Have you ever wondered if coconut flour is keto friendly or not?
Coconut flour appears in many keto friendly recipes, but is it actually good for you? Is it low in carbs to use safely on a keto diet?
Get all the details about coconut flour on the keto diet, the nutritional benefits of this gluten-free and grain-free ingredient, and learn exactly how to use it and how to make it at home step by step.
What Is Coconut Flour?
Coconut flour is made from the pulp of the white coconut fruit, where the pulp of the fruit is extracted and dried, and then undergoes certain processing processes that turn it into flour, and this flour is a by-product obtained during the coconut milk manufacturing processes.
Although the word flour is used to name this product, coconut flour is not actually flour. Why???
Because its source is not the seeds or grains that are usually used in the production of different types of flour, so coconut flour is commonly used as an alternative to some types of flour for certain categories, such as:
- People who are allergic to nuts and cannot eat some other common flour substitutes, such as almond flour.
- People who cannot eat foods from grains, especially those who follow the paleo diet.
- Coconut flour is gluten-free for those on a gluten-free diet.
Coconut flour seems to be a great fit for people on different diets, but when it comes to keto dieters, is coconut flour considered keto friendly or not?
My FRIEND!!! Continue reading to find out the answer…
Composition and Calorie Content of Coconut Flour
The nutritional value of the product depends on the type of raw material. If the pulp was used to extract oil, it is lower, for milk production – higher, due to the high lipid content.
1 serving size or two tablespoons of organic Coconut Flour contains[*]:
- Calories: 124
- Total fat: 4.2g (3.9 of which is from saturated fat)
- Total carbs: 16.6 g
- Fiber: 10.5g (over 40% of your daily value)
- Sugars:1.9 g
- Net carbs: 6.1 g
- Protein: 4.9g
During production, special attention is paid to the dehydration process, so there is no moisture in the composition of coconut flour. For comparison: in wheat, content of up to 14 g / 100 g is allowed. But if a product from the tropics absorbs liquid, it will immediately turn into a viscous sweet mass and will have to be disposed of.
Vitamins per 100 g:
- Vitamin B1, thiamine – 0.06 mg;
- Vitamin B2, riboflavin – 0.1 mg;
- Vitamin B4, choline – 22.1 mg;
- Vitamin B5, pantothenic acid – 0.8 mg;
- Vitamin B6, pyridoxine – 0.3 mg;
- Vitamin B9, folate – 9 mcg;
- Vitamin C, ascorbic acid — 1.5 mg;
- Vitamin E, alpha tocopherol – 0.44 mg;
- Vitamin K, phylloquinone – 0.3 μg;
- Vitamin PP – 0.603 mg.
Macronutrients per 100 g:
- Potassium, K – 543 mg;
- Calcium, Ca – 26 mg;
- Magnesium, Mg – 90 mg;
- Sodium, Na – 37 mg;
- Phosphorus, P – 206 mg.
Microelements per 100 g:
- Iron, Fe – 3.32 mg;
- Manganese, Mn – 2.745 mg;
- Copper, Cu – 796 μg;
- Selenium, Se – 18.5 μg;
- Zinc, Zn – 2.01 mg.
Also in the composition of coconut flour, there are 10 types of essential amino acids and 8 types of non-essential.
The product from tropical countries is high in fat. Saturated fats (17 g per 100 g) are represented by acids such as lauric, myristic, palmitic, caprylic, capric, stearic, caproic, monounsaturated (2.8 g) – omega 9, oleic acid, and among polyunsaturated (0.7 g) omega-6.
Some sources indicate an increased nutritional value of coconut flour – up to 460 kcal. You should not purchase a pack if this value is indicated on the package. It increases only if the final product contains stabilizers, preservatives and other products of the GMO group. After all, the calorie content of the pulp of a tropical nut is 354 kcal, and even when dried, it increases by 20-30 units, no more.
In addition to being very rich in fiber, Coconut Flour provides medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) and plant-based iron.
MCTs are a type of fat linked to several benefits, such as:
- Weight loss
- Protection against bacteria and viruses
- Enhanced brain and heart health
How to Make Coconut Flour at Home
Coconut flour is a healthy alternative to wheat and any other flour more familiar to us. It is very easy to make coconut flour at home, while all the valuable nutrients are preserved in full, which means that the benefits of coconut flour remain enormous.
To make coconut flour at home, all you need are fresh tropical nut and a little water, as well as the correct cooking technique:
- The shell is washed and a hole is punched in it. Any sharp object is suitable for this: a screwdriver, a corkscrew, and the like.
