Newbie Question On Coconut Flour In Toront, On Canada

[K-Dawg]

Hey --

It's only been a few days since my diagnosis and I"m trying to figure out a good flour replacement. Has anyone got any suggestions for me (I live in Toronto)? Does coconut flour work? If so, where can I get it.

Thanks!

[one more mile]

I have found that a mix of flours works best for me. There is a bulk store near me where I can get about 20 types of flour.

Coconut flour is one that I have used. It adds a slight coconut taste and absorbs much liquid. so if you use it you need to add more liquid and let your mix sit for at least 15 minutes then see how dry it gets. It is great stuff to keep in the kitchen in case you add to much liquid to something. I have never used more then a 1/4 cup of it in something that takes 2 cups of flour. It works well for lemon bars or anything that may have lots of moisture. May work for crusts but I usually just make crustless pies.

I tend to mix rice flour( to much makes me itch), buckwheat flour, garbanzo bean flour ( do not eat raw, buy at Indian store) Xanthan gum- holds it together and so does tapioca flour. To much Tapioca makes your mouth feel slimy though but some adds some lightness to the mix.

The flour I like best is almond meal flour but it is expensive, or sorghum flour.

Almond flour is rich and sweet.

Green pea flour tastes just like green peas and I have no clue what I would use it for.

I just read a lot on the web , have a few gluten free cook books and play with differnt flours, sometimes I throw stuff out sometimes people love it.

there are mixes you can buy in the store. Many are mostly rice, which Makes me itch so I can not use them often.

but bobs red mill biscuit and baking mix has had good results.

Open Original Shared Link

[RiceGuy]

The flour you choose depends on what you want to do with it. Generally, a blend works best for baking. As a thickener, a number of starches/flours can work, though the starchier ones will typically give more favorable results. Arrowroot and/or cornstarch are often used for thickening gravies and such, even when avoiding gluten is not a concern. Sweet rice flour, potato starch, potato flour, or tapioca might also work as a thickener, depending upon application and preference.

[Juliebove]

I get coconut flour at my health store, TruHealth in Bothell, WA or at Swanson's vitamins online. In baking it has to be mixed with other flours. I have seen a mix recently with it already in there. Also in baking it seems to require extra eggs. I have an egg allergy so have never used it in baking. I have used it in meatballs, subbing ground flax seed for the egg. They tasted good but didn't hold together.

For baking I usually use Bette Hagman's four flour blend. I also keep some single flours and things like white rice, brown rice, tapioca as needed for various recipes. I use sweet rice flour for thickening.

[maile]

I use coconut flour quite regularly, often mixed with finely ground almonds (I agree with one more mile, almond flour is expensive but it's worth it....as long as you don't need a super fine texture finely ground almonds work just as well, especially in brownies!!)

the main thing with coconut flour is to increase the number of eggs in the recipe (they are the binder for the flour) and to watch the liquid level.

as to where to purchase in TO, that I'm not sure (I'm on the Left Coast) but I buy mine in either upper end health food stores or organic grocers. Loblaws may have it if there is a "health food section", there are also online Canadian sellers:

Open Original Shared Link

and apparently there may be an outlet of Simply coconut in Barrie Open Original Shared Link

otherwise I'd check with an organic grocer or vegan store to see if they carry it

[K-Dawg]

I use coconut flour quite regularly, often mixed with finely ground almonds (I agree with one more mile, almond flour is expensive but it's worth it....as long as you don't need a super fine texture finely ground almonds work just as well, especially in brownies!!)

the main thing with coconut flour is to increase the number of eggs in the recipe (they are the binder for the flour) and to watch the liquid level.

as to where to purchase in TO, that I'm not sure (I'm on the Left Coast) but I buy mine in either upper end health food stores or organic grocers. Loblaws may have it if there is a "health food section", there are also online Canadian sellers:

Open Original Shared Link

and apparently there may be an outlet of Simply coconut in Barrie Open Original Shared Link

otherwise I'd check with an organic grocer or vegan store to see if they carry it

Thanks Maile

I'm going to check out my local health food store and if they don't have it I can order the almond flour on-line.

And my husband wants to know what sort of dog you have? Adorable!

[sophos]

Hey --

It's only been a few days since my diagnosis and I"m trying to figure out a good flour replacement. Has anyone got any suggestions for me (I live in Toronto)? Does coconut flour work? If so, where can I get it.

Thanks!

Can you find amaranth or quinoa flour? I have found also for baking that a mix of flours is best. I like to mix something that has a higher protein level, like chickpea flour (AKA gram or besan), amaranth, quinoa, etc, with the starches like potato, rice or tapioca. Wheat flour has a fair amount of protein in it (obviously ), so a good substiute is a mixture with similar protein/starch makeup. Soy flour is another proteiny one if you can tolerate it. I've also found interesting substitutes at some low-carber recipe sites, for example making pancakes or pikelets/flapjacks using whey powder.

Deeks, which is a great bakery in Canberra, seems to make most of their bread with a mix of quinoa and tapioca flour, some with soy some without, and using guar gum as the sticky. And theirs is the nicest gluten-free bread I've found so far.