14 Gluten Free Flours & How To Use Them In Recipes

These GF recipes are varied, delicious, and healthier than most made with wheat. If you’re looking for creative recipes with gluten free flours, you’ll find plenty of options here.

By Lora O’Brien

Thanks to rising numbers of people with celiac disease, an autoimmune reaction provoked by gluten, the term ‘gluten free’ is becoming increasingly common. Most people know that celiac disease requires absolutely strict avoidance of all gluten, but a lot of people also think that if you don’t have celiac disease, you can eat as much pasta, bread and baked stuff as you like.

Well, that may not be a great idea. There are plenty of reasons to reduce your intake of gluten -or basically, wheat – even if you haven’t been diagnosed as celiac. For example, for many people, the proteins in wheat are gut irritants that can cause an inflammatory response. That can mean rather embarrassing gas and poop, and worse: it can lead to a leaky gut.

‘Leaky gut’ is another term that many don’t understand. It basically just means your intestines are more permeable, allowing a lot of undesirable stuff to enter your bloodstream and weakening your immunity.

Gluten accelerates this process by stimulating the release of a protein called zonulin, but that’s not the only bad thing in wheat. There’s also wheat germ agglutinin, which can provoke an inflammatory response in gut cells and disturb the natural immune barrier in the gut. But maybe the worst thing about wheat is something that’s quite new: glyphosate.

The Dangers Of Glyphosate

Glyphosate is basically a poison sprayed on many crops to kill bugs. It destroys insects by making their guts explode. Yes, really. The thing is, it can also have detrimental health effects on humans, ranging from hormonal disruption to cancer. And GMO crops literally have this poison built into them, so you can never wash it off. Whilst GMO wheat hasn’t been sold commercially yet, wheat is one of the crops most heavily sprayed with glyphosate.

But let’s return to gluten. Your gut isn’t the only thing affected by it: studies also link it to other autoimmune diseases, including:

thyroid disorders
type 1 diabetes
fibromyalgia
rheumatoid arthritis
autoimmune liver disease
depression
brain fog
and a few skin diseases, like dermatitis herpetiformis.

This study describes the way non-celiac gluten sensitivity can show up as skin problems similar to eczema, psoriasis, or dermatitis herpetiformis. The itchy skin showed up most often on the arms and legs.

To sum up: as common as it is, wheat can be bad news even for people who don’t have celiac disease. So why not try giving it up for a few weeks just to see how your body reacts? You might be surprised!

Luckily, there are loads of wheat substitutes that have been used in baking around the globe for centuries. And now, they are now increasingly popular in the West.

There are also some new innovations with added health benefits that may surprise you! Rice flour, anyone?

Now, let’s get baking with these gloriously gluten free flours.

The Best Gluten Free Flours (And What to Make With Them)

1. Amaranth Flour

Naturally gluten free and high in protein, amaranth flour has a mild, wheat-like flavour and works beautifully in baking. It’s ideal for breads, crackers, and savoury bakes.