Which Flours Have the Least Fiber?

You’ve probably heard a lot about fiber, and for a good reason. Fiber can impact your health in many ways, plays a role in low-carb diets, and impacts the texture and flavor of baked goods.

The fiber content of flour varies a lot – it all depends on what the flour is made from! So which flours contain the least fiber?

The flours with the least fiber include:

• Arrowroot flour
• Banana flour
• Cashew flour
• Instant flour
• Rice flour
• Self-rising flour
• Tapioca flour (starch)
• Tipo 00 flour
• Vital wheat gluten flour

In this article, we’ll review what fiber is, why fiber levels in flour vary, and review these low-fiber flours in detail!

What is fiber?

Before we dive into the types of flours that have the least fiber, let’s do a quick recap on what fiber is.

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate (carb) along with starch and sugar. Unlike starch and sugar, your body doesn’t digest fiber, so it doesn’t impact your blood sugar levels or provide calories.

Fiber is found in plant-based foods – it’s what helps give plants their structure. That means you won’t find fiber in foods such as meat, eggs, and dairy products.

Eating a high-fiber diet is associated with several health benefits, such as improving your gut and heart health and helping stabilize your blood sugar levels.

Fiber in flour

The fiber content of flour varies a lot depending on what it’s made from. Flour made from high-fiber sources like legumes are higher in fiber than those made from refined grains.

And what are refined grains, you might be wondering? The process of refining grains involves removing some of the parts of the grain – typically the outer two layers called the bran and the germ. That leaves the low-fiber endosperm, which is quicker to cook and can be softer and easier to chew compared to whole grains.

High-fiber flours often yield bakes that are denser, chewier, and dryer than lower-fiber flours, so pay close attention to substitution ratios!

9 flours that have the least fiber

Arrowroot flour – 0 grams of fiber per 1 tbsp.

Arrowroot flour isn’t a type of flour you’d use completely on its own in recipes but is more of a starch/thickener. Arrowroot flour is suitable for gluten-free and corn-free diets and is obtained from different types of tropical plants.

Arrowroot flour can also be called arrowroot powder or arrowroot starch – but they all refer to the same thing.

You can use arrowroot flour to make gravy, jellies, and many other foods, as well as thicken sauces, soups, and more.

Banana flour – <1 gram of fiber per ¼ cup

Banana flour is made from unripe green bananas, which makes the flour high in starch and low in sugar. Use banana flour in sweet or savory dishes, as well as to make Paleo-friendly recipes.

Cashew flour – 0 grams of fiber per ¼ cup

Many nuts and seeds are rich in fiber, but cashews aren’t particularly high in fiber with barely one gram of fiber per one-ounce serving (compare that to three grams of fiber per one-ounce serving of almonds!).

Cashew flour is high in fat and lower in carbs than many types of flour, but it’s not quite keto-friendly with 10 grams of net carbs per serving (net carbs= total carbs – fiber; many low-carb diets like keto rely on net carbs instead of total carbs).

Instant flour – <1 gram of fiber per ¼ cup

Instant flour is a type of pre-cooked flour, which allows it to dissolve more quickly and easily than regular flour. Instant flour is usually made from wheat flour and malted barley flour.

One of the benefits of instant flour is that it is less likely to create lumps when mixed with liquids, thanks to its quick dissolving properties! It can also reduce your overall cooking time.

Rice flour (white rice) – 0 grams of fiber per ¼ cup

White rice flour is a popular gluten-free flour made from finely-ground white rice. You can also find brown rice flour, which isn’t a high-fiber flour either (one gram of fiber per ¼ cup).

Rice flour can be used to make things like pancakes and cookies, but may not be the best choice for foods that rely on a chewy texture like pasta and bread (due to the lack of gluten).

Self-rising flour – <1 gram of fiber per ¼ cup

Self-rising flour is enriched flour that also contains baking powder and salt – that means you don’t have to add these ingredients when making bread products like biscuits, muffins, and cakes. 

If you use self-rising flour in a recipe that doesn’t call for it, you may need to omit other ingredients to prevent the final product from being too salty.

Tapioca flour (starch)  – 0 grams of fiber per ¼ cup

Tapioca flour is made from cassava root, which can also be used to make cassava flour. 

Tapioca flour is also called tapioca starch and is used in gluten-free cooking, baking, and frying, thanks to its binding qualities.

Tipo 00 flour – <1 gram of fiber per ¼ cup

Tipo 00 flour is popular for making things like bread, pasta, and pizza dough. It’s made from “soft” wheat, which is lower in gluten than hard wheat. Soft wheat produces a less chewy texture compared to hard wheat since gluten helps provide elasticity in baked goods.

Vital wheat gluten flour – 0 grams of fiber per ¼ cup

Vital wheat gluten is very high in gluten (and therefore protein, since gluten is a protein!). Use vital wheat gluten in recipes to help provide more volume in the dough (gluten helps trap gas and steam, helping baked goods to rise and grow in volume).

Seitan, a popular vegan protein option, is also made from vital wheat gluten!

Nutritional comparison of low-fiber flours (per 1/4 cup)

Flour	Calories	Total Carbs	Fiber	Fat	Protein
Arrowroot flour (1 tbsp.)	35	8 g	0 g	0.5 g	4 g
Banana flour	160	40 g	<1 g	0 g	1 g
Cashew flour	160	10 g	0 g	14 g	6 g
Instant flour	100	22 g	<1 g	0 g	3 g
Rice flour	150	33 g	0 g	0 g	3 g
Self-rising flour	110	22 g	<1 g	0 g	3 g
Tapioca flour	110	27 g	0 g	0 g	0 g
Tipo 00 flour	100	21 g	<1 g	0.5 g	3 g
Vital wheat gluten flour	120	4 g	0 g	1 g	23 g

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