This note is for you, if in your day to day in the kitchen you wonder how to replace flour in recipes to make them lighter, gluten-free or simply to give them a differentiating touch. If you can’t find the answer, we invite you to calm down, since there are multiple cereal options that allow us to replace our old friend wheat.
How to replace flour in recipes and not despair
The first step is to remember that there are many cereals with which humanity has produced flours that today we call alternatives due to the predominant use of wheat in recent centuries. Some are oats, rye, quinoa, rice, spelled, eikorn, barley, corn, among others. There are also flours based on legumes and nuts, an option much sought after by those who cannot consume gluten, celiacs.
Using these cereals, many of which are ancient, we can learn how to replace flour in recipes and thus prepare a wide variety of foods including breads, desserts and rich savory dishes. Of course, keep in mind that if you are following the ketogenic diet, most of them are not allowed.
How to replace flour in recipes? 10 sweet options
Below we present you sweet options that will allow you to learn how to replace flour in the recipes of different desserts that will surely surprise the most demanding palates, pay attention that at the end we leave you the detail to prepare a stellar recipe.
1. Apple Pie
Using oatmeal we can prepare this classic dessert that combines the flavors of apple and cinnamon in an exceptional way. If we use certified gluten-free oatmeal, it can be an ideal option for celiacs.
2. Blueberry Muffins
These Anglo-Saxon pastry classics are delicious and even more so if we prepare them with almond flour. The fusion of the flavors of the blueberry with the almond create a version that is not only wheat-free but also explosive in the mouth.
3. Cupcakes
This version of muffins has been the best friend of snacks for years, imagine making them based on spelled flour and corn. By using spelled you will achieve a version with much more fiber, achieving a flavor reminiscent of the countryside.
4. Shortbread cookies
Who hasn’t woken up on a weekend morning thinking about the tin of shortbread cookies that they have hidden in the kitchen, surely more than one. This classic can be reversed using corn flour, achieving a splendid flavor and with an important addition, if the corn flour is certified gluten-free, it would be an ideal option for celiacs.
5. Pancakes
A breakfast classic without a doubt, the pancakes accompanied by butter and honey are a delight and if you have dreamed of waking up on a Sunday and preparing it but you do not want to know anything about wheat, do not worry, you can replace it with coconut flour that also It will provide a sweetness and touch with the flavor of a spectacular beach breakfast.
6. Banana Pudding
Another undeniable companion to mid-afternoon coffee, banana pudding is a delicious food not only as a snack but also for breakfast. It is possible to prepare it by replacing the wheat with rice flour, which allows it to be even a little lighter without losing its fluffiness.
7. Brownies
Whoever thinks of chocolate cakes surely thinks of brownies, this dessert that delights adults and children can be prepared using rye flour as a base.
8. Carrot cake
Carrot biscuits are usually a balanced option in the world of desserts, well imagine that you can not only replace wheat but also provide much more protein, vitamins and minerals using the powerful quinoa flour.
9. Carob cake
This integral recipe is very popular, especially among those who enjoy healthy food. Carob flour is very nutritious and versatile, especially when it comes to sweets. It is usually used as a replacement for cocoa, since its color is very similar and it has a prebiotic function in digestion. If you like, you can add some nuts to the cake, it will be spectacular!
10. Barley crackers
Imagine some biscuits made from barley, rye flour and dark beer, biscuits with a profile between sweet and sour, which can be the perfect dessert for a gathering of friends on a Friday night.
How to replace flour in recipes? 10 savory options
As we know that only sweet cravings are lived and that the list of dishes that are part of our favorite lunches and dinners usually include wheat, we present a diverse list that will give you clues on how to replace flour in salty recipes while preserving some classics on the table.
1.Pizza
Because no weekend should be without this classic, we present you with the possibility of preparing our beloved pizza based on one of the many vegetarian recipes with chickpea flour. This not only allows you to replace wheat but also makes it suitable for coeliacs.
2. Cheese crackers
If you think of an appetizer or snack for a meeting with friends, you can prepare some cheese crackers that go amazing with the toast, replacing the wheat with rice flour.
3. Arepas
A classic from the Caribbean, these buns made from precooked corn flour are wonderful, you can fill them with whatever you like, literally whatever you like, and they are a valid option for coeliacs, as long as the flour is certified gluten-free.
4. Pancakes
Although this French classic is usually associated with sweetness, savory crepes are a delicious reality, you can accompany them with mushrooms, cheeses, cold meats or whatever you like. And most importantly, you can prepare them using rye flour.
5. Crackers
Crackers are a classic snack and you should know that you can prepare them using rice flour, not only do you replace wheat but you get rich and much lighter crackers.
6. Falafel
A clear ambassador of Middle Eastern cuisine, these little balls are perhaps one of the vegetarian recipes with chickpea flour most widespread in the world. They are delicious as chopped and as a main dish, do not hesitate to prepare them or ask for them at your trusted Arab restaurant.
7. chipa
A classic from Paraguay and the Argentine coast, these little balls made with cassava flour, also called yucca, and cheese are a delicious breakfast or snack, with a delicious coffee or mate, they are priceless.
8. Tamales
Another son of corn, one of the most widespread dishes throughout Latin America, it is a delicious option to replace bread at the table. Taking into account that it usually quenches instantly.
9. Faina
If you have ever been to Argentina and specifically in Buenos Aires, you will have heard of this Genoese classic, appropriated by Buenos Aires pizzerias as an inevitable companion. This dish is one of many vegetarian recipes with chickpea flour which shows us how versatile this legume is.
10. Omelets
This emblem of Mexican cuisine is a very clear example of the prominence that corn flour can have in Latin American cuisine. Although its preparation is not that simple, we encourage you to get to work and try to assemble your homemade tortillas in the best Aztec style.
Gluten flour: powerful recipes
As much as we are talking on how to replace flour in recipes, this is clearly not a section suitable for coeliacs, but for vegetarians and bread lovers. With gluten flour, recipes can be very powerful and nutritious.
It is with elements such as seitan that vegan meats are made, so it is a product that is widely consumed by people who follow this type of diet.
In addition to gluten flour, easy recipes are, for example, a type of spongy and consistent bread.
Gluten-free flour in recipes is clearly not a good option if you want to give up flour, but it is a good complement to add variety to your diet.
here goes the surprise
And speaking of replacing flour in recipes, remember how we promised you the details of a stellar recipe? So let’s go with the beer cookies:
Ingredients:
Half a cup of raw pearl barley.
1 can of 500 ml of stout beer.
4 tablespoons thick split peanuts.
1 tablespoon of Oil.
1 egg.
1 tsp sugar.
1 tablespoon of rye flour.
Step by Step:
1) Wash the barley, let it drain in a colander and then submerge it in the beer in a bowl for 40 minutes.
2) Place the barley-beer mixture in a pot and heat over medium heat until it begins to boil, counting 20 minutes from that moment, stirring occasionally. After twenty minutes, turn off the heat and let it rest.
3) When this mixture is at room temperature, add the rest of the ingredients to form a mixture as homogeneous as possible.
4) Assemble balls of the size of your choice and gently flatten until it forms the typical disk shape of a cookie.
5) Bake in a preheated oven over medium heat for 20 minutes.
6) Wait for it to cool down, remove, serve and enjoy.