Are you confused about coconut flour vs almond flour?
Both are gluten-free, both are grain-free and both are used heavily in low carb and keto cooking ... but which is best and how do you use them?
Can these flours be easily swapped in recipes? Let's dig in ...
If you are new here, you may want to print a copy of the cooking conversion charts. You'll discover kitchen conversions for metric/imperial, tablespoon to ml, temperatures, and even international ingredient names. So no more guessing what a recipe needs.
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Low-Carb Flours - Which Is Best To Use?
Before we begin the coconut flour vs almond flour debate, you may wish to learn more about all low-carb flours. Read my Ultimate Guide To Low-Carb Flours.
It's a general overview of low-carb flours and how to use them.
Which is healthiest?
Both coconut flour and almond flour are low-carb flours and naturally gluten-free.
Both are less processed than "healthy whole-grains", both coconut flour and almond flour are more nutritious without the need for fortification, that many wheat-based products often have.
As with most baking ingredients, there are pros and cons, so let's go through them.
And why am I beginning to use coconut flour more frequently in recipes?
What Are The Benefits?
3 BENFITS OF BAKING WITH COCONUT FLOUR VS ALMOND FLOUR
- Allergies – so many readers are requesting nut-free recipes. Either because they have nut allergies, or like me, their children attend a school with a nut-free policy. So baking with nuts is out of the question.
- Cost – coconut flour is cheaper to use. Prices vary from country to country, and what is currently on sale, but for us in New Zealand, coconut flour is half the price of almond meal/flour. Not only is coconut flour cheaper to buy, but the amount you use in a recipe is also incredibly small compared to almond meal/flour. A cake might require cups of almond meal/flour, whereas a coconut flour recipe might only require ¼ of this.
- Omega3/6 ratio – almonds have a high omega 6 (pro-inflammatory) content. This isn’t so important when you are just eating a few almonds as a snack, but to rely on cups of almond meal/flour for meals and baking, really does make a difference and adds up quickly.
Note On Nuts: “The FDA lists coconut as a tree nut but in fact, coconut is a seed of a drupaceous fruit. Most people allergic to tree nuts can safely eat coconut. Coconut allergy is reasonably rare. If you are allergic to tree nuts, talk to your allergist before adding coconut to, or eliminating coconut from, your diet.”
Why Am I Making More Coconut Flour Recipes?
It has been requested that I bake more frequently with coconut flour than almond flour.
But don't worry. If you don't like, or can't tolerate coconut flour, I will continue to develop new low-carb and keto recipes with almond flour/meal.
I love cooking with both low-carb gluten-free flours.
I will continue to add substitutions for older recipes. For example, I have added instructions to my Fat Head pizza recipe. You can now make it with almond flour OR coconut flour.
You can search all the recipes using the coconut flour recipe index. You'll find coconut flour cookies, muffins, bread, mug cakes, pizzas, fudge, waffles, bagels, and even low-carb coconut flour chicken nuggets!
What Are 3 Differences Between These Low-Carb Flours?
1: Allergies
With the increasing number of allergies, more readers are asking for tree nut-free recipes. And as many parents know, an increasing number of primary schools and kindergartens are making a nut-free policy for baking and school lunches.
So many low-carb recipes use almond flour/meal, it limits what baking we can send our children to school with.
2: Costs
Depending on where you live this may vary, but here in New Zealand, coconut flour is almost half the price of almond flour/meal.
Coconut flour is a pretty economical low-carb flour to buy and to use because you only use ¼ of the volume of almond flour.
3: Fat content and quality
Almond flour has a higher fat content but it is the quality of fat that is important to consider. Almond flour is high in omega 6 which is the inflammatory polyunsaturated fat we want to avoid in large quantities.
Coconut flour is lower in fat (another reason why it is so absorbent for liquids in recipes), but it is stable saturated fat.
Omega 6 is inflammatory and omega 3 is anti-inflammatory.
In the past, our omega 6:3 ratio was closer to 1:1, in modern times it has moved to be 15:1, i.e.: a highly inflammatory diet. "Excessive amounts of omega-6 ... promote the pathogenesis of many diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, whereas increased levels of omega-3 PUFA (a low omega-6/omega-3 ratio) exert suppressive effects." Source.
It takes 90 whole almonds to make 1 cup of almond flour. It is too easy to overindulge in almonds from almond flour low-carb baking.
