my go-to coconut flour recipes

Coconut flour and I have had a tumultuous relationship.  I love the idea, but the reality of flavor and texture has sometimes left me wanting.  Coconut flour is wonderfully nutritious, low-carb and a great source of both fiber and protein.  It's a wonderful gluten-free option, and it avoids some of the issues associated with consuming large amounts of almond flour.  The texture is different, however, and coconut flour is a bit temperamental - so I don't recommend substituting it for other flours, at least not without careful planning.

I very rarely develop recipes; I prefer to let other people do that work for me!  But in hopes of keeping my youngest son grain-free for as long as possible (at the very least until 18 or 24 months), I've been looking into coconut flour ideas lately.  And because this is my blog, I thought I'd share some of our favorites.

Coconut flour is pricey, but for most recipes a little goes quite a long way.  So you're using considerably less than with other flours.  I'm talking 1/4-1/2 cup for most recipes.  Pretty economical.

Something else to remember is that coconut flour needs a lot of eggs.  If you're planning to experiment much with this stuff, you might want to stock up.

Alright, without further ado, my current go-to coconut flour recipes:

Cinnamon Bun Muffins from Comfy Belly.  We love this recipe!  It's especially handy to mix them up just after dinner - then enjoy them the next morning for breakfast, ready-made.  This recipe is sweet, spiced, and tender.  I enjoy them best when I've added a shake or two of cinnamon and nutmeg to the batter before filling the muffin pan.  Delicious.

Coconut Flour Waffles from Health, Home & Happiness.  We enjoy them with pureed pumpkin stirred into the batter, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.  I appreciate waffles because they're fairly quick to mix up, and then they're cooking while do other breakfasty things - such as cooking the eggs.

This Pancake Mix from Andrea Fabry of Handpicked Nation.  The link is to a list of real food gift ideas.  Sroll down the page and you'll see a recipe for coconut flour pancake mix.  I've been messing with coconut pancakes for several years now, and this is by far my favorite!  It may be the extra egg, possibly the addition of vanilla, but they're far superior to the other ones I've tried.  Easier to turn with a great flavor and texture.  Coconut flour pancakes can be very tricky, and I was so pleased to come across this gem.

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Muffins by Cheeseslave.  In a word, ohmywordIlovethesesomuch!  Savory, cheesy, flavored with bacon (I've also used sausage crumbles).   So, so good!

Banana Chocolate Chip Coconut Flour Bread by Chocolate and Carrots.  A very nice basic banana bread.  Let it cool before you slice!

Coconut-Lemon Meltaway Cookies by Addicted to Veggies.   I am a big lover of (almost) all things lemon, and these are a lovely springtime cookie.  I don't use agave nectar in my kitchen, so I replaced that with honey.  The honey I had on hand was a delicious but rather heavy orange blossom variety.  I suspect these cookies would've been lighter and even more "melty" if I'd used a lighter flavored honey, or even agave.  Still, very nice.

Maple Pecan Cupcakes from Riddlelove.   Alright, people.  I love pecans.  I mean, I really love them.  But I made this recipe on a day when I didn't have a pecan in the house, and I didn't have time to make the icing either.  The cupcakes were still awesome.  Try them.  Now.  Just do it.

Assuming you have coconut flour, of course.

That about covers it; my current favorites when it comes to coconut flour.  Coconut is amazing stuff.  The more I learn about it, the more I'm astounded by it.   Finding more ways to work it into my family's diet is a definite goal of mine.   Happy eating!