7 Best Oat Flour Substitutes

Looking for a quick and easy oat flour substitute? Luckily there are plenty of options to choose from. Whether you want to make your own or need a quick and easy swap for a recipe, these are the seven best substitutes for oat flour!

Oat flour is growing in popularity and has quickly become one of my favorite flours to bake with. It’s a versatile gluten free flour that gives baked goods a light and fluffy texture. I personally love using it to make oat flour pancakes!

You can easily make your own oat flour from rolled oats or purchase it at the store. But, if you find yourself short, there are some quick and easy substitutes you can use! Below, I’ve included the seven best oat flour substitutes, plus tips for how to use each one in recipes.

What is Oat Flour?

Oat flour is a whole grain flour made by processing rolled oats into a fine powder. It’s rich in fiber and protein, and pack with nutrients such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and zinc. It has a mildly sweet and nutty flavor, and gives a soft and fluffy texture to baked goods. Oat flour is available at most grocery stores, but can easily be made at home from rolled oats using a food processor or blender.

Is Oat Flour Gluten Free?

When made with certified gluten free oats, oat flour is gluten free. While oats do not contain any gluten proteins, they can become cross contaminated with gluten in processing facilities. Commercial rolled oats are often produced, processed, and packaged in facilities that handle many other grains. If you want gluten free oat flour, make sure to look for one that is manufactured in a certified gluten free facility.

How to Make Oat Flour

Making oat flour is really simple. Just add roll oats to a blender or food processor and blend until the oats have turned into a fine flour, about 30-60 seconds. Scrap down the sides with a spatula to make sure there are no large pieces remaining. Process until a fine powder forms. 1 cup rolled oats will make about 1 cup oat flour. Store the oat flour in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Best Oat Flour Substitutes

If you are making a recipe that calls for oat flour, but you don’t have any on hand, here are the best substitutes you can use instead.

1. DIY Oat Flour (from rolled oats)

The best substitute for oat flour? Rolled oats! You can easily make your own oat flour by processing rolled oats in a food processor or blender. Just process for about 30-60 seconds, or until a fine powder forms. Once ground, measure out the amount you need for your recipe. Store the extra in an airtight container.

1 cup rolled oats will yield just under 1 cup oat flour after being processed.

2. Gluten Free Baking Flour

Gluten free baking flour contains a variety of gluten free grains, making it a great option. It’s typically very light and powdery, which is similar to the texture of oat flour.

Best of all, it’s still gluten free and well-tolerated by people with sensitivities. It also gives a similar results in recipes.

My favorite tried and tested gluten free flour blend is Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Flour Blend. I use it regularly and it swaps easily in all kinds of recipes.

To substitute one cup oat flour, use one cup gluten free baking flour.

3. Brown Rice Flour

Brown rice flour is a powdery flour made from whole grain brown rice. It has a very similar texture to oat flour, and a mild, nutty flavor. It can easily be swapped into recipes and yields a similar result.

Brown rice flour is high in fiber and B vitamins, and is naturally gluten free. It can be used to make breads and muffins, and does well as a thickening agent in sauces and gravies.

To substitute one cup oat flour, use one cup brown rice flour.

4. Buckwheat Flour

Buckwheat flour is made from ground buckwheat, which is a grain-like seed. It’s actually known as a pseudograin because it resembles grain in its appearance and texture.

Buckwheat flour has a similar texture and flavor to oat flour. It’s also naturally gluten free, and rich in fiber and minerals.

To substitute one cup oat flour, use one cup buckwheat flour.

5. Almond Flour

Almond flour is made from ground up blanched almonds. It’s a very popular gluten and grain free flour that has a subtly sweet and nutty flavor. It can be use to make all kinds of recipes, including almond flour sugar cookies, paleo banana bread, and even paleo chocolate cake!

It’s a slightly heavier flour and has more moisture in comparison to oat flour. So, you’ll want to make some adjustments when using it as a substitute.

To substitute one cup oat flour, start with 3/4 cup almond flour, then add more almond flour a little bit at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

6. Cassava Flour

Cassava flour is made from dehydrated and ground up cassava root. It has a light, neutral flavor, and works great as breading or as a thickener. It’s naturally gluten and grain free and gives baked goods a wonderfully fluffy texture.

I use it in recipes where I want the texture a wheat flour without the gluten, like with my paleo chicken tenders or paleo banana muffins. Cassava flour has a similar texture and consistency, so it’s an easy swap in recipes with oat flour.

To substitute one cup oat flour, use one cup cassava flour.

7. All Purpose Flour (not gluten free)

All purpose flour is a versatile and general use wheat flour. While it isn’t gluten free, it’s a suitable substitute that most people have at home. It has a fine, powdery texture, and can be used to make cakes, cookies, breads, and more.

Oat flour is a little less compact and weighs less, so start with 3/4 cup all purpose flour for every 1 cup oat flour.

To substitute one cup oat flour, start with 3/4 cup all purpose flour and adjust until you reach the desired consistency.

Substitution Tips

• When measuring flour, it’s best to use the scoop and sweep method. Fluff the flour in the container with a fork, then scoop it using the measuring cup. Sweep the excess off the top with a flat edge.
• Do not scoop flour directly from the bag. Flour becomes very packed down in the package. If you scoop it from the bag, you’ll end up with much more flour than intended.
• Oat flour tends to absorb liquid the longer it sits. This is why many recipes that use oat flour tell you to let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes. If using other flours, the batter typically won’t need to rest to reach the desired consistency.
• The best and easiest oat flour substitutes are gluten free baking flour, brown rice flour, and buckwheat flour. All can be used in a 1:1 ratio and have a similar texture and consistency.

FAQs

The Bottom Line

While oat flour gives a unique texture to bake goods, it’s easy to find a substitute! Whether you make your own or swap it out for another flour in your pantry, your recipes will come out with a very similar result if you use one of the options listed above.

Let me know what worked best for you and any tips you have in the comments below!