Easy Homemade Oat Flour

With the holidays quickly approaching, I’ve got one thing on my mind.

Wait…no, I have a million things on my mind. But, one of them just happens to be all the holiday baking. Cookies, truffles, cakes, breads, you name it, I want it in my belly!

I’m generally not much of a sweets person, but the holidays just have me feeling all the treats.  Does it really get any better than sitting down in front of your Christmas tree, a big fire rolling the fireplace, with a mug of hot chocolate and sugar cookie in tow?  Pro tip, no it doesn’t.

As you may have seen from my previous posts, I like to incorporate more nutritious foods into my recipes. Particularly, I like to swap more nutritious foods for less nutritious ingredients.  My holiday recipes are no exception.  I’ve been working hard to tweak my recipes to become healthier but still taste delicious.

One way I’ve really stepped it up in my baking game is to substitute my flour choice. The variety of flours out there seems to get bigger everyday. You can use coconut, almond, rice, chickpea, and oat flour. The list goes on and on. I’ve been able to experiment with most varieties, but there are always a few favorites I turn to. One of my favorites just happens to be oat flour.

I had been buying oat flour from the store for quite some time, as most people do. That is, until I realized I was wasting a ton of money.  Did you know you can make Easy Homemade Oat Flour at home.  It’s incredible how easy this recipe is.  Also, if you buy oat flour on the regular, you’ll save tons of money!

However, it’s important to note, not all flour is created equal.  Take it from me, you can check out my flour disasters with my Skinny Spiced Pumpkin Bread.  So like I said, not all flours are created equal. What I love about oat flour, is it is relatively mild and versatile.

First, oat flour has a mild flavor, perfect for baking. The mild flavor is the perfect backdrop for baking flavors like nutmeg, cinnamon, or vanilla. Next, it keeps recipes moist, making it perfect for cookies and quick bread. Since oat flour helps retain moisture, less fat is often required. I apologize for using the word moist, oops!  Lastly, oat flour seriously improves the fiber content of recipes.  I’m a total fiber-obsessed dietitian. The more fiber the better!

When making my Easy Homemade Oat Flour, I like to start out with toasting the oats for a few minutes. This is optional, but I like the flavor it adds. I just spread some rolled oats out over a baking sheet and pop in the oven.

After the oats get nice and toasted, I pull them out of the oven and let them cool.  Next, pour them into a food processor or blender and pulverize into a powder. There shouldn’t be any chunks of oats left, so some stirring might be required.  Finally, get baking!

See, it’s as easy as that!

Some important things to note:

1. Store leftover oat flour in the refrigerator. The oils in oatmeal can cause the flour to turn rancid.
2. The conversion of all purpose flour to oat flour is 1:1.
3. If you are making your own oat flour and are allergic to gluten, it is important to purchase oats with a gluten-free seal.
4. Oat flour is not ideal for yeast recipes. If substituting oat flour in yeast recipes, it is important to add additional leavening agents like baking powder.
5. Oat flour provides a chewier texture, think oatmeal cookies.
6. Lastly, some recipes may require more liquid.

So let’s get baking! Throwing this together for your holiday treats? Be sure to let me know by tagging a photo #stephanieleenutrition on Instagram. I’d love to see what you all bake up. Happy eating!

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