Takeaway notes: Coconut flour is versatile, cheaper, healthier, has better omega 3:6 ratios and far lower in carbs than almond flour.
Benefits of using low carb flours
- High in fibre - both coconut and almond flours are high in fibre.
- High in protein - coconut flour isn't as high as almond flour, but when you consider baking using coconut flour generally requires more eggs to help the baking rise and improve moisture, it can be considered a higher protein option.
- Low carb - both are lower in carbs than wheat and grain-based flours. 1 cup of wheat flour contains a whopping 73g net carbs compared to 10g net carbs in 1 cup of almond flour, and 6g net carbs in the equivalent ¼ cup of coconut flour (40% less than almond flour).
- Nutrition - there's not much in it, but both are better than wheat and grains. Don't rely on low-carb baking to provide you with the basis of your nutrient-dense diet. Low-carb baking, whether it is from coconut flour vs almond flour, should not be relied upon regularly. Part of the ethos of going low carb is not to rely on the sweet tastes, not to rely on treats but to use them occasionally. It is always better to reach for a low-carb treat rather than a highly processed, high-carb one, but they must begin to make less of an appearance in your weekly meal plan.
Coconut flour cooking tips
Unless you are very experienced at low-carb cooking, you cannot directly substitute coconut flour for almond flour in recipes.
This is the NUMBER ONE mistake everyone makes.
Readers tell me time and time again their baking has failed when they swap coconut flour directly for almond flour.
For those of you new to cooking with coconut flour, it can be tricky to work with unless you understand how coconut flour works and behaves.
I always suggest that you begin to bake with coconut flour using recipes that have already been developed using coconut flour.
Once you feel comfortable with the properties of coconut flour, you might want to try experiment converting some almond flour recipes.
TOP TIP 1: The best recipes to begin converting are those that aren't heavily based on almond flour so a recipe that only used ½ cup of almond flour is much easier to convert to coconut flour than a cake that uses perhaps 2-3 cups of almond flour. It simply won't work.
TOP TIP 2: Some people are more sensitive to the subtle flavour of coconut flour than others. Coconut flour may need additional flavouring and sweeteners in sweet recipes or additional herbs and spices in savoury recipes to over-ride the subtle coconut flavour it has.
How Coconut Flour Works
Coconut flour is dehydrated and defatted flesh from the coconut. It is the high fibre by-product of making coconut cream and coconut milk.
Coconut flour is incredibly absorbent and it is best left to swell and absorb the moisture it has been mixed with.
For example, if you were to make my keto waffles and don't allow the batter to stand for a few minutes while the waffle maker is heating up, you may think the batter is too liquid and too runny to create the perfect waffle.
If however, you allow the batter to rest for a minute or two, you will see the batter thickening all by itself.
Because coconut flour is so incredibly absorbent, you will need extra liquids. Extra eggs are required to help improve the texture of the baking and to help the cake to rise.
Almond flour is a great replacement for breadcrumbs in recipes such as chicken nuggets, crumbed pork and grain-free fried chicken.
Coconut flour will work in many of these recipes, but you need to use only a small quantity and it may not give you that crunchy texture you are used to with breadcrumbs.
BEST COCONUT FLOUR RECIPES
You can search all the recipes using the coconut flour recipe index. You'll find coconut flour cookies, muffins, bread, mug cakes, pizzas, fudge, waffles, bagels, and even low-carb coconut flour chicken nuggets!
- Keto vanilla berry mug cake
- Nut-free "peanut butter" cookies
- Fat Head nachos
- Keto waffles
- 1-minute keto muffins
- Coconut flour bread
Read More: The Ultimate Guides Series
- Ultimate Guide To Carbs In Food 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 lists
- Ultimate Guide To Carbs In Vegetables
- Ultimate Guide To Carbs In Fruit
- Ultimate Guide To Healthy Fats
- Ultimate Guide To Low Carb Sweeteners
- Ultimate Guide To Low Carb Flours
- Ultimate Guide To Carbs In Alcohol
- Ultimate Guide To Carbs In Beige Food
- Ultimate Guide To Carbs In Nuts And Seeds
- Ultimate Guide To Carbs In Sauces
Barbara
Do you have a low carb, or diabetic recipe for the automatic pasta dough making machines ratio to ratio? I got a machine but no recipe, they only have all purpose flour in the guide. I’m really missing a real pasta after 2 1/2 years. I can’t afford to throw out dough and start over as they suggest.
