For individuals adhering to a ketogenic diet, the quest for suitable flour alternatives can be a significant challenge. The keto diet, characterized by its low-carb, high-fat composition, necessitates the exclusion of many traditional grain-based flours. This article explores the suitability of oat flour within the keto framework, contrasting it with other keto-friendly flours and providing guidance on their effective utilization.
Understanding the Keto Diet and Flour
One of the primary hurdles in adopting a keto diet is the elimination of flour-based staples like bread, crackers, and pasta. Regular wheat flour and most of its alternatives are high in carbs, making them unsuitable for keto (1). Fortunately, several options exist for those seeking to enjoy baked goods and other flour-based foods while maintaining ketosis.
Net Carbs: A Key Consideration
While most keto-friendly flours contain some carbohydrates, they are also rich in fiber and low in net carbs. Net carbs are calculated by subtracting dietary fiber and sugar alcohols from the total carbohydrate content of a food item (2). Fiber, being an indigestible carbohydrate, doesn't need to be included in your daily carb count. Therefore, when assessing keto compatibility, net carbs are a more accurate measure than total carbs.
Oat Flour: A Nutritional Overview
Oat flour is made by grinding whole oats into a fine powder. It is a whole grain flour, which means it retains the bran, germ, and endosperm, providing a rich source of dietary fiber. Oat flour's mild, slightly nutty flavor makes it versatile for both sweet and savory dishes. It is ideal for pancakes, bread, cookies, and muffins, and its light texture helps create fluffy baked goods.
- Fiber: It contains about 10% fiber, which aids digestion and promotes a feeling of fullness.
- Baking: Ideal for pancakes, bread, cookies, and muffins. Its light texture helps create fluffy baked goods.
- Correct Measurement: When using oat flour, it is important to weigh the flour for accuracy, as one cup can vary greatly depending on how it is packed.
- Health Benefits: Besides being a good source of soluble fiber, oat flour helps regulate blood sugar levels and reduce cholesterol.
Is Oat Flour Keto?
Oat flour is not considered keto-friendly. It contains a high amount of carbohydrates compared to other low-carb and keto flours. Oat flour contains around 19 grams of net carbs per ¼ cup, which is too high for the typical ketogenic diet.
Read also: Comprehensive Guide: Wheat Flour and Keto
What About Oat Fiber?
It's important to distinguish oat flour from oat fiber. Made from the husk of the oat, oat fiber is not the same thing as oat flour. Oat fiber is darker and denser than oat flour, but has a neutral taste. Because it is pure fiber and not flour, it doesn’t compare in per-cup measurements. Oat fiber is made from the crushed husks of oats. It’s a common addition to keto baked goods because it provides some structure and bread-like consistency. One teaspoon (4 grams) contains 4 grams of total carbs and 1 gram of net carbs (9). As with many other flours on this list, recipes don’t often use oat fiber as a standalone flour but instead use it in combination with other low carb flours.
Keto-Friendly Flour Alternatives
Fortunately, many flour options are available for use on a ketogenic diet. Here are some of the best keto-friendly flours:
1. Almond Flour
Almond flour is probably the most widely used keto flour substitute. It’s made simply from crushed almonds and is extremely low in carbs, containing only 3 grams of total carbs and 1 gram of net carbs per 2-tablespoon (14-gram) serving (3).
- Usage: You can use almond flour as a 1-to-1 substitute for wheat flour in baking, but baked goods containing almond flour tend to be a little spongy. You can also use it as a breading for fried, air-fried, or baked foods, but its main use is for keto baked goods.
- Taste Profile: The taste profile is similar to almond.
- Best for: baking, breading
- Recipes:
- The Best Keto Bread Recipe
- Low Carb Paleo Keto Blueberry Muffins
- Keto Almond Flour Pancakes
2. Coconut Flour
Coconut flour is a very fine, powdery flour made from coconut flesh. Its mild coconutty taste works in most desserts, which is what it’s most commonly used for. Next to almond flour, it’s one of the most popular and commonly used keto flours. A 2-tablespoon (15-gram) serving provides 9 grams of total carbs and 4 grams of net carbs (4).
