Coconut flour: need some help from experienced bakers please!

[raksmama]

We are trying to slowly eliminate grain.
One of my family's favourites are banana muffins.
I use:
1 ½ cups spelt flour.
1 ½ cups oat bran
6 mashed bananas
3 eggs
½ cup coconut oil
½ cup maple syrup
1tsp baking powder and chocolate chips

All my attempts to substitute coconut flour from regular flour have been disasters. Could any of you experienced bakers please help advise me as to how I could exchange flour for coconut flour in this recipe?

Thanks in advance!

[serenbat]

are your trying to replace a total of 3 cups of "flour"? that would seem like a lot to do- would do you do some rice flour? that might make it lighter- do you do flax seed? I usually grind and add 1/4 to most muffins as part of the total "flour"

[FairyRae]

Here is my own personal favorite coconut flour banana bread recipe: http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1142313 You could add chocolate chips and replace the optional honey w/ maple syrup.

Cooking w/ coconut flour is a whole science of its own. Have you tried any of Bruce Fife's recipes (many are online, I'm sure a coconut flour banana bread is online as well)? I like my recipe b/c it cuts back on the eggs (I don't love my baked goods so eggy, which is something that is common in coconut flour baked goods...)

Good luck!

[raksmama]

Originally Posted by serenbat

are your trying to replace a total of 3 cups of "flour"? that would seem like a lot to do- would do you do some rice flour? that might make it lighter- do you do flax seed? I usually grind and add 1/4 to most muffins as part of the total "flour"

We are just trying to cut on grain. When I tried to totally replace the spelt flour with coconut flour it was just horrible. I used to add ground flax seeds but then heard that it is really harmful to heat up flax.
How much coconut flour do you use in ratio to rice flour?

Originally Posted by FairyRae

Here is my own personal favorite coconut flour banana bread recipe: http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1142313 You could add chocolate chips and replace the optional honey w/ maple syrup. Cooking w/ coconut flour is a whole science of its own. Have you tried any of Bruce Fife's recipes (many are online, I'm sure a coconut flour banana bread is online as well)? I like my recipe b/c it cuts back on the eggs (I don't love my baked goods so eggy, which is something that is common in coconut flour baked goods..Good luck!

Thanks! Wow, ¾ of a cup of flour is very little compared to how much I was using! I think you are right about “If you have not baked w/ coconut flour b/4, or are not gluten free and are used to typical, wheat filled banana bread, this *might* disappoint??”
My family loves the muffins I make with spelt four and bran and hate change. So I might try just adding a little coconut flour but it is my understanding that coconut flour needs a lot more liquid than grain flours do.
Yes you are right cooking with coconut flour really IS a science on it’s own!

[FairyRae]

You can, I believe, sub coconut flour for 1/4 of the total flour in a recipe if you want to just add some, w/out it having negative effects. (I've not done it personally, but I've read that it would work.) So you could probably just replace around 3/4 cups of the flour in your recipe w/ coconut flour if you wanted to try doing that?

Good luck!!!

[LauraLoo]

Here is a slew of coconut flour recipes -- plus some additional info on using coconut flour -

http://www.freecoconutrecipes.com/gl...ur_recipes.htm

[serenbat]

I used to add ground flax seeds but then heard that it is really harmful to heat up flax.
How much coconut flour do you use in ratio to rice flour?

I have never read any evidence that baking with flax is harmful- you are NOT to heat the oil or add at high temps but I am at a loose for info that baking harms (I don't feel that is high at say 350)
----please post if there is info on that

I would do more rice than coconut and adjust as needed, start your first batch with 3/4 rice to 1/4 coconut and each time try adding more coconut and less rice- but that is just me

I often add peanut butter to banana bread/muffins and we use love grains so we use coconut flour less often and always 1/2 cup of ground flax, usually 2 to 3 tablespoons of wheat germ as well and oats on top- but grains work for us

I know you add maple but I have found I have no need for any "sweet" if I add raisins (plumped up first)

[Village Mama]

Check out Elanas Pantry online for some really great coconut flour recipes. This gave me a good idea of how the coconut flour baking worked and now I am able to convert my own recipes. Coconut flour takes a bit of getting used to, but yum!

[emmaegbert]

I've done a bunch of coconut flour baking and agree with above posters. (1/4 c flour, 3 eggs, 1/4 c liquid, scant 1/4 c fat is my basic formula for 6 muffins). Its kind of weird stuff- good luck!

For my kids I did a literal mash-up of two muffin recipes- exactly half the one I was previously using, plus the entire recipe above, to make 12 muffins. It turned out great.

I would think you could do a banana bread with very little flour anyway. I am trying to eat low-carb/low-sugar so banana is out for me and I haven't experimented, but here is one I used to make for 12 banana muffins, and it only has 1 c flour. So for a first pass to adjust, I would try using a half cup of flour, a 1/4 cup of coconut flour, and then maybe 3 or 4 eggs. Hmm, maybe I'll try making them for my kids actually.

3/4 cups raisins
1 c. flour (can be part or all whole wheat)
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
(optional: 1/4 tsp cardamom and/or cloves)
3 large ripe bananas to make 1 1/2 cups mashed (supplement with applesauce if you don’t have enough)
1 egg
brown sugar to taste (I actually use none, bananas and raisins are v sweet)
1/4 c oil/melted butter

[raksmama]

[QUOTE=serenbat;15483325]I have never read any evidence that baking with flax is harmful- you are NOT to heat the oil or add at high temps but I am at a loose for info that baking harms (I don't feel that is high at say 350)
----please post if there is info on thatQUOTE]


Yes I read that heating the oil is harmful and I guess I assumed that would go for baking the seeds as well. Today I made the recipe (in the OP) replacing 1/2 cup ground flax seeds for the spelt flour and they were delicious. I have not bought coconut flour again since the last disaster.

[barefootmommy]

quinoa banana muffins

[QUOTE=jalilah;15477321]We are trying to slowly eliminate grain.
One of my family's favourites are banana muffins.
I use:
1 ½ cups spelt flour.
1 ½ cups oat bran
6 mashed bananas
3 eggs
½ cup coconut oil
½ cup maple syrup
1tsp baking powder and chocolate chips

All my attempts to substitute coconut flour from regular flour have been disasters. Could any of you experienced bakers please help advise me as to how I could exchange flour for coconut flour in this recipe?

I have a similar recipe for banana muffins, but mine uses quinoa flour (not technically a grain), honey instead of syrup, butter instead of coconut oil (though not necessary with all those bananas, I use it more for greasing the pain) and baking powder. They are amazing!

[raksmama]

Originally Posted by barefootmommy

I have a similar recipe for banana muffins, but mine uses quinoa flour (not technically a grain), honey instead of syrup, butter instead of coconut oil (though not necessary with all those bananas, I use it more for greasing the pain) and baking powder. They are amazing!

Thanks,so 1 1/2 cup Quinoa flour,1 1/2 cup oat bran? or just 3 cups quinoa flour?