The Benefits of Coconut Flour

Coconut flour is a soft flour produced from dried coconut meat. It is a natural by-product from the production of coconut milk. It has a much lighter texture than other grain free flours, which makes it perfect for cakes, muffins and breads.

How is it made?

When coconut milk is pressed from coconut meat, bits of solid coconut meat are leftover which is then dried at a low temperature and ground until it produces a soft, fine powder which is then suitable for baking.

Coconut flour can offer a gluten-free and protein-rich alternative to traditional grain-based flours.

Benefits of baking with Coconut Flour

Coconut flour is rich in protein, fibre and fat which makes it exceptionally filling
The flour is popular for gluten free and low-carb baking, since it is low in carbohydrates and very high in fibre
Coconut flour is a low glycemic food and does not spike blood sugar levels, making it an ideal ingredient for celiac, diabetics and those concerned with the glycemic index

Baking with Coconut Flour – what you need to know?

In baking, you cannot substitute coconut flour for wheat or other grain-based flours at a 1:1 ratio. They are not equivalent. Coconut flour is exceptionally absorbent and very little coconut flour is needed to successfully produce a recipe. In baking, you generally want to substitute ¼ cup to 1/3 cup coconut flour for 1 cup grain-based flour. You will also need to increase the number of eggs. When baking with coconut flour however, it is best to use established recipes rather than waste considerable expense and time with experimentation.

Coconut flour is clumpy. To produce a fine-textured result, the coconut flour needs to be beaten with the other ingredients in your recipe, but you don’t need to be too particular as I do find that the clumps diminish during cooking.

Combining coconut flour with coconut oil in baking makes for an incredibly moist texture which retains it’s moisture over a few days (if they last that long!).

Where do you find it and how do you store it?

Coconut flour is becoming more readily available at your local supermarket, bulk bin or your health food store. Store in an airtight container in the pantry.

Try these Grain-free Coconut Wraps as a delicious alternative to grain wraps.