- The juice is drained – it is then used for baking, making cocktails or culinary delicacies.
- Split the shell with a hammer and peel off the pulp, separating the brown areas.
- Grind the separated pieces in water, you can pre-grind for convenience (1 liter of boiling water is enough for 1 fruit), stir.
- Strain the milk through a colander covered with gauze folded in several layers. In the future, you can add it to dishes with coconut flour or just drink it.
- The precipitate is spread in a thin layer on a baking sheet covered with parchment and placed in an oven heated to 30-40 ° C, leaving the door open.
- Dry until the intermediate raw material is so brittle that it can be crushed with your fingers.
- Cool completely at room temperature. Be sure to watch out for moisture.
- When everything is dry, pour into a food processor or blender and grind to a powder consistency. The inclusion of separate larger particles resembling semolina is allowed.
* Homemade coconut flour is stored at room temperature, in a dark place, in a hermetically sealed container for 2-3 months. The industrial product retains all properties and qualities for six months.
Is Coconut Flour Keto Friendly?
Wheat flour is one of the most unacceptable foods in the keto world. Because it is high in carbohydrates, wheat flour is not an option on a keto diet meal plan.
Also, with wheat flour present in many popular foods, it’s easy to get frustrated with how many foods you’re cutting out from keto meals — but the question now is: is coconut flour keto friendly?
Yes, coconut flour is a keto friendly ingredient. It has 21 grams of carbs (Per 100 grams) which is 3.5 times less than plain flour.
Although 21 grams may seem like a lot, keep in mind that you’ll only need a small amount of coconut flour in your keto friendly recipes! However, this does not prevent us from advising you to eat them in moderation.
What’s more, coconut flour is an excellent source of healthy fats because it is a nutrient-dense whole food.
On a keto diet, it’s important to get fats from healthy sources so that your body can burn clean fuel during ketosis.
Important reminder: It’s important to limit your net carb intake to 20g-30g per day to stay in ketosis.
Coconut flour is lightly processed, so keep that in mind. It’s also free of potentially dangerous substances including non-keto-friendly sweeteners, overly refined oils, and food additives.
Note: When using coconut flour or other similar foods, double-check the macros and ingredients in these foods, and always make sure that the perfect keto macros for healthy weight loss are:
- 5-10% carbohydrates
- 70% fat
- 20-25% protein
Benefits of Coconut Flour
Coconut flour has nutrients that are good for the body, as well as a slew of additional health benefits that will help you stick to the keto diet.
1. Keeps blood sugars stable
We all know that dietary fiber is an important component of the keto diet.
So coconut flour is rich in fibre, which may help you keep your blood sugar levels in check.
A 1/4-cup (30-gram) serving provides a whopping 40% of the DV for fiber, or 3 and 10 times more than the same quantity of whole-wheat or all-purpose flour, respectively.
High-fiber foods can help you regulate blood sugar levels by slowing down how quickly sugar enters your bloodstream.
This is especially true for foods rich in Soluble Fiber, which forms a gel during digestion. This fiber is found in small amounts in coconut flour.
It also has a low glycemic index (GI), which means that bread and baked goods cooked with it are less likely to cause blood sugar levels to rise(*, *).
2. May promote healthy digestion
If you are one of the people who want to regulate digestion while on the keto diet, then resorting to this type of flour may be a good decision, as coconut flour is:
* An excellent food source of both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber that may help: fight constipation, facilitate digestion, keep you feeling fuller for a longer period, and promote the growth of good gut bacteria(*).
* A natural, gluten-free food, which may help protect the body from annoying complications that gluten may cause for some.
Did you know?
Gluten in short is a protein compound found naturally in some grains, including wheat, barley and oats. And it’s difficult to break down during digestion, in some cases, gluten may trigger an immune response.
In some people, gluten intolerance can cause a variety of symptoms, including gas, cramps, and diarrhea, as well as intestinal damage and nutrient loss.
Those who have celiac disease or a wheat allergy should avoid all gluten-containing grains, while those who have a gluten sensitivity can minimize or eliminate this protein from their diet.
* A natural source of some healthy, easily digestible fats.
3. Beneficial for a leaner body
If you’re looking to lose weight faster on the keto diet, coconut flour may be a suitable option for you, for the following reasons:
As previously said, coconut flour is high in fiber, which may help to increase energy and activity while decreasing hunger and appetite.
