It’s easy to learn how to make oat flour with oatmeal! It’s much cheaper than buying it, and it takes just a few minutes to blend up.
What Type Of Oats Can I Use to Make Oat Flour
I use oatmeal (rolled oats) to make my own oat flour at home. They work well, because they don’t take too long to blend and have a light smooth texture.
You can use steel cut oats but they will take longer to blend and end up with a more grainy texture.
Similarly you could also use instant oats but, since they are already partially cooked, they won’t make the best flour but will blend quickly. I don’t recommend using instant oats for making oat flour.
How to Make Oat Flour
In order to make oat flour from oatmeal you need a blender or a food processor. The blend time all depends on your blender. My little Ninja bullet takes about 1 minute and I have to shake it a few times. It is done when it looks smooth and is fluffy.
If you use a food processor you may need to add more oatmeal so that it can gain enough traction to blend. And also you will need to sift it.
Nutritional Value of Oat Flour vs Wheat
Oats are actually high in a particular kind of soluble fiber called beta-glucan. This fiber has been shown to increase satiety and as a helpful food for controlling weight and blood sugar. It is much higher in protein and fiber than all purpose.
Oat flour contains, 15.3g protein and 6.8g of fiber per 1 cup.
How The Absence Of Gluten Affects Baked Goods
In oat flour the absence of gluten impacts its ability to provide elasticity and structure. Wheat flour contains gluten which is what creates the elasticity and structure to baked goods. For a more in depth explanation of exactly how gluten is formed and works in baking, read this post.
How To Use Oat Flour in Baking
Using oat flour as a direct replacement for wheat will make your baked goods less fluffy and possibly dry. It tends to absorb more moisture than wheat. It also weighs less then wheat flour. Using all oat flour in a recipe may turn out dry and very crumbly so if you can still add some wheat flour the end result will be more excellent.
- Use a mix of oat and wheat flour, It works well for to replace 1/3 of the wheat flour with oat.
- Let your batter rest for 10 minutes to give the oat flour more time absorb the liquid.
- Using eggs will help to bind the oat flour together. Gluten is a protein that provides structure, and in its absence eggs can provide some structure.
- I find that using banana/sweet potato along with eggs, works to give baked goods structure and more of an elastic texture.
According to Cookie and Kate:
- Replace wheat flour by weight not volume.
- She shares that 1 cup of all-purpose or whole wheat flour weighs 125 grams. If you measure the flour by spooning into the cup and leveling.
- If you don’t have a scale you need to increase the amount of oat flour used as a replacement by 42 percent. “In other words, multiply the original amount of flour by 1.42.“
Can I Use Oat Flour If I Eat Gluten Free?
Oats naturally do not contain gluten. However, they are often cross contaminated with wheat during harvest or the milling process.
With that in mind, yes you can use oat flour. Just be sure to purchase certified gluten free rolled oats to make it. Or purchase a gluten free brand of oat flour.
How To Make Oat Flour With Oatmeal
Grab Your blender and some oatmeal to quickly blend up your own homemade oat flour.
Total Time Needed :
4
Minutes
Required Tools:
– Sifter if using food processor
– Airtight container for storage
Ingredients Needed:
– 1 1/4 cup of rolled oats makes about 1 cup of oat flour
How to Make Oat Flour:
Step 1: Blend Oats
Add desired amount of rolled oats to blender and blend for 30-60 seconds. Or add to a food processor and blend for 1-2 minutes occasionally scraping down sides.
Recipes that use oat flour:
