Grain Free Baking

MUM OF THREE AND HEALTH COACH, LAUREL OTEY, GIVES US HER TOP GRAIN FREE BAKING SWAPS

As a mother of three girls (18mo, 4yo, 6.5yo), wife, and owner and certified health coach at Layered Living, life can get a little bit crazy. Every week it feels like there is a school event to bake for, another friend’s birthday and then getting nutritious food on the table, of course. Balancing each of my children’s dietary needs, varying school restrictions and always looking for the most nutritious option, I have finally found baking alternatives that satisfy everyone’s health and lifestyle needs. There are great 1:1 gluten free flour blends available, but are generally made with a combination of refined flours. The resulting blood sugar spike and crash makes this mumma a little crazy. If you’re looking to bake delicious products that are high in nutrient density and low GI, my current top flour choices are almond meal, coconut flour, cassava flour, potato starch and/or arrowroot powder/starch. The most important thing is to be creative and have fun with your baking. Here are some ideas to get you started!

GO-TO: Almond flour is great for baking because of its naturally high oil content which helps prevent drying out. Coconut has a natural sweetness which lends itself well to sweet baking. Both of these ingredients add great flavour and texture.

BREAD: My favourite nut free and grain free flours for savoury breads, tortillas and pizza crust are cassava or chickpea flour. For a savoury bread loaf, my flour blend consists of a combination of almond meal, potato starch and arrowroot powder/ starch. For sweet muffins or banana bread, I prefer a combination of cassava flour and coconut flour. Cassava is a starch so it has a naturally stickiness to it, producing a texture and mouth feel similar to gluten.

BROWNIES: My mum has the best brownie recipe ever... and it’s flourless! Nut butter (almond, sunflower or peanut), cocoa powder, maple syrup, avocado and salt. The result is everything you want from a brownie - dense, rich and gooey.

CAKES: This is very cake dependent but we generally prefer coconut flour for the base as it’s light, fluffy and naturally sweet.

COOKIES: Almond flour gives cookies a nutty flavour and creates a moreish chewiness! If you like crispy cookies, just bake a bit longer.

CRUMBLE: The best crumble combo is definitely almond flour with cold butter and salt. The natural moistness of the almonds is ideal for baking and the nuttiness goes great with fruit.

CUPCAKES: Both almond and coconut flour work great for cupcakes. I have recently been loving making cupcakes with whole plantains as the base! You can find these at your local farmer’s market.

PIE CRUST: Almond flour makes a great pie crust but if you need to be nut free, I recommend a combination of chickpea (also called besan or garbanzo bean) and sunflower flour. We make this by toasting sunflower seeds and grinding in a food processor. This pie crust would work great for either savoury or sweet pies.

NUT FREE? Stick with coconut flour, cassava flour, potato starch or arrowroot powder/starch. Make choices based on your availability, flavour preference and your family needs. I hope these tips help you as they are tried and true for our family. Happy baking!