Which Flours Have the Lowest Fat (and Which Have the Highest)?

When you think of “regular flour”, you probably think of wheat flour – and rightly so! Wheat flour is among the most commonly-used flours, but it isn’t your only option by any means. There is an ever-growing list of flours made from other sources besides wheat, and they all vary in their nutritional composition.

Some of the highest-fat flours include sunflower seed flour, pecan flour, and cashew flour, and some of the lowest-fat flours include arrowroot starch/flour, banana flour, and cake flour.

In this article we’ll rank the highest- and lowest-fat flours, compare their nutrition stats, and more!

What impacts the fat level in flour?

Just in case you hadn’t heard, flour is made from much more than just wheat these days! There are several types of flour made from non-wheat sources such as nuts, seeds, and legumes. The amount of fat in flour will depend on its source – for instance, almond flour is much higher in fat than flour made from low-fat garbanzo beans.

Because flour is generally made from plant-based sources, the type of fat in flour is usually unsaturated fat (saturated fat is usually in animal-based sources). The main exception is coconut flour since coconuts are one of the few plant-based foods that contain saturated fat.

Potential benefits of high-fat flour

Since many types of flours are low in fat, you might be curious what the advantages of using higher-fat flours are. One of the main benefits of high-fat flours is that they tend to be lower in carbohydrates (carbs) than lower-fat flours, making them more suitable for low-carb or ketogenic diets.

For instance, many high-fat flours are made from nuts or seeds, which are low in carbs and high in fat, which is perfect for keto dieters. (We’ll provide a nutrition table at the end for you to see the difference!)

High-fat flours tend to be higher in calories as well since fat provides more calories per gram than carbs and protein.

10 high-fat flours

1. (tie) Pecan flour – 16 grams of fat per ¼ cup

Pecans are among the highest-fat nuts, so it’s unsurprising that pecan flour is tied for first among high-fat flours.

1. (tie) Sunflower seed flour – 16 grams of fat per ¼ cup

This low-carbohydrate flour is rich in unsaturated fats from ground-up sunflower seeds.

3. Cashew flour – 14 grams of fat per ¼ cup

Noticing a trend yet? Flours ground from nuts and seeds are high in fat – and conveniently gluten-free and low in carbs for those following a gluten-free and/or low-carb diet.

4. Almond flour – 12 grams of fat per ¼ cup

Low in carbs and gluten-free, almond flour is also a good source of fiber and protein.

5. Flaxseed flour (meal) – 9 grams of fat per ¼ cup

Ground flaxseeds (meal) can be added to baked goods to add a nutty flavor while boosting the fiber and fat content.

6. Tigernut flour – 7 grams of fat per ¼ cup

A less commonly-known flour, tigernut flour is made from tubers that grow from a plant called the yellow nutsedge. It’s gluten-free and lower in carbs than wheat flour.

7. (tie) Cricket flour – 6 grams of fat per ¼ cup

Who would have guessed that crickets are high in fat? The rare animal-based flour, cricket flour is popular for adding to baked goods to boost their protein content.

7. (tie) Soy flour – 6 grams of fat per ¼ cup

This flour is less common and can be difficult to find, but is higher in fat compared to many types of wheat flours and is a great source of protein from soy.

9. (tie) Peanut flour – 4 grams of fat per ¼ cup

Made from defatted peanuts, peanut flour is lower in fat than regular peanuts but higher in fat than many other types of flour.

9. (tie) Sesame flour – 4 grams of fat per 2 tbsp.

A good alternative to almond flour, sesame flour is rich in fiber and protein and is naturally gluten-free.

15 low-fat (actually fat-free!) flours

All of these flours are considered fat-free at their given serving size. In alphabetical order.

1. Arrowroot flour (starch) – 0 grams of fat per 1 tbsp.

Arrowroot flour is popular as a gluten-free starch (a good alternative to cornstarch) and isn’t used as a standalone flour.

2. Banana flour – 0 grams of fat per ¼ cup

Made from unripe bananas, banana flour is higher in starch but low in fat since bananas and most other types of fruit are low in or free of fat.

3. Cake flour – 0 grams of fat per ¼ cup

Made from lower-protein varieties of wheat, cake flour is ideal for making delicate baked goods by providing a loose crumb and fluffier texture.

4. Cassava flour – 0 grams of fat per ¼ cup

A gluten-free flour made from the starch of the cassava root, cassava flour is high in resistant starch (a type of carbohydrate) but is low in fat.

