How to make oat flour
Learn how to make your own homemade oat flour in less than a minute and never buy store bought! All you need is 30 seconds and one ingredient- rolled oats!
Oat Flour
When it comes to making my own kitchen staples, I always ensure to have chocolate chips, condensed milk, and homemade oat flour.
Ever since my mom became gluten free, she’s had trouble finding a good flour substitute for it. Unfortunately, no gluten free flour blend is created equal. Every brand uses different ingredients in them and depending on what recipe you make, you’ll be left with different results. I myself tried it, and had mixed success. Sometimes my cakes came out gummy, my brownies came out flat, and my blondies would lack the gooey texture. My mom needed a new alternative to use, and it was suggested to her to try oat flour.v
What is oat flour?
Oat flour is simply finely ground rolled oats which in turn, produces a flour-like consistency. It literally takes less than a minute to make, and all you need is one blender or food processor!
It’s essential ground oats and can be used in place of white or wheat flour in many recipes.
I’ve been meaning to share an oat flour recipe for quite some time. It’s saved me hundreds of dollars each year, and literally takes seconds to make- No fancy mixers or ingredients needed!
As someone who uses oat flour in a plethora of recipes, I’m so glad my mom was introduced to this many years ago. I’ve loved using it in my desserts, snacks, and no bake treats.
How to make oat flour
The Ingredients
- Rolled Oats– Either gluten free oats or traditional oats. You can use quick cooking oats, but I find them to lack the added texture.
The Instructions
Start by placing your rolled oats into a blender or food processor. Next, blend your oats until roughly chopped. This will take roughly 10 seconds, as you want the oats to be nice and easy to blend. Blend your oats once again, until the chopped oats become even more finely ground.
Finally, Transfer to a sealable container and think up ways to use it!
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of oats are best for oat flour?
You can use either rolled oats (old fashioned oats) or quick oats (instant oats). If you use quick oats, you will essentially skip the second step.
I prefer using the old fashioned oats, as I find recipes made with oat flour that STARTED out as rolled oats taste better.
Regardless of which kind you use, please make sure it is 100% unsweetened. E.g. you don’t want to use flavored oats!
Can I use oat flour instead of all-purpose flour?
It depends on the recipe.
If taste and texture isn’t an issue for you, you CAN technically swap out all-purpose flour for oat flour. where you will find trouble with is the texture- Oat flour can usually dry out baked goods easier than all-purpose flour, so you may need to add some extra liquid to compensate.
Is oat flour better than white flour?
It depends!
Oat flour and white flour both yield different results for different baked goods.
Let’s use a muffin as an example. If you prefer a super moist muffin with a gorgeous tender exterior, you’d most likely stick to white flour for the flour used.
If you prefer a muffin with loads of texture, chewy and soft and also satisfying for longer, I’d stick to oat flour.
Again, it really depends on the recipe.
BONUS- Oat flour is fabulous for no-bake recipes, as it doesn’t need to be heat treated.
Is oatmeal and oat flour the same?
Oatmeal and oat flour are NOT the same.
Oatmeal is either rolled oats, quick oats, oat bran or steel-cut oats in their whole state. They are all used in a variety of ways, most often mixed with milk or water to produce an instant cereal (of varying textures).
Oat flour is what remains when rolled oats or quick oats are blended to a flour-like consistency.
Calories in oat flour
Compared to white or wheat flour, oat flour is far superior, nutritionally.
Oat flour contains more fiber, fewer carbs and higher amounts of protein.
White flour (per 1/4 cup)- 115 calories, 24 grams of carbs, 1 gram of fiber, 3 grams of protein.
Oat flour (per 1/4 cup)- 105 calories, 17 grams of carbs, 2 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein.
Is oat flour gluten-free?
Provided you use gluten-free rolled oats, it IS 100% gluten-free.
While some may argue all rolled oats are gluten-free, I stick to brands that commit to being tested in a gluten-free environment.
Storing and freezing tips
- To store: Oat flour should be stored in a sealable container, at room temperature. It will keep fresh for up to 6 months.
- To freeze: Place flour in a ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Oat flour recipes to try
- Cookies– Monster cookies, flourless cookies, applesauce cookies, and raisin cookies.
- Cakes– Sweet potato cake, chocolate zucchini cake, and cinnamon cake.
- Muffins– Blueberry muffins, sweet potato muffins, and chocolate muffins.
- Bars– Banana bread bars, oatmeal breakfast bars, and cake batter blondies.
- Pancakes– Banana pancakes, blueberry pancakes, and zucchini bread pancakes.
How to make oat flour
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups Rolled oats gluten free, if needed
Instructions
- In a high-speed blender or food processor, add your rolled oats
- Blend for 15 seconds until oats are coarsely chopped. Blend once more until a fine, flour-like texture appears.
- Transfer to a jar or sealable container.
So Can I use oat flour to make self rising gluten free flour then? Just add the baking powder and baking soda after I make my homemade oat flour ?
Can I add 1/4 cup of oat fiber to reduce pure oatsand to add more fiber to lower carb count and get the same result?
I haven’t tried.