Used as a culinary ingredient for cookies, desserts, and pastries, the sweet-smelling Hazelnut flour can be included in a gluten-free diet used to manage weight, diabetes and prevent heart-related issues. It is mostly considered for its nutritional elements and benefits.
It is a healthy option because of its low-fat content hence its use in crashing high cholesterol levels.
To get the best Hazelnut four, you have to look for plump and full-looking Hazelnuts. Look out for the full and heavy ones because lightweight Hazelnuts are an indication that the nuts inside may have dried up; that is something you cannot use for your Hazelnut flour.
If you perceive a foul smell or you discover mold on the Hazelnuts, do not purchase them and do well to discard them if you already have them. The Hazelnut flour produced from them is unhealthy.
Claire’s Hazelnut Flour Dilema
Claire is planning a surprise birthday party for her kids and she’s just discovered she has run out of the major ingredient of her secret recipe, Hazelnut flour, and the store nearby has run out of Hazelnut flour.
Are there substitutes that can suffice for her Hazelnut flour? Would they produce the same results as the Hazelnut flour? Are they as healthy as the Hazelnut flour? Without the Hazelnut flour, would her secret recipe produce the special desserts her kids love?
If you find yourself in a dilemma like Claire, all these are questions that would flood your mind when considering a substitute for Hazelnut flour.
Hazelnut Flour Substitutes
Here are some great hazelnut substitutes to try in your kitchen, they taste just as great or even better and are healthy options too.
1. Quinoa Flour
The fluffy texture it gives to baked goods makes the Quinoa flour an easy substitute for the Hazelnut flour.
Since it is also gluten-free like the Hazelnut flour, it can suffice in your diet if you have been placed on one. It can be used in making baked goods and can serve as a thickening agent.
They are perfect for managing weight, diabetes and are very rich in fiber. You can combine Quinoa flour with other kinds of flour like wheat flour. Some people find quinoa flour to be bitter although this depends on taste buds. An easy solution to bitter quinoa flour is to toast it.
2. Chickpea Flour
This gluten-free flour is gotten from dried chickpeas. Chickpea flour can be used to break bread, cake, cookies, pancakes, and even butter. Asides from pastries and desserts, they can be used as thickening agents for soups, sauces, and gravies.
To get your chickpea flour, all you need to get is dried chickpeas, a food processor, a sifter, and a spice grinder. Pour a small number of dried chickpeas into the food processor and process it till the dried chickpeas become flour.
Sift the flour to remove dried chickpeas, repeat the process, and place in a coffee grinder to get a fine powdery flour void of bits of chickpeas.
3. Buckwheat Flour
If you run out of Hazelnut flour and you need a nutty flavor to your delicacy, Buckwheat flour is the best bet. A misgiving to Buckwheat flour is that it is associated with wheat which it is not.
If you want fresh buckwheat flour, all you need is buckwheat groats and a blender. Pour the groat in the blender cup, turn on the blender and blend till it becomes a fine powder.
Buckwheat flour can be used to bake cake, biscuits, pancakes, cookies, and muffins. They also serve as thickening agents for your soups and sauces. They are often combined with wheat flour for baking.
4. Rye Flour
Made from rye berries/grain, the Rye flour is not gluten-free like the Hazelnut flour. Rye flour has a high fiber content and has been recognized for possessing nutritional elements that can prevent gallstones and improve gastrointestinal health.
Rye flour should be stored in an airtight container. If kept in a fridge, it can last up to 3 months but can last up to 5 months when kept in a freezer.
If you decide to use rye flour as a substitute, you must be familiar with the kind you want; there are different kinds of rye flour and they range from light to dark rye, the kind you choose affects the color of whatever you are baking or cooking. For high rising bread, combine your rye flour with all-purpose flour.
5. Oat Flour
When you mill raw whole grain oats, what you get is fine oat flour. When choosing oat flour, consider the distinct taste it would give your dish or baked goods.
Oat flour tastes different from other kinds of flour and the amount must be carefully added to get the texture you need. Recognized for preventing constipation and diarrhea, it is a healthy option for your diet. Gluten-free like Hazelnut flour, the oat flour can be used in baking cakes, cookies, muffins, and waffles.
Unlike the Hazelnut flour, the oat is affordable and not scarce so it is an easy resort when you run out of Hazelnut flour. If you need to alter the crumbly nature of your oat flour, you can make use of eggs or starch.
6. Amaranth Flour
For yeast-based goods like Bread, the amaranth flour has to be combined with wheat flour. Asides from being used for baked goods, the amaranth four can be used as ingredients for custard and salad.
High protein flour is an ideal option for children. It is also an active agent for lowering bad cholesterol. It works perfectly when used as a thickening agent for sauces and soups. To get the appropriate texture when baking, combine the amaranth flour with other gluten-free flour such as almond flour.
For a nutty recipe, in the absence of Hazelnut flour, combine your amaranth flour with almond to get the nutty aroma you desire. The amaranth flour is gotten from blended amaranth seeds and the procedure is very easy.
A blender and cups of amaranth seed are all you need.
7. Coconut Flour
Although coconut flour is a perfect substitute for hazelnut flour, baking or cooking with it could be a little tricky and things could go south.
Unlike the hazelnut four, it can be easily purchased from stores and is quite affordable. The gluten-free, low carb, and keto-friendly coconut flour is a common resort to Hazelnut flour. Since it is not gotten from a nut, for those allergic to nuts, coconut flour is an ideal option.
When not used with other flours, the coconut flour can produce dry textured baked goods so you might need to combine it with other flours for a better texture.
Are there substitutes for Hazelnut flour?
What can I use instead of Hazelnut flour?
Some of them are not gluten-free like the Hazelnut flour and others need other additional ingredients.
Final Note
Hazelnut flour has substitutes that serve as great options for your recipes.
The texture and taste may be slightly different but they would do just fine. If by all means, your recipe must include hazelnut, especially for its color and aroma, you can make use of Hazelnut flavor. It just might suffice.