Most flour that you can find at the store is made from wheat, but there are many varieties of unique flour that you can use, such as banana flour.
If you have never tried banana flour before, you may be curious about what banana flour is. I did some research, and here is what I learned!
What Is Banana Flour?
Banana flour is flour made from dried green bananas that have been ground to a fine powder. Surprisingly, banana flour does not taste like bananas since green bananas do not taste like ripe bananas. Moreover, banana flour does not contain any gluten since green bananas are naturally gluten-free, making banana flour an easy substitute for wheat flour.
Do you want to learn what banana flour is used flour, if banana flour is high in carbs, and what you can substitute for banana flour? Keep reading!
What Is Banana Flour Made From?
Generally, banana flour is made from green bananas that have been peeled, chopped, dried, then ground to create a powder similar to flour.
People can make banana flour traditionally by peeling and chopping the bananas by hand, drying the bananas in an oven or the sun, and crushing using a mortar and pestle.
Alternatively, manufacturers can mass-produce banana flour by using machines like a mechanical grinder.
Does Banana Flour Taste Like Bananas?
Banana flour does not taste like bananas because banana flour uses green bananas, and green bananas do not contain the same sweetness as ripe yellow bananas.
However, raw banana flour may have a very mild flavor but cooked banana flour has a very earthy flavor that does not resemble bananas at all.
What Is Banana Flour Used For?
Normally, banana flour is used as a gluten-free alternative to wheat flour and barley flour in most baked recipes since banana flour can provide some rise to some dishes.
Additionally, banana flour may also be used in the kitchen since banana flour has a high starch content, making banana flour great as a thickening agent for sauces, stews, soups, and more.
However, banana flour can also be used raw, and many people use raw banana flour as an ingredient for nutrition bars and smoothies.
Moreover, banana flour tends to be cheaper than some wheat flour, so some people opt for banana flour because it is the more economical option.
As for non-human consumption, banana flour is a popular ingredient in some parts of the world as an ingredient in milk replacements for calves.
Is Banana Flour High In Carbs?
Banana flour is not high in carbs since banana flour contains green bananas, which are not considered a source of carbohydrates.
Is Banana Flour Keto-Friendly?
Since banana flour is low in carbs, banana flour is considered keto-friendly.
Does Banana Flour Contain Gluten?
Banana flour does not contain gluten because banana flour is created from green bananas, which are naturally gluten-free.
However, it is always important to check the ingredients list to see if the banana flour may contain gluten since it can differ based on the manufacturer.
Some manufacturers of banana flour may create their banana flour in facilities where gluten is, so cross-contamination can occur.
Can You Substitute Banana Flour For All-Purpose Flour?
While banana flour tends to be slightly sweet, banana flour still has an overall light flavor and texture, making banana flour an acceptable substitute for all-purpose flour.
Does Green Banana Flour Raise Blood Sugar Levels?
Green banana flour or regular flour will not raise your blood sugar levels.
Generally, green banana flour is simply another name for banana flour since banana flour is made from green bananas.
Unripe or green bananas contain resistant starch and are low in sugar, so it is unlikely for banana flour to spike blood sugar levels.
However, it is important to not eat too much banana flour at once because consuming too much food could raise your blood sugar levels.
Is Banana Flour Better Than Wheat Flour?
Banana flour can be better than wheat flour if you are allergic or sensitive to gluten because banana flour does not contain gluten.
Despite not containing any gluten, banana flour can slightly rise, meaning you can use banana flour instead of wheat flour in some baking recipes.
However, it is important to remember that your banana flour may not rise as much as wheat flour, so banana flour may not be the perfect replacement.
How Long Does Banana Flour Last?
If you keep banana flour in a cool and dry area in a sealed container, you can expect your opened banana flour to last for three months.
If you have a good container, you can store banana flour in the freezer or fridge to extend banana flour’s lifespan by 6-12 months.
What Is A Substitute For Banana Flour?
If you do not mind consuming gluten, all-purpose flour can make a fine replacement for banana flour, but you may notice some volume in your dish since all-purpose flour contains more gluten.
However, nut flour like almond flour is another popular replacement for banana flour, especially if you want another gluten-free alternative to banana flour.
Other variants of gluten-free flour, such as coconut flour, oat flour, and rice flour, are excellent substitutes for banana flour.
Read our related articles to discover what masa flour is, what bao flour is, and what barley flour is.
Conclusion
Banana flour is created from dried green bananas, and banana flour tastes mildly sweet when raw but earthy and nothing like bananas once cooked.
Generally, banana flour can be used raw in recipes like smoothies, but banana flour can be excellent for cooking and baking since banana flour can rise, thicken dishes, and more.
Moreover, some people opt to use banana flour over other types of flour because banana flour is naturally gluten-free and is often cheaper than other kinds of flour.