What is the Best Substitute for Rice Flour, 3 Healthy Alternatives

Hi Everyone! Are you looking for a gluten-free baking flour? Find out what is the best substitute for rice flour in this new post!

The Pros and Cons of Using Rice Flours

Rice flour is the most popularly used gluten-free flour mainly because it’s cheap, easily available and easy to use. The downside of this low-cost flour is it does not offer as much health benefits.

In addition, rice flour has a slightly higher content of sugar and carbohydrates as well as higher glycemic index which is bad news for those who are trying to watch their sugar levels.

While brown rice presents as a healthier variety of rice flour because of its high level of B vitamins, fiber and some nutritional contents compared to the white rice flour, it still is quite inferior when it comes to other important phytonutrients and vitamins such as folate.

There are also controversies regarding rice, especially brown rice, containing potentially harmful levels of arsenic. Another battle between rice flour vs sweet rice flour was presented previously, check out the post to see which is better.

Top 3 Healthy Gluten-Free Rice Flour Alternatives

When it comes to choosing which flour to use, we have to consider several factors such as our baking needs, personal preferences, nutritional needs, and diet restrictions.

If you are suffering from weak digestive system and gluten-intolerance, you may think that your flour options may become more limited to rice flours and other bland tasting flours.

But the good news is, there are actually a number of all-natural and great-tasting flours that offer far more nutritional benefits you can choose from.

Here are 3 of the best healthy rice flour alternatives:

Coconut Flour

Made from dried coconut pulp grounded into fine powder, coconut flour is an excellent rice flour substitute. It is not only gluten-free but is also full of essential nutritional goodness.

Coconut flour is one of the best rice flour substitutes as it does not sacrifice the taste of your recipe. It has a light nutty flavor and comes with a natural layer of sweetness which means you’ll require less sugar or other sweeteners for your recipe.

Aside from baking it is ideal for use as breading for chicken, fish, and tofu.

Why It’s Good For You:

Coconut flour is rich in fiber, has protein, and loaded with healthy saturated fats. It is also low in carbohydrates and contains low glycemic index which is good for diabetics. ¼ cup of coconut flour serving provides 10 grams fiber, 7 grams protein, and just 120 calories.

This flour makes a great grain replacement with its easily-digestible carbohydrates, high nutrient density and is good for your brain and heart. It helps promote healthy metabolism and has the ability to help lower bad cholesterol levels. It is also a good source of copper, manganese and iron.

How to Use It:

Coconut flour works well for a variety of recipes but you will need to remember that it tends to absorb a lot of moisture so getting a light, fluffy texture out of it can be a bit of challenge. You can do a workaround though, by adding more liquid to your recipes.

Due to its high fiber and protein content, coconut flour makes an incredible thickener.

1. For the most part, you’ll only need one-half the amount of coconut flour than you would with regular flours.
2. You may also need to double the amount egg substitute to use for your recipe.
3. And, make sure to mix or sift the flour well prior to adding it to your recipe so it will blend evenly to your other ingredients.

Almond Flour

Made from almonds that are typically blanched and then finely grinded, almond flour makes a good swap for rice flours in making cakes, muffins, and other baked goods.

It also makes a superb coating when frying chicken or for vegan tenders.

Why It’s Good For You:

Almond flour offers a lot of protein at 24 grams per cup. It is also rich in fiber, vitamin E, calcium, potassium, magnesium and has been found to help lower the bad LDL cholesterol.

Almond flour contains the healthy monounsaturated fats that are known to help reduce the risks for heart disease. Plus, it’s packed with L-arginine that helps improve blood flow and stimulates the release of growth hormone in the body.

How to Use It:

Almond flour is less absorbent compared to traditional flours, so generally when using it you will require less liquid for your recipes.

• When using almond flour, use low temperatures because this type of flour cooks very quickly, thus it tends to burn quite easily.

Chickpea Flour

Add the healthy goodness of legumes in your diet using chickpea flour that’s made from ground garbanzo beans.

Its subtle, nut-like flavor works perfectly for a variety of recipes, both savory and sweet, which makes it a remarkably versatile flour.

Why It’s Good For You:

With 21 grams of protein, one cup of chickpea flour is abundant with protein. A cup of this flour also consist of 10 grams fiber, and 53 grams carbohydrates.

It is an excellent source of fiber and is known to aid in heart health, reduces risk of diabetes and improves immunity function.

Chickpea flour offers a great array of vitamins and minerals. It has a good dose of vitamin B6, potassium, thiamine, zinc and selenium which is a powerful antioxidant. In addition, it has a substantial amount of calcium, magnesium and folate which is recommended for pregnant women as it helps fight neural tube defects.

How to Use It:

Also known as besan or gram flour, chickpea flour works great in dense baked products like cakes, biscuits and brownies. It is liquid absorbent, naturally dense and has a slightly stickier texture than other common flours. Just like coconut flour, it has a mildly sweet taste which makes it perfect for use in various desserts and savory recipes.

How to Use Flour Substitutes Efficiently

Most of us love baked products and the mere thought about the flour content in them may easily turn off those healthy food fanatics. However, that does not mean you’ll have to completely deprive yourself from these heavenly tasting baked recipes.

Fortunately, there are flour substitutes you can use to meet your dietary needs. Substituting flours also provide a great way to help ensure a rotation of a variety of nutritional goodness.

Thus, there’s no need to worry. There are absolutely a number of healthy flour options you can choose from. With a little experimentation (and patience), you can delight yourself with delicious baked goods that are packed with natural health benefits.

Coconut Flour Pancakes

Try this healthy coconut flour pancakes for a grain and dairy free diet!

Summary

So, have you tried any of these flours before? If not, why don’t you give them a try in your next baking adventure? Then, share us your stories in the comments below. We would love to hear from you too!