Most flour that you find in the store is made from wheat, but more types of flour have become popular, and one example is coconut flour.
If you have never tried coconut flour before, you may be wondering what coconut flour is. I did some digging, and here is what I learned!
What Is Coconut Flour?
Coconut flour is a type of flour made from dried and ground coconut meat and is often made from the coconut meat leftover from making coconut milk. Normally, coconut flour can be used as a gluten-free alternative to wheat flour despite coconut flour’s distinct yet mildly sweet flavor, which can easily be masked by other ingredients.
Do you want to find out if coconut flour is the same as fine coconut powder, what coconut flour is used for, and how coconut flour differs from white flour? Keep reading!
What Is Coconut Flour Made Of?
Generally, coconut flour is made from dried coconut meat, and coconut flour is usually a by-product of coconut milk because coconut meat gets left behind when coconut milk is produced.
Is Coconut Flour Just Ground Coconut?
Technically, coconut flour is ground coconut because coconut flour is made of dried and ground coconut meat.
However, coconut flour has been dried and ground so well to mimic normal flour, so grinding regular coconut meat would not give you coconut flour.
What Does Coconut Flour Taste Like?
Normally, coconut flour tastes mildly sweet and a lot like coconut, so you may notice the flavor of coconut flour in many recipes.
What Is Coconut Flour Best Used For?
Generally, the best use for coconut flour is for most recipes in which you want to use a gluten-free flour alternative.
For instance, coconut flour can easily work itself into recipes like pancakes, muffins, and flatbread.
However, it may not be easy for some people to use coconut flour in some recipes since coconut flour does not behave the same as wheat flour.
For example, coconut flour is much more absorbent than other types of flour, so your baked goods could have a much drier texture.
Luckily, you can make up for any dry texture when using coconut flour in baked recipes by adding more eggs into your recipe since egg white’s protein adds structure and the egg yolks offer moisture.
Additionally, some people state that coconut flour has a rather gritty texture that can be detected in most baked goods.
Therefore, it is always ideal to sift coconut flour 1-2 times before using the coconut flour in your recipes to decrease the grittiness.
How Do You Get The Taste Out Of Coconut Flour?
One of the best ways to remove the taste of coconut flour in most recipes is by masking the flavor of coconut flour with other ingredients.
For instance, if you are making muffins with coconut flour, you can use blueberries and chocolate chips to overpower the coconut flavor.
Another great masking ingredient to diminish coconut flour’s taste is by adding coffee to certain recipes since coffee has a stronger flavor than coconut.
Is Fine Coconut Powder The Same As Coconut Flour?
Typically, fine coconut powder refers to coconut milk powder, and fine coconut powder is not the same as coconut flour.
Fine coconut powder is created from the liquid of coconut (which is coconut milk) whereas coconut flour is made from the meat of the coconut.
Therefore, fine coconut powder and coconut flour have different flavors, uses, and textures.
For instance, coconut flour is often used to replace wheat flour in many recipes as a gluten-free alternative.
On the other hand, fine coconut powder is dehydrated coconut milk, which is normally used by adding water to make coconut milk.
Is Coconut Flour The Same As Desiccated Coconut?
Coconut flour is not the same as desiccated coconut because desiccated coconut is fresh coconut that was flaked and shredded then dried.
On the other hand, coconut flour is made from ground and dried coconut meat, which gives coconut flour a distinctly different texture and flavor profile from desiccated coconut.
Moreover, desiccated coconut is often added for texture in recipes as an ingredient in the batter or as a topping while coconut flour is usually used as a replacement for wheat flour.
Is Coconut Flour The Same As Coconut Flakes?
Coconut flakes are not the same as coconut flour because coconut flakes are made from boiled coconut meat that has been sliced, which makes coconut flakes look similar to bigger versions of dried shredded coconut.
Is Coconut Flour The Same As Coconut Milk?
Coconut flour and coconut milk are not the same because they are made from different parts of the coconut, and coconut flour is often a by-product of making coconut milk.
Generally, coconut milk refers to the liquid in a coconut while coconut flour is made from coconut meat.
Moreover, coconut flour and coconut milk have completely different uses since coconut milk is often used in beverages (by itself or with other ingredients) while coconut flour is used as a flour substitute.
Can I Use Shredded Coconut Instead Of Coconut Flour?
Normally, you cannot use shredded coconut instead of coconut flour because shredded coconut contains more moisture than coconut flour.
If you were to try to use shredded coconut in place of coconut flour, you may end up with a very soggy dish.
What Is The Difference Between White Flour And Coconut Flour?
A huge difference between white flour and coconut flour is the ingredients since coconut flour is made from coconut meat while white flour is made from wheat.
Since they contain different ingredients, white flour contains gluten while coconut flour is gluten-free.
What Can I Substitute For Coconut Flour?
If you want another gluten-free alternative to coconut flour, two of the most popular options are cassava flour and almond flour because they are neutral and wheat-free flour.
If you do not mind consuming some gluten, using all-purpose white flour will be a good replacement for coconut flour in most recipes.
Have a look at our other articles to learn what chickpea flour is, what chapati flour is, and what cake flour is.
Conclusion
Coconut flour is a by-product of creating coconut milk since coconut flour is created from dried and ground coconut meat.
While coconut flour is used as a gluten-free substitute for wheat flour, coconut flour has a distinctly sweet taste and gritty texture.