Coconut Flour vs Einkorn Flour: Full Details

If you’re looking to switch out your all-purpose flour for something else, coconut flour and einkorn flour each have some awesome benefits when it comes to baking. 

In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at both of these unique options and why you should consider switching from all-purpose flour to these or any of the other flours on our massive list of flours.

Let’s dive in and compare coconut flour vs. einkorn flour, and break down which one is best for you!

Comparing coconut flour vs einkorn flour

	Coconut Flour	Einkorn Flour	All-Purpose Flour
Substitution ratio vs all-purpose flour	1:4	If swapping 100% for all-purpose, you need to use at least 20% less water or add some coconut flour to absorb the excess water.	N/A
Gluten-free?	Yes	No**	No
Keto-friendly?	Somewhat	No	No
Paleo-friendly?	Yes	No	No
Allergens	Coconut (tree nuts)	Wheat, gluten	Wheat, gluten
Liquid absorbency	High	Low-medium	Medium
Pantry shelf life (unopened/sealed)**	Up to 2 years	3-6 months (best stored in a cool, dry place)	6-8 months
Best for baking…	Most desserts – especially cakes, cookies, pie crusts, muffins, and dense breads.	Bread, cakes, muffins, cookies	Non-yeast recipes (think cookies, biscuits, and some breads)

** Einkorn flour has a different gluten composition than traditional wheat-based flour, but that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily suitable for gluten-free diets or for people with celiac disease.

Differences between coconut flour and einkorn flour

As you can see, there are many differences that are important to consider when deciding between these two flours. 

A big difference is that einkorn flour isn’t a great option when it comes to gluten-free diets — but this is where it gets interesting. 

Now, I’m not a doctor so I’m going to stay in my lane here, but it’s been suggested that the gluten in einkorn flour can be tolerated by people with gluten sensitivity because it’s an ancient grain, meaning it hasn’t been changed or processed like many of the other flours.

This potentially opens up a whole new world for people with gluten or wheat sensitivity, as the digestive impacts could be less and allow you to experiment with a wheat-flour — but check with your doctor or a nutritionist first!

That being said, if you’re trying to stay away from gluten completely or have celiac disease, stick with coconut flour as it’s totally gluten free.

The taste of both flours is different too, with einkorn flour tasting slightly nutty with hints of sweetness. Coconut flour also has a mild and sweet taste, but with notes of coconut – this is mild enough that it easily blends in with other flavors and isn’t overpowering. 

Another difference is the substitution — this can get a little tricky here. You should be OK substituting coconut flour with all-purpose flour in a 1:4 ratio, but einkorn flour is a bit more finicky than that. 

While I do recommend a 1:4 ratio for einkorn flour as well, you want to be aware of the slow absorption time and the tendencies for einkorn dough to act a bit different in terms of rising — we’ll talk some more about this later, but for now I’d say that it would be wise to mix in a lighter flour with einkorn flour, such as almond flour to create a lighter bake. 

Let’s get into a bit more detail with that!

Baking with coconut flour vs einkorn flour

Einkorn flour is a slow-absorbing flour, which is why we suggest mixing it with something like coconut flour or almond flour when baking. This will help absorb the moisture and get some lighter bakes, and won’t have your dough flop as quickly. 

Also, don’t be surprised if your einkorn flour dough is stickier and wetter than you’re used to with other doughs — this is totally normal! Keep in mind that along with the longer liquid-absorbing time, einkorn dough also rises slower and not as high as most other doughs. 

So, fight the urge to add more flour to your mix when putting in liquids, and let the einkorn dough rest. 

Since the gluten in einkorn flour is weak, and coconut flour is gluten-free, we want to add some binders such as eggs. This will help the dough be stronger and more similar to all-purpose flour or other gluten-flours. 

Also, don’t let the einkorn flour dough rise as much as the coconut flour dough — get it to about 40-50%, which will help avoid any flopping. 

Ingredients in coconut flour vs einkorn flour

A lot of flours today are processed and changed, with extra additives mixed in to increase shelf-life and the rise of the dough. While this has some suggested benefits, you really can’t beat what Mother Nature has given us. 

This is why I love flours that are made from real ingredients, and coconut flour and einkorn flour done right are both as real as it gets!

Coconut flour is made by grinding dried coconut meat/flakes, with no added preservatives needed. Einkorn flour is made by grinding down einkorn wheat, which is the oldest grain known in the history of agriculture. In fact, it’s completely unchanged since then, and has never been hybridized!

Whether you pick an ancient grain or some good ol’ coconut flour, you can’t get much more natural than these two. 

Coconut flour + einkorn flour nutritional facts

Per 1/4 cup serving	Coconut Flour	Einkorn Flour	All-Purpose Flour
Calories	120	100	120
Carbs (g)	18	20	24
Fiber (g)	10	2	1
Fat (g)	3	0.5	0.5
Protein (g)	6	4	4
Glycemic Index Score	45	40-45*	85

NOTE: These values can vary slightly from brand to brand. 

*It was tough finding any clear numbers of the GI Score for einkorn flour, but sources generally suggested that it was on the lower to middle side of the scale.

Einkorn flour is great if you’re looking for a lower calorie option, along with our other low-calorie flour options.

They’re both fairly high in carbs, but coconut flour has a much higher fiber and fat content than einkorn flour. The high fiber content means coconut flour is pretty low on a net carb basis (18 grams of total carbs – 10g fiber = 8 net carbs).

This means that coconut flour will absorb liquid much quicker, which is why I suggest mixing a bit of it into your einkorn flour recipes to help out with the absorption. 

While we’re less sure of the glycemic index score of einkorn flour, both einkorn and coconut flour appear to have similar scores which are quite a bit lower than regular all-purpose flour. 

It’s been suggested by some that the type of gluten in einkorn flour is better for people who are gluten-sensitive. We’re a cooking site, NOT a health site, so we won’t weigh in with a point of view … double check with your doctor here if you have some sort of gluten issue.  

Coconut flour vs einkorn flour storage 

Coconut flour has an amazing shelf-life, lasting in your pantry for up to 2 years when unopened or stored in a sealed container. 

Einkorn flour will go bad quicker than coconut flour — you’ll want to store it in a dry and cool environment, even in a fridge or freezer if you manage to find the space. It should hold for about 3-6 months. 

Coconut flour vs einkorn flour: The ultimate verdict

There are many factors to consider here, and the final verdict really comes down to preferences in baking. 

Both are great, but it’s obvious that einkorn flour can be a bit trickier and may require more experimenting to get your desired textures and bakes. However, it may be a wheat-flour option for gluten-sensitive people.

Coconut flour is gluten-free, has an amazing shelf life, and is easier to bake with…but easier doesn’t always mean better, so don’t count the potential of einkorn flour out!

That being said, if you’re looking for a healthier alternative to all-purpose flour, I would say that coconut flour is definitely easier to get into if you’re just starting out. Especially if you go with recipes made for coconut flour.

I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences using either of these in the comments below!

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