How to Use Quinoa Flour for Baking and Cooking

Learn how to use quinoa flour for baking and cooking. We talk about why quinoa flour is good for baking, how to make quinoa flour not taste bitter and more!

One of the things that really started my love of cooking was actually baking. I've always enjoyed it – as frustrating as it can be sometimes – and it's one of the things that relaxes me. When I first went gluten-free, I struggled to find my groove, but after lots of tests I think I've nailed it.

Today we're talking about one of my all-time favorite gluten-free flours: quinoa flour!

I use quinoa in my baking all the time – not just because of my brand name, but also because I genuinely love it. But since it's a little on the pricey side, I think a lot of people avoid it. So my goal with this post? To help you see a) how to use quinoa flour in your baking (and cooking) is and b) why it needs to be a staple flour in your pantry.

I also get a lot of questions about quinoa flour, so we're going to tackle all of those and then dive into some recipes!

Where Can You Buy Quinoa Flour?

This is the question I get most often. Quinoa flour can be hard to find, especially if you live in a place that doesn't have a lot of grocery stores or natural health markets. My favorite brand is Bob's Red Mill. I've been using their quinoa flour – and tons of other gluten-free flours – for over a decade and it's just the best.

Luckily, many stores in the US carry Bob's Red Mill products, but not all of them carry quinoa flour. So let's talk about the two best places to find quinoa flour!

1. At the supermarket.

When you're looking for quinoa flour in the supermarket, head to either the baking aisle or the Bob's Red Mill display area. The quinoa flour will be in a red bag with the words “quinoa flour” on the front!

2. Online.

If you can't find quinoa flour at your local grocery or health food store, as with most things you can always find it online. Depending on where you live, I recommend either shopping directly through the Bob's Red Mill site or looking on Amazon. The only problem with Amazon is that they don't always have the cheapest price. If you want consistent, standard pricing, definitely go through Bob's directly.

Bob's Red Mill is also sold on other online retailers like Thrive Market and Lucky Vitamin!

Is Quinoa Flour Good for Baking?

Short answer: yes! Quinoa flour is awesome for baking! The reason why I love using quinoa flour in my baking is two-fold: it's high in protein and high in fiber.

That means quinoa flour is especially great for gluten-free baking. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye and helps to provide structure. You know that stretchy pizza dough? That's the gluten doing its thing.

Because we don't have that protein in our gluten-free baking, we need other forms of protein or gums to achieve similar results. I don't love using gums, so I rely on high protein flours like quinoa flour. It helps to provide structure and rise to baked goods, while also adding protein and fiber on the nutrition side of things.

Is Quinoa Flour Bitter?

For me, that depends on your taste buds. Quinoa flour can be quite bitter for some people. But for others – like myself – can't taste it at all. So my recommendation would be to make a small batch of something (like half a batch of these coconut oil chocolate chip cookies) and see how they taste to you.

If you do find that quinoa flour is bitter, there's an easy solution. Toast it!

Toasting quinoa is really easy and completely removes the bitter aftertaste. There are a few methods for toasting quinoa flour so make sure to check out the guide I've already created for you on the blog!

Is Quinoa Flour Healthy?

I would definitely categorize quinoa flour as healthy! Since I believe quinoa itself to be super healthy (here's more about the quinoa nutrition facts), it only makes sense the flour is health. Tho make it, they are essentially just milling whole quinoa and turning it into flour!

Not only is quinoa flour high in protein in comparison to other flours, but it's also got fiber, iron, and other trace minerals. Here's a quick comparison of quinoa flour vs. all-purpose flour:

Overall, quinoa flour is absolutely a great choice when it comes to baking!

How to Use Quinoa Flour

And now to the fun part: RECIPES! Just to show you how versatile of an ingredient quinoa flour is and the bajillion different ways you can use it, I've pulled together a bunch of my favorites.

We've got 11 different “categories” that show you exactly how to use quinoa flour in your baking and cooking. If you're new to quinoa flour, I can't wait to hear which way you try first!