Libby Jenkinson, MPS
I have an amazing keto pasta dough recipe here.
Barbara Maynard
The machine is starfrit sold by Walmart and bed bath and beyond. It says the two measuring cups that came with it are not standard and to use these only because measures have to be correct or will clog machine, plus they want you to use a scale exactly 200g the recipe is simple but they only give it for all purpose flour,Ratios below uses all-purpose flour and water. The ratio may vary if any other type of flours and liquids are used. Always use scale to measure flour if using a different pasta recipe refer to the section below to identify the right dough consistency. Basic pasta 400g 170mi water = 4-5 servings
Egg pasta 400g 170 mi (1egg + water = 4-5 servings.
If the ratio of liquid and flour is not correct, the extrusion will not succeed. In this case, prepare the ingredients again.
For good results the dough should not be too dry nor too wet, the right consistency should be crumbly, otherwise the hopper cannot gather it. Each flour type has its own water absorption level, it is not possible to indicate recipe amounts as absolute reference.different flours may require a different amount of water. Water should be added a little by little to identify the right consistency. It is recommended to experiment with the pasta maker to be able to easily identify and understand what is the right consistency for perfect pasta extrusion. There are a few more instructions and pictures of right and wrong consistency’s I don’t know how to send a pic. This looks like a very nice machine and sturdy we are in our 80s and don’t have the stamina to roll out dough and the time it takes. This would only require putting the ingredients in machine and pushing a button and it does all the work. I sure would be grateful for any help you can share and thank you for all the recipes you have shared most are quick and easy which helps us very much, thank you again Barbara.
Barbara Maynard
Sorry that is 400g all-purpose flour.
Barbara
Basic pasta: 400g. Flour weight 170ml water weight . = 4-5 servings
Egg pasta. 400g flour weight 170ml water weight (1egg + water. = 4-5 servings if the ratio of liquid and flour is not correct, the extrusion will not succeed. In this case prepare the ingredients again.should not be too wet or too dry consistency should be crumbly, otherwise the hopper cannot gather it. Each flour type has its own water absorption level, its not possible to indicate recipe amounts as absolute reference .
K
Thank you so much, this was most informative. I appreciate the detail which you have provided. I, too, have long tried to discern the nutritional values between the two flours and the pros and cons. You have given us wonderful options to make our own decisions based upon your research. Everyone's taste and needs are different, so I must say this has been extremely beneficial to those of us who love to bake and are seeking alternative options from the (also wonderful) wheat flours we grew up with.
I look forward to these baking adventures! Regards, K
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
I was so confused at the beginning of my low-carb journey and I made so many expensive baking maitakes, I wanted to help those who have only ever used regular wheat flour before (that was me). I'm so glad this article and information helped. You'll soon instinctively know which flour to use for which recipe and how to manipulate the consistency of your cake batter (for example) with eggs or other protein and liquids. Happy low-carb and keto baking!
Mark CM
This would have to be the most uncomfortable page to read I've seen in a long time. What a total mess. I gave up after 3 paragraphs, at least, I think it was 3, so hard to tell with all the crap everywhere. And if this comment is "moderated", that's OK because this comment is directed at YOU the blogger that is about to delete this comment. LOL
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Hey there Mark, what an absolute ray of sunshine you are to leave me such a wonderful comment to read this morning. As you can see, I do not delete comments but reply to each and every one. May you find peace and kindness in your day today, and are kinder to those who are near to you.
Jacqueline
Thank you for the information!
I also appreciated your reply to the sunny ray of 🌞! Dripping sarcasm for folks who have not realized you don't need to comment if don't appreciate what is here. Close the page and move on, some appreciate what is here on this page! 😊
George
Best reply ever 😂😂 But I do see his point!
Mabel
I would love to switch to the coconut flour but adding in all those eggs also adds so many calories!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Luckily we don't count calories. 😉 Eggs are a wonderful quality protein that helps keep us full and satiated. They are almost zero carb so coconut flour and eggs are perfect for low-carb and keto baking recipes.
Stacee
I am extremely allergic to all nuts and avocados so I find it difficult to replace them in most paleo and keto recipes.
Leland
Very well written & done!
I've only just begun writing a blog myself in the lqst few days and have seen lot of articles simply rework old ideas but add very
little of benefit. It's terrific to see an enlightening article of some true value too
your readers and me.
It is actually on the list of details I need to replicate as a new
blogger. Reader engagement and content quality are king.
