What Is the Best Millet Flour Substitute?

Millet flour is quickly becoming a popular gluten-free baking alternative to all-purpose flour.

Millet flour is prepared by crushing proso millet and, sometimes, white teff. Because of their capacity to thrive in poorer soils and semiarid climes, these grains are common in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Millet flour has long been a mainstay of African cuisines, but its popularity is growing. Its beautiful, sweet taste and light, airy texture make it a favorite among bakers and chefs.

Millet flour provides several health advantages. It is gluten-free and has more protein, fiber, and antioxidants than regular wheat flour.

Millet flour is still difficult to get outside of health and specialty food shops, despite its rising popularity. If you run out of millet flour, here are a few substitutes you might try.

1. Rice Flour

Rice flour is available in both white rice and brown rice variants. The latter offers more nutrients but a coarser texture, so select between the two based on what you want in your baking. Rice flour is produced by grinding down rice and is available in most supermarkets and Asian markets (it has been a staple in East Asian baking for a long time).

Rice flour is a good substitute for millet flour since it has a comparable light, airy feel. Some flour substitutes may cause your food to become thicker and heavier, but rice flour will not. Rice flour, on the other hand, is grittier than millet flour. You may need to add some cornstarch to balance it out.

Sweet rice flour may be used in place of millet flour in baking.

2. Buckwheat Flour

Buckwheat flour is a whole grain that has gained popularity as a superfood due to its high protein and fiber content. Moreover, buckwheat is known to boost heart health and contribute to greater weight reduction outcomes.

Buckwheat Flour is likewise gluten-free, despite the fact that its name incorporates the word wheat.

Buckwheat Flour has a firm texture that makes baking a breeze. There’s a reason it’s a mainstay in cuisines ranging from France to Japan! If you substitute millet flour with this alternative, you won’t have to worry about the texture of your baked items. Buckwheat flour, on the other hand, does not work well with delicate, sweet baked items due to its strong nutty taste.

3. Oat Flour

Oat Flour is a gluten-free oat flour. Most shops sell it, but you can simply create your own by grinding oats in a blender or food processor. Since it is more readily available than millet flour, it may serve as a suitable replacement.

Since it has a similar consistency to millet flour, oat flour is an excellent baking replacement. Also, it performs better than most other gluten-free flours, which may need additional ingredients such as xanthan gum to keep the dough together.

But, if you are sensitive to gluten and use millet flour, double-check your oat flour bags before purchasing; some contain minor levels of gluten.

4. Nut Meal

If you don’t have flour, you may substitute Nut Meal in baked items. Nut Meal has a thicker texture than nut flours and is derived from coarsely crushed nuts. Nut meals prepared from almonds, hazelnuts, and other nuts are available.

Nut Meal has a somewhat sweet texture that is comparable to millet flour, making it an excellent substitute for cookies, muffins, and other sweets. Nonetheless, it has a somewhat thicker consistency than millet flour, resulting in denser but still excellent baked items. To compensate for the density, strain the nut meal and add an additional egg.

5. Potato Starch

Potato starch is a remarkably versatile component that is created by extracting starch from mashed potatoes and drying it. Potato starch is often used as a thickening; however, it may also be used in baked products.

Potato starch will accomplish the same outcomes as millet flour in thickening a stew or sauce. Since it has a similar light texture, it may also be used in baked items. In baking, however, you will need to mix potato starch with xanthan or guar gum and experiment with flour ratios.