Coconut Flour Cookies (Vegan + GF) - Rhian's Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Is coconut flour good for gluten-free baking? ›

Coconut flour is high in fiber, protein, low-glycemic, and since coconut is a fruit and not actually a grain-based flour, it is naturally gluten-free, grain-free, and nut-free!

Chilling the dough for at least several hours results in cookies that are extra-thick and chonky because it allows the flours to absorb more moisture.

Use a 1:4 ratio when substituting coconut flour with all-purpose flour. This means that for every 1 cup of regular flour, you only use ¼ cup of coconut flour. Following this ratio will help make your low-carb baked goods come out the way you hope.

Replacing wheat flour with coconut flour

Cakes and muffins, which need to be light and fluffy, will be very different than something more dense, like cookies. But when working with coconut flour, you always need to decrease the flour and increase the eggs and baking powder.

A quick rule of thumb is to swap about 1/4 to 1/3 cup coconut flour for 1 cup of regular flour. Due to its high absorbency, you'll also want to increase the number of eggs. To help you try this unique ingredient, we've rounded up eight of our best coconut flour recipes.

Coconut flour appears to have a low glycaemic index of 51 which means it should cause less of a spike in blood sugar levels than wheat flour, which has a glycaemic index of 69. This is because coconut flour is high in fat and fibre, which work to slow down the release of sugar in the bloodstream.

Xanthan Gum

It serves many roles in gluten-free baking. Because gluten-free flours have less protein than wheat flours and are not capable of forming the same network required to stretch and surround starch granules, they need reinforcement. Xanthan gum strengthens these networks and also makes them more elastic.

Using xanthan gum helps provide some of the stickiness that gluten free goods lack, replacing some elasticity. Xanthan gum mimics some of gluten's most essential properties by sticking to flour and its moisture. This helps create moist goods that hold their shape after being baked.

Chilling helps the flours and xanthan gum absorb liquid, which makes the dough sturdier and easier to handle. Without a proper rest, your cookies are likely to crumble. Think of mix-ins as the Spanx of the cookie world. They are a sly way to ensure that your cookies look like cookies, not misshapen gluten-free blobs.

If storing for a short period, say a couple of weeks, an airtight container in a cool and dry will work just fine. When stored at room temperature or below, coconut flour can last up to two months. Refrigeration is recommended if you plan on storing your coconut flour for longer than two months.

Is coconut flour a carb or protein? ›

Coconut flour is primarily composed of carbohydrates, specifically dietary fiber, and has a relatively low amount of protein. It is made from the pulp or meat of coconuts after the coconut milk has been extracted. The coconut meat is dried, defatted, and ground into a fine powder, resulting in coconut flour.

Almond flour is particularly well-suited for recipes that require a light and airy texture, such as cakes and muffins. Coconut flour works best in recipes that require moisture and density, such as brownies and dense bread.

For every 1 cup of coconut flour, use 6 eggs and 1 cup of liquid. 1 cup all-purpose flour = 1/4-1/3 cup coconut flour. Coconut flour can be baked at the same temperature as other recipes, no need for adjustment.

It is recommended that for every 1 cup of coconut flour you use, you should add in 6 eggs. Experiment and Learn: It can feel a bit complicated, but it doesn't have to be! We recommend adding small amounts of liquid, or eggs, into your coconut flour mixture and seeing how moist the mixture remains.

A good rule of thumb is to use 1 teaspoon of baking powder for every 1 cup of coconut flour. However, you may need to adjust the amount of baking powder depending on the consistency of your batter. If your batter is too thick, you may need to add more baking powder.

Best Overall: Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour

This mix, which has all recognizable ingredients (including sweet white rice flour, which is the main ingredient in mochi, a nice light, powdery, starchy flour that doubles as a binder), worked well in all three of our tests.

Coconut Flour Substitute

You have to do a little playing around with a recipe if you want to substitute coconut flour for regular all-purpose wheat flour. The rule of thumb is to substitute only 20 percent of coconut for wheat flour. Flour made from coconut becomes dense and soaks up a lot of moisture when it bakes.

Yes, coconut flour is gluten-free. Coconut flour is typically made by grinding the dried meat of a coconut—which is naturally gluten-free—into a fine powder. It is also grain-free, low in carbs, and high in fiber, potassium and iron.