Some fantastic thoughts; you have unquestionably got on my ist
of people to watch!
Continue the good work!
All the best,
Paulie
Terry Bowman
Those of us with a history of kidney stones say "THANK YOU!," because we must avoid nut consumption, ESPECIALLY ALMONDS!
Fehmida kola
Thank you so much for sharing this information and taking the time and trouble to do so. Almond flour is quite expensive here in South Africa, so this had been very helpful. May you be blessed ???
cs.scaleautomag.com
I don't commonly comment but I gotta tell thanks for the post
on this amazing one :D.
Tammy L. Buffington
I'm so glad I looked up a recipe for keto chocolate chip cookies made with coconut flour!!! This is such a wonderful site because all of my recipes need to be tree nut free due to my son's allergies. It's been quite a challenge finding recipes made wholly from coconut flour!! I can't wait to start making a lot of these yummy sounding recipes!! Again, Thank you!!
Patricia Bumpass
Thank you for this information. As I transition to a low carb lifestyle, I definitely need this type of post. I understand your reasoning behind moving to more coconut flour based recipes, however I do ask that you continue to include the almond flour version as well. I have eaten coconut all my life and, sadly, I now find that I am allergic to any amount of coconut in any shape or form. I made a recipe that called for a simple tablespoon of coconut flour so I figured that small amount t wouldn’t hurt. It took me a minute to realize that just that small amount of coconut flour was the culprit of my allergic reaction. You are awesome for converting your recipes using both flours. Thank you so much.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
I'm so glad these recipes are useful and yes, rest assured, I will continue to make both almond flour and coconut flour recipes. There is definitely a need for both varieties.
Sharice
Thank you for sharing this post. While shopping for almond flour I saw the coconut flour below that was half the price. I am slowly trying to pull away from gluten products and immediately notice a difference in how I feel. I was surprised by how little coconut flour I had to use to make my banana bread loaf with semi-sweet chocolate chips. Yum! The loaf was so moist. I would admit I overdid it with the sweetness. I used half coconut oil and half applesauce. Thanks for the nutritional comparisons also.
Best,
S. L.
Cinda
I believe coconuts are nuts....
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
There is a clarification right at the beginning to clear up this common misconception. They are actually drupes 🙂
Karen Anderson
Coconut is not a botanical nut; it is classified as a fruit, even though the Food and Drug Administration recognizes coconut as a tree nut. While allergic reactions to coconut have been documented, most people who are allergic to tree nuts can safely eat coconut.
Irena
Hi Libby... Would love to see some recipes using flax flour or linseed flour. Cup measurements not understood in UK or Europe any chance of metric measurements. Thanks for inspiring recipes and info.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Hi Irina, luckily all my recipes have both GRAMS and CUPS. Simply click the red buttons above the ingredients list and the recipe will magically recalculate themselves - voila!
Z
Hi. I noticed that you compare 1 cup of almond flour to 1/4 cup coconut flour. If you compare cup for cup, coconut flour has more net carbs than almond flour. Why not an equal comparison ( 1 cup of each)! Just curious. Thanks for the article
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Because you don't use the same quantity. That's the beauty of coconut flour, where you may use 1 cup of almond flour, you might only use 1/4 cup or even less of coconut flour so you cannot compare them cup for cup. It's like comparing 1 cup chilli sauce to 1 cup tobacco sauce, you would use totally different quantities 🙂
Liz McCray
I've been on a low-carb diet for about a month-and-a-half now and this is Great information because it's been a real challenge for me! I was wondering if you would know of a good recipe for pan fried sea scallops with almond flour or coconut flour. I'm not sure which would be best and wanted your opinion.
Alice
I've been wondering, is walnut flour keto friendly?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Great question. Here is the breakdown. You can see walnut flour is much higher in carbs, higher in protein and lower in fat.
1 cup almond flour = 21.9g total carbs, 12.1g fibre (so 9.8g net carbs), 23.4g protein, 56.4g fat.
1 cup walnut flour = 39.2g total carbs, 22.4g fibre (so 16.8g net carbs), 52.6g protein, 6.9g fat.
Maaaa
Are you sure you mean walnut flour not cashew or some other nut flour? Walnuts are very high in fat and much lower in both carbs and protein...
