Coconut Flour Baking Tips

 Coconut flour is the new kid on the block in my cupboard, we started off with a bit of a love/hate relationship because I didn’t fully understand the fact that this flour has to be treated quite differently.

One of the reasons coconut flour is so popular is because it’s gluten free, naturally very low in carbohydrates and full of fibre. Many ‘paleo’ recipes call for coconut flour and even if your not following a paleo diet, I think that bakes with coconut flour are delicious when you can get the balance and texture ‘just right’.

Due to the fact that coconut flour is often a kitchen nemesis I’ve put together a little list of my top tip’s for baking with it…

*Coconut flour needs lots of moisture, often double the amount you’d expect and use in a ‘standard’ recipes so when following a recipe that uses coconut flour don’t cut corners with this or you’ll end up with a dry/crumbling bake.

*If you don’t want to use tonnes of whole eggs/butter you can use egg whites, or add a little yoghurt?

*Should you fail; try, try again – I had to try 3 different recipes before finding the right one for my coconut flour loaf/pancakes. A top tip would be to bake half the amount if you are unsure, I nipped into poundland (classy chick) and grabbed a couple of small baking tin’s which allow for experimentation without wasting lots of ingredients.

*For vegans or those looking for an egg free bake, It’s worth noting that 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds soaked in 3 tablespoons of water can replace 1 egg.

*Always sieve coconut flour to prevent any clumps.

*Keep in mind that coconut flour does go out of date faster than normal flour and is best stored in a cool, dry place and kept well sealed.

Have you ever baked with coconut flour before? Any tips you would add?

My goodness I’d love a herbal tea and a thick slice of coconut flour bread drenched in salty butter and jam right now…

Katie

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