You’re trying to eat healthier. So, you eat boring salads, more veggies, less salt, no sugar, no bacon, fewer fats. You’re miserable and you think that this will never be sustainable.
After all, you’re a baker! You’re exposed to sugar, butter, and flour all the time. It’s so often that every outfit you own has a white hue on some spot from your skin’s typical light coat of flour or confectioner’s sugar.
Who says you can’t have cake if you’re eating healthy and losing weight???
I say you can have your cake and eat it too. The days of cutting out the foods you love to be healthy are gone. There’s no need to feel deprived! You just have to substitute ingredients, like wheat flour and sugar with healthier options.
And coconut flour is my favorite sub for wheat flour. Mmmm, it so good!
Have you ever used it?
The first time I tried using coconut flour it was a total fail. I’m a self-taught baker. My mom taught me how to decorate cakes, but she had one main recipe for her cakes, which is a Dominican recipe.
Living in the Dominican Republic, this was the expected flavor whenever she had an order. I lived in the US, so her cake recipe was the least requested one I ever had in all the years I baked.
So, I did all my research for great cake recipes and learned to tweak them on my own to get the flavors I wanted.
I’ve learned a lot through trial and error. And my first time using coconut flour was definitely a trial. ?
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SUB COCONUT FLOUR AT A 1:1 RATIO
You know those 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies you see all over? Jeremy and I used to have them all the time before I started eating healthier. I figured, why not adjust this recipe to a healthier option?
Since I wasn’t going to use granulated sugar, I had monkfruit and stevia available at the time, I decided to go with a recipe that required flour.
I used a 1:1 ratio. Big mistake!
What formed as I mixed the ingredients was a big clumpy dry mass that clearly was not going to work for the cookie recipe. It was falling apart.
Then I added two more eggs to see if it was better. Still a clump. In fact, it somehow became a greasy dry clump. I know it doesn’t make a lot sense, but really.
Oil from the peanut butter was forming under the clump, but it didn’t have enough eggs in it to bind the dough.
Then, I decided to go online and look up a solution.
I know, I should’ve done it in the first place. Good for you if you’re reading this before trying it out first.
COCONUT FLOUR’S SUPERPOWER
Did you know that coconut flour has a superpower?
If you were thinking that it’s low carb, good for digestion, or high in healthy fats, those are all true. In fact, coconut flour is high in fiber, nut free, and grain-free.
These qualities make it a great option for people with a gluten-free diet, or who have diabetes. They’re perfect for high fat low carb, paleo, and real food eaters too.
But coconut’s real superpower is absorbency.
That’s why I ended up with a clumpy mass when I tried to switch the flours at a 1:1 ratio.
The good thing is that I didn’t throw away the bag. #1 it was a little pricey, and #2 now it’s a favorite in my home.
COCONUT FLOUR TO REGULAR FLOUR RATIO
Coconut flour can make your taste buds happy. It gives a slight hint of a coconutty flavor to baked goods. But it’s masked enough where people who aren’t fond of coconut can’t notice. It’s great for recipes that call for a flaky and dense consistency without having to use too much.
I know I said it has a coconutty flavor. Yep, made up word, not to be confused with nutty. So, as I mentioned before, if you’re allergic to nuts or even gluten, you’re in luck, this flour might be the one for you.
Being so absorbent, you don’t need to use so much of it whenever you bake. The amount you need will definitely depend on the recipe, but here’s the coconut flour to regular flour ratio that has worked best for me:
For every cup of wheat flour sub with 1/4 (4 Tbsp) coconut flour, plus two extra eggs. You might need extra liquid too, like coconut milk or water. A little trial and error may be involved.
It’s also important to note that you can mix coconut flour with other flours if you want to make a recipe lighter, less dense.
WHERE TO GET COCONUT FLOUR
Thankfully, the use of coconut flour is so common now, that it’s easier to find in supermarkets.
But, if you can’t find it a supermarket near you, get good quality coconut flour online. This is the one I use and recommend.
You can even make it yourself…
Dry out coconut pulp in the oven to remove all its moisture. Then, with a mega blender, like a Vitamix, or a food processor, blend the coconut until you’re left with a fine powder. Voila!
Well, that process sounds simple, but it doesn’t take five minutes. In fact, it takes at least 45 minutes in the oven to get rid of the moisture.
I think it’s worth a try though. It would be neat to make cupcakes and say, “I made them from scratch, even the flour!” Don’t you think? Maybe…maybe not… ?
TWO FIT AND HEALTHY BAKER COCONUT FLOUR RECIPES TO TRY
You might end up spending some time in trial and error with coconut flour. But, why not go the easier route and try established recipes?
There’s no wasting flour trying to get it right. Start with these two recipes:
Healthy and Delicious Zucchini Bread with Coconut Flour
And you don’t have to stop there! You can use coconut flour for savory recipes too. Instead of bread crumbs, use the flour to bind your meatballs. Or, add herbs and spices to the flour and coat chicken strips.
RELATED INGREDIENTS AND TOOLS
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN…
Now that you know how to use coconut flour in sweet and savory recipes:
- Comment below to tell me, what you’re gonna make with coconut flour.
- Download the Fit and Healthy Conversions Cheat Sheets for even more healthy flour substitutes at the bottom of this post.
- Pin it to come back to it the next time you need it.
I am wondering if you have ever tried to make egg noodles using coconut flour?
Hi Jessica,
I haven’t tried making egg noodles yet, but I would try adding something like guar gum or Xantham gum to add elasticity to the noodle dough. Otherwise, I think they may fall apart. Please let me know if you try it. 🙂
This is such a great resource to baking with coconut flour, and that zucchini bread looks scrumptious!
Thank you, Kari! I’m so happy you found it to be helpful!