Coconut flour is vegan, gluten-free, and low-carb – but is it considered Paleo? If you’re on the Paleo diet or thinking about trying it, you might have found yourself asking this question before. You’re not alone – with these more restrictive diets, it can be hard to keep track of which foods are allowed or not, especially if you’re just starting.
We’re here to say that yes, coconut flour is absolutely Paleo-friendly!
We’ll explain why coconut flour is Paleo-friendly, why many other flours aren’t, and much more in this article!
Paleo diet 101
A Paleo diet (short for Paleolithic) is a type of eating style/diet meant to mimic what people were able to hunt and gather thousands of years ago in the Paleolithic era, which was from around 2.5 million years ago to 10,000 B.C. The Paleo diet is also called the “caveman diet” and the “hunter-gatherer diet”.
Many people are attracted to the Paleo diet because they feel like it’s healthier and they naturally eat more nutrient-dense foods instead of more processed and refined foods. However, one of the drawbacks of a Paleo diet is that it can be seen as restrictive and hard to follow by some.
To give you an idea of the restrictions in a Paleo diet, let’s look at some of the foods that aren’t allowed:
- All grains, including gluten-free and “ancient” grains
- “Pseudocereals” like quinoa and amaranth. Pseudocereals aren’t actually grains but are treated as such and have similar nutritional profiles as grains. Some Paleo dieters choose to include pseudocereals like amaranth in their diet, but it’s a debatable topic in the Paleo world.
- Dairy products
- Refined sugar/sweeteners, as well as artificial sweeteners
- Legumes (beans, peanuts, soy, etc.)
Is coconut flour Paleo?
The majority of the most popular flours today are grain-based (such as wheat flour and corn flour, among many others), which are off-limits on a Paleo diet. Gluten-free/non-grain-based flours have also spiked in popularity in recent years, which includes coconut flour.
While other flours can be a bit trickier to determine if they’re Paleo (like quinoa flour and amaranth flour), there isn’t any debate as to whether or not coconut flour is Paleo.
Coconut flour is Paleo-friendly because it isn’t grain-based, nor is it considered a pseudocereal. In fact, coconut flour is one of the most popular Paleo flours alongside almond flour!
What are other Paleo-friendly flours?
There are other Paleo-friendly flours besides coconut flour. Most Paleo-friendly flours are made from nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables, which are all Paleo-friendly foods.
While the list is longer than this, a few more examples of Paleo-friendly flours include:
- Almond flour (higher in fat and lower in net carbs than coconut flour; likely coconut flour’s main competitor in terms of Paleo flours)
- Cassava flour (made from the cassava plant, a type of tuberous vegetable)
- Chestnut flour
- Hemp flour
- Sunflower seed flour
Which is better for Paleo – almond flour or coconut flour?
We mentioned that almond flour is the top competitor in terms of being a popular Paleo flour – so is one better than the other?
Both almond flour and coconut flour are solid Paleo options, and it’s difficult to subjectively say which one is better. What we can do is compare them nutrition-wise, along with some of their objective benefits.
| Calories | Fat | Total Carbs | Fiber | Protein | |
| ¼ cup almond flour | 160 | 12 g | 6 g | 4 g | 6 g |
| ¼ cup coconut flour | 120 | 3 g | 18 g | 10 g | 6 g |
Pros of almond flour and coconut flour
Almond flour:
- Higher in calories and fat (for those who may need a high-fat or high-calorie diet)
- More keto-friendly than coconut flour (lower in net carbs per serving)
- Gluten-free
- Absorbs less liquid than coconut flour so may result in more moist baked goods
- Lower glycemic index than coconut flour (the glycemic index of almonds is 15 while the glycemic index of coconut flour is 45 – both are considered low)
Coconut flour:
- Likely more suitable for those with nut allergies (people allergic to tree nuts can usually safely eat coconuts, whereas almonds are a more common tree nut allergy)
- Gluten-free
- Richer in fiber compared to almond flour
- Less greasy to use when replacing all-purpose flour in recipes compared to almond flour
FAQs:
Coconut flour is highly absorbent, which means you can use much less of it compared to all-purpose flour in recipes. Because it’s so absorbent, it can lead to drier baked goods if you don’t adjust the liquids in the recipe accordingly.
Coconut flour is a great source of fiber, which might cause some digestive upset (at least initially) if you aren’t used to a high-fiber diet.
Fiber is a beneficial nutrient for your gut health, but eating too much of it can lead to unpleasant symptoms like bloating and gas, especially if you’re not used to eating a high-fiber diet. If you’re not used to eating fiber-rich foods like coconut flour (10 grams of fiber per ¼ cup), it’s best to ease into it and don’t overdo it – aim to get the recommended 25-30 grams of fiber per day as a good starting point!
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