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Why You Should Be Using Peanut Flour in Your Baking

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Abigail is a animal and food lover who decided a long time ago not to... Read More

Peanuts in shells in a pile
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Peanut flour is a great option for baked goods if you want to start avoiding or using less wheat-based flour. It is such a tasty and nutritious option to try! While regular flour has little nutritional value to offer, this nut flour is full of nourishing oils and protein to give your baked goods a boost.

What is Peanut Flour?

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Peanut flour is made by grinding up peanuts into a very fine powder similar to flour. Some brands will extract some of the oil for finer and drier flour, but some leave it all in. A good brand will not have many additives. Some may add preservatives, but aside from that, there shouldn’t be any fillers.

It’s Gluten-Free

Peanut flour is gluten-free since it is completely free of any kind of grain. It is made only with peanuts and nothing else. This makes it a great option for anyone who is gluten-free or trying to eat less gluten. It is much easier to digest and will not make you feel overly full or bloated.

It’s Rich in Healthy Fats

Because this flour is made completely out of nuts, it has a hefty amount of healthy fats to offer. This is great for a plant-based diet and will help to keep you fuller for longer periods.

It’s Low in Carbs

This nut flour is low in net carbs, making it a great option for vegan keto or low-carb diets. It is full of all of the nutrients without being carbohydrate and calorie-heavy. This makes it much less likely to leave you in a slump like gluten would.

It Tastes Great

Peanut flour tastes pretty amazing, which is why it is so great to use in baked goods. Just imagine a big plate of vegan chocolate cookies made with peanut flour! Such a delicious combo! It is also one of the more tasty gluten-free flour options since many either have no taste or give off a strange aftertaste.

It Acts Like Real Flour

One of the biggest complaints about baking with gluten-free flour is that it does not act as regular flour does in baked goods. If you have ever tried to bake something without flour, you most likely ended up with something dense, chewy, and more like rubber than food.

Flour that doesn’t come from wheat just doesn’t act the same way and often drags the other ingredients down, making baked goods dense and sunken. Peanut flour is amazingly similar to real flour and bakes nice and light baked goods. It rarely makes dense baked goods and can achieve that light and airy crumb.

It’s High in Protein

Because this flour is made entirely from nuts, it is no surprise that it is high in protein. Peanuts have a decent amount of protein, and this flour creates a very protein-rich flour option for baking.

It is great for a plant-based diet if you are struggling to consume enough plant protein. This flour gives you much more protein without having to eat so many nuts. It is a fast and easy way to make sure that you are getting enough protein in your diet.

Tips for Baking with Peanut Flour

  • Add extra leavening to your recipe when using this nut flour. Using more leavening will make sure that your baked goods rise nicely and remain light.
  • For a less obvious peanut flavor, you can mix this flour with another flour. Almond flour goes well with this option, and the two make a tasty blend that is nutty but not overpowering.
  • This flour goes best with rich flavors like chocolate, almond, hazelnut, or certain fruit flavors. Avoid using it in citrus or vanilla foods as it is far too overpowering and will mask the other flavors.
  • Make sure to store the flour in the fridge to preserve its shelf life since the oils in the flour can make it go bad faster. If you have a large amount, you can freeze a portion of it to keep it fresher for longer.

Where Can You Buy Peanut Flour

Peanut flour is not a very widely used ingredient. Thus, you aren’t usually going to find it in most grocery stores. Even many health foods or whole food stores don’t carry this flour because it doesn’t sell enough.

The best option is to purchase it online, and it is also more affordable this way. Check out these options from Amazon:

How to Make Peanut Flour at Home

You can easily make this flour at home if you choose to. All you need are plain peanuts that aren’t salted or seasoned in any way. They can be roasted or not it doesn’t make much difference either way.

You will need to use a food processor to finely grind the peanuts into a fine powder. Be careful not to over-grind them, or the mixture will start to become peanut butter.

Store your flour in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer to preserve the shelf life.

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