When I started making keto recipes there was a need for bread replacements and desserts. Now, you can find store bought keto desserts online using mainly almond flour and a few using coconut flour.
The difference between the two boil down to nutrition, allergies and texture. These two can work well together but to sub them you can create terrible disasters.
Coconut Flour Vs Almond Flour Nutrition
Almond Flour
Noted, if you have a nut allergy, almond flour is something you should stay clear from. Almond flour is a great alternative to a gluten, grain free flour. It contains zero starches with high fiber and fat. Being low on the glycemic index it produces little to no response from blood glucose readings. Almonds are heart heathy and full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Almond Flour Nutrition Facts (per 3.5oz)
| Nutrient | Amount |
| Fat | 52.5g |
| Carbohydrates | 18.7g |
| Fiber | 9.9g |
| Sugar | 4.6g |
| Protein | 21.4g |
Coconut Flour
The coconut is a well known super food. From the oil to water and the meat coconut has been providing us home remedies for decades. Low on the glycemic index as well, coconut flour is a great alternative to replacing wheat flour or flour containing gluten.
Coconut Flour Nutrition Facts (per cup)
| Nutrient | Amount |
| Fat | 16g |
| Carbohydrates | 64g |
| Fiber | 40g |
| Sugar | 8g |
| Protein | 16g |
Comparison
In all, coconut flour vs almond flour when it comes to nutrition itself is quite the same. They both are great replacements for a healthier choice. Where they will differ at is in baking and whether you have a nut allergy or not.
Coconut Flour Vs Almond Flour In Baking & Cooking
Baking With Almond Flour
This would be my specialty because baking keto desserts with almond flour or even cooking with it has been my go to method for low carb replacements. Let’s talk about something small but it makes a huge difference when using almond flour in your recipes.
Almond meal, there is a difference between the two. Meal is milled almonds, husk and all. It tends to be very coarse due to the process and the husk in general. However, flour is blanched with the husk removed then milled very finely when the bag states so.
It is said almond flour is the flour that is closest to all purpose flour. I will agree slightly because you can’t replace gluten and what it does. You can get close but there is a clear difference. I believe it is leading people on to say that it’s the same.
Baking With Coconut Flour
Let’s just state the obvious, coconut flour is dry! It absorbs any liquid you throw at it until it because over saturated and won’t take anymore causing pools of liquid or a mush. This can be very frustrating because getting a good texture is almost impossible. But, it is possible and in some recipes coconut flour stands out and does an amazing job. A job almond flour couldn’t perform well in.
Which Is The Best To Cook With
Well, depends on the recipe. Any baked good I will always use almond flour. When it comes to cookies, cakes, and crust you just can’t beat it. One drawback is almond flour like to get hard once cooled. This can work in your favor when looking for a “crunchy” effect in a recipe. Yet, when it comes to quick recipes like keto waffles, mug cakes and pancakes, coconut flour is the winner.
In quick recipes the dryness in the coconut flour is wonderful. A pancake or waffle cooks quickly, in fact too quickly for almond flour to properly bloom before the outside burns. But, coconut flour is already dry so the inside steams and gets done in no time. The dryness works well because in a recipe that’s “bread-like” the texture is already somewhat dry.
Allow me to shock you here! The best recipes always, I repeat always have a combination of the two. You will notice this all over my website and across the internet of the best low carb bloggers. In the best products you’ll notice there is never just one flour used.
Why? It’s simple, almond flour cooks airy and coconut flour cooks dense. A tiny bit of coconut flour in almond flour fills those air pockets and the texture is about 80% of what you would get with all purpose flour.
Can You Sub Coconut Flour For Almond Flour
No, never do this! They have their own recipes for a reason due to the absorption issue mentioned earlier. You will typically fine far more binders such as eggs or flax in coconut flour recipes that aren’t needed in the other. A recipe calling for 1 cup of almond flour could need only 1/4 cup coconut flour. Do you see the difference?
Recipes
Best Almond Flour Recipes
Best Coconut Flour Recipes
Where To Buy Coconut Flour Vs Almond Flour
You can purchase them both in most grocery stores and on Amazon (coconut flour, almond flour). Coconut flour will stretch far longer than almond flour but I will list some of my favorite brands.
Best Brands To Buy:
- Bob’s Mill
- Kirkland Brand
- Anthony’s
- Nature’s Eats
What To Look For When Buying
When it comes to almond flour always purchase blanched and fine ground. Nature’s Eats has the finest I have ever seen. But, the others from the list will do well in cooking. Just note, the finer the flour the better the end product.
For coconut flour, this is tricky because you never know how fine they milled the coconut flesh. In the brands listed above, I have found this all to be great along with a brand called Terrasoul. A course coconut flour is terrible in all aspects. I haver purchased a coconut flour that wouldn’t take in any liquid, it was terrible. You can trust the brands listed from experience.