The 3 best gluten-free flours for baking

Whether you have celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or simply want to reduce your intake of carbohydrates, here are three gluten-free flours that are great for baking.

1. Almond flour
Almond flour is made by grinding blanched almonds into a fine powder. It has a nutty flavor and a delicate texture, making it perfect for macarons and pie crusts. Just keep in mind that anything you bake with almond flour will brown and cook faster than wheat flour.

2. Coconut flour
Coconut has a mildly sweet flavor that produces a soft, yet dense flour. This makes it ideal for quick bread, pancakes, and waffles. Since coconut flour absorbs more water than both almond and oat flour, it’s important to add enough liquid or eggs to ensure your baked goods don’t dry out.

3. Oat flour
Oat flour has a very mild taste and is one of the most popular gluten-free flour because it’s affordable and widely available. It produces a light, crumbly texture, which makes it ideal for baking muffins, cookies, and cakes. However, oat flour shouldn’t be used in yeast bread and other baked goods that need to rise slowly.

If you don’t want to make your own flour, you can find a variety of pre-mixed gluten-free flours in the health food aisle of your local grocery store. These blends combine several different types of grains and have a consistency that closely mimics all-purpose flour.