Baking Trends: The Rise of Alternative Flours

It’s undeniable that 21st century food trends are eschewing waste-heavy practices, from the conveniences of the 1950s to the fat-free, chemically-laden 1990s, in favor of actively trying to reverse the effects of our throw-away culture. Environment- and health-conscious consumers are pushing for better options. Biodegradable packaging, heirloom and hybrid crops, and allergen-free alternatives will make 2020 the start of a decade defined by turning zero-waste and eco-conservation ideals into reality.

In a spirit of healthier living and promoting biodiverse farming, consumers are looking for better, more diverse natural ingredients to fuel current diet trends, including paleo and keto. Grocery store shelves will have a wider variety of alternative flours. Oregon staple Bob’s Red Mill already offers a paleo baking flour made with almond, coconut, arrowroot and tapioca. Other emerging flours slated for retail distribution in 2020 are allergy-friendly alternatives like cauliflower, banana, pumpkin seeds, poppy seeds, lupin and sunchoke.

These alternative flours could be great for the allergy-afflicted and diet-focused, but also have the potential to provide a lot of health benefits to those not concerned with that as well. Seeds, starchy fruit, and vegetable flours may contain a lot of vitamins and minerals that may not be present in standard wheat flour. Cauliflower, for example, has a lot of dietary fiber and B vitamins. Perhaps cauliflower flour could be added to pancakes or muffins to give us the extra boost in B vitamins. What is left to be seen is how they will affect flavor and end product.

Will these alternative flours be able to replicate what wheat flour does? With the current range of alternative flours already on the market, the answer is clearly no, though there are many blends that come close. The perfectly fluffy cinnamon roll is still slightly out of reach without the almighty gluten strand.