How to make oat flour

Learn how to make oat flour from scratch in less than 2 minutes! The easiest gluten free kitchen trick for making a cheap DIY gluten free flour that’s free of gums!

Okay, so I’m not sure why it’s taken me this long to put this tip up on the blog, but I’ve actually been making my own oat flour for years now and it’s my absolute favorite kitchen trick.

Literally, you just need rolled oats. That’s it! Plus, it takes all of 2 minutes maximum to make, is entirely gluten free (as long as you’re getting certified gluten free oats!), and gum free.

Which means, you have yourself an easy DIY gluten free flour for all of your vegan and gluten free baking and cooking needs!

Is oat flour gluten free? Does it contain any gums?

Absolutely not! I know that a lot of people that need or desire to be gluten free often have issues with the added gums that are used to yield a more glutinous texture, so I wanted to show you a hack that I’ve been using for years.

This oat flour is completely gum free. That’s because oats naturally start to coagulate and form a glue-like texture, much like all purpose flour does during the baking process.

Plus, making your own flour is actually a lot more cost effective: a whole bag of organic oats is even fairly cheap, and you’re not even using the whole bag, but several cups of oats.

How to make oat flour at home

Get ready for the easiest kitchen hack ever. In order to turn your oats into a finely ground flour, it only takes about 2 minutes tops.

Simply:

1. Place the oats into a large food processor.
2. Blend for about 2 minutes or until your oats reach a fine powder.
3. Sift the flour into a large plastic bag or storage container.
4. Use in whichever recipe you’d like!

There’s a bit of some leeway with how finely you get your flour to be. If you want more coarsely ground oats, just blend for a little less (watching for the desired texture). If you want a super fine powder, like all purpose flour, blend for the maximum time or until your food processor yields your desired results.

Can I make oat flour in a blender?

Yes, you can absolutely make oat flour in a blender! Just make sure it’s a high powdered blender, such as the Oster Kitchen Pro 1200. You don’t need a Vitamix in order to make oat flour, so not to worry.

You will probably have to blend it a bit longer, depending on how precise your blender is, so just keep that in mind, but it’s absolutely possible.

How much oat flour does 1 cup of oats make?

So this one trips a lot of people up. 1 cup of oats does not equal 1 cup of oat flour. In fact, it’s slightly less, depending on how finely you ground your oats.

I ask you to use 3 1/2 cups of oats to yield 3 cups of oat flour. Now, this will depend on your personal food processor or blender, and it will also depend on how finely you grind the oats.

Always still measure and/or weigh your flour before using, so as not to drastically alter a recipe!

How long does oat flour last?

What I love about making your own homemade oat flour is that it will last a significantly long time while also keeping the bank account in check.

Your homemade oat flour will last about 3 months stored in a cool area in your pantry or up to 6 months when stored in the freezer.

Make sure you’re placing the oat flour in a sealed plastic bag or an airtight glass container, such as a large mason jar or Tupperware.

Can I use oat flour for all purpose flour?

The really cool part about turning your oats into flour rather from the comfort of your own home is that you can easily swap it into recipes that call for all purpose flour.

Plus, it’s a fantastic flour that contains zero gums and is considerably easier to get your hands on rather than going to the store and risking it on other gluten free flour blends (though I only swear by two: Bob’s Red Mills’ GF Baking 1-to-1 flour or King Arthur’s GF Baking 1-to-1 flour).

Now, the results won’t be quite like regular flour, but it will be similar enough that if you’re gluten free by necessity, this is a fantastic option for you.

You can use this flour in pancakes, muffins, breads, and cupcakes, but just keep in mind, the texture won’t be quite like regular all purpose flour (though still good!).

To make this flour a more 1-to-1 swap for all purpose, I’m working on a homemade gluten free 1-to-1 mix that only involves two flours (that are both nut free and gluten free) and absolutely no gums, so stay tuned.

Oat flour recipes

Now that you know how to make your own oat flour at home, it’s time to get baking! Here are a few of my favorite recipes that use oat flour (or could use oat flour!):

Vegan Gluten Free Carrot Cake

Gluten Free Vegan Oat Bread (Yeast Free)

The Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cherry Almond Bundt Cake

Buckwheat Banana Bread (in lieu of buckwheat flour)

Vegan Belgian Waffles

Vegan Buttermilk Pancakes

Gluten Free Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Easy Vegan Millionaire Bars (in lieu of cassava flour)

Vegan Lentil Meatballs

Easy Vegan Lentil “Meatloaf”

I hope you love this fun and easy gluten free baking hack as much as I do! Make sure to let me know how it goes for you in the comments section below, as well as giving it a rating.

As always, I love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there if you use this oat flour hack!

Happy flour making!

Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!

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