Alternative Baking: Gluten-Free Cooking with Oat Flour

Erika — Sat, 29 Jun 2019 21:10:06 +0000

Earthy and sweet with whole-wheat-like flavor and plenty of dietary fiber, gluten-free oat flour adds structure, loft, and tenderness to baked goods of all stripes. Alanna Taylor-Tobin shows us how to harness its baking mojo in three cozy recipes perfect for winter.

Photography Alanna Taylor-Tobin

Oat flour overview: Oats weren’t always the popular alternative grain they are today—they used to be considered weeds that grew between rows of barley and wheat. While they’re naturally gluten-free, they’ve been so commonly grown and processed with gluten-containing grains that the versatile, filling, and tasty grains were thought to inherently contain gluten. For this reason, it’s necessary to source certified gluten-free oats and oat flour, especially if cross-contamination is a concern.

Oats have a unique protein, similar to that of legumes, that gives them their stick-to-your-ribs reputation. But this protein is a double-edged sword, as it makes even gluten-free oats intolerable for a small percentage of celiacs. If you can tolerate oats, you’re in luck, as starchy, protein- and fiber-rich oat flour bakes up fluffy with a mild, creamy flavor that complements essentially all baked goods.

Flavor: Earthy, creamy, mild, nutty, slightly sweet

Feel: Soft, powdery, delicate, slightly clumpy

Nutrition: Higher fat content than most cereal grains; high in fiber; the only grain to contain legume-like globulins (proteins); high in vitamin E; and rich in minerals, such as phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, and manganese, a mineral that helps build connective tissue in the body, regulate blood sugar, and absorb calcium

Availability: Shelved with alternative flours at health food stores and well-stocked grocers or online

Storage: Airtight at cool room temperature for up to 6 months

Try These Oat-Flour Recipes:

Vegan Salted Tahini Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Gluten-Free Vegetable Potpie with Homemade Gluten-Free Piecrust

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Find more amazing gluten-free recipes in Alanna’s book Alternative Baker: Reinventing Dessert with Gluten-Free Grains and Flours, available here!

Vegan, Gluten-Free Salted Tahini Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies Gluten-Free Recipe

Erika — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 14:37:10 +0000

These chewy, gluten-free tahini chocolate chip cookies have a rich, buttery flavor, while earthy oat flour and rolled oats add a bit of heft. Studded with bittersweet chocolate and flecked with flaky salt, these vegan gluten free cookies are just the things to enjoy with a glass of cold almond milk.

Vegan Salted Tahini Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies Gluten-Free Recipe

MAKES 10 LARGE COOKIES Small changes make a big difference here, so be sure to measure the ingredients carefully. You can have the batter mixed by the time the oven preheats and then it’s just minutes to cookie bliss. These cookies are best the day they’re baked but will keep up to 3 days airtight at room temperature.

Author Alanna Taylor-Tobin

Ingredients

1/2 cup tahini (we like Sadaf brand)
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons maple syrup, preferably Grade A dark
3 tablespoons extra-virgin coconut oil, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour
3 tablespoons sweet white rice flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 cup gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats (we like Zego)
3 ounces coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate, preferably 65% to 70% cacao mass, plus more for the tops
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Instructions

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 375ºF. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, stir together the tahini, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla. Sift in the oat flour, rice flour, baking soda, and fine sea salt and stir to combine. Stir in the oats and chocolate.
Scoop dough balls 1 inch in diameter (about 3 tablespoonfuls or a 24 spring-loaded ice cream scoop) onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 to 3 inches apart. Top each cookie with a chunk or two of chocolate and a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt. Bake one baking sheet at a time, rotating halfway through for even baking, until the edges are pale golden and the centers are still soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Slide the cookies, parchment and all, off of the baking sheet and onto a cooling rack to stop the baking. Repeat to bake and cool the remaining cookies. Enjoy warm or let cool completely.