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I don’t know about you, but I like to save money in the easiest ways possible. Making your own flours at home is one way to do that! Oat flour specifically is very easy to make yourself.
Is it difficult?
Not at all! You just need a food processor (or a good blender), oats, and you are set to go. Depending on the quality of your food processor / blender, it could be super quick or may take a few minutes longer.
The best type of oats to make oat flour with
Rolled oats or quick oats are the best because steel cut oats will result in a grittier outcome. You’ll want a light, fluffy, very fine flour if you are using the flour as a substitute for store-bought oat flour (which is very fine).
Helpful tip
It helps to have an attachment on your food processor that you can scrape the edges without pausing the blending. I put a photo of the attachment I’m talking about.
OR you can use a food processor that has several layers of blades, such as this one. This will be your most efficient way to do it! But it’s not necessary.
Ingredients
Rolled Oats – that’s it!
Method
- Place oats into a food processor and blend or pulse until smooth and the texture is fine, not gritty. This could possibly take just a few minutes or up to 15 minutes depending on your food processor and how many cups of oats you are blending. Be sure not to let the food processor heat too much, so take breaks if you need to.
- For easiest blending that doesn’t take way too long, don’t fill the food processor more than halfway. This will make it much easier and faster to create a consistent, smooth texture.
- Store the oat flour in an airtight container for up to 3 months in a cool area in your pantry, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
What to use oat flour for
Gluten-free baking is the first go-to for oat flour. You can also use it as a gluten-free thickener alternative in recipes such as sauces. It’s great for a lot!
Can it be a 1:1 substitute for white flour?
No, I wouldn’t say so. This is because oat flour is much more absorbent than white flour. Therefore, the texture and liquid ratios will be very different if you swapped it with white flour without altering the other parts of the recipe. So just use it for the recipes that call for it, but there are plenty of recipes that call for oat flour! A lot of recipes on my website have it.
Why are sprouted oats better?
Sprouting oats (and grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds in general):
- Breaks down the anti-nutrients within them (phytates and lectins), thus making them easier to digest.
- Neutralizes the sugars that can cause fermentation and gas in the gut.
- Makes the food lower glycemic.
- Increases the protein and free amino acids.
- Improves the bioavailability of the nutrients it contains.
- Sprouted oats are higher in magnesium and GABA.
So it decreases the “bad” aspects (phytates, lectins, and difficult to digest starch and sugars) and it increases the good aspects!
The one drawback to sprouted oats is that they do not readily absorb as much liquid as regular oats. With that said, using oat flour from sprouted oats will result in a different outcome for baked goods. So that’s just something to keep in mind.
Homemade Oat Flour
I have fallen in love with baking with oat flour because it creates such a light, airy, and fluffy result. Plus, oats are hearty, filling, fiber-rich, and nutritious. And if you are gluten free or prefer not to eat gluten in every single baked dessert (hello, that’s me), then oat flour is a great option! So with that said, let’s make some oat flour together because it’s much more cost-effective AND you can use sprouted oats!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1.5–3 cups 1x
- Category: How To Guide
- Method: Food Processor
Ingredients
1.5 – 3 cups rolled oats (depending on the size of your food processor – read instructions)
Instructions
- Place oats into a food processor and blend or pulse until smooth and the texture is fine, not gritty. This could possibly take just a few minutes or up to 15 minutes depending on your food processor and how many cups of oats you are blending. Be sure not to let the food processor heat too much, so take breaks if you need to.
- For easiest blending that doesn’t take way too long, don’t fill the food processor more than halfway. This will make it much easier and faster to create a consistent, smooth texture.
- Store the oat flour in an airtight container for up to 3 months in a cool area in your pantry, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
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