Dear Annie,
I see quinoa flour at the health food store, and since it is gluten-free and I am on a gluten-free diet, I’d like to buy it, but I don’t know what to do with it, or what it is. –Jenny, NH
Dear Jenny,
I, too, am on a gluten-free diet, and am a huge fan of quinoa flour. Its flavor is so, so sweet! Quinoa is related to buckwheat and amaranth, and whole it is a round seed the size of a sesame seed. It is increasingly popular because it is high in protein and has a quick cooking time and mild flavor. Sometimes it is called the “vegetarian caviar.”
Quinoa has no gluten, its origin is South American, it is cultivated in the United States, and for protein it has a complete amino acid balance (rare to find outside of animal products).
Whole quinoa is frequently used in hot cereal, side dishes, and served like rice. I substitute equal amounts of quinoa flour for wheat flour.
I personally use quinoa flour in muffins, pancakes, anything that needs a grain, and I often combine it with gluten-free brown rice flour and coconut flour (a very high fiber flour).
Here is my favorite muffin recipe, using quinoa flour:
Sweet Quinoa Flour Muffins
2 cups quinoa flour
3 teaspoons baking powder (aluminum free, such as Rumford brand)
2 tablespoons Sucanat, maple syrup, or other natural sweetener
1 or 2 eggs
1 cup milk
¼ cup melted butter or melted coconut oil
(note that the muffins in this photo include mango)
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate, small bowl, combine the eggs, milk, melted butter,
yum! I’m going to try this now! I’ll let you know how it turns out. KB
These are great muffins, easy and healthy.
I used 1 1/2 cups quinoa flour and 1/2 cup coconut flour b/c full quinoa is a little to strong for me. Plus the coconut flour made them really moist, I think. I like that these aren’t as sweet as a lot of muffins out there.
Mine don’t look near as pretty as yours, but turned out pretty well considering all the substitutions! I used almond milk and flax eggs to accommodate all the allergies in my house … stirred in some mini vegan chocolate chips, too. Yummo! I know my son will love them. Thanks for the starter recipe.
I hope they taste better than they smell. They are just cooling…
My first batch tasted great … we ate in about a day. Made a second batch, which sat around a day or two, and they tasted TERRIBLE after the first day. Any ideas why? Does the flour turn bad if not refrigerated after cooking?
I made these and they were really tasty. I used coconut milk and added cinnamon and stevia. I’d like to add some fruit ad try it.
Michelle.. did you use coconut milk instead of coconut oil / butter ????
can the flour be split half quino and half brown rice?
try it Edandjo and let me know if they turned out because I have tried using spelt and the food comes out very dry…..i throw it out. let me know.
I am new to baking with Quinoa flour. The instructions were easy to follow, and the muffins were quick to make. I sweetened the muffins with honey, and added blueberries and peaches for taste and color. Thank you!
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