Weekly Spotlight: Exploring Alternative Flours Such As Buckwheat, Oat, and Chickpea!

Using alternative flour can be a great way to add more nutrition to baked goods and breakfasts. But, if you’re used to using all-purpose flour, this guide is perfect for you! Here, you’ll learn a bit more about a few common flours and how to use them in beginner-friendly recipes. These recipes not only showcase the wide variety of meals and foods you can create by using different flours, but also allows you to experiment with flour you might have on hand.

These flours can all be found certified gluten-free and are wonderful to if you’re starting to experiment with gluten-free baking. However, not all the recipes listed are gluten-free.

We also highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App  — with over 20,000 delicious recipes, it is the largest meatless, vegan, plant-based, and allergy-friendly recipe resource to help you get healthy! And don’t forget to check out our Weekly Meal Plan Archives! 

This week, we’re bringing delicious, fully vegan, and plant-based ways to explore alternative flours such as buckwheat, chickpea, and oat flour!

Buckwheat Flour

Source: Hearty Buckwheat Waffles with Strawberries

Buckwheat flour, despite its name, doesn’t contain wheat. It’s a wonderful gluten-free flour to use when you’re looking to add a bit more protein and fiber to your meals. You may be familiar with other forms of buckwheat, such as soba noodles. Since this flour is gluten-free, it doesn’t rise and create the fluffiness that you may be used to in baked goods. Rather, this flour results in baked goods being a bit more dense and hearty.

• Buckwheat Broccoli Fritters by Taryn Fitz-Gerald
• Lemon Blueberry Buckwheat Muffins by Taavi Moore
• Hearty Buckwheat Waffles with Strawberries by Happy Food by Bettina Campolucci Bordi
• Buckwheat Banana Bread Pancakes with Peanut Butter Syrup by Kristy Turner
• Double Chocolate Buckwheat Cake by Nele Liivlaid
• Blueberry Muffins with Buckwheat & Millet by Nele Liivlaid

Chickpea Flour

Source: Chickpea Flour Omelette

Chickpea flour is another amazing, gluten-free flour to use! Chickpea flour is also known as garbanzo bean flour or besan flour. This flour is great when you’re looking to make a high-protein meal; you can make pancakes, tortillas, and muffins with chickpea flour. It’s also great for savory recipes, like quiche and omelets.

• Besan Barfi (Chickpea Flour Fudge) by Namita Tiwari
• Chickpea Flour Omelette by Deniz Kilic
• Chickpea Flour Muffins by Maria Koutsogiannis
• Chickpea Flour Breakfast Cookies by Kat Condon
• Flourless Chickpea Brownies by Maggie Wescott
• Savory Chickpea Flour Pancakes With Tamarind Syrup by Renee Press
• Scrambled Chickpea Flour by Lisa Dawn Angerame

Oat Flour

Source: Banana Oat Cranberry Bread

Oat flour is a simple flour that you easily make from rolled oats. If you’re gluten-free, be sure to use gluten-free oats. Oat flour can be made into a simple porridge or used in pancakes, waffles, brownies, and bread. Oats are incredibly versatile, so if you’re in a smaller space, you can make oat flour as you need it. These recipes are perfect to create if you’re new to making and using your own oat flour.

• Easy Pumpkin Carrot Muffins by Nicole Dunai
• Gluten-Free Oat Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies by Gabrielle St. Claire
• Oat Flour Almond Butter Brownies with Salted Date Caramel Frosting by Allie Penner
• Banana Oat Cranberry Bread by Julie Zimmer
• Simple and Healthy Pancakes by Natasa Christofidou
• Quinoa and White Bean Burger by Julie West

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