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Most people genuinely love using quinoa flour in their baking to make gluten-free bread and other baked goods, or even as a thickening agent for sauces, soups, and stews.
And because of its popularity and health benefits, you may think it’s irreplaceable. But that’s only a half-truth.
Whether you have a quinoa flour shortage in your kitchen or are strictly working on some dietary restrictions, there are some amazing substitutes for quinoa flour that you can use.
Brown rice flour, oat flour, almond flour, buckwheat flour, teff flour, coconut flour, chickpea flour, and millet flour are among the ideal quinoa flour alternatives you should check out!
All of these are relatively easy to find in nearby grocery stores and are gluten-free and high in nutrition like quinoa flour. Considering quinoa is expensive, some of these substitutes might be affordable alternatives.
Read on to find out!
Best Substitutes For Quinoa Flour
1. Brown rice flour
Brown rice flour is one of the closest quinoa flour substitutes in terms of texture, flavor, and the preparation process.
They are more like twins. Quinoa and Brown rice flour are both seeds, but the rice flour counts as grain after the removal of its husk. Therefore, the flour making of quinoa is only one stage of processing away from brown rice flour.
Aside from that, they are both medium flours, and brown rice flour matches quinoa flour also in terms of the binding behavior, fiber content, as well as calorie counts. That said, Brown rice flour will come to your aid whenever you’re out of quinoa flour all day.
Even if you have gluten intolerance, this flour will still do justice to your stomach. It is entirely gluten-free, making it a go-to option.
Besides, it’s relatively easy to work with. All you need to know is for every 1 cup of quinoa flour used in a recipe; you can go for a seven-eighth cup of brown rice flour to achieve the same results.
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2. Oat flour
Oat flour is another great substitute for quinoa with its mild taste, tender texture, and an incredible amount of proteins.
It’s made with ground whole oats, which have more protein and fiber than the refined grain.
Oats are primarily rich in a specific kind of fiber called beta-glucan that is beneficial to our health.
Even research suggests they are the best types of soluble fiber that’s strongly linked to reducing high cholesterol and improve skin conditions such as eczema, bedsores, wounds, radiation therapy burns, and boosting heart conditions.
Aside from the alluring health benefits it offers, Oat flour contributes a rich oatmeal flavor and silky texture that’s excellent for waffles, pancakes, muffins, and other quick bread.
3. Buckwheat flour
Buckwheat is another substitute for quinoa flour that is tremendously high in fiber, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, all of which help lower cholesterol.
The name Buckwheat may get you thinking it was ground from wheat, but it wasn’t. It is just a gluten-free “pseudo-cereal.”
It’s a grain-like seed that contains a high concentration of most of the essential amino acids, including lysine.
Buckwheat flour boasts a unique, rich, nutlike flavor that can be used to make gluten-free pancakes, crepes, muffins, cookies, and bread (both quick and yeast).
Moreover, you can pair it with any flour of your choice or simply just go solo.
4. Teff flour
Teff Flour hails from a gluten-free ancient grain in North Africa. It can trade place with the quinoa (with no queries) when called in for nutritious baked goods with distinctive flavors such as muffins and quick bread.
This staple grain is grown in abundance in Ethiopia and Eritrea and is commonly ground into flour and used to prepare a spongy sourdough flatbread called Injera.
Teff is also a good source of iron, protein, as well as fiber. Plus, it is compatible with other gluten-free flours.
Of all the flours mentioned on this page, teff is the highest in calcium. In case you’re counting on it, you’re not alone. Most bakery companies use it for almost all their chocolate desserts because of its molasses-like flavor.
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5. Almond flour
Almond flour is a tasty, nutritious gluten-free flour that can stand in for quinoa.
Among other things, Almond consists of blanched, skinless almonds, which makes it low in carbs and high in fat and protein.
Almond flour also provides a sufficient amount of magnesium and other vital minerals that help regulate muscle and blood sugar levels, nerve function, and blood pressure, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
They also claim a cup of almond flour provides 320.4 milligrams (mg) of magnesium.
