The ultimate guide to baking with coconut flour for the first time
Coconut flour is a delicious alternative to regular wheat flours. Cooking with coconut flour lets you enjoy some added health benefits too, as coconut flour is gluten-free, low in carbs, and has an impressive nutritional profile. And the great thing about coconut flour is that you don’t need to find a new set of recipes to make it work: with the right conversion steps you can actually convert any wheat flour recipe into a tasty, nutritious coconut flour alternative. That is why more and more people are switching to coconut flour every day. But for a lot of first time users, coconut flour can be a tad fiddly to work with if you’re not careful. You won’t be able to do a direct substitute for your recipe to come out well. So before you get stuck in, make sure you follow these steps for a seamless transition.
THE FLOUR
By comparison, coconut flour is typically heavier and more dense than wheat flour. As a thumb rule, if your recipe calls for one cup of regular flour, you should use 1/4 cup of coconut flour.
THE EGG
While baking with coconut flour, eggs are needed to keep the product together. It’s great that coconut flour is gluten-free, but the gluten is often what helps your dough bind together nicely. So for every ounce (1/4 cup) of coconut flour, you should add one whole egg to maintain the right hold.
THE LIQUID
Coconut flour is far lower in moisture content than wheat flour and it absorbs a surprising amount of liquid. When baking, coconut flour and a suitable liquid should be used in equal quantities. So if you are using 1/2 cup coconut flour, you will need to add 1/2 cup of any liquid as well. You can use water, coconut milk or regular milk to make the dough based on what you are making and how you want it to taste at the end.
If you follow these steps you’re on your way to a successful conversion. However, you may find a small difference in consistency from one coconut flour brand to another. So as you put your recipe together, look out for smaller signs of deviation from the consistency you were aiming for and think about making some of these tweaks:
Different brands of coconut flours can sometimes have different levels of moisture so it is important to check the consistency of the dough once you have put the recipe together. If it's runny, add 1 tbsp more of the flour. And if it's stiffer than you were expecting, add a bit more liquid. You’re aiming for a similar feel of the mixture in your hands.
If you first add the egg yolk into the coconut flour and then whip the egg white separately before combining the two mixtures, it will make baked goods lighter.
You can pair coconut flour with other alternative flours like almond flour or hazelnut flour to get a twist in flavor. However, if you’re trying to stay gluten-free, make sure the alternative flour you are using is gluten-free too.
If you are a first time user of Cocofly’s Coconut Flour, why don’t you try this easy Coconut Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe using the flour and let us know how it turned out. Enjoy baking!