Should you substitute coconut flour for regular flour?

Regular flour which is made of wheat which is the most common grain used to make flour and it is white in color. Regular is usually used for most of our home baked recipes in Malaysia. Coconut flour is a healthier alternative for those who want to have a low carbohydrate diet. Coconut flour is gluten free and made from ground coconut meat.

Coconut meat is the inner layer of the coconut which is the white ‘meat’. Flour can be made from many food such as nuts, seeds and of course coconuts! Besides that, coconut flour has the highest fiber content of any flour, having a very low concentration of digestible carbohydrates and that is why it is an excellent alternative for those looking to restrict their carbohydrate intake. In addition, It also has a high fat content of about 60 percent. For those who don’t know below I will share some benefits as well as delicious recipes ( inspired from coconut mama website) that you can try!



Benefits of Baking with Coconut Flour
Firstly, coconut flour is rich in protein , fiber and fat which makes it very filling.

Second, coconut flour is also a good source of lauric acid, a saturated fat thought to support the immune system and the thyroid. Just like most healthy fats, lauric acid also promotes good skin health.

Third, coconut flour is good source of manganese which helps you to better utilize many nutrients including choline and biotin (found in eggs), vitamin C and thiamin. Moreover, manganese also supports bone health, nervous system function, thyroid health and helps to maintain optimal blood sugar levels.

Lastly, coconut flour is not grain-based, and, as such does not present many of the issues that accompany grains as some may have allergic reaction to gluten and coconut flour is gluten-free even though it does contain food phytate, the mineral-binding effects of phytates in coconut are virtual nonexistent so coconut flour does not need to be soaked. Coconut flour is particularly good for people in Malaysia that have long working hours and can’t find the time to balance their diet with healthier food options can just change a certain ingredient in their baked food to be a tad bit or more healthier.


Tips on baking with Coconut Flour
Firstly, In baking you cannot substitute coconut flour for wheat or other grain-based flours at a 1:1 ratio. They are not equivalent.

Second, coconut flour is extraordinarily absorbent and very little coconut flour is needed to successfully produce a recipe. Furthermore, In baked goods you generally want to substitute 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup coconut flour for 1 cup grain-based flour.
You may also need to increase the number of eggs. Generally, for every one cup of coconut flour you use, you will need to use six beaten eggs in your recipe in addition to approximately one cup liquid such as coconut milk. However, when baking with coconut, it is best to use established recipes rather than waste considerable expense and time with experimentation.

Third tip is If you are frying or sauteing and need to dredge meats or vegetables, you can use coconut flour in an amount that is equivalent to wheat flour.

Next, coconut flour is clumpy. In order to produce a fine-textured result, the coconut flour must be thoroughly beaten with the other ingredients in your recipe.

Lastly, coconut flour is dense and can also be dry. Every flour has its own characteristics and baked goods made with coconut flour tend to be dense and dry.
If you want to reduce dryness, make sure you’re using plenty of eggs and you can also add cooked, pureed or mashed fruit or vegetables to your baked goods to increase the moisture.




Recipe of Coconut Flour Cake

Ingredients Needed

For the Cake

-12 eggs
-2 cups coconut milk
-up to ¾ cup honey
-2 tsp vanilla extract
-½ tsp coconut extract
-½ tsp orange extract
-2 cups coconut flour
-½ tsp baking soda
-¼ tsp unrefined sea salt
-coconut oil, for greasing the pan

For the Frosting

-2 cups coconut spread
-½ cup virgin coconut oil
-up to ⅓ cup honey
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1 tsp coconut extract
-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
-Beat a dozen eggs and two cups coconut milk. Then add up to three-quarters of a cup of honey together with vanilla, coconut and orange extracts until smooth, creamy and uniform in both color and texture.

Step to prepare

1. First step is to dump two cups coconut flour, a half-teaspoon baking soda and a quarter teaspoon unrefined sea salt into the mixture of eggs, honey and extracts, and continue to beat until a smooth batter forms.

2. Grease and flour two eight-inch cake tins.

3. Then pour, or spoon, the cake batter into the greased and floured tins, shaking them to even out the batter and smoothing it with the back of a spoon or with a rubber spatula.

4. Next, bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about forty minutes, or until the cake separates from the sides of the tin and a toothpick inserted into the cake center comes out clean.

