When the cupboards are empty, how can you bake without flour?
When is flour essential?
Apart from certain recipes such as bread or brioche in which flour is central, in other preparations, it is replaceable, but the taste of the final preparation will be modified. Obviously, if wheat flour is absent, we can always fall back on other flours such as rice, chestnut, millet, buckwheat, etc.
The replacement ingredients will therefore depend on the recipe, but we can already think of almond powder, grated coconut, oat flakes (or another cereal), cornstarch, semolina, oilseed purees, or even polenta…
How to make flourless cakes?
A flourless chocolate cake
Flour is far from essential in a fondant or brownie type chocolate cake. For example, you can prepare an ultra-gourmet cake using chestnut cream, melted chocolate and butter, and eggs. That's all !
A crumble without flour
Simply use almond or hazelnut powder, oat flakes, and top with a little cornstarch to obtain a delicious paste to place on your fruit.
Crepes or pancakes without flour
For crepes that keep a pancake look, you can replace the flour with cornstarch, or half and half with another flour or oilseed powder. Same for pancakes.
Flourless cookies
Flour is not at all essential when preparing biscuits, you can opt for a Congolese recipe made with coconut, or amaretti with almond powder.
Flourless cookies
For delicious, quick cookies, simply mix bananas with oatmeal and add a little grated chocolate, before baking.
Other flourless cakes and desserts
When we think of dessert, we often think of a dough – cake, pie, shortbread – in which flour seems essential. But you just have to move away from the classic notion of “cake” to realize that many desserts can be easily made without this ingredient! This is the case for tiramisu, charlotte, clafoutis, flan, pavlova, chocolate mousse, fruit gratins, or even crème brûlée or egg cream.
For inspiration, here are some recipes to make even without wheat flour.
White bean cake, lemon, and Greek sheep's yogurt
© Valéry Guedes
- 4 people
- Level: Very easy
- 30 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: White bean cake, lemon, and Greek sheep's yogurt
Moist vanilla and chia seed cake
© Valéry Guedes
- 6 persons
- Level: Very easy
- 15 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Moist vanilla and chia seed cake
Gluten-free almond donuts
© Alexander Wilmot
- 2 persons
- Level: Easy
- 25 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Gluten-free almond donuts
Gluten-free American carrot cake
© Marie-Pierre Morel
- 6 persons
- Level: Very easy
- 20 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Gluten-free American carrot cake
Gluten-free pancakes, hazelnuts and rice flour
© Marjolaine Daguerre
- 4 people
- Level: Very easy
- 5 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Gluten-free pancakes, hazelnuts and rice flour
Coconut pancakes
© Carrie Solomon
- 4 people
- Level: Very easy
- 10 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Coconut pancakes
Orange almond cake
© Jean-Claude Amiel
- 6 persons
- Level: Easy
- 20 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Orange almond cake
Cereal bars with seeds and chocolate
© Valéry Guedes
- 10 people
- Level: Very easy
- 20 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Cereal bars with seeds and chocolate
Iced coffee and speculoos cake
© Christophe Roué
- 8 people
- Level: Very easy
- 35 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Iced coffee and speculoos cake
Light banana and pumpkin seed cake
©Anne Timmer
- 8 people
- Level: Very easy
- 10 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Light banana and pumpkin seed cake
My super banoffee
© Edouard Sicot
- 4 people
- Level: Very easy
- 20 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: My super banoffee
Choco-tahini with puffed rice
© Carrie Solomon
- 8 people
- Level: Very easy
- 10 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Choco-tahini with puffed rice
Vegan chocolate biscotti
© Alexander Wilmot
- 2 persons
- Level: Easy
- 15 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Vegan chocolate biscotti
Banana, oatmeal and dark chocolate cookies
© Jérôme Bilic
- 6 persons
- Level: Very easy
- 10 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Banana, oatmeal and dark chocolate cookies
Chocolate-chestnut cake
© Nathalie Carnet
- 6 persons
- Level: Very easy
- 5 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Chocolate-chestnut cake
All chocolate cheesecake
© Valéry Guedes
- 6 persons
- Level: Easy
- 30 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: All chocolate cheesecake
Apple cinnamon bread cake
© Jean-Claude Amiel
- 6 persons
- Level: Very easy
- 15 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Apple cinnamon bread cake
Gluten-free coconut carrot cake
© Carrie Solomon
- 8 people
- Level: Very easy
- 30 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Gluten-free coconut carrot cake
Bread cake with bananas and macadamia butter
© Jean-Claude Amiel
- 8 people
- Level: Easy
- 20 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Bread cake with bananas and macadamia butter
Portokalopità
© Nathalie Carnet
- 8 people
- Level: Easy
- 10 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Portokalopità
Vegan chocolate-vanilla madeleines
© Alexander Wilmot
- 6 persons
- Level: Easy
- 10 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Vegan chocolate-vanilla madeleines
Muesli bars
© Carrie Solomon
- 6 persons
- Level: Easy
- 10 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Muesli bars
Almond and lemon cake
© Pierre Baëlen
- 8 people
- Level: Easy
- 20 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Almond and Lemon Cake
Fridge cake chocolate, dried fruits and amaretti
© Valéry Guedes
- 8 people
- Level: Very easy
- 20 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Fridge cake with chocolate, dried fruits and amaretti
Pear and chestnut cream tiramisu
© Nathalie Carnet
- 4 people
- Level: Very easy
- 20 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Pear and chestnut cream tiramisu
Vanilla Ricotta Cake Inspired by Italian Migliaccio
© Valéry Guedes
- 6 persons
- Level: Very easy
- 20 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Vanilla Ricotta Cake Inspired by Italian Migliaccio
Galaktoboureko or Cretan semolina cake
© Jean-Claude Amiel
- 6 persons
- Level: Easy
- 25 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Galaktoboureko or Cretan semolina cake
Passion fruit cheesecake
© Stéphane Bahic
- 8 people
- Level: Easy
- 20 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Passion fruit cheesecake
Pudim caseiro or Portuguese homemade flan
© Julie Ansiau
- 4 people
- Level: Very easy
- 15 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Pudim caseiro or Portuguese homemade flan
Chocolate-brown banoffee, coconut caramel
© Jean-Claude Amiel
- 6 persons
- Level: Easy
- 15 minutes of preparation
- Cheap
- See the recipe: Chocolate-brown banoffee, coconut caramel
