that’s Monday’s Parsnip & Walnut Cake, if you’re wondering
Of all the comments I get on this blog*, by far the most popular goes something like this:
“X didn’t turn out as I expected, it was a bit dense…was it because of the coconut flour?”
A short answer to these queries is: “yes, probably”, but you deserve better than that.
coconut flour is the white meat of the coconut, dried and ground to a fine consistency
The intricacies of baking with coconut flour really merits an entire post and so I have put together the following tips. If you’re new to this flour, a seasoned pro or just curious about dabbling in ‘alternative’ flours (join us! all the cool kids are doing it!), this might provide some answers.
1. Coconut flour is very dry, be careful with your batter
This is the biggest, most important, lesson to learn about coconut flour. It really does love moisture. This is why every recipe featuring this flour is usually heavy on the eggs. That freaks some people out. Not me. I love eggs and happen to think that they’re one of the most nutritious foods out there.
But I digress. The propensity of coconut flour to suck up moisture faster than my dog inhales his dinner means that you have to be very careful with the batter. In all my coconut flour recipes I advise mixing the wet ingredients into the flour gradually. By gradually I mean little by little, stirring briefly after each addition. Don’t go crazy with the wooden spoon – over stirring gives the flour more of a chance to bind with the wet stuff so you’ll end up with a clumpy batter, and that’s no fun for anyone.
batter from my lime & coconut cake
The best test is to eyeball it. I never have a problem with my recipes coming out too dense or dry. That’s because I know from years of experience when my batter is good. If you end up over stirring just add some liquid in there to correct (milk, both dairy and non-dairy is a good idea) and proceed as instructed.
2. You cannot switch coconut flour with other flours 1:1
You have almond flour, quinoa flour, rice flour or whatever flour floats your boat in the house. It needs used up and you’ve spied a recipe that looks perfect…but wait….it’s using coconut flour. Curse you stupid recipe! Quel disaster! (I think this comes under the heading ‘First World Problem” but go with it). You decide to proceed anyway.
To quote Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman: “BIG mistake. Big. Huge.”
behold! coconut flour bacon brownies!
Because of the aforementioned dryness of coconut flour, you cannot simply substitute it for another flour in any given recipe. Sadly life isn’t that kind. At the very least you need to double up on your eggs and maybe think about throwing some yoghurt or milk in there too.
3. Coconut flour can clump
I live in a warm climate so most of my flours go straight into the fridge. This keeps them fresher for longer. Unfortunately it also makes delicate flours, like coconut, clump.
When you are using it for baking, it’s important to sieve the flour beforehand.
coconut flour works for cupcakes/muffins too (these are pear & nutmeg cupcakes)
4. Coconut flour has a unique nutritional profile
This is not your average flour. For a start it’s gluten and grain free. For another thing coconut flour has the highest percentage of dietary fibre of any other variety.
According to Mercola.com, it’s 58% dietary fibre and 14% coconut oil with the remaining 28% consisting of protein, water and carbs. This makes it a very good alternative to the standard refined white flour which can play havoc with your insulin response and digestion, as well as encouraging inflammation.
5. A little coconut flour goes a long way
There’s no getting around it, coconut flour is more expensive than the usual wheat variety. Believe me, I know. I live on an island in the Caribbean where only two stores stock it and they import it at huge cost…which is then passed on to the customer.
Manys the time I’ve stood in the aisle of the supermarket, staring at a bag and wondering: ‘can I really justify this?’
The answer is always yes. Not only is it an investment in my health (you are what you eat, so don’t eat the cheap stuff!) but coconut flour is extremely economical.
this chocolate chip banana bread only has 1/2 cup
You’ll notice that most of my recipes call for 1/2 cup for a standard loaf and no more than 3/4 cup for a large cake. I bake pretty much every week and find that my bag of flour lasts a long time. So that price tag suddenly doesn’t look so horrifying. You can always shop around on the internet too, that’s usually where you find the good deals and can buy in bulk.
NB: In case you’re interested, I use Bob’s Red Mill Organic Coconut Flour. I am not affiliated with them in any way, I only include that information here because I’ve been asked before and if you’re looking to buy some that might be a good place to start. I should stress that I only use Bob’s Red Mill because I can’t get any other brands, I don’t know what they’re like in comparison to others but they’ve always served me well.
What do you think? Did I leave anything out? Have you switched to coconut flour? What are your experiences?
*I love feedback. Although I may not respond to every one, I still cherish each comment. Keep ‘em coming!
