A household staple, you can find all-purpose flour in numerous recipes and is more than likely something you have used or encountered at some point in your life whether through cooking, baking or even using as a dry shampoo or ant repellent. Made from wheat, all-purpose flour is not suitable for those following a gluten-free or paleo diet, but is all-purpose flour vegan friendly?
Yes, all-purpose flour is vegan friendly because it does not contain any animal products. All-purpose flour is typically made of wheat and barley. Some of the best healthier and vegan alternatives to all-purpose flour include Anthony’s Organic Blanched Almond Flour, Thrive Market Organic Garbanzo Bean Flour, and Mariam Goods Organic Tigernut Flour, and Bob’s Red Mill Organic Coconut Flour.
Now that we know flour is acceptable on a vegan diet, what actually is it and is it healthy for us? Let’s take a look.
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What is All-Purpose Flour?
You might have noticed there is a surprisingly large variety of different types of flour. Each one has its typical uses but all-purpose flour is just that, all purpose! This means you can use it for a variety of different things such as breading, baking or as a thickener in sauces and stews.
All-purpose flour is a combination of hard and soft wheats, and it comes in bleached or unbleached varieties as well as self-rising. It’s great for bread, biscuits, pizza dough, cookies and more.
All-purpose flour is made by removing the brown covering (germ and bran) from wheat grains which is then milled and refined. This process cleans and grinds the flour into a fine powder that is then sifted and separated to ensure a uniform texture. From there it is either portioned and packaged or moves on to being bleached or to include the addition of a leavening agent for self-rising flours.
Is All-Purpose Flour Healthy?
All-purpose flour is a type of refined flour. This means it was processed to have the bran and the germ removed from the grain. This is where most of the fiber and other valued nutrients reside. Because it is so heavily processed, it needs to be enriched to add back in nutrients that were lost. This includes your B vitamins such as folate, vitamin B6, niacin and thiamine [1].
Flour is not an unhealthy food; however, it has a common place in unhealthy recipes. Because it is mainly carbohydrates, at about 23 grams per ¼ cup, when added to baked goods sweetened with sugar, it becomes a high carbohydrate, high calorie food item that can do a number on your waistline.
There are a lot of varieties of flour on the market that contain more nutrients, such as fiber and are lower in carbohydrates. Let’s compare standard all-purpose flour to some of its healthier counterparts.
Nutrition Facts for All-Purpose Flour
Whole Foods Market All-Purpose Flour
Ingredients:
- Unbleached hard red wheat flour
- Malted barley flour
Nutrition Facts (per ¼ cup):
- Calories 110
- Fat 0g
- Saturated fat 0g
- Sodium 0mg
- Carbohydrates 23g
- Sugar 0g
- Added sugar 0g
- Fiber <1g
- Protein 4g
Healthy Vegan-Friendly Flour Alternatives
Thrive Market Organic Garbanzo Bean Flour
Lower in calories and carbohydrates and higher in fiber, protein and healthy fats, this garbanzo bean flour is a game changer for many. Vegan, soy-free, salt-free, non-GMO, preservative-free, this simple ingredient flour alternative received 4.7 out of 5-stars and is available at thrivemarket.com for $4.99 for a 16-ounce bag.
Ingredients:
- Organic sprouted garbanzo beans
Nutrition Facts (per ¼ cup):
- Calories 89
- Fat 1.5g
- Saturated fat 0g
- Sodium 15mg
- Carbohydrates 13g
- Sugar 3g
- Added sugar 0g
- Fiber 3g
- Protein 5g
Anthony’s Organic Blanched Almond Flour
Keeping up with simplicity, Anthony’s Organic Almond Flour is made of nothing but organic blanched almonds. It is even lower in carbs than the garbanzo bean flour mentioned above and higher in protein. It is a little bit higher in calories than regular flour or garbanzo flour but because of the protein and fiber content it will be a lot more filling.
Unfortunately, this almond flour is not as budget friendly as some of the other options listed. You can find Anthony’s almond flour on retail sites, such as Amazon, for &17.99 for a 1-pound bag.
