It's easy to bake without regular flour. There are tons of flour substitutes around for every type of diet and lifestyle: from diabetes to Celiac disease, there are tons of reasons to use alternative flours. The good news is that with so many widely available keto friendly baking options to choose from, the days of hand-grinding your own almonds are long past.
However, if you're new to making low carb cookies, you might be feeling a bit overwhelmed. Just what is lupin flour and how does it compare to almond flour? Is keto wheat flour easy to bake with? And can you sub coconut flour in for regular flour or is it too dry?
Luckily, we're here to bring you a quick guide to all these different flours and answer your questions! And we've teamed up with Joyce from @liftingiscake to bring you recipes that utilize every kind of alternative flour to create the ultimate baked good: the chocolate chip cookie.
How to bake with low carb flours
The quickest way to get started with low carb flours is to use recipes that have been developed using them. Most low carb flours cannot be directly substituted for all purpose wheat flour without drastically changing the results.
Luckily we have hundreds of low carb recipes for you, all of which have been specifically developed and tested using these replacement flours.
What low carb flours are there?
Almond Flour
Almond flour has been a number one keto flour for a long time. This is for good reason! It creates a soft crumb with a good structure in cakes and cookies, plus almonds are nutrient rich and naturally gluten-free.
How to store almond flour: Almond flour can go rancid if exposed to warm temperatures, so it is best stored in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
Advantages: Creating a good crumb texture in cakes and bakes. Naturally low carb and rich in nutrients. Makes an excellent 'breadcrumb' alternative. Neutral, nutty flavor.
Disadvantages: Not suitable for anyone with a nut allergy. Does not bind well by itself, so any recipe needs an additional binder.
Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
This delicious recipe for almond flour chocolate chip cookies is gluten-free and keto friendly.
Makes 24 cookies. Macros per serving (1 cookie):
Calories: 147 | Fat: 13g | Net Carbs: 2.3g | Protein: 3.9g
Get the recipe for Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
Coconut Flour
Coconut flour is a dry low carb flour that's extremely high in fiber. This makes it an ideal choice for bakers looking to increase their consumption of fiber! It needs much more liquid than traditional all-purpose flour.
How to store coconut flour: Keep it away from moisture, ideally stored in an airtight container in a dark pantry.
Advantages: Coconut is a binder, so can be combined with almond flour to create an excellent structure for low carb bakes. Creates a finer texture than almond flour.
Disadvantages: Adds a coconut flavor, which depending on the context may not be wanted.
Coconut Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
Joyce has created the perfect coconut flour cookie with our sugar free syrup adding extra moisture that coconut flour baking needs to combat its dry texture!
Makes 12-15 cookies. Macros per serving (1 cookie):
Calories: 153 | Fat: 12.4g | Net Carbs: 2.1g | Protein: 2.4g
Get the recipe for Coconut Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
Carbquik
Carbquik is a processed flour alternative made from wheat flour. It's designed to work in recipes calling for all-purpose flour and has been popular in dirty keto communities as an easy substitution.
How to store carbquik: Keep it in a cool, dark place. It can also be frozen.
Advantages: It's designed to replace wheat flour, so will work well if you want to adapt your favorite recipes and make them lower carb. Neutral flavor.
Disadvantages: Not suitable for anyone sensitive to gluten or wheat. It is not strict keto.
Carbquik Chocolate Chip Cookies
These tasty carbquik cookies taste just like the ones grandma used to make!
Makes 24 cookies. Macros per serving (1 cookie):
Calories: 68 | Fat: 5.9g | Net Carbs: 1.8g | Protein: 1.4g
Get the recipe for Carbquik Chocolate Chip Cookies
Keto Wheat Flour
The first keto wheat flour has hit the market, with 80% less carbs than regular wheat flour. It's been designed to act like regular all purpose wheat flour, and works really well with yeast--meaning it's perfect for baking bread.
How to store keto wheat flour: Keep it in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.
Advantages: It's designed to replace wheat flour, so will work well if you want to adapt your favorite recipes and make them lower carb. Neutral flavor.
Disadvantages: Not suitable for anyone sensitive to gluten or wheat.
Keto Wheat Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
Using keto wheat flour helps create a truly classic chocolate chip cookie that you won't believe is low carb.
Makes 12 cookies. Macros per serving (1 cookie):
Calories: 139 | Fat: 10.2g | Net Carbs: 1.2g | Protein: 6.2g
Get the recipe for Keto Wheat Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
Lupin Flour
Lupin flour is made from the lupine bean, and is incredibly low carb--even lower in carbs than almond flour--as well as high protein. Over time the keto community has grown to embrace legumes after initially not liking them, however, peanut butter and other legumes are widely considered keto friendly nowadays.