Shay
Thank you for doing more coconut flour recipes! I am one of those with nut allergies so I really appreciate the change!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
My pleasure 🙂 I hope I can cater to everyone here by doing both as time goes on.
karen
this is great! One of your reasons for switching more to coconut flower is the same for me in Ecuador. a 2# bag of coconut flour costs me $2.50. a 1/2# bag of almonds (cheaper than the flour) costs me $7 !!!!!!
I found a recipe for crackers that finally works for me - i.e. in the mixing and cooking - but it uses 2.5 cups of almond flour. they are great and crispy but possibly the most expensive crackers i have ever eaten.! I might make them again for a party but not for purely personal use - I LUV crackers.
Michael Siddle
I like Ditch the Carbs but the nutritional info on almond flour and coconut flour is totally wrong. Almond flour only contains 3G of carbs and 6g of fibre per cup 64 grams). https://www.calorieking.com/au/en/foods/f/calories-in-nuts-almond-meal/qSjJD4K6QROgXTz8WLdOLA
Whereas 64 grams of coconut flour contains 41g of carbs and 25 grams of fibre.
https://www.calorieking.com/au/en/foods/f/calories-in-flours-coconut-flour/ddEQXDvSQDib11d-ALtASw
Even if you only use 1/4 cup of coconut it is still much higher in carbs although much lower in calories.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
I'm afraid the numbers are correct. I get my nutritional diet from cronometer.com which uses the US national databases as reference.
* I state total carbs, not net carbs as you have done.
* I see you use calorie king from AUS. In NZ and AUS most of our goods are labelled with NET carbs, but then it gets trickier, some foods are imported with TOTAL carbs.
* 1 cup of almond flour actually = 112g, 1 cup coconut flour = 112g ( both can vary slightly depending on US/AUS cups and moisture and hence density).
So I stand by my nutrition values but a great discussion to get my old brain cells working 🙂
Nancy
Thank you so much for all this info. I’m finding that I’m having a problem with Almond flour. I made waffles with almond flour, then was unable to eat the rest of the day. I felt so full and bloated. This is all great information. I’m following you now!!
Kenzoll
Thank you for the article. It made everything clearer for me. But I still have a question. Some (specially bread) recipes require both type of flour... So is it essential or I can use only one type of flour? Like, coconut one.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
If a recipe calls for both flours, generally it is using the qualities of one flour to enhance the other. For example, there may be an almond flour bread or cake, but if there is also some coconut flour in the recipe, it will be there to give it a better crumb texture or to hold the eggs together.
Mary wood
Thanks for the great article Libby. I'm a fan of coconut flour and have had great success with many recipes i have found on your site and other sites on the internet. I found the comparisons between the two flours very interesting and informative. Cheers.
T S
Thanks for the info. Part of your preference for coconut flour is based on avoiding tree nuts, but in fact almonds are drupes, just like coconuts; neither is technically a tree nut.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Part of the reasoning for developing more (not exclusively) coconut flour recipes is because of the increase in nut allergies (I never specify "tree nuts", as there are so many varied anaphylactic allergies suffered by so many people). And yes, I do emphasise the point that coconut is a drupe. But most people (schools included) make these generic nut-free statements or policies. Even the FDA refers to almonds as tree nuts. And here also.
Gudrun
?what about those of us who have an intolerance to coconut flour? So to substitute almond flour for coconut flour, I would try and use 1 cup almond flour for 1/4 cup coconut flour and reduce the liquid?
Is there any other grain free flour that can be used in place of coconut flour?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Yes, that is why I do not use one flour exclusively. I continue to develop recipes using BOTH flours because I have readers who are intolerant to one or the other. I love my almond flour keto bread (the best ever IMHO 😉 ) and my coconut flour cookies for example. I never Gove a straight conversion factor for coconut flour to almond flour (and visa versa) because there are so many factors that go into a recipe.
luk
so, 1/4 volume for coconut flour is THE SAME as one unit of almond flour ?
or should i also add more eggs and other ingridiends ?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
No sorry. As discussed, there is no real easy conversion as do many other factors and ingredients whiten a recipe need to be taken into account. So I suggest to begin baking using these flours with recipes already developed suing them. Then once you are accustomed to the new flours, then you know whether to add extra eggs (some recipes are egg heavy already so this may not be appropriate) or extra liquid such as heavy cream or coconut cream etc. Or if the recipe is too wet, you need to add more flour, a tablespoon or partial cup at a time.
