Coconut flour as an alternative to wheat: benefits, harms and uses

Coconut flour is increasingly included in the diet of our citizens. People think about the benefits of the products they consume. Common wheat flour is high in gluten and anti-nutrients. These compounds have a detrimental effect on the metabolic process and interfere with the absorption of useful and nutrients. One of the analogues of a wheat product can be coconut flour. It has not only exotic taste, but also a number of useful properties.

Benefits of coconut flour

In addition to the taste characteristics that coconut flour gives to recipes, it also has useful properties.

Among others, the following can be distinguished:

1. The high content of indigestible fiber stimulates digestion. With the systematic use of such flour in food, intestinal peristalsis is improved, blood circulation is normalized and excess food residues are removed.
2. Lauric fatty acid has a powerful antiseptic effect on the entire body, allows you to fight against disease-causing fungi and strengthens the immune system. Also, this substance is useful for diabetes, weight problems, hypertension.
3. The product is very useful for people who suffer from gluten intolerance.
4. With the help of coconut flour, testosterone levels can be increased. Such a diet will help athletes who seek to build muscle.
5. Due to the large amount of calcium and magnesium, it strengthens teeth, bones, and has a beneficial effect on the nervous system.
6. Cleans the body of toxins, removes excess cholesterol, and also helps to cope with carcinogens. Many women use this product in their detox diet.

With extreme caution, it is worth using coconut flour for people with an individual intolerance to this nut, as well as for those who have a weak intestine.

How to make homemade coconut flour

Many are wondering how to make coconut flour yourself? This process is simple. You need a ripe coconut and just a liter of clean water.

To get flour, you need to do a number of simple sequential steps:

1. Use a corkscrew or other device to make a hole in the shell.
2. Drain the liquid into a convenient container. It will make the original ice for cocktails.
3. The coconut should be wrapped in a piece of soft cloth or linen bag and gently broken using a hammer or rolling pin. This is best done on the floor on a wooden board. Hold the coconut firmly so as not to injure your fingers.
4. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut off the flesh and peel off the brown skin that will be visible on the outside of each piece.
5. Put the prepared pulp in a blender and pour over hot boiled water. Now you need to set the fastest mode and turn the pulp into a homogeneous gruel.
6. When it cools down, wrap it in a piece of gauze and drain the liquid. Milk pour into a clean container, cover and refrigerate. It comes in handy for making delicious desserts.
7. Cover the baking sheet with parchment (foil cannot be used). Put the pulp on it in an even layer. Set the temperature to no more than + 80 degrees. This is enough for the pulp to gradually dehydrate and dry out. The whole process takes no more than 45 minutes. The coconut flakes will dry completely and will not burn.
8. Re-grind dry coconut in a blender and pour into airtight containers (plastic containers or glass jars for cereals).

The calorie content of coconut flour is 400 kcal per 100 grams. This figure is slightly higher than that of a wheat product.

Coconut flour in cooking

It can be used for baking. Biscuits, cupcakes, the pancakes are very tender. The dough is airy, light and melts in the mouth.

To make baked goods made from coconut flour delicious, you need to follow some rules:

1. Sift the flour through a fine sieve.
2. It is better to add liquid syrup instead of granulated sugar.
3. The dough must be prepared in advance, it is possible at night. By the morning it will increase significantly in volume.
4. More eggs will be needed than if a wheat product was used. If you cook curd cakes with coconut flour, it is better to add whites, whipped into a strong foam.
5. The baked goods cook quickly enough so you need to check them periodically.
6. Do not use cold flour, otherwise the dough will become "shrunken".

Coconut flour is an interesting alternative to wheat flour. It has a powdery texture and is perfect for all types of baked goods. Store the product in a dry place in a closed container, as coconut fibers absorb moisture well. One has only to try to make a cake made from coconut flour or something else, and new culinary masterpieces will conquer everyone.

How to use coconut flour - video