If you are on a keto or a low-carb diet, baked food is something you had to give up first. The reason for that is that you typically make it with wheat flour, which contains too many carbs and is not keto-friendly. However, the good news is that you can still have your favorite baked goods!
You may be wondering HOW? There are low carb flour substitutes and keto friendly flour alternatives out there, and they are suitable for a keto or a low carbs diet!
#1 Almond Flour
People also use the term almond meal for this keto flour. You can make it from ground almonds. The process starts with blanching the almonds with boiling water to help remove the skin. Then you need to ground and sift them into a fine powder. That is the process it takes to achieve a white, fluffy, and smooth texture to your almond flour.
Another form of it is unblanched almond flour. In the process of making it, you leave the skin of the almonds on them. Other than that segment, the process is similar to the normal process of making it.
Another form of it is an almond meal. The main difference is in its consistency. It has the consistency of cornmeal. Other than that almond meal is made from almonds with intact skin.
All the versions taste slightly nutty and can make your baked goods taste nutty too. It is one of the most commonly used low-carb flours. People use it both for sweet and sour cooking.
Per 100 grams, it has 607 calories, 21.43 grams of protein, 53.57 grams of fat, 21.43 grams of total carbs, 7.1 grams of fiber, and 14.33 grams of net carbs. (*)
See more: What is blanched almond flour?
#2 Coconut Flour
People make this low-carb flour replacement from dried coconut meat. An interesting fact about coconuts is that people use every part of them, and they waste nothing. Coconut flour originates in the Philippines. There, they make it as a by-product of coconut milk. To make the coconut flour, you need coconut pulp. However, first, you need to extract the coconut from it. Then you have the remaining coconut pulp.
You need to dry it at low temperatures. When you have completely dry coconut meat, you need to ground it. That is how it can be suitable for cooking and baking. The taste is sweet and slightly coconutty.
Another interesting fact about it is its fiber content. It has the highest amount of fiber among flours. This keto flour substitute is most commonly used for sweet things, but it goes well with some sour things too.
Per 100 grams, it has 400 calories, 13.33 grams of protein and fat, 60 grams of total carbs, 33.33 grams of fiber, and 26.67 grams of net carbs. (*)
You can use coconut flour to make Low Carb Coconut Sponge Cake and Keto Coconut Flatbread.
#3 Flaxseed Flour
This low carb flour alternative is made from ground flaxseeds. People also call it a flaxseed meal. Just like with almond flour, the main difference is how small are the flax seeds ground. Another similarity is their nutty taste, which both have. It bakes well, and people mostly use it for baking keto-friendly salty crackers.
This flour also contains a moderate amount of fiber and is a good source of healthy fats.
Per 100 grams, it has 571 calories, 14.3 grams of protein, 42.9 grams of fat, 35.7 grams of total carbs, 21.4 grams of fiber, and 14.3 grams of net carbs. (*)
You can make Coconut Flaxseed Burger Buns and Flaxseed Almond Flour Tortillas.
#4 Psyllium Husk Powder
This psyllium husk powder is not a popular low-carb flour option. However, you can use it as such. It is a type of fiber made of the husks of the psyllium plant’s seeds. People commonly use it for its laxative effects. Therefore, you need to be mindful of how much you use in your keto baking.
Psyllium husk powder’s taste is also very unique, so not everyone will like it.
Still, psyllium husk can help digestion by increasing fecal size and moisture in the gut. Therefore, it can help it pass through the digestive tract. It also helps with excessive gas or bloating. (*)
Nutritionally, it mostly consists of fiber. Per 100 grams, it has 89 grams of fiber, 67 grams of soluble fiber, and 11 grams of insoluble fiber. This means that it has about 10 grams of net carbs per 100 grams. (*)
#5 Peanut Flour
This one is also not used that often because of its unique taste. Typically, we like neutral flour when we bake, but this one tastes like what it is made of- peanuts. That makes it hard to pair with some ingredients. However, it goes well with sweets. Especially those that contain peanut butter.
Even though they are legumes, we use peanuts as nuts. To make this flour, you need to ground the peanuts until they resemble flour.
In comparison to the other keto baking alternatives on this list, this one has the highest number of carbs. That means that you need to use smaller amounts if you are on a keto or a low-carb diet.
In just 30 grams of Protein Plus Gluten-Free Peanut Flour there are 110 calories, 16 grams of protein, 4 grams of fat, 8 grams of total carbs, 4 grams of fiber and 4 grams of net carbs.
You can try Peanut Butter Bread and Peanut Flour Chocolate Cookies.
#6 Chia Flour
Just like many of the others on this list, the way you make it is from ground chia seeds. Chia seeds are rich in soluble fiber, which can absorb moisture. That is why in their ground form they are great as thickeners. That means that if you are substituting regular flour, you might need to add less chia seed flour, as it absorbs more water.
People do not usually use it for keto baking by itself. Typically they mix it with other flours such as almond or flaxseed flour to get the right consistency of their baked goods.
Ground chia seeds have 467 calories per 100 grams. They have 20 grams of protein, 33.3 grams of fat, 40 grams of total carbs, 33.3 grams of fiber, and 6.7 grams of net carbs. (*)
#7 Lupin Flour
Lupin flour is a new type of flour, and not many people know about it yet. They make it from the lupini beans. Lupini beans are legumes, related to peanuts. Historically, they have been used as a side dish, and often pickled.
They taste bitter, and that makes the flour slightly bitter. That is why many people choose not to use it in their keto recipes, as its bitterness might translate to baked goods.
The interesting thing about the lupini beans is that they are relatively low in starch. That means that the flour is correspondingly low in carbs. It is also rich in protein and fiber and moderate in fat.
Per 30 grams or ¼ of a cup of Lupina Lupin Flour, there are 70 calories, 12 grams of protein, 2 grams of fat, 12 grams of total carbs, 11 grams of fiber, and just 1 gram net carb.
Bottom line:
The two flours that have the lowest carbs are Psyllium Husk and Lupin Flour.
Conclusion
Being on the keto or a low-carb diet does not mean that you need to sacrifice the foods you love most. It just means that you need to find other ways to enjoy them. Cakes, pizza, crackers, or even bread- you can make anything keto-friendly. All you need is to substitute flour in your favorite keto baking recipes!
To make it even easier for you, we have made a list of the low-carb flour substitutes you can use! Now you can enjoy your favorite baked goods while still staying in ketosis!
Up next: Can I substitute coconut flour for almond flour?