5. Durum flour – 0 grams of fat per ¼ cup

Durum flour is made from “hard” wheat, which means it’s higher in gluten and protein. It’s popular for making things like pasta, bread, and pizza crust (not gluten-free).

6. Fava bean flour – 0 grams of fat per ¼ cup

Make sure to cook products made with fava bean flour since it’s not suitable for no-bake recipes.

7. Fufu flour – 0 grams of fat per ¼ cup

This flour is made from plantains, a tropical fruit in the banana family. Fufu flour often contains other gluten-free ingredients to help act as binders, such as cassava flour.

8. Instant flour – 0 grams of fat per ¼ cup

Instant flour is similar to all-purpose flour, but is finely ground to help it dissolve quickly to make things like sauces and gravies.

9. Noodle flour – 0 grams of fat per ¼ cup

Noodle flour is usually a blend of flours (such as unbleached flour, durum wheat flour, and semolina flour) suitable for making homemade pasta.

10. Potato flour – 0 grams of fat per ¼ cup

It’s no surprise that potato flour is fat-free since potatoes are low in fat! Potato flour is popular for making gluten-free products thanks to its ability to retain moisture and extend the shelf life of products that contain it.

11. Rye flour – 0 grams of fat per ¼ cup

Like wheat flour, rye flour contains gluten (but lower amounts than wheat) and is low in fat.

12. Self-rising flour – 0 grams of fat per ¼ cup

Self-rising flour is all-purpose flour with the addition of baking powder and salt to help baked goods rise, such as biscuits and other self-rising breads.

13. Spelt flour – 0 grams of fat per ¼ cup

Whole grain spelt flour is similar to wheat flour but is lower in gluten. 

14. Tapioca flour (starch) – 0 grams of fat per ¼ cup

Tapioca starch is derived from the cassava root and is a popular gluten-free starch used for breading and frying foods.

15. White rice flour – 0 grams of fat per ¼ cup

Both white rice and brown rice flour are low in fat (brown rice flour has 1 gram of fat per ¼ cup) and are among several popular gluten-free flours.

Nutritional comparison of high- and low-fat flours

Listed from highest- to lowest-fat (alphabetized for ties); serving size is ¼ cup unless otherwise noted.
*=check label/ingredients to ensure the gluten-free status

Flour	Calories	Carbs	Fiber	Sugar	Fat	Protein	Gluten-free
Pecan flour	160	3 g	3 g	<1 g	16 g	3 g	Yes
Sunflower seed flour	180	6 g	3 g	<1 g	16 g	6 g	Yes
Cashew flour	160	10 g	0 g	2 g	14 g	6 g	Yes
Almond flour	160	6 g	4 g	2 g	12 g	6 g	Yes
Flaxseed flour (meal)	140	8 g	6 g	0 g	9 g	6 g	Yes
Tigernut flour	130	14 g	3 g	5 g	7 g	1 g	Yes
Cricket flour (cricket powder)	160	4 g	2 g	0 g	6 g	22 g	No
Soy flour	140	10 g	3 g	0 g	6 g	12 g	Yes
Peanut flour	130	9 g	4 g	3 g	4 g	15 g	Yes
Sesame flour (2 tbsp.)	115	11 g	5 g	0 g	4 g	12 g	Yes
Arrowroot flour (1 tbsp.)	35	8 g	0 g	0 g	0 g	0 g	Yes
Banana flour	160	40 g	<1 g	0 g	0 g	1 g	Yes
Cake flour	120	26 g	1 g	0 g	0 g	4 g	No
Cassava flour	130	31 g	2 g	0 g	0 g	0 g	Yes
Durum flour	110	22 g	1 g	1 g	0 g	4 g	No
Fava bean flour	100	18 g	8 g	2 g	0 g	8 g	Yes
Fufu flour	106	25 g	1.5 g	0 g	0 g	3.5 g	Yes*
Instant flour	100	22 g	<1 g	0 g	0 g	3 g	No
Noodle flour	110	22 g	1 g	0 g	0 g	4 g	No
Potato flour	160	38 g	3 g	0 g	0 g	3 g	Yes
Rye flour (dark)	110	23 g	3 g	0 g	0 g	4 g	No
Self-rising flour	110	22 g	<1 g	0 g	0 g	3 g	No
Spelt flour	110	23 g	4 g	0 g	0 g	4 g	No
Tapioca flour (starch)	110	27 g	0 g	0 g	0 g	0 g	Yes
White rice flour	150	33 g	0 g	0 g	0 g	3 g	Yes

FAQs:

Links on this page may be affiliate links, for which the site earns a small commission, but the price for you is the same