, it’s useful for getting breading to adhere to foods, and more. In the past, we would just reach for all-purpose, but there good flour substitutes that are worth exploring, even if you’re not following a certain diet, like gluten-free or low-carb. These alternative flours have different textures and flavors, and they often have added nutrients as well. Here are 5 flour substitutes to try.

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1. Buckwheat Flour

Though the word “wheat” is in its name, buckwheat flour is totally unrelated to wheat. In fact, it’s wheat- and gluten-free. It’s also antioxidant-rich and a great source of B vitamins.

The color of buckwheat flour is quite dark, resulting in deep brown baked goods. The flavor is also a bit intense: It’s earthy, nutty, and slightly bitter. Because of that, you’ll often see it in combination with other flours in recipes.

How to use it: Buckwheat pancakes are a classic, for good reason. Make a batch of these the next time you’re craving a stack.

2. Almond Flour

Almond flour is the perfect introduction into the world of alternative flours. It’s simply finely ground almonds; if you see “blanched” on the label, that means the skins have been removed. Blanched almond flour is lighter in both color and texture than non-blanched. Almond flour lends a nutty, slightly sweet taste to baked goods and, because almonds naturally contain lots of healthy fat, it makes cookies and cakes extra moist and rich-tasting.

Almond flour is naturally gluten- and grain-free and suitable for a low-carb diet. It’s also a good source of protein, iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and vitamin E.

How to use it: You can substitute 1:1 for all-purpose flour for breading. Almond flour won’t thicken sauces. For baking, it’s best to use recipes designed for almond flour, as the texture and absorbency is very different from all-purpose.

3. Chickpea Flour

Chickpea flour, also known as garbanzo flour, gram flour, or besan, is made from finely ground dried chickpeas. It’s full of protein and fiber, along with magnesium and potassium. It’s also naturally gluten- and grain-free.

The flavor of chickpea flour is distinctively savory, so it works better in savory baked goods than sweet ones.

How to use it: Blend it with another flour if you want to use it in a sweet recipe. Or, stick to savory recipes, like this socca, a chickpea flour-based flatbread.

4. Cassava Flour

This flour substitute is made from the whole root of a starchy root vegetable native to South America. Cassava, otherwise known as yuca, delivers a mellow flavor that closely mimics all-purpose flour.

It’s high in carbohydrates, and also fiber-rich.

How to use it: You can substitute nearly 1:1 for all-purpose flour, but you should use slightly less cassava. It’s best to weigh it instead of using a dip-and-sweep method for measuring. Cassava is more absorbent than wheat-based flours like all-purpose, and adding too much can make for heavy baked goods. Also, you may need to adjust the liquid in a recipe if you’re swapping cassava for all-purpose. Cassava works well in savory and sweet recipes (like this delicious grain-free zucchini bread) and you can use it for breading and to thicken sauces.

5. Oat Flour

Oat flour is one of the easiest alternative flours to try at home because you can make it yourself: Simply blend old fashioned rolled oats in a food processor until they’re finely ground. Ready-made oat flour is readily available at grocery stores, too.

Oats and oat flour are naturally gluten free, but because of cross-contamination, you should seek out certified gluten free oats if you have celiac or are very sensitive to gluten. Oat flour lends a nutty flavor and chewy texture to baked goods and works well in both sweet and savory recipes. It’s rich in fiber as well as protein, magnesium, and phosphorus.

How to use it: You can swap some oat flour for all-purpose (up to 25 percent of the flour, depending on the recipe), but not more than that. Also, oat flour works well in combination with other alternative flours, such as buckwheat or almond. Use recipes formulated for oat flour for the best results, like these blueberry muffins.

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