What are the Best Keto Flours (And What are the Worst)?

Keto diets and flour aren’t usually synonymous, but several flours can easily fit into your ketogenic lifestyle!

The best keto flours are low in net carbs, usually below 10 grams of net carbs per serving. Some of the lowest-carb (and therefore best keto flours) are pecan flour, almond flour, and cricket flour (we’ll explain that one!), among several others.

In this article, we’ll review 13 different keto-friendly flours and provide their nutrition stats so you can compare and choose the one best suited for your keto lifestyle!

Ketogenic (keto) diet refresher 

A keto(genic) diet is a very low-carbohydrate diet. The goal of being on a keto diet is to restrict carbohydrates (carbs) so much that your body starts burning fat for fuel. This state is called ketosis, and can only be maintained when carbohydrate intake remains very low. Otherwise, your body prefers to burn carbs as its primary energy source.

Keto diets are also high in fat, usually around 70-80% of total calories. Carbohydrate intake is typically below 50 grams per day and can be as low as fewer than 20 grams per day. (For a frame of reference, one medium apple contains around 25 grams of total carbs.)

Carbs are primarily found in grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables (some more than others – like potatoes), some dairy products, and all forms of regular sweeteners. 

Which flours are the best for a keto diet?

There aren’t any absolute cut-off points that specify which flours are good for keto or not. In general, keto-friendly flours will contain fewer than 10 grams of net carbs per serving. That doesn’t mean that flours with slightly more than 10 grams of net carbs aren’t keto-friendly – it just means they might not fit into a keto diet as easily as the lower-carb flours.

Oh, and in case you’re curious about what the term ‘net carbs’ is referring to, here’s the scoop. Net carbs are found by subtracting the amount of dietary fiber from the total carbs. 

Fiber isn’t digested by your body, so it doesn’t impact your blood sugar or state of ketosis. For example, flour with 12 grams of total carbs and five grams of fiber per serving has 7 grams of net carbs per serving (12-5=7).

13 best keto flours

1. Pecan flour – 3 grams total carbs, 3 grams fiber = 0 grams net carbs

Pecan flour is the only one on our list that comes out at zero grams of net carbs per serving! Pecan flour is also high in fat with 16 grams per ¼ cup, which makes it the best keto flour in this ranking!

2. Almond flour – 6 grams total carbs, 4 grams fiber = 2 grams net carbs

Commonly used in gluten-free baking, almond flour is one of the easy-to-find keto flours in regular grocery stores.

3. Cricket flour (powder) – 4 grams total carbs, 2 grams fiber = 2 grams net carbs

While you probably won’t find cricket flour at your local grocery store, it’s definitely keto-friendly! Made from ground-up crickets and nothing else, cricket flour is not only low in carbs but is an excellent source of protein with 22 grams per ¼ cup serving. It also contains 6 grams of fat per serving, which is higher than many.

4. Flaxseed flour (meal) – 8 grams total carbs, 6 grams fiber = 2 grams net carbs

Use flaxseed meal as a binder in low-carb baking, or to boost the healthy fat and fiber content of baked goods.

5. Hemp flour – 13 grams total carbs, 11 grams fiber = 2 grams net carbs

Made from hemp seeds that don’t contain THC (the psychoactive part of cannabis), hemp flour is also a great source of protein with 12 grams per serving.

6. Lupin flour – 11 grams total carbs, 9 grams fiber = 2 grams net carbs

This flour is made from lupin beans, a legume similar to peanuts, and is a favorite among keto dieters thanks to its low carb content.

7. Okara flour – 12 grams total carbs, 10 grams fiber = 2 grams net carbs

Another great keto-friendly flour, okara flour is made from the leftover byproducts of making tofu and soy milk. 

8. Sunflower seed flour – 6 grams total carbs, 3 grams fiber = 3 grams net carbs

This flour is very high in fat (16 grams per serving) and low in net carbs, making it another fantastic keto-friendly flour.

9. Vital wheat gluten flour – 4 grams total carbs, 0 grams fiber = 4 grams net carbs

Vital wheat gluten isn’t generally used as a standalone flour but can be added to other flour to add the protein gluten, which promotes a chewy and elastic texture in baked goods.

10. Peanut flour – 9 grams total carbs, 4 grams fiber = 5 grams net carbs

Also called peanut powder, peanut flour is made from defatted peanuts and is low in net carbs and an excellent source of protein with 15 grams per serving.

11. Sesame seed flour – 11 grams total carbs, 5 grams fiber = 6 grams net carbs

Another high-fat keto flour, sesame seed flour is a popular keto flour for both sweet and savory uses.

12. Soy flour – 10 grams total carbs, 3 grams fiber = 7 grams net carbs

Thanks to the protein content of soybeans, soy flour is a high-protein flour (12 grams per serving) while staying low in net carbs.

13. Coconut flour – 18 grams carbs, 10 grams fiber = 8 grams net carbs

When you look at the total carbs for coconut flour you probably don’t immediately think it’s keto-friendly, but the impressive ten grams of fiber per serving helps this popular gluten-free flour stay keto-friendly.

Nutritional comparison of the best keto flours

Flour (¼ cup)	Calories	Carbs	Fiber	Net carbs	Sugar	Fat	Protein
Pecan flour	160	3 g	3 g	0 g	<1 g	16 g	3 g
Almond flour	160	6 g	4 g	2 g	2 g	12 g	6 g
Cricket flour	160	4 g	2 g	2 g	0 g	6 g	22 g
Flaxseed flour	140	8 g	6 g	2 g	0 g	9 g	6 g
Hemp flour	120	13 g	11 g	2 g	1 g	2 g	12 g
Lupin flour	84	11 g	9 g	2 g	9 g	1.5 g	10 g
Okara flour	70	12 g	10 g	2 g	0 g	1 g	3.5 g
Sunflower seed flour	180	6 g	3 g	3 g	<1 g	16 g	6 g
Vital wheat gluten flour	120	4 g	0 g	4 g	0 g	1 g	23 g
Peanut flour	130	9 g	4 g	5 g	3 g	4 g	15 g
Sesame seed flour (2 tbsp.)	115	11 g	5 g	6 g	0 g	4 g	12 g
Soy flour	140	10 g	3 g	7 g	0 g	6 g	12 g
Coconut flour	120	18 g	10 g	8 g	6 g	3 g	6 g

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