Coconut flour is a gluten-free product. Its cost is quite high from 500 rubles. for 1 kg, and sometimes it is not easy to find it in a store, mostly via the Internet. Therefore, I do it myself at home. I prefer to make flour from the coconut itself, but you can also from dry coconut flakes. First, let's figure out why it is so useful? Here's what they write on the Internet:

Coconut Flour Is a residual product from the manufacture of coconut milk. The crushed pulp is dried and then crushed to a powdery consistency.

Coconut Flour Ingredients:
... Coconut oil 14%
... Fiber - 58%
... Proteins and carbohydrates - 28%

The fiber in coconut flour is of the indigestible type. It delicately cleanses our intestines from the inside, prevents constipation and maintains normal motility.

Benefits of coconut flour

Coconut flour has several distinct advantages over regular flour:

Gluten free - an allergen found in wheat, rye and barley. Ideal for people with gluten avoidance or sensitivity.
... It ranks 1st in the amount of fiber from all known types of flour. 100 grams of coconut flour contains 39 grams of indigestible fiber. Which is 2 times more than wheat bran, which has become very popular among a large number of people. But many people don't even know that bran contains a lot of anti-nutrients and does more harm than good.
... Contains a high amount of healthy fat. 100 g - 8.7 g (of which 8 g is healthy saturated fat). Medium-chain triglycerides, which are part of coconut flour, have antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal activity. They improve metabolism and energy synthesis, are not stored in fat cells, but are immediately used for energy. Therefore, this flour is ideal for anyone trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.
... Suitable for diabetics as it contains a small amount of carbohydrates and slowly raises blood sugar levels.
... Rich in protein. 100 grams contains 19.3 grams of protein. Which is much higher than the protein content of other types of flour.
... Contains small amounts of Omega-6 acids compared to nut and seed flour. Excessive consumption of Omega-6 has a pro-inflammatory effect on our body and leads to chronic diseases.
... Does not contain inhibitors of digestive enzymes, unlike regular flour, beans and nuts, therefore it cannot interfere with the digestion and absorption of nutrients, including minerals.
... Economical. Requires 2-3 times less than ordinary flour.
... Contains lauric acid, which supports our immune system and normalizes thyroid function.
... It is rich in manganese, which is essential for the absorption of many vitamins and minerals, as well as for the healthy function of the musculoskeletal system, nervous system and blood sugar regulation.

How to use Coconut Flour?

I want to warn you right away - you won't be able to just take and replace wheat or any other coconut flour. Coconut Flour is unique. Therefore, I recommend either experimenting with the amount of ingredients yourself or looking for recipes specially designed for coconut flour.
It absorbs liquid very easily and swells. Also, since it is gluten free, it needs eggs for stickiness. That is, if you need 1-2 eggs for ordinary pancakes, in recipes with coconut flour you need 3-4.
Coconut flour needs to be mixed well in recipes and tends to clump. Also, I advise, after kneading the dough, let it stand for a few minutes, to brew.
This tropical flour is perfect for pancakes, muffins, cakes.

Well, now the process itself and its preparation

Let's start with coconut milk, because flour will be a derivative process of this recipe.

Homemade coconut milk should be used right away. Unlike purchased canned milk, homemade milk does not contain emulsifiers. These are substances that prevent the separation of fats and water.

Therefore, homemade coconut milk exfoliates during storage. There is water at the bottom and coconut cream at the top. This is especially noticeable when you put coconut milk in the refrigerator. In this case, the layer of cream on top solidifies, becomes hard.
If your milk has managed to separate a little, then shake it well before use.

Ingredients

• Fresh coconut pulp.


• Warm water - 200-400 ml of water for the pulp of one coconut. The amount of water depends on the desired saturation of the coconut milk. The less water you use, the fatter and richer your milk will be.

Rub the coconut pulp on a fine grater. It is not necessary to peel the coconut from the thin brown skin, since most of the fats and various nutrients are concentrated under it. If you cut the skin off, your coconut milk will be less saturated. You can not rub the pulp of the coconut, but grind it in a blender. In this case, you will not get beautiful coconut flakes, but the milk will be richer.
Fill the coconut with water and crush it with your hands. Thoroughly three coconut flakes with water, as if we were washing things. You can mix everything in a blender.

Now we need a fine mesh strainer, or some kind of fabric. For example, gauze folded in several layers. You will also need a new container for coconut milk.
Pour coconut with water into a strainer or fabric. And carefully squeeze it into a new container. We put the cake in a separate bowl. It is from him that we will prepare our coconut flour ... And we use milk for smoothies, just to drink or in other recipes.

