Oat flour, partially debranned

Oat flour is ground from whole or partially debranned oats and is used in baking as a partial or full substitute for wheat flour in pancakes, muffins, cookies, and quick breads, or as a thickener stirred into oatmeal-style porridge or smoothies. Because it has no gluten, recipes that rely fully on oat flour often need a binder like egg or a gluten-containing flour blended in for structure, and baked goods made from it tend to brown a bit faster in the oven. Its flavor is mild and slightly sweet, with a soft, fine texture that gives baked goods a tender, somewhat dense crumb, closer to a banana bread than a crusty loaf.

Store oat flour in an airtight container, in the refrigerator or freezer if keeping it for more than a few weeks, since its oil content can turn rancid faster than plain wheat flour at room temperature. At 404 calories per 100 grams, it is dense in nutrients relative to many flours, providing 34% of the Daily Value for magnesium, 29% DV protein at 14.7 grams, 23% DV fiber at 6.5 grams, and 22% DV iron, with 9.12 grams of fat from the oats themselves. That combination makes it a useful base for a morning pancake or muffin batch when the goal is more fiber and protein from the grain course.