Ingredients:
- Organic blanched almonds
Nutrition Facts (per ¼ cup):
- Calories 160
- Fat 14g
- Saturated fat 1g
- Sodium 0mg
- Carbohydrates 6g
- Sugar 1g
- Added sugar 0g
- Fiber 3g
- Protein 6g
Mariam Goods Organic Tigernut Flour
For those searching for grain-free, vegan flour options, Mariam’s tiger nut flour is a great choice. Although it does not appear to be an improvement in calories, carbohydrates, or protein, it has a very high fiber content that makes up for it all. At a whopping 10g of fiber per serving, this flour is sure to keep you full and regular. You can find Mariam’s tiger nut flour online at mariamgoods.com at $12.99 for a 16-ounce bag.
Ingredients:
- Organic whole ground tiger nuts
Nutrition Facts: (serving size: ¼ cup)
- Calories 150
- Fat 7g
- Saturated fat 2g
- Sodium 15mg
- Carbohydrates 19g
- Sugar 6g
- Added sugar 0g
- Fiber 10g
- Protein 2g
Public Goods Whole Wheat Flour
Making a simple swap from white, refined all-purpose flour to a heart whole wheat, such as Public Goods Whole Wheat flour, can decrease the carbohydrates and increase the protein and fiber content. Organic, vegan, free of additives and non-GMO, you can find this product online at publicgoods.com for $10.50 for a 5-pound bag, making it budget-friendly as well.
Ingredients:
- Organic whole wheat
Nutrition Facts (per ¼ cup):
- Calories 100
- Fat 0g
- Saturated fat 0g
- Sodium 0mg
- Carbohydrates 21g
- Sugar 0g
- Added sugar 0g
- Fiber 4g
- Protein 4g
Bob’s Red Mill Organic Coconut Flour
A great, low-carb, gluten-free and vegan flour, Bob’s Red mill Organic Coconut Flour is made without preservatives or sulfites and is a great source of fiber. Available online at bobsredmill.com or other retail sites such as sayweee.com, you can find this flour for $5.99 for a 16-ounce bag.
Ingredients:
- Organic coconut
Nutrition Facts (per 2 tablespoons):
- Calories 60
- Fat 1.5g
- Saturated fat 1g
- Sodium 10mg
- Carbohydrates 9g
- Sugar 3g
- Added sugar 0g
- Fiber 5g
- Protein 3g
Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Organic Quinoa Flour
Perfect for gluten-free or vegan diets, Bob’s Red Mill Organic Quinoa Flour certified kosher, non-GMO and uses stone ground ingredients that helps to preserve the nutrition of the grains. Available online at bobsredmill.com, you can purchase an 18-ounce bag of this flour for $11.49.
Ingredients:
- Organic whole grain quinoa
Nutrition Facts: (serving size: ¼ cup)
- Calories 100
- Fat 1g
- Saturated fat 0g
- Sodium 0mg
- Carbohydrates 19g
- Sugar 0g
- Added sugar 0g
- Fiber 3g
- Protein 4g
Related Questions
Is All-Purpose Flour Bleached?
All-purpose flour comes in both bleached and unbleached varieties. Bleached all-purpose flour treated chemically to speed up the aging process. This results in a flour that is white in color and tends to be finer and softer in texture compared to unbleached, which is more dense and tough. There is not a significant difference in taste between the two types of flour. However, bleached all-purpose flour may be slightly less nutritious. This is because the chemical processes can decrease certain nutrients, such as vitamin E [2].
Is All-Purpose Flour Self-Rising?
You can purchase all-purpose flour that has leavening (salt and baking powder) added to it, known as self-rising flour. Be sure to only choose this type of flour if a recipe calls for it. It will always be noted on the product if it is self-rising as not all types of all-purpose flour are. Self-rising all-purpose flour is commonly used for biscuits or pancakes to make them fluffy but is also great for other baking such as muffins, pizza dough and certain types of bread.
What Can You Use in Place of All-Purpose Flour?
If looking into substituting all-purpose flour in your recipes, you have a variety of options. For those searching for a gluten-free option, you can consider almond flour, quinoa flour , chickpea flour or coconut flour. In place of a hearty whole grain flour, you can choose products such as buckwheat flour or brown rice flour. Because it is so versatile, the substitution depends on what it is intended for.
Does All-Purpose Flour Go Bad?
Like most food items, flour can go rancid. The average shelf life of most all-purpose flour is between 3-8 months. If your flour begins to change in color or has an odor attached to it, it has gone rancid and needs to be thrown out. You can extend the shelf life of flour by keeping it tightly sealed and stored in the refrigerator or freezer.