Line a baking sheet with baking paper and spread the coconut cake evenly, kneading it thoroughly with a fork so that there are as few lumps as possible. Bake in the oven for about 4 hours at the lowest setting. This is the fastest way.
I usually dehydrate her in a dehydrator. You can spread it out on a baking sheet and leave it outdoors for 24 hours.
Next, place the dried shavings in a coffee grinder or food processor and grind to a fine state (almost to dust). Cool down. Transfer to an airtight container and store in a dry place.

Coconut flour is a by-product of the manufacture of coconut milk - it is dried, partially defatted pulp, ground to a powdery consistency. The product is light and airy, depending on the manufacturer, its color can range from white to cream. The use of such flour not only favorably affects the quality of dishes, but also makes them more useful.

Calorie content and vitamin composition

100 grams of the product contains from 250 to 450 kcal, depending on the harvest, but given the small recipes for such flour, it can often be found in diet dishes. Nutritional value per 100 grams:

• about 19 grams of protein;
• 11 grams of fat;
• 10 grams of carbohydrates;
• dietary fiber - about 50 grams.

The product contains many useful components: vitamins A, E, ascorbic acid, B-group, iodine, nickel, lauric acid.

Properties of coconut flour

Coconut flour is beneficial in many ways:

• the content of a large amount of dietary fiber, including insoluble fiber, has a beneficial effect on the digestive system and improves the absorption of useful components from food;
• a large amount of vitamins and mineral components is retained in the composition due to minimal industrial processing of the product;
• low glycemic index, which increases the sensitivity of body cells to insulin and normalizes blood sugar levels;
• the use of flour helps to lower blood pressure and fight cellulite;
• used in cosmetology to create masks - nourishes the skin, helps fight wrinkles;
• flour is hypoallergenic, therefore it is allowed for breastfeeding;
• the product accelerates metabolic processes, increases the efficiency of energy production;
• flour stimulates the thyroid gland;
• the components of the product reduce appetite and participate in the processes of fat oxidation, which is important in the process of losing weight.

An important aspect is no gluten allergen in coconut flour, the intolerance of which makes it impossible for a number of people to consume dishes with wheat, barley, rye and other cereals.

Cooking Secrets

Coconut flour is not a grain product, but its use in cooking is just as versatile as ordinary wheat flour, although it has its own characteristics:

• flour from coconut pulp is capable of absorbing more moisture at times, which must be taken into account in recipes;
• the product creates a light, airy consistency of sweet dishes, therefore it is used for making cakes, muffins, bread, cheesecakes, pies and pancakes. To create crispy desserts, the use of pure coconut flour is impractical;
• suitable for creating numerous vegan dishes;
• flour can be used in sauces and cocktails to thicken and enrich them with protein and fiber.

It is not difficult to prepare a successful dish from coconut flour, the main thing is to know a few secrets of working with the product.

1. Accuracy of measurements... The usual measurement of the amount of flour in glasses for a coconut product is not suitable, the powder is fluffier and lighter. It is necessary to weigh everything on the scales.
2. High absorption capacity requires the addition of more eggs than conventional recipes.
3. Thorough sieving... Coconut flour has small lumps in its structure, and in order to maintain the accuracy of the recipe, they must be disposed of.
4. Baking time... Coconut flour baked goods require less oven retention time.
5. Temperature... Before making the dough, the flour must be at room temperature, so if it is stored in the refrigerator, it must be removed first.

It is not difficult to make cookies, casseroles or sponge cake from coconut flour at home, the main thing is to strictly follow the proven recipe and take into account the characteristics of the product.

Video: recipe for pancakes

Diet meals can be not only healthy, but also very tasty. This video shows a step-by-step recipe for making small pancakes with coconut flour without added sugar.

Video: diet pie

Is brownie chocolate cake a dietary meal? This is quite possible if you cook it according to a recipe with coconut flour, without sugar and without the need to bake it in the oven. Repeating this dessert yourself will be a snap thanks to the detailed video.

Disadvantages of coconut flour

Despite all the benefits and convenience for baking, flour has a number of disadvantages:

• the product cannot compete with the usual wheat flour in cost - coconut powder is expensive, and you can not buy it in every store. It is possible to prepare from coconut flakes, but the final product will be only approximate in properties;
• use will have to be abandoned if there is an individual intolerance;
• people with a weak digestive system are better off not leaning on coconut flour - the high fiber content can cause abdominal discomfort and pain.

There is no direct harm from dishes with coconut flour for people without contraindications.

Storage conditions

Product storage has its own characteristics. Due to its high hygroscopicity, flour can absorb moisture from the air, so it should be stored in a tightly closed container. If the mass is planned to be used within 5-6 months, then you can leave it at room temperature in a dark place, but if long-term storage is required, it is better to place it in the refrigerator.

