Homemade Quinoa Flour: 3 Ways to Make Quinoa Flour

Quinoa flour is a gluten-free, fine powder consisting of dried quinoa seeds or quinoa flakes. You can use it on its own or as part of a gluten-free flour blend—for example, a combination of almond flour, oat flour, rice flour, and chickpea flour. Quinoa flour lacks the structure of all-purpose flour or another wheat flour, so gluten-free recipes often call for the addition of tapioca starch, sorghum, xanthan gum, or other stabilizers.

Quinoa is a high-protein, nutrient-dense grain that contains many essential amino acids, making it a good option if you want to increase the nutrients in a recipe. To use quinoa for cooking, you must first soak it in water for at least thirty minutes and then rinse it several times. This removes the quinoa’s coating, which contains saponins, chemicals that protect the plant from disease and bugs but are mildly toxic and have a soapy, bitter taste.

Quinoa flour has a nutty flavor and adds texture and nutrients to dishes, making it a popular addition to gluten-free and vegan foods. Here are three different ways to use quinoa flour:

• Add a spoonful to smoothies. In a high-powered blender, combine frozen fruit, yogurt, milk, and a spoonful or two of quinoa flour in place of protein powder. The quinoa flour contributes protein, thickness, and a nuttiness similar to peanut butter.
• Sprinkle quinoa flour into soups. Adding a roux or cornstarch slurry will thicken soups and stews, but you can add quinoa flour as an alternative. Whisk the soup vigorously while adding the quinoa flour to prevent lumps from forming, or mix the quinoa flour with a little water or broth before adding it to the soup.
• Use quinoa flour in gluten-free baked goods. It’s possible to make chocolate cake, pizza crust, waffles, tortillas, and more using quinoa flour. You can even use quinoa flour to make gluten-free bread if you want it to contain more protein than other types of bread. Gluten-free baking relies on a variety of gluten-free flours, so experiment with quinoa flour in combination with others—plus starches—to achieve your preferred taste and structure in baked goods.

It’s possible to make homemade quinoa flour, and you can store it in an airtight container at room temperature with your other baking flours. Start with raw quinoa as opposed to cooked quinoa. After soaking and rinsing the grain, spread it in an even layer on a baking sheet so it can dry thoroughly before you toast and grind it. Here are three appliances you can use to grind quinoa into a fine powder:

1. 1. Blender: Add about a cup of quinoa to a high-powered blender and run it on high speed to pulverize the quinoa into a fine powder. Turn the blender off before the quinoa turns into a paste that’s similar to that of a homemade nut butter. Run the grain flour through a fine-mesh strainer to separate any large pieces from the fine powder.
2. 2. Food processor: Add toasted quinoa to a food processor bowl and pulse it a few times to break down the quinoa. Then run the food processor at normal speed to grind the ingredient into a finer powder. Stop the food processor when the quinoa becomes a fine powder but before it begins to clump due to its natural oils releasing. If there are large pieces of quinoa remaining, strain them out with a mesh strainer.
3. 3. Spice grinder: For smaller batches of quinoa flour, add a few tablespoons of toasted quinoa to a spice grinder or coffee grinder. Press the button to activate the grinder and gently shake it as it runs to ensure the quinoa moves around inside and each piece breaks down.

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