How to Make Oat Flour

Name: How to Make Oat Flour
Prep time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats (quick oats)

If you’re on a gluten-free diet or like to add some texture to your cakes, cookies, pancakes, and other baked goods, then you’ve got to learn How to Make Oat Flour at home.

Making oat flour at home is simpler than you think. Blending it takes less than a minute, and it’s so much cheaper than buying it at the store.

A Nutritious Whole Grain Flour

a glass bowl filled homemade oat flour — A mildly nutty flavor and a tender crumb

Oat Flour Benefits

Oat flour, like rolled oats, is high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It’s a nutrient dense source of carbohydrates, which means that while it’s still a carb like regular white flour, it’s packed with nutrients rather than empty calories.

Because oats are naturally gluten-free, they could be used as a gluten-free flour substitute. However, it’s important to note that oats are frequently cross-contaminated with gluten, so if you have an intolerance, make sure to buy gluten-free oats.

If you have celiac disease, it is critical that the oats you use are gluten-free and not processed in the same facility as other grains that do contain gluten.

What Do You Use Oat Flour for?

I’m sure you’re wondering what you can make with oat flour. Oat flour gives baked goods and other foods a nutty flavor and a hearty texture. Consider the following three uses for homemade oat flour:

Baking: One of the most common uses of oat flour is in baking. Gluten-free oat flour can be used to make brownies, waffles, banana bread, chocolate chip cookies, and oatmeal cookies. Use baking recipes that are specifically designed for gluten-free baked goods.

Oat milk: Use oat flour to make oat milk. Combine oat flour and water in a mixing bowl until the mixture is creamy and thick. When using oat flour instead of whole oats, the resulting oat milk is smoother and requires little to no straining. This is a good way to use up leftover oat flour from other recipes.

Thickener: To thicken soups and stews, use oat flour instead of a roux or cornstarch slurry. Whisk in the dry oat flour or make a paste with it and water. In either case, constantly whisk the soup to avoid lumps.

Simple and Inexpensive

Four spoons with oat derivatives (grains,rolled oats,bran,flour) — Put this gluten-free flour to use.

Difference Between Oat Flour and All Purpose Flour

Oat Flour contains 11% more fiber than white all-purpose flour, as well as iron, calcium, and potassium. Oatmeal fiber content also keeps you fuller for longer.

It’s gluten-free. This is great news for celiacs and those who avoid gluten, but it is bad news if you are making dough that needs to rise slowly, such as bread or pizza dough. Gluten is a stretchy protein that allows yeast to create air bubbles and volume in dough.

It imparts more flavor to baked goods than regular all-purpose flour. It also give baked goods a chewier and crumblier texture than all-purpose flour.

Can You Swap Oat Flour for All Purpose Flour?

Oat flour has a light texture and mild flavor similar to whole wheat flour, but it cannot be substituted for all-purpose flour one-for-one.

If a recipe calls for all-purpose flour, you can use oat flour in place of up to 25-30% of the regular flour and still get good results.

That being said, you can certainly experiment with home made oat flour in various recipes, but I recommend looking for recipes that specifically call for oat flour, especially if you’re new to using it.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

How do you store oat flour?

You can store your homemade oat flour in an airtight container for up to 8 weeks. It will also have a longer shelf-life if you pop it in the fridge.

Can I substitute oat flour for all-purpose flour?

Unfortunately, a 1:1 substitution of oat flour for all-purpose flour will not work. Instead, look for recipes that call for it.

Is oat flour gluten free?

Yes, if you use certified gluten-free oats. Although oats are naturally gluten-free, many are processed in facilities that also process wheat products. If you’re gluten-free, look for certified gluten-free oats, which are processed in wheat-free facilities and tested to ensure they’re gluten-free.

How much does 1 cup of rolled oat flour yield?

1 cup of whole rolled oats yields approximately ¾ cup flour.

Pro Tips

After blending the flour, sieve it to remove any oats lumps.
Oat flour works wonderfully in recipes that call for eggs. Because it’s gluten-free, eggs provide the missing structure in a recipe.
When baking with oat flour, allow the batter rest for some time so the ingredients meld together.

Homemade Oat Flour Ingredients

Making your own oat flour couldn’t be simpler! You will need whole rolled oats (not quick oats or steel-cut oats) and a food processor or high-speed blender are all you need.