How To Use Oat Flour is #11 in my monthly blog post series on gluten free flour. This is the final flour I will write about. Not forever, but just for now. Next month I will complete this year-long series by writing about improving your baking using gluten free flour mixes.
This idea for a blog post series on How To Use Gluten Free Flour started when I wanted to create a downloadable chart with tips for using different flours. I had a cupboard full of flours but didn’t really have a good idea of which ones to use for what recipes. I’ve worked my way through all the flours and starches in my cupboard and learned a lot. The next step is more cooking using these flours in some of my tried-and-true recipes.
Oat Flour and Purity Protocol Oats
Oat flour is finely ground from whole oats. A simple, healthy choice one would think. But what about the biggest challenge of eating gluten free; cross contamination. For anyone new to gluten free, manufacturing is a complex process with lots of opportunity for cross contamination. Montana Gluten Free gives a nice explanation of the steps they take to ensure their oats are safe…from Farm to Fork as they say. They use a Purity Protocol and this is the only way to guarantee the oats are safe for anyone on a gluten free diet.
Tricia over at Gluten Free Watchdog shares accurate up-to-date information on all gluten free food products and claims. Oats and oat products is a popular topic for her. I recommend you follow her wherever you follow people.
I think it is safe to say that the future is sure to continue to provide improved labelling and increased confidence for consumers of gluten free products.
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Where To Buy Purity Protocol Oat Flour
Thanks to Gluten Free Watchdog for sharing this information. There is a more extensive list of companies selling oat products but these companies actually sell oat flour. Of course they are all made from purity protocol oats so I like to support them with my shopping dollars.
- Only Oats oat flour from Canada
- Montana Gluten Free Toasted Oat Flour
- GF Harvest Gluten Free Oat Flour
How To Use Oat Flour
Properties
- High in fiber which is important for anyone on a gluten free diet.
- Light texture and mild flavour similar to wheat.
- Absorbency that adds moisture to baked goods.
- Helps make cakes light and fluffy.
Cons
- Oat flour labeled gluten free may still contain gluten greater than 20 parts per million. Support manufacturers that use purity protocol oats.
Best Uses
- Use up to 25% oat flour in a gluten free flour blend.
- Pancakes, muffins, brownies and cupcakes.
- Oatmeal cookies, it gives a thick and chewy texture to them.
- Use to prevent bread dough from sticking.
How To Use Oat Flour – The Recipes
I’m experimenting with oat flour. During the process of writing this series I have become more adventurous trying all kinds of flours in the recipes I make often. I suggest you start by adding anywhere from two tablespoons or 1/4 cup in a recipe. As you get used to doing this you will learn more and become more confident to substitute different flours. Here are some suggestions to try this:
- My Potato Latkes call for oats but many latke recipes use flour. Try using 2 tablespoons oat flour in any recipe for latkes or potato cakes.
- Many fruit crisp recipes including my Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp, use flour and whole oats in the crumble topping. Try replacing half the flour mix with oat flour.
- The streusel topping on my Cranberry Orange Muffins calls for 2 tablespoons of a few different flours. Try oat flour to add a little fibre to your baking. Like many muffin recipes it also calls for 2 cups of gluten free flour mix so try substituting ½ cup (25%) with oat flour.
- Substitute anywhere from ¼ cup to ½ cup of oat flour for the flour mix in any pancake or waffles recipe.
- In this recipe for Banana Muffins substitute anywhere from 2 Tbsp to ⅓ cup of oat flour for the total amount of flour mix.
- Cookies are a little more finicky so I would only substitute a small amount of the gluten free flour mix with oat flour. Try using ¼ cup or ⅓ cup of oat flour in a recipe like either of these Chocolate Chip Cookies or Chocolate Chip Cookies with Teff. I’m sure it would be excellent in an oatmeal cookie too.
- Oat flour might be perfect in a recipe like granola bars. My recipe calls for brown rice flour but I’m going to try oat flour next time I make them.
Happy Baking!
This is a series of blog posts on gluten free flours. My intention is to provide a basic overview of several gluten free flours for the everyday home cook, both new and experienced. Let me know in the comments below if you have a specific problem with your baking or a tip you’d like to share.
How To Use Gluten Free Flour series:
- How To Use Rice Flour in Gluten Free Baking
- How To Use Starch in Gluten Free Baking
- How To Use Millet Flour and Sorghum Flour
- How To Use Corn Flour, Cornmeal and Masa Harina
- How To Use Almond Flour and Quinoa Flour
- How To Use Binders in Gluten Free Baking
- How To Use Chickpea Flour
- How To Use Teff Flour
- How To Use Buckwheat Flour
- How To Use Coconut Flour
- How To Use Oat Flour
- How To Use A Gluten Free Flour Mix
