Gone are the days when your only option for flour was good ol’ white all-purpose flour. These days, flour can be made from many different sources, which is good news if you’re on a special diet like keto or Paleo.
Some of the highest fat flours include:
- Soy flour
- Cricket flour
- Tigernut flour
- Flaxseed flour
- Almond flour
- Cashew flour
- Pecan flour
- Sunflower seed flour
So just how much fat is in each of these flours? We have the answers below!
Fat in flour
The amount of fat in flour varies a lot depending on the source. The majority of flours are made from grains like wheat, rice, and barley, which are generally low in fat and higher in carbohydrates.
For instance, all-purpose flour (“regular”/white flour) is made from refined wheat and contains 0.5 grams of fat per ¼ cup, yet flour made from high-fat nuts and seeds can have as much as 16 grams of fat per serving!
Benefits of high-fat flour
What are some of the benefits of using high-fat flour? Here are a few:
- They tend to be gluten-free because they aren’t made from grains.
- Many are suitable for lower-carb diets – and many are even keto-friendly!
- Since the majority of the highest fat flours are made from nuts and seeds, that means they are generally Paleo-friendly as well.
8 of the highest fat flours
Below are some of the highest fat flours, with the amount of fat listed per ¼ cup serving.
Soy flour – 6 grams of fat
Soy flour is either made from full-fat dehulled (outer layer removed) soybeans or defatted flakes made from dehulled soybeans. This means that the fat content of soy flour may vary depending on the types of soybeans used.
Soy flour is higher in protein and lower in carbs than many wheat- and grain-based flour. While it’s keto-friendly (7 grams of net carbs per serving), soy isn’t allowed on a Paleo diet, so it’s not a good option for Paleo.
Cricket flour – 6 grams of fat
Yup, cricket flour is what it sounds like – ground-up crickets! Cricket flour is the only type of flour that isn’t vegan-friendly since it’s made from living things (bugs). It’s incredibly rich in protein and is also one of the higher-fat flours.
Cricket flour is very low in carbs, so it’s suitable for a keto diet as well as a Paleo diet.
Tigernut flour – 7 grams of fat
Tigernut flour is made from ground tubers that grow on a plant called the yellow nutsedge. It’s gluten-free, but it’s not low enough in carbs to be considered keto-friendly. It is Paleo-friendly, though!
You can replace up to 75% of the amount of white flour with tigernut flour in recipes. However, it has a less-fine texture compared to all-purpose flour and doesn’t absorb liquid as well, so you’ll need to find recipes that call for tigernut flour or experiment with it to achieve the best results.
Flaxseed flour – 9 grams of fat
Flaxseed flour is also called flaxseed meal/ground flaxseed. It isn’t usually used as a standalone flour but can be added to recipes to boost the fat and fiber content while offering a slightly sweet, nutty flavor.
Flaxseed flour can also be used as an egg substitute in vegan dishes by mixing it with water and then adding it to replace a whole egg.
Almond flour – 12 grams of fat
Almond flour is one of the most popular gluten-free flours. It’s both Paleo- and keto-friendly and is a great source of fiber.
Almond flour is either made from peeled almonds (blanched) or unpeeled almonds – if it’s made from the latter, it’s called almond meal, not almond flour.
Cashew flour – 14 grams of fat
Unlike many other flours made from nuts and seeds, cashew flour isn’t quite keto-friendly because it’s slightly higher in carbs. It is Paleo-friendly and is among one of the highest-fat flours on our list.
Pecan flour – 16 grams of fat
It’s no surprise that high-fat pecans yield high-fat pecan flour. With a whopping 16 grams of fat per ¼ cup, pecan flour is keto- and Paleo-friendly. It isn’t suitable for those with tree nut allergies, though (neither are almond flour and cashew flour).
Sunflower seed flour – 16 grams of fat
Sunflower seed flour is a high-fat option that is suitable for those with tree nut allergies (which is why sunflower seed butter is a popular peanut butter alternative!).
Nutritional comparison of highest-fat flours
-Special diets: V=Vegan, P=Paleo, K=Keto
-Stats are for ¼ cup serving
Flour | Calories | Carbs | Fiber | Fat | Protein | Special diets |
Soy flour | 140 | 10 g | 3 g | 6 g | 12 g | V, K |
Cricket flour | 160 | 4 g | 2 g | 6 g | 22 g | P, K |
Tigernut flour | 130 | 14 g | 3 g | 7 g | 1 g | V, P |
Flaxseed flour | 140 | 8 g | 6 g | 9 g | 6 g | V, P, K |
Almond flour | 160 | 6 g | 4 g | 12 g | 6 g | V, P, K |
Cashew flour | 160 | 10 g | 0 g | 14 g | 6 g | V, P |
Pecan flour | 160 | 3 g | 3 g | 16 g | 3 g | V, P, K |
Sunflower seed flour | 180 | 6 g | 3 g | 16 g | 6 g | V, P, K |
FAQs:
Almond flour, coconut flour, and pecan flour are among some of the lowest-carb flours when you factor in the fiber/net carbs (net carbs=total carbs-fiber).
Pecan flour has zero grams of net carbs (3 grams total carbs and 3 grams of fiber), making it the lowest-carb flour.