What You’ll Learn

• Seven popular alternative flours and what makes each one useful

• Flavor notes, texture tips, and best ways to use these flours in baking

• How these flour options support a more nourishing baking season

• A simple method for making every recipe fiber-rich with just better.® prebiotic fiber

Flour Power:
7 Alternative Flours for Baking Season

Baking season invites us to reach for ingredients that bring comfort, flavor, and a little extra nourishment to the treats we enjoy. Baking season often inspires home bakers to experiment with flour options that offer fresh flavors, unique textures, more nutrients, and greater variety. Some offer more fiber, some bring unique flavors, and others help create specific textures in baked goods.

Our Flour Power guide breaks down seven widely used flour alternatives and the qualities that make each one useful in everyday baking. 

Almond Flour

• Protein-rich choice

• Naturally gluten-free

• Mild, slightly sweet flavor

Almond flour comes from finely ground blanched almonds. Its combination of protein, healthy fats, and naturally occurring fiber creates a tender crumb in baked goods. Many bakers enjoy the subtle sweetness it brings to seasonal recipes.

Best Uses: Cookies, muffins, cakes, quick breads, pancakes, and grain-free treats. Almond flour also works well as a coating for tofu or vegetables and as a binder in veggie-forward dishes. 

Whole Wheat Flour

• Higher in natural fiber 

• Supports fullness and digestion

• Mild, nutty flavor

Whole wheat flour includes the bran, germ, and endosperm of the wheat kernel. This gives it a naturally higher fiber and nutrient content compared to standard refined flour. It creates a heartier structure and brings a warm, nutty taste to home-baked goods.

Best Uses: Bread, pizza dough, muffins, crackers, tortillas, and savory bakes. Recipes may need a little extra moisture for balance.

Spelt Flour

• Ancient grain with natural fiber

• Lightly sweet, nutty flavor

• Contains gluten

Spelt flour offers natural fiber and minerals with a softer flavor profile than whole wheat. Bakers often reach for it when they want a more delicate taste without losing structure.

Best Uses: Rustic breads, rolls, muffins, crackers, pizza dough, and homemade tortillas. It typically swaps well with whole wheat, though hydration may need a small adjustment.

Quinoa Flour

• Complete plant-based protein

• Fiber-rich

• Light, nutty flavor

Quinoa flour brings plant protein, fiber, and minerals to baked goods. It has a light texture and blends easily with other flour types. Antioxidant compounds present in quinoa remain part of its nutritional profile in flour form.

Best Uses: Pancakes, waffles, muffins, crepes, energy bars, and partial flour replacements in bread and pizza dough. It can also thicken soups or sauces and coat proteins or vegetables. 

Coconut Flour

• High in fiber

• Naturally gluten-free

• Very absorbent

Coconut flour is known for its impressive ability to absorb liquids. Just a small amount can transform batters and doughs, often resulting in moist, tender baked goods. Its gentle coconut flavor pairs well with baking spices and chocolate.

Best Uses: Cakes, muffins, pancakes, and rich quick breads. Also useful for thickening soups or stews or as a light coating for proteins and vegetables. 

Sorghum Flour

• Mild flavor

• Gluten-free

• Naturally occurring polyphenols

Sorghum flour blends smoothly into baked goods and is a popular base in many gluten-free recipes. It offers a flour-like texture with a neutral taste, making it easy to pair with both sweet and savory recipes.

Best Uses: Tortillas, muffins, flatbreads, and gluten-free flour blends used for seasonal or everyday baking.

Cassava Flour

• Grain-free and gluten-free

• Soft, neutral flavor

• Gentle on digestion

Cassava flour comes from the cassava root and performs similarly to traditional flour in many recipes. It’s known for creating pliable doughs and smooth batters. Cassava flour is a favorite among grain-free and paleo-style bakers.

Best Uses: Tortillas, crackers, cookies, flatbreads, and blends are used for grain-free baking. 

How to Make Every Recipe Fiber-Rich 

just better.® prebiotic fiber is your baking BFF! A quick stir into your dough or batter is all it takes to add more fiber to cookies, muffins, brownies, quick breads, and more! It stays completely invisible, so your fresh-from-the-oven treats come out just the way you expect — only with a little extra fiber-rich support.

The Baking Season Takeaway

Exploring the world of alternative flour opens the door to new flavors, textures, and nutrients in your favorite recipes. Each flour option has its own personality and purpose, giving you plenty of room to experiment during baking season. Try a swap here, a blend there, and let yourself enjoy the process; you might land on a new go-to flour combo that becomes part of your seasonal routine. 

Baking… just better.®!

Want to learn more about the power of flour? Check out Flour Power: 5 Starch-Resistant Flours, which highlights flours rich in resistant starch. This slow-fermenting starch supports more stable blood sugar levels and helps reduce the spikes and crashes common with fast-digesting carbs.