5. Let the cake to cool completely before removing from the tin and frosting with the coconut frosting below.

6. Beat all ingredients for the frosting together until mixed properly.

7. Put the frosting in the freezer for five to ten minutes so that it stiffens a bit.

8. Take it out from the refrigerator, beat for about one minute.

9. Frost your cake.




Coconut Flour Tortillas

Ingredients Needed
-2 1/2 Cups Almond Milk
-4 large Organic Eggs
-2 Cups Tapioca Flour Starch
-1/2 Cup Coconut Flour
-1 Tablespoon Flaxseed Meal
-1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
-1/4 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract as It is recommended when using tortillas for sweet crepes.

Steps to prepare
1. Heat an 8” frying pan over medium heat. Based on the type of pan you are using, you need to melt a 1/2 tsp of coconut oil to ensure the tortillas don’t stick.

2. Using a mixing bowl, add together the almond milk and eggs. Blend well.

3. Next, add the remaining ingredients and continue mixing until there are no clumps of flour.*Ensure the pan is well heated before moving forward*

4. After that using a 1/2 cup measuring cup, scoop the mix and pour onto the center of the pan. Quickly rotate your wrists to tilt the pan until the mixture covers the entire bottom. This will create an 8” tortilla.

5. In about a minute or so you will see the edges starting to lift. By using a wide spatula, flip the tortilla and cook until golden brown and flip once more to brown the first side.

6. Then, remove from heat and allow to cool on a baking rack.

7. Now, add a tiny amount of coconut oil to your pan and begin again.

8. This recipe can make twelve 8” tortillas. These can be consumed immediately or stored in the refrigerated for 2 weeks or in the freezer for longer.


Coconut Flour Pancakes

Ingredients Needed
-4 eggs, beaten and set aside
-1 cup cream or coconut cream
-1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
-1/2 cup coconut flour
-2 tablespoons coconut sugar
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 teaspoon sea salt
-Ghee, coconut oil or butter for cooking

Steps to prepare
1. Mix eggs, cream, vanilla together. Set aside.

2. Using a separate bowl, combine coconut flour, coconut sugar, baking soda and sea salt.

3. Slowly mix wet mixture into dry mix.

4. Heat griddle or frying pan to medium heat. Add ghee, coconut oil or butter.

5. To make these pancakes use 2 tablespoons-1/4 cup of batter at a time (smaller pancakes are easier and will be less likely to fall apart when removing). Cook for a few minutes on each side. The pancakes should be slightly brown in color and dry on both sides.

6. Serve and enjoy!




Coconut Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients Needed

-3 Tablespoons Coconut Flour
-2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
-1 1/2 Tablespoons Honey or Maple Syrup
-1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
-Pinch of salt
-2 Tablespoons Chocolate Chips

Steps to prepare

1. First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Second step, use a food processor or blender to mix coconut flour, coconut oil, honey, vanilla extract and salt together.

3.Third step, add chocolate chips and mix until chips are evenly distributed in cookie dough.

4. Fourth step, use a round 1/2 tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop out each cookie.

5. Fifth step. place cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet. You will have 10-12 small cookies.

6. Next, bake cookies for 8-10 minutes or until they are golden brown. You should let cookies cool before removing from the cookie sheet.

7. For your information, they will crumble if you try to remove them before they are cooled. Serve warm and enjoy!




Coconut Flour Brownies

Ingredients Needed

-1 cup of coconut flour
-1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
-1/2 teaspoon of salt
-2/3 cup of coconut oil (or 1/3 cup coconut oil & 1/3 cup avocado oil)*
-2 – 12 oz bags of soy free chocolate chips which should be divided
-3/4 of cup pure maple syrup
-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
-5 eggs, at room temperature

Steps to prepare

1. First step involves preheating the oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Second step is to mix dry ingredients in a medium size bowl and set aside.

3. Third step is to melt 1 bag of soy free chocolate chips in a small saucepan over low heat.

4. When the chocolate is completely melted you’ll need to add the coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract to the chocolate.

5. Make sure to mix well and turn off the heat.

6. Next step is to pour the melted chocolate into the batter and mix ingredients together.

7. Then, add the eggs to the batter and mix thoroughly. It’s essential that the eggs are at room temperature so they don’t cause the coconut oil to harden in the batter. This can make the brownies look uneven if it does happen.

8. Put grease a 9×13 inch pan with coconut oil, ghee or butter.

9. Then, pour half of the brownie batter into the pan.

10. After that, sprinkle to top of the batter with 6 ounces of chocolate chips (half a bag).

11. Don't forget to pour the remainder of the batter over the chocolate chip layer.

12. You now need to sprinkle the second half of the bag of chocolate chips over the top brownie layer (generously!)

13. Finally bake the brownies for 50 – 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the pan comes out clean.

14. Let the brownies cool before slicing and and serve to be enjoyed with family and friends!