This post was also shared at Party Wave Wednesday
I haven’t used coconut flour yet but of all the traditional wheat flour alternatives, coconut flour interests me the most.
We are generally egg free due to allergies. Any recommendations on still using coconut flour?
Hi Joy. You can always try the trick of replacing your eggs with flax seeds. Or, failing that, just make sure you use a whole heap of other liquid (yoghurt, milk) to compensate. Here’s an egg free recipe for coconut flour cookies that might get you started.
Howdy & a big thanks for this fuller explaination to a very important change in our diets to Coconut Flour & proper use & understanding. I notice you mention you are on an island in the carribean, yet can only get ‘Bob’s”. I started buying my coconut oil from Tropical Traditions, {http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/organic_coconut_flour.htm } so was wondering if they might be an alternative source for you, depending on price to you??
Also thank you for including pictures as i am also a visual person too & it helps !!!
Hi David, my ol’ facebook pal…nice to see you around the comments! I am curious about Tropical Traditions but once I pay the duty and shipping costs, it pretty much works out the same if not more
Will keep an eye out in case there’s a good deal I can take advantage of. Thanks.
Thank you for the information; it will be very helpful..
Hi,my sister makes her own coconut flour by putting the coconut flakes in a blender and making it a flour,I hope this helps.
Hi Ana. I’ve heard of that and I’m definitely curious. If i could get a good source of coconut flakes I’d try it
Reblogged this on Primal in Poole and commented:
I have tried using coconut flour a few times. No disasters but no memorable successes either. My overwhelming feelings have been that the results weren’t worth the effort involved. Armed with these tips I might be persuaded to explore this ingredient some more.
This is really helpful thank you!
Thanks for reading Julie!
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Just used coconut flour in your caramelized plantain bread recipe. It’s baking in the oven now. Cannot wait to try it out!
Awesome! Hope you like Dana
I make my own coconut flour, and there is a whole different curve when using the homemade flour. But I absolutely agree, to “eyeball” the batter. If you bake with any frequency at all, you know what a good batter is supposed to look like and its consistency.
i had some tips i thought i would share.
}
i use — http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/organic_coconut_flour.htm
instead of the popular bobs red mill brand. i honestly thought i did not like coconut flour until i tried this brand. they are two completely different products. almost like the difference between cornmeal and cornstarch in their flavor and performance.
i have never had any success using coconut flour alone, but it is wonderful in a blend. gluten free batters in general tend to be runny and hard to work with. because coconut flour absorbs so much moisture, i often add it with the intent of “gelling up” the dough and making it easier to work with.
on a similar note, in the blog post it was said the you need to use a ton of eggs when using coconut flour. i disagree. i actually use it in my eggless recipes as sort of binder.
my website
http://xwhimsybakeryx.wordpress.com/
Thanks for the info Whimsy
Those treats look divine…you caught me drooling for dessert! I’ll try using coconut flour in my next banana bread recipe and let you know how it turns out.
Oooh please do…happy baking!
Is the texture of coconut flour the same texture as white baking flour?
I’d say so, it’s perhaps a little finer but there’s not much between ‘em
Wonderful! I’m always looking for flours to play with and with your tips, I’ll be fine!
YAY! thanks for this post. I pretty much only bake with coconut flour and I know most of these tips but sometimes I still get frustrated with coconut flour… it’s always a nice reminder and I’m going to keep these tips handy!
I’m a HUGE fan of coconut flour given my gluten sensitivity and a clean eating lifestyle. Thanks for all the tips for baking. I recently came across a cool flour conversion chart (which I’m sure have completely memorized by now), but is great for quick reference. Coconut isn’t included but some other helpful guys are(http://pinterest.com/pin/7318418115862255/).
Coming over to you from Alicia at Humble Foodie. Adding you to my RSS and sticking around
Looking forward to exploring your recipes later this weekend.
All the best!
Eileen
http://leanerbythelake.com/
Hi Eileen, welcome! Thanks for the chart…I knew there was something like it kicking around online but couldn’t find it so cheers. Have a great, food-filled, weekend
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Hi, I just found your website and wanted to thank you for these tips using coconut flour. I do not know how to bake but, have tried to make healthy treats for my young children who have food allergies. I can only use coconut flour for them but, it has been so frustrating and discouraging to use when everything I have made has turned out too dry and chalky while following the exact recipes. Now after reading your tips I see what changes I need to make. I am so glad I found this tonight because I wanted to try again to make a birthday cake for my children coming up soon. Thanks again!
Great Sandra, I’m so glad I could help! Good luck with the birthday cake, hope it turns out delicious