Art
This recipe stinks and just taste like a bunch of eggs! Nothing but a quiche texture!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Hmm, interesting considering this is an article ???
squeegee beckenheim
someone's on drugs
hawt 😉
squeegee beckenheim
someone's on drugs
hawt 😉
Susan
I am having difficulties using coconut flour to make any cookies or muffins and have thrown away quite a lot due to various failed attempts. I am thinking of trying Almond flour but am unsure as to how the texture is? As I don’t want to have similar texture to coconut flour which I can not use. Please advise. Am on gluten free etc diet.
Julia
Hi Libby
In nz, what are your preferred brands to buy?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Yay, welcome to another kiwi!! Generally I buy Pam's ground almonds and coconut flour. It is the cheapest by far. I also buy Avalanche coconut flour and Sun Valley almond meal, if they happen to be on sale. They all work the same 🙂
Kr
What about having the best of both worlds and combining the two flours?
ahmed
pls, am interesting in baking coconut flour bread in commercial quantity but i will need a good preservatives to make my coconut flour bread last long for 5 days. Pls i need advice on best preservatives to use .
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
I'm afraid I can't advise you on preservatives ( I don't use any) and because coconut flour recipes call for a high amount of eggs, I only keep baked recipes fresh for up to 3 days. In the fridge if it is summer, in my pantry if it is cooler.
Sab R
So I make a keto flatbread(paratha) using the Headbanger's Kitchen recipe of coconut flour and psyllium husk powder with a bit of baking powder,the bread comes out really well and is a good enough meal for me with 4 net carbs per piece.My question is it bad to eat this everyday if it fits in my macros. My sister says my weight loss will be very slow if I do this.
Donna
the bottom line is that coconut flour is so much higher in carbs than almond flour & when you bake a loaf of bread or make a cake w/ almond flour, how much are you going to eat a one sitting?! Not a lot!
Linda Landolfi
So I am excited to start this new cooking adventure... one question...
how many eggs per 1/4 cup of Coconut flour... I see we need to add more eggs, I just do not understand how many more. is every recipes calls for different amounts of eggs is there a standard of how many eggs per 1/4 cup of coconut flour..
thankz for the great information so far..
Linda
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
There is no straight substitution I'm afraid because there will also be other ingredients in each recipe which will affect the liquid/dry ratio. Each recipe will vary so start cooking with recipes that have already been developed using coconut flour. From my experience, it takes quite a lot of trial and error to get them right. If in doubt, add another egg but you may find the recipe too eggy. Add too few, and the end result may be dry and not holding together very well. Take a look at this page, it is all my coconut flour recipes.
Megan Johnson
I have never liked the texture of foods baked with all or mostly coconut flour. I hope you can find solutions to this. That would be great!
Shannon Rideout
Hello, I am one of those few people who have a negative reaction to coconut flour. What other alternative to almond flour have you used with success in recipes?
Thank you. -Shannon
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
I have occasionally used sunflower and pumpkin seeds ground in my food processor, and I understand you can now buy seed flours. These may be a good option if you can tolerate them. Alternatively, continue to use almond flour/meal (if tolerated) but limit the amount and frequency. I still use both.
Pip
Joseph Mercola's new book "Fat For Fuel" has extremely good information on the importance of keeping a tight control on protein (as well as carbs) because of the damage they can cause to mitochondria - in fact he steers clear of almonds for that reason. Highly recommend this outstanding book.
Gail
Hi Libby, what is the difference between Almond Flour & Almond please?
This is all new to me and I am at the beginning of a big learning curve, thanks
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Welcome 🙂 This other post is my Ultimate guide To Low Carb Flours. Almond meal is slightly coarser than almond flour. Almond flour generally has the skins removed and is a finer grade. I use almond meal for most recipes as it is cheaper to buy than almond flour.
Tracy
Any ideas for using coconut flour when someon has an egg allergy?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Sorry no. I'll see if I can find a solution. Coconut flour recipes do rely heavily on eggs to make them light an give it structure.
Rabab Elbaharia
I tried coconut flour in many recipes , never a success . Even as simple as pancakes , didn't work .
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Coconut flour does take some getting used to, but as long as you read my tips, you should see an improvement. Flavour coconut flour well (no one likes dull pancakes), ensure you use enough eggs and allow the batter to stand for a while so the coconut flour can swell and absorb the liquids. I add loooottttsss of vanilla to mine. Tastes amazing.