How to store lupin flour: Keep it in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.
Advantages: It's plant-based, gluten free and a nutritional powerhouse.
Disadvantages: If you're allergic to peanuts or soy you may also find that lupine beans cause an allergic reaction. It can have a strong flavor, so you'll need to up the amount of seasoning/sweetener to compensate.
Lupin Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
These low carb and low calorie cookies are a sweet treat designed to help you hit your macros!
Makes 24 cookies. Macros per serving (1 cookie):
Calories: 63 | Fat: 5.2g | Net Carbs: 0.7g | Protein: 2g
Get the recipe for Lupin Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sunflower Seed Flour
Sunflower flour is a great nut-free alternative to almond flour. It's fine-textured, gluten free, high in fiber and friendly to keto and vegan baking. Another 100% plant-based whole food flour, you can make it yourself by grinding sunflower seeds or buy it from the store.
How to store sunflower seed flour: Keep it in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.
Advantages: It's plant-based, nut-free, gluten free. Since it is free of allergens, it's great for children. It can be subbed 1:1 with almond flour, and is a cheaper alternative.
Disadvantages: It is a bit higher in carbohydrates than almond flour, so whilst it can be used as 1:1 replacement for almond flour, be aware it will raise the net carbs of the finished product.
Sunflower Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
A simple and delicious recipe for mini chocolate chip cookies made with sunflower flour.
Makes 12 mini cookies. Macros per serving (1 mini cookie):
Calories: 239 | Fat: 21.7g | Net Carbs: 3.5g | Protein: 6.3g
Get the recipe for Sunflower Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
Peanut Flour
Peanut flour is made from defatted peanuts and is a lower carb, high protein flour ideal for carb conscious baking. If you're allergic to tree nuts, peanut flour is a great alternative and best of all it brings a lovely peanut vibe to anything you make with it!
How to store peanut flour: Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge.
Advantages: It's plant-based, vegan and gluten free. It tastes like peanuts, so is great if you want to bring the flavor to your bakes. It's also great in smoothies.
Disadvantages: It's more highly processed than almond, coconut or sunflower seed flour.
Peanut Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
The peanut flour brings a delicious flavor to these low carb chocolate chip cookies!
Makes 24 cookies. Macros per serving (1 cookie):
Calories: 87 | Fat: 7.7g | Net Carbs: 0.6g | Protein: 2g
Get the recipe for Peanut Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sugar free cake mix
What if you're not worried about cutting carbs, but you do want to cut sugar? Well, there's a super easy way to enjoy some quality sugar free bakes and that's with a sugar free cake mix. You probably have one in your pantry, so it's an easy way to make something different than just cupcakes or a cake.
How to store cake mix: Keep it in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.
Advantages: It's designed to help you get great results and is easy to work with. Ideal when you want the satisfaction of baking but don't have time for a complex recipe!
Disadvantages: Store bought.
Sugar Free Cake Mix Chocolate Chip Cookies
These sugar free cookies taste delicious and rely on a bag of your favorite sugar free cake mix to do the heavy lifting!
Makes 24 cookies. Macros per serving (1 cookie):
Calories: 133 | Fat: 8.5g | Net Carbs: 14.5g | Protein: 1.5g
Get the recipe for Cake Mix Chocolate Chip Cookies
How these low carb flours stack up
All macros provided for a 1/2 cup of flour. Note that exact macros vary between brands, and that the amount of flour you will need of each type of flour will vary when baking! For example, you are likely to use much less coconut flour in a recipe than almond flour. Macros taken from Nutritionix.
| Almond Flour | Coconut Flour | Carbquik | Keto Wheat Flour | Lupin Flour | Sunflower Seed Flour | Peanut Flour | Sugar Free Cake Mix | |
| Calories | 324 | 240 | 167 | 220 | 148 | 400 | 220 | 182 |
| Fat | 28g | 8g | 9.1g | 4g | 4g | 34g | 8g | 3g |
| Carbs | 12g | 32g | 24.2g | 16g | 24g | 8g | 16g | 45.5g |
| Fiber | 7g | 20g | 21.2g | 8g | 22g | 2g | 8g | 1.5g |
| Net Carbs | 5g | 12g | 3g | 8g | 2g | 6g | 8g | 44g |
| Protein | 12g | 8g | 9.1g | 34g | 24g | 16g | 32g | 3g |
Sprinkle some chocolate joy into your low carb bakes
Need some low carb chocolate chips to go in your bakes and cakes? We've got you covered, check out our full range of sugar free and low carb baking chips!