Drill a hole in the coconut. Cut a hole through one of the eyes or indentations in the coconut.

• A powerful hand drill is one of the easiest ways to punch a hole in a coconut, but if you don't have one, you can use a corkscrew, screwdriver, or metal skewer instead of a drill.
• In the worst case, use a hammer and nail. Use a hammer to hammer a nail into the coconut. Then, using the back of the hammer, pull out the nail and the hole is ready.
• Make a hole in one of the three "eyes" of the coconut. These spots are the thinnest spots on the outer shell and are the easiest to drill through.
• To make the process easier, place the coconut on a non-slip surface such as a cutting board or kitchen towel. This way the coconut will not slip out while you are trying to drill it.

In ordinary stores, you can only buy wheat flour. But with the proper desire, you can find a good alternative to it - more useful and interesting to taste. For example, it can be hemp flour, the benefits and harms of which have already been discussed on the site, or some other. Other types of flour are often the only salvation for people suffering from gluten intolerance. But you can buy them only in specialized stores, large shopping centers, or order online. The topic of our conversation today will be coconut flour, the benefits and harms of it from eating, and we will also give recipes with it.

Benefits of coconut flour

Coconut flour is made from the pulp of coconuts. It is similar to the common wheat species, but has a completely different composition and properties.
Coconut flour does not contain gluten, which makes it ideal for people suffering from an individual intolerance to this substance. It contains quite a lot of proteins and iron, as well as a lot of useful fiber. Moreover, such flour contains an order of magnitude less carbohydrates than wheat, and has a relatively low glycemic index. Accordingly, it can be eaten by diabetics and people who want to lose weight.

Coconut flour contains valuable lauric acid, which has antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties. It is also a source of many vitamins and minerals, and a number of beneficial fatty acids, which are extremely important for the normal functioning of our body. Moreover, such a product does not have an exotic taste, and will perfectly fit into the diet.

Coconut flour - product harm

Coconut flour contains quite a lot of fiber, so if you suffer from disorders in the digestive tract, it can cause a number of unpleasant sensations.

Coconut flour recipes

Coconut Flour Cookies

To prepare such a dessert, you need to prepare three quarters of a glass of coconut flour, half a glass of coconut oil, a glass of coconut or any other milk and five eggs. Also use a pinch of salt, a tablespoon of honey, and vanilla sugar or stevia to taste.

Melt the coconut oil first. Beat eggs into it and pour in warm milk. Mix well. Then add honey, coconut flour and salt to a bowl. Use stevia or vanilla sugar if desired, or add chocolate chunks to the dough.
Spoon the dough onto a baking sheet and place it in the oven, preheated to one hundred eighty to two hundred degrees, for twenty minutes.

Gluten Free Syrniki

To prepare such a delicious and very healthy dish, you need to prepare six hundred grams of cottage cheese, one hundred grams of sugar, fifty grams of coconut flour and a couple of eggs. You will also need a quarter teaspoon of salt and forty grams of coconut oil.

Mix dry crumbly curd with eggs. If desired, grind such a mixture with a blender (if you want to get cheesecakes of a smoother structure without grains). Add sugar (or a good sweetener), a pinch of salt, and a rounded tablespoon of coconut flour to the dough. Stir the mixture well and form into flavorful curd cakes. Fry them in a well-heated skillet over medium-high heat with a little coconut oil (or whatever you like). Cover the pan with a lid and leave the prepared cheesecakes for a while.

Unsweetened coconut flour pancakes

To prepare delicious, simple and healthy pancakes, you need to prepare four chicken eggs, four tablespoons of coconut oil, half a glass of coconut milk, three tablespoons of sifted coconut flour. Also use one-eighth teaspoon of salt and spice to taste, such as half a teaspoon of cinnamon and a little nutmeg.

First, beat the eggs well with a mixer. Then add a little melted coconut oil to them, stir in coconut flour, coconut milk and salt. Continue stirring with a mixer for one minute to thicken slightly.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and brush a little with fat. Pour a third of the prepared dough into the pan and gently distribute the mixture in a circle. Toast the pancake for two minutes on one side and about a minute on the other side.
You can serve ready-made pancakes by stuffing them with minced meat.

Coconut Orange Cookies

To prepare such a dessert, you need to prepare one hundred and fifty grams of wheat flour, one hundred ten grams of coconut flour, one hundred grams of butter, a chicken egg, one hundred and twenty-five grams of ricotta and one hundred and eighty grams of sugar. Also use twenty grams of vanilla sugar, half a teaspoon of baking soda, a quarter teaspoon of salt, zest from one orange, lemon (for juice), and thirty grams of powdered orange sugar.