And due to its slightly sweet flavor and silky texture, almond flour is ideal for treats like cookies, cupcakes, macarons, and many more.
The excellent news is Almond flour is readily available at any grocery store, or you can choose to make it yourself at home.
Bear in mind that this flour colors way too fast, so you want to drop the oven temperature or even cover an exposed portion while baking.
I would recommend you opt for a finer milled flour if you want to minimize the gritty texture of the end product as well.
6. Coconut flour
Like almond flour, coconut flour is sweet, gluten-free. It is made from the by-products of coconut milk and is amazingly rich in fiber which is an essential nutrient that promotes weight loss, lowers blood sugar levels, and fights constipation.
On top of that, coconut flour works best for quick bread with many wet ingredients, like banana bread – and since it is naturally grain-free, it makes an excellent choice for people on grain-free diets.
Coconut flour is also ideal for sweets like cookies, cakes, and muffins. But there are even higher chances that it will lend a more unique flavor to baked goods than other types of flour.
But for whatever reason, don’t use it for one-to-one substitutions to prevent it from absorbing lots of moisture and ending up in a heavier texture. Rather, you want to add more eggs or other wet ingredients relatively to yield the best results.
7. Chickpea flour
Chickpea flour is made using dried and finely ground chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans). It also has a mild, nutty flavor and supplies a considerable dose of fiber, protein, and iron.
Statistically speaking, Just 1 cup of chickpea flour provides 4.5 mg of iron. And remember, Iron is needed to make hemoglobin –a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout your body.
Like the quinoa, it does not only holds together well but also adds substantially more texture to the treat.
Due to its slightly beany flavor, it works best in savory baking applications like a pizza crust, crepes, socca, flatbread, dumpling, and quick bread.
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8. Millet flour
Millet four is similar to buckwheat and is also a gluten-free grain. When it’s not in flower, you often see “millet” as a replacement in rice dishes
This flour has a mild and slightly nutty flavor like the rest. But it’s low in fat and ridiculously high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
In fact, a study in November 2019 in the Journal of Food Science and Technology claims that “just adding millet flour to any baked goods makes them more antioxidants than whole-wheat flour.”
You can sub in millet flour in a 1:1 replacement ratio for cakes, cookies, pancakes, and whatnot.
As for the texture, it has this starchy, soft consistency, making it a fantastic choice for gluten-free treats.
Although avid cooks recommend combining the flour with at least one other flour, especially when baking to bring out a great flavor.
9. TigerNut Flour
Who would have thought about it, Tiger Nut Flour?
This is the newest thing that will hit the baking world big time.
Fans of this flour are going nuts due to its remarkable fiber content, balanced ratio of fat and carbs, along proteins – levels that are much like those found in olive oil.
TigerNut Flour is also contented in potassium like coconut water and is rich in iron, vitamin E, as well as oleic acid.
Pure Tigernut flour is flour produced from the tuber of the tiger nut plant.
It is gluten-free, nut-free, seed-free, and grain-free. And is suitable for a wide variety of diets like Keto, Paleo, diabetic, raw food, and more importantly vegan diet
You can use it in recipes that are dense, like cookies and brownies, in a one-to-one ratio when substituting for quinoa.
Conclusion
In summary, there are other great Gluten-free Substitutes for quinoa flour-like Amaranth, Cornflour (not corneal), Rice flour, Tapioca flour, and Sorghum we didn’t mention.
But each of these flours and their uniqueness makes them interesting to use.
While some need more liquid, others may call for some additions to the final recipe. Also, I’ve noticed adding too much of them makes your baked goods have this viscous or sticky consistency.
But when measured right, they will give your treats a chewy, airy texture and a crispy crust.
It’s best if you start by adding small amounts and gradually work up to the consistency you are looking for. And yes, don’t hold back from experimenting!
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