Peanut Flour is a popular ingredient in baking, be it cookies, cakes, or even a flavor enhancer in bread. It can also be used as a thickening agent for things like soup.
There are two types of peanut flour. First, there is the light roast, which adds a subtle flavor to dishes. The dark roast offers a stronger peanut taste. Both come in 12% and 28% fat options, with the higher percentage resulting in more flavor.
Sometimes it is necessary to substitute peanut flour for other flours. Read on to find out the best choices for every situation.
1. Powdered Peanut Butter
Powdered Peanut Butter is an ideal alternative to regular peanut flour. The two are similar because they are both made by reducing the nut through grinding until they become a fine powder.
The main difference is that peanut butter powder has added salt and sweeteners. This means that powdered peanut butter is ideal for pastries or baked goods like cookies. However, it might be better to avoid using this substitute for bread recipes or similar.
2. Coconut Flour
Like peanut flour, coconut flour is a popular gluten-free flour that can be used in baked products like cookies. In addition, coconut Flour is a sweet flour, meaning it works well in most baked goods, be it pastries or something else.
One of the main differences between the two flours is the taste. Coconut Flour has an inherent coconut flavor, while peanut flour has an (unsurprisingly) peanut taste.
If you want a unique flavor to your baked goods, then coconut flour is an ideal replacement for peanut flour, even if the taste isn’t a direct replacement.
Try using coconut flour as a peanut flour substitute in curries.
3. All-Purpose Flour
You can use all-purpose flour for almost anything you can think of, whether it’s biscuits, pastries, bread, or even as a thickening agent.
It’s one of the most readily available flours, and it’s cheap too!
Because all-purpose flour is made from wheat, it isn’t gluten-free, and it won’t offer the nutty taste that you’re used to with peanut flour. So it’s not for everyone.
If you’re looking to use peanut flour for buttermilk and it doesn’t need to be gluten-free, try all-purpose flour.
4. Almond Flour
Almond Flour is one of the best substitutes for peanut flour because it is gluten-free and offers a similar nutty flavor.
You can use almond flour as a binding agent for specialist soups and baked goods.
You can also make almond flour at home, which is a bonus.
5. Pecan Flour
Pecan Flour is made from ground pecan nuts and is an excellent substitute for peanut flour in fried goods like doughnuts. You can also use it for delicious pastries or even amazing pancakes and waffles.
Pecan flours are also a fantastic option for buttermilk without giving up that nutty flavor or the gluten-free health benefits.
If you don’t have pecan flour available, you can also use pecan meal.
6. Sorghum Flour
Another option is sorghum flour which has a mild flavor and is widely used as a combination flour. If you’ve only got a little peanut flour, you can combine it with sorghum flour. Additionally, you can combine sorghum flour with other gluten-free options such as coconut flour to reduce the taste of coconut in your dishes.
You can use sorghum flour for bread, muffins, pancakes, etc. It also works well as a thickening agent with similar effects to all-purpose flour. In addition, this flour works well as a peanut flour substitute for dumplings.
7. Amaranth Flour
You can use amaranth flour for thickening sauces, gravies, or soups. Not ideal for baking, it’s last on the list, but it gets an honorable mention because it’s a healthy gluten-free option with a nutty and sweet flavor.
These facts make amaranth flour a brilliant substitute for many nut flours, including the peanut variety.
Conclusion
Peanut Flour is loved for being gluten-free, being highly versatile, and for adding a distinct flavor to recipes and dishes. On this list, there are several options that you can use as an alternative for any dish.