Mash the ricotta with a fork along with softened butter and stir in a fairly large egg. Add sugar and salt to this mixture and grated zest of a large orange. Sift the flour, quench the soda with lemon juice, stir these ingredients into the cheese mixture and knead the dough. Send it to the refrigerator for half an hour.

Preheat oven to one hundred and eighty degrees. Shape the dough into balls, roll in powdered sugar and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for eleven to fourteen minutes. Cool the finished cookies on a wire rack.

With the appearance on the shelves of a previously unprecedented variety, the cookbooks of the hostesses were replenished with new, very tempting recipes. And more and more often they choose not the usual wheat, but coconut flour for baking. With its use, even ordinary dishes acquire a new flavor "sound", making the table more refined and varied.

What is good about coconut flour

It would seem, why change the well-known for something unknown, risking the taste of the final culinary masterpiece? Everyone knows that an unsuccessful combination of products can "kill" a dish that you have cooked many times, and which all family eaters have managed to fall in love with. Meanwhile, chefs are willing to take risks, and more and more often coconut flour flashes on shopping lists. Recipes from it are already quite numerous. It replaces all other types of flour, both for cookies, pastries and cakes, as well as for ordinary bread, which becomes special and original with it. This is due to the fact that coconut flour is much healthier than others. Firstly, it is rich in vitamins, including vitamin D, due to the lack of which everyone suffers in winter. Secondly, it contains an enormous amount of magnesium with potassium, and in an easily digestible form. As a result, baked goods, which include coconut flour, help normalize metabolism, improve and improve digestion, rejuvenate the skin and significantly reduce the likelihood of clogging of blood vessels.

Coconut flour: how to make

The attractiveness of a product is greatly reduced by its price. In addition, it is not always possible to buy it. To compensate for this deficiency, the people have developed a way in which flour can be easily made from coconut flakes on their own. It costs much less and becomes quite affordable: shavings are sold in almost every supermarket. The "production" algorithm is as follows.

1. The shavings are filled in with a quadruple volume of water and set aside for 4 hours.
2. With a blender or combine, it is brought to homogeneity.
3. The mass is carefully squeezed out of the liquid, which is coconut milk, through cheesecloth. It can be used in many tempting dishes.
4. The squeezed mass is distributed over the oven sheet and placed in the oven, brought to 90 grams. until dry.

It remains only to grind the workpiece to the state of flour.

Berry muffins

One of the best recipes that uses coconut flour is very easy to make and produces excellent results. A glass of flour itself, a spoonful of soda and half of salt are mixed in a bowl. In another bowl, half a glass of honey is beaten with six eggs with the gradual introduction of a glass and - if desired - 3 spoons.Both masses are combined, a glass of blueberries or raspberries is intervened in them, and the dough is distributed in tins, lined with paper cups. Forty minutes of baking, and dessert is ready for tea.

Banana casserole

It can be a wonderful breakfast, or it can act as a pleasant addition to your evening tea. In a bowl, half a spoonful of baking powder, a third of a glass of shavings of flour (four tablespoons) and cinnamon, taken to taste, are combined. Four bananas are kneaded separately, and then beaten with the same number of eggs. A dry mixture is added plus half a glass of any chopped nuts. The mass is poured into a mold greased with oil (preferably coconut), and baked for 20 minutes to half an hour, until piercing with a toothpick gives a dry skewer. For more seduction, the finished casserole is poured with melted chocolate and sprinkled with coconut.

Gourmet cookies

Perhaps no house is complete without baking. Each hostess seeks to please her family members with something tasty and non-standard. Cookies made from coconut flour undoubtedly belong to such dishes. For him, first of all, you need to combine - without using mechanical kitchen appliances - a bag of baking powder, two tablespoons of powdered sugar (substitution with sugar is unacceptable), half a glass of coconut flour (for pedants - 120 grams) and 20 g of coconut flakes. Do not forget to add a pinch of salt, no dough should do without it. Slightly more than half a packet of butter (150 g) is cooled and chopped finely. Pieces are poured into a dry mixture; the dough is kneaded - like ordinary shortbread, only coconut flour. It turns out to be extremely gentle, so you need to knead lovingly and slowly. For a third of an hour, the workpiece is allowed to stand in the refrigerator; during this time, the oven will just have time to warm up to 165 Celsius. Without waiting for the dough to reach room temperature, cookies are formed from it, again, without using a rolling pin. It will bake for about a quarter of an hour; an even goldenness of the surface can be considered a sign of readiness.

Ready-made cookies can be eaten like this, or you can enrich it with candied fruit icing or a chocolate crust.