- Usage: In most recipes, you need only a small amount of coconut flour. It absorbs lots of liquid, so using it as a 1-to-1 substitute for flour will result in an extremely dry product unless you add extra liquid ingredients. For this reason, this flour is best used in recipes that were specifically developed for coconut flour. It doesn't replace as easily as almond flour though, swapping out grain-based flours in a ¼ cup coconut flour to 1 cup all-purpose flour ratio. It also makes an excellent thickener, but keep in mind that you may taste that hint of coconut.
- Best for: baking desserts, thickening
- Recipes:
- The Best Keto Coconut Flour Cookies
- Keto Coconut Flour Chocolate Cake
- Keto Biscuits
3. Chia Flour
Chia flour is made from ground chia seeds, which are loaded with soluble fiber. Because of this, chia absorbs a ton of water and moisture, just as coconut flour does. A 2-tablespoon (12-gram) serving of ground chia seeds contains 5 grams of total carbs and 0 grams of net carbs (5).
Read also: Coconut Flour Keto Baking
- Usage: Chia flour isn’t commonly used in keto baking recipes. You’ll typically mix it with other flours when baking. If you’re looking for dessert ideas outside of baking, though, both whole chia seeds and ground chia seeds can be used to make an excellent low carb, high fiber pudding.
- Best for: baking
- Recipes:
- Keto Bread in Bread Machine
- Chocolate and Coffee Brownies
- Keto Chia Seed Chocolate Pudding
4. Flaxseed Meal
Flaxseed meal is made from ground flaxseeds, which are low in carbs - containing 4 grams of total carbs and 0 grams of net carbs per 2-tablespoon (14-gram) serving - and rich in potentially anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats (6, 7).
- Usage: Like chia flour, it absorbs a great deal of liquid, so it’s usually mixed with other keto-friendly flours in baking. However, flaxseed meal is commonly used on its own or with chia seeds to make crackers.
- Best for: crackers
- Recipes:
- Keto Flaxseed Crackers
- Flaxseed Wraps
- Keto Flaxseed Cinnamon Bun Muffins
5. Psyllium Husks
Psyllium husks, which are rich in fiber, are the key ingredient in many fiber supplements. They absorb water and swell up, adding a bit of structure to foods that contain them. One tablespoon (9 grams) contains 8 grams of total carbs and 1 gram of net carbs (8).
- Usage: Adding a little bit of psyllium husk powder to keto recipes made with almond flour provides a more bread-like texture, but, again, it’s typically mixed with other flours.
- Best for: baking
- Recipes:
- Easy Low Carb Keto Buns
- Easy Low Carb Bread Recipe
- 90-Second Keto Bread
6. Lupin Flour
Lupin flour is made from sweet lupin beans, a close relative to peanuts and soybeans. It’s commonly used in gluten-free pasta and is a key ingredient in several keto-friendly pasta recipes. A 1/4-cup (28-gram) serving provides 11 grams of total carbs and 1 gram of net carbs. It’s also naturally high in protein (10).
- Usage: Although it’s most frequently used for pasta, many baking recipes feature a mixture of lupin flour and coconut flour or almond flour.
- Best for: pasta
- Recipes:
- Lupin Flour Fettuccine Noodles
- Keto Lupin Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Keto Lupin Flour Biscuits
7. Pork Rind Crumbs
Though it may sound weird at first, crushed pork rinds (fried pork skins) make a great breading for fried, air-fried, or baked keto foods, since flour and cornmeal are off the table due to their carb content (1, 11).
- Usage: You can buy pork rind crumbs or make your own using store-bought pork rinds. Pork rind dust is totally free of carbs and high in fat and protein, so it’s ideal for keto. It’s a great alternative to breadcrumbs as well, so you can use it to make meatballs, meatloaves, and many other recipes that are typically high in carbs (12).
- Best for: breading, meatballs
- Recipes:
- Pork Rind Chicken Tenders
- (The Best!) Gluten Free & Keto Meatballs
- Keto Seasoned Bread Crumbs
Choosing the Right Keto Flour
Selecting the appropriate keto flour depends on the specific recipe and desired outcome. Almond flour and coconut flour are the most commonly used for baking, and high fiber additions like lupin flour, chia flour, flaxseed meal, psyllium husk powder, and oat fiber can be added to them to improve the texture and taste of baked foods.
Read also: The Definitive Guide to Flourless, Sugar-Free Dieting