Coffee Flour, the New Gluten-Free Option

In an effort to eat better, many have given up the basic bleached white flour (which is given a chlorine gas bath as a whitener) for healthier alternatives. The health food stores have bins of various flours, Spelt, chickpea, sprouted, tapioca, coconut, almond, and now there is a new flour on the block flexing its nutrient-dense muscles, it’s coffee flour. Coffee flour is getting all the buzz and attention as the latest gluten-free alternative to hit the store shelves.

Coffee Flour – The Latest Trend

Coffee flour is fast becoming the latest trend in gluten-free baking. You may be wondering how coffee flour is made and if there are any health benefits to using this flour.

You can make coffee flour two ways. The first is by grinding the coffee plant fruits which are called cherries. Inside each cherry will you’ll one or two coffee beans which will brew into the perfect cup of joe. The rest of the berry pulp was scrapped until someone clever enough came up with the idea of making coffee flour. Thus a new trend was started.

The second way to make coffee flour is by roasting the coffee beans themselves at a lower temperature of 300 °F. This dries the beans out, sanitizes them, and allows them to retain their powerful antioxidant properties.

Benefits of Coffee Flour

High in fiber – fiber is a key component in our diet and coffee flour has its fair share. A tablespoon yields 3.4 grams of insoluble fiber and 1.8 grams of soluble fiber giving it over 5 grams of total fiber.

Fiber helps our bodies in numerous ways. It aids in digestion, lowers cholesterol, balances blood sugar levels, maintains healthy bowel movements by bulking up your stool, and assists us in weight loss.

Low in Fat – Coffee flour has approximately half the amount of fat compared to other flours. You’ll find that many gluten-free flours made from seeds or nuts tend to be high in fat but coffee flour does not have that burden. It’s lower in fat than coconut and almond flour making it an ideal flour choice for baking.

Rich in nutrients – Coffee flour is abundant in iron, protein, and potassium. It boasts 2 times more potassium than bananas, 3 times more protein than kale, and 3 times more iron than spinach.

All-purpose flour – Coffee flour is quite versatile. Despite its source, you won’t get a buzz and it does not taste like coffee. It has more of a roasted fruit flavor that is appealing and fits well with muffins, cookies, bread, brownies and many other recipes.

Word of Caution

Coffee flour does contain caffeine and most likely will not be organic. Coffee plants are treated with pesticides and there is no guarantee that flour is toxin-free. To me, that is a big disadvantage. But, don’t let that deter you, I have found a few companies that sell certified organic non-GMO coffee flour.