It contains fats that may have a positive effect on metabolism.
4. May improve heart health
Coconut flour may also benefit heart health.
Research shows that eating 15-25 grams of coconut fiber per day may help you reduce:
- Total blood cholesterol levels by 11%
- LDL (bad) cholesterol by 9%
- Blood triglycerides by up to 22%
According to research, coconut flour provides lauric acid, a type of fat that fights a variety of viruses and bacteria that attack your body and is responsible for the buildup of fat in the arteries associated with heart disease.
Therefore, using coconut flour to prepare various keto friendly recipes will greatly help you in improving cholesterol levels and help reduce belly fat, which in turn reflects positively on heart health and efficiency.
5. Other benefits
Here are some other potential benefits of coconut flour:
* Positive effect on various body tissues, such as muscle and bone tissue, due to the flour’s richness in proteins.
* Strengthening the immune system in the body.
Since coconut flour is extracted from Coconut Fruit, you should know that this fruit contains many nutrients, such as manganese and antioxidants, this means that eating it helps in strengthening the immune system.
This helps your body fight various infections more efficiently and reduce inflammation.
Coconut is also antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, and antiparasitic, which helps treat certain diseases, such as throat infections, bronchitis, urinary tract infections, and tapeworms.
* Improvement of the general appearance of the skin.
In fact, with so many nutritious and keto friendly foods out there like coconut flour, sticking to the keto diet has never been easier.
Risks and Side Effects
For the most part, coconut flour is a safe substitute for wheat flour. It has a low number of health hazards and adverse effects. Coconut flour’s high fiber content, on the other hand, may induce bloating in some people.
If you have a coconut allergy, avoid using coconut flour. If you have signs of a serious allergic reaction, stop using coconut-derived flour and get medical help.
Baking With Coconut Flour on Keto
Coconut flour is one of the most commonly utilized types of flour in keto baking recipes. Cakes, biscuits, bread, and cakes can all be made with it.
Although it is a versatile baking flour, it can be difficult to use.
But we’re sure you’re ready and excited to use coconut flour to make keto friendly pastries and baked goods. But keep in mind what we said earlier.
Coconut flour has about 6 grams of net carbohydrates per quarter cup. Again, this may seem excessive, but a quarter cup of coconut flour may be all that is required in a recipe. If you make a whole batch of cookies with only 1/4 cup of coconut flour, each cookie will have only 0.5 grams of net carbs.
And that’s not bad for an ingredient that will satisfy your appetite and inspire you to cook up keto friendly foods without feeling deprived—yes we’re talking about coconut flour as an alternative to white flour.
Coconut Flour Baking Tips
- Use additional liquid: Because coconut flour is very absorbent than white flour, so it can be drying in baked goods. Don’t substitute coconut flour in a 1:1 ratio for white flour recipes. Instead, cut it down to about a fourth.
- Use a lot of eggs: Coconut flour is incredibly dense due to its high-fat content. You will likely need more eggs to balance your mixture. Don’t be alarmed if a recipe calls for 4–6 eggs.
- Use a hybrid of flours: Recipes that call for two different types of flour are usually the best. The texture will be most akin to “regular” baked goods if you use a combination of almond flour and coconut flour.
Different Ways to Bake With Coconut Flour
Use coconut flour as a high-protein, low carb option for:
- Breaded chicken fingers and other meat
- Muffins, pancakes, waffles, and other baked treats
- Grain-free pizza crust
- Low-carb bread
- Binding keto meatballs or meatloaf
- Thickening soups and stews
- Coconut-flour sandwich wraps
- Bulking up burgers
Coconut Flour Keto Recipes to Try
Start with these delicious recipes if you want to learn how to cook with coconut flour.
- Keto Coconut Shrimp
- Keto Coconut Flour Hamburger Buns
- Keto Cauliflower Buffalo Mac N Cheese
- Keto Coconut Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Keto Chocolate Doughnuts
- Keto Raspberry Coconut Cupcakes
Final recommendations: Is Coconut Flour Keto Friendly
Coconut Flour provides the ideal macros for a Keto diet: low net carbs, high fat, moderate protein, and key vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, niacin, and others.
Furthermore, coconut flour is delicious and versatile, especially when it comes to keto friendly baking, making it an excellent alternative to flour.
Do You Use Coconut Flour?
If you incorporate coconut flour in your keto or another diet, comment below and let us know your favorite recipe! Also, make sure to Follow Us on social media for more recipes that use flour alternatives, like coconut flour!