Greg
Any chance you could devise a coconut flour challah recipe? It has so many eggs already it seems like a perfect match. My gf is addicted to the stuff and having a healthy low carb option would be fantastic! Love your site!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
I have never heard of challah bread before so I googled it. It has 2 eggs to 4.5 cups wheat flour, that would be far too much to replicate using coconut flour. The best recipes are predominantly eggs with a small amount of flour ratio. As much as I would love to make challah for you, I'm afraid it simply won't work 🙁
terdralynn
Thanks for all the info! I've had better luck with almond flour recipes, but I much prefer the taste of coconut flour to almond flour, and it fills me much more quickly (and for longer) than almond flour.
Barry Davidson (@trikebum)
Can coconut flour be used for thickening gravies and sauces? If so how much per cup of liquid? Thanks or all you do Libby. This is my fave locarb site!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
I have tried but never been very successful with coconut flour for gravy. It tends to clump and give a slight coconut flour taste. I will keep working on it. This is the sauce I tend to use. Mainly cream cheese and heavy cream. More a sauce than a gravy but is incredible. And thank you for such a lovely compliment to leave 🙂
Steve
Try lightly toadying the flour before adding it to your gravy liquids, medium heat in a pan. Then use an immersion blender to get any clumps out.
Susanne
Xanthan gum works really well for thickening sauces used sparingly 1/4 tsp sprinkled through a teastrainer while stirring. Leave to simmer for a few minutes, before adding more....
carla flaim
Unfortunately coconut flour does not agree with any members of my family. I always want to make your recipes but the coconut flour nixes the idea.
jeni
Thank you so much for this info. I am buying more coconut flour today. So interested to see how your fathead recipe turns out with coconut flour vs, almond.
Teresa
Hey Libby, I'm soooooo glad to read this article. I just LOOOVE coconut flour and its taste, and am always trying to find recipes for it! Thank you and cheers from Germany!
Valerie
Great article and so glad you are taking this direction. My nieces are students and have got the "low carb" message but a lot is beyond their flat's food budget. It would be good to serve them up examples of healthiness thats easy on the wallets.
Rose
Thanks Libby. Coconut flour much cheaper
Stephanie
I have been trying to move away from using so much almond flour here lately. So I was thrilled to see this article. Now if I could just figure out the right conversion for using coconut flour in recipes calling for almond flour.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
I wish that too. If I could make a fool-proof formula, we can retire together on the earnings 😉
Holly Williams
How many carbs are in one cookie?
susibatstone
Quite a lot of Banting recipes use Sunflower meal instead of almond flour. Nice nutty flavour in savoury dishes. Make it fresh in a blender as it doesn't store well.
Basil Bakhshi
thanks! will do! I need more options than either/or stuff. It's too black and white for me!!
Monica David
Do you have a suggestion for a coconut flour that doesn't taste very coconutty? My daughter really does not like the coconut flavor in her food. She even notices it in refined coconut oil.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
The brands I get here in NZ may be different to the rest of the world. My biggest tip, is to flavour recipes really well. For sweet baking I always make sure I use plenty (sometimes excessive) vanilla. For savoury recipes, make sure you use enough salt and pepper.
Denise Farr
I also find coconut flour has quite a sweet flavour and consequently we don't like it so much in savoury recipes, but I will try your idea of increasing flavourings and adding more salt and pepper. Certainly I find your use of vanilla in recipes really good when you are removing the use of sugar / sweeteners from your life! I have taken to buying vanilla paste as I read you suggested, [somewhere], and it is much, much better than vanilla essence. It took me a while to find it as our local rural town supermarket did not have any... needed a bit more upmarket town!! I like the fact that coconut flour has less carbohydrates for the quantity you need, and costs much less. It is available in our rural supermarket so must be becoming more mainstream!
Lynda
I look forward to more coconut flour recipes! Even when I have used almond flour, I always try to use less and add coconut flour. I find using both works well but would rather just use coconut flour.
Amy Moore
Thank you for this excellent article. It will definitely help transition my family to more low carb recipes and keep it budget friendly.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
This is one of the reasons I am slowly swapping over, as I am in many low-carb family and budget groups where they cannot make low-carb baking because of the cost of almond flour. I want to make LCHF as affordable as I can for families. My absolute passion is to get entire families eating this way.
TheChef
What about baked goods with Coconut flour tend to really dry your mouth out?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
I used to find this until I realised I needed enough eggs to make it moist and light.