How to Make Oat Flour at Home

Eating healthy begins with understanding that the food you may eat at home regularly may not be the healthiest for you. This doesn't mean your home food isn't good for you, but maybe the components of your meals aren’t contributing as much as they should for completing your dietary needs when we look for healthier alternatives, especially in cereals and flour, one alternative that is more famous than most is oats flour. In this article, we shall understand what is oat flour, and how to make oat flour in just 2 easy steps! We shall also note down some healthy and fun oat flour recipes we can use to incorporate this healthy flour into our diet seamlessly.

What is Oat Flour?

Oats flour is just ground-up oats, that have been ground until it is a semi-fine powder. Yes, it’s that simple! Oats and oats flour can almost be classified as a superfood due to its variety of nutritional benefits. This healthy flour is very high in soluble dietary fiber (beta-glucan), high in good plant-based protein, and contains a host of micronutrients like essential vitamins and minerals. These benefits of oat flour make it the perfect alternative to wheat flour, as who would say no to all these pros, especially when it’s found in one simple ingredient?

What Type of Oats Can Be Used to Make Oat Flour?

Before we understand how to make oat flour from oats, let us understand the types of oats that are found in the market. We have steel-cut oats, which are oats groats that got broken into small pieces after harvesting in a spinning machine. Old-fashioned oats are the large oat groats of steel-cut oats that remained after sifting and then rolled between large pins and flattened. Rolled oats are old-fashioned oats that have been lightly toasted and steamed to make them easier to cook. Furthermore, quick oats are simply a smaller version of rolled oats, as they are cut into smaller pieces before being rolled and toasted. And finally, probably the most famous form of oats is instant oatmeal, which is simply oats that have been pre-cooked with flavorings and sweeteners before being dried and packaged.

How to Make Oat Flour

Now that we know which oats work best, let us see how easy it is to make oat flour at home. With just oats and a blender or food processor, you can prepare fresh oat flour in minutes. The quantity can be adjusted as needed, but 1 to 2 cups of oats work well for smooth and even blending.

Ingredients & Tools

Oats: Rolled oats (old-fashioned oats) or quick oats work best. If you are making gluten-free recipes, make sure the oats are certified gluten-free.

Blender or Food Processor: A blender or food processor works well. A high-speed blender will give you a finer, more even flour.

Instructions

1. Add Oats: Place 1 to 2 cups of rolled oats into your blender or food processor.

2. Blend: Start blending on a low speed, then increase gradually. Blend until the oats turn into a fine, powder-like flour. This usually takes about 20 seconds to 1 minute, depending on your appliance.

3. Check Texture: Stop and check the flour. If you notice larger oat pieces or flecks, blend for a few more seconds until the texture is even.

4. Sieve (Optional): For extra-fine oat flour, you can sieve the blended oats to remove any coarse bits. This step is optional and not necessary for most recipes.

5. Store: Transfer the oat flour to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator or freezer to keep it fresh and prevent the natural oils in the oats from turning rancid.

Is Oat Flour Really Gluten-Free?

Oat flour can be gluten-free, but only when it is made using certified gluten-free oats. While oats are naturally gluten-free, they are often grown, processed, or packaged alongside wheat and other gluten-containing grains, which can lead to cross-contamination. Certified gluten-free oats are tested to ensure they meet gluten-free standards.

That said, a small percentage of people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance may still react to oats due to a protein called avenin, which is naturally present in oats. If you are highly sensitive to gluten or following a strict gluten-free diet, it’s best to introduce oat flour cautiously and consult a healthcare professional if needed.

Oat Flour Recipes

Now that we have understood how to make oat flour at home, let's explore how we can use this delicious, nutritious super flour and put it to good use! There are several recipes with oat flour available online, and we here at Rotimatic have listed down some ideas for delicious ways to incorporate oat flour into your diet.

1. Recipes That Require Rising:

For recipes that require rising due to gluten development, like bread, rolls, or biscuits, you cannot use oat flour entirely but you can substitute up to half of the amount of wheat/all-purpose flour in the recipe with your homemade oat flour, without impacting the result. You will get a slightly denser but equally tasty outcome!

2. Denser Bakes:

Denser bakery items like cookies and brownies, that do not require rising as much, have recipes that can handle a larger or complete substitution of all-purpose flour with oats flour. The more oat flour in the recipe, the chewier the product, so substituting half the flour requirement with oat flour is the most ideal for a more nutritious but still texturally sound product.

3. Cakes or Pastries:

When making cakes but you want to make them healthier with an oat flour recipe, replace up to ¼ of the flour requirement with oat flour. Adding more will lead to a very sense and chewy cake, which will impact the end product.

4. Gluten-free Recipes:

When making gluten-free recipes, feel free to use oat flour as 100% of the flour requirement. You may need to add extra leavening agents like baking soda or an extra egg to help in binding and increasing moistness. The flour will absorb moisture while it is being heated while cooking/baking, so more moisture-rich ingredients are key to getting a dense but soft and delicious product.

5. In Smoothies or Smoothie Bowls:

You can sprinkle or add a few tablespoons of oats flour to your smoothie bowls or protein smoothies to give them a delicious and nutritious boost! You can even toast the flour and add it on top as a garnish and as an extra element to elevate your morning pick-me-up.

6. Flatbreads:

You can even use oat flour to make flatbreads like tortillas, or even oats roti! These flatbreads pair well with most Indian curries or continental meat preparations or can be used as a base for homemade quesadillas, shawarmas, rolls, or pizzas. With Rotimatic, you can use several gluten-free healthy flour alternatives like oat flour to make a variety of Indian and continental flatbreads.

Storage Instructions

You can store homemade oat flour in an airtight container for up to 3 months if stored at room temperature. If you are planning to freeze your flour, then store it in airtight containers in a freezer for up to 6 months.

Expert Tips & Tricks

As mentioned above, oat flour doesn't have gluten, so other additives may need to be added like baking soda, baking powder, or extra eggs, to help create a light and fluffy texture in your baked products that require raising. If you are making a strictly gluten-free recipe for someone with gluten intolerance or celiac disease, be sure to only use certified gluten-free oats to make your flour. If you are using old-fashioned oats, the amount of flour you will get will be a touch less than the amount of oats used, while if you use steel-cut oats, the amount of flour you get will be double the amount of oats used.

FAQs

1. Is oat flour just ground-up oats?

Yes, oat flour is simply made from oats that have been ground into a powder in the blender or food processor.

2. How to make oat flour from whole oats?

You can make your homemade oats flour by blending old-fashioned oats or steel-cut oats in a blender for about 60 seconds until it has become a fine powder. Just remove and store, or use!

3. What is special about oat flour recipes?

Oat flour recipes are very special because of their high nutritional value! Oat flour is known to be high in fiber, protein, good fats, and carbohydrates, along with having a high number of essential micronutrients, which makes any oat flour recipe a power-packed super food for your body.

4. How much oat flour does 1 cup of oats equal?

After grinding into oat flour, 1 cup of oats equals about 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons of oat flour, if you are using instant or rolled oats.