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There are many recipes using coconut flour that I would like to use, but I don't have any and can't find any without ordering it online. I've got almond flour and chestnut flour that I have used for cookies/pancakes (not often, but a couple times in the last two months). Could I use one of those other flours in place of coconut and, if so, how might I need to change the recipes? More eggs? Butter? less/more cooking time? How does coconut flour compare to these other types of flours?

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I got some coconut flour from Whole Foods, so if you can find one near you maybe they have some. I had to have a worker help me find it though, even though it was right in front of me the whole time... LOL – Leanne May 23 2011 at 3:50
I tried to find it, but they said they didn't have any. I wonder if different stores have different products. – Steven May 23 2011 at 12:55

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You can always get unsweetened dried coconut and mill it, either in a blender (tiny quantities so it moves), coffee grinder (best choice but clean it well and thow out your first batch if you use it for coffee) or with mortar and pestle. It is just super fine ground dried coconut, not something mysterious you have to buy.

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That's really hard to do. Coconut flour is pretty unique. For instance it is super absorbent whereas almond flour is not. I would instead look for nut flour recipes that you can tweak to make paleo if they aren't already (very easy to do). Almond flour was pretty much all anyone used until a few years ago when coconut flour became more popular so it's really easy to find great almond/nut flour recipes.

If you insist on using a recipe that calls for coconut flour you need to make sure to cut down on your wet ingredients somehow or you will have a soupy mess on your hands. Alternatively you could try doubling the amount of nut flour and keep the wet ingredients the same. I'm not recommending this mind you but if you must that's what I'd do.

(Laura and I must have been posting at the same time. My experience has been very different from hers but give it a try.)

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It probably depends on the recipe. I follow a ratio based method so whenever I see a recipe online or in a cookbook I always follow basic ratios and adjust accordingly. Steven didn't say what he was trying to make so it's hard to advise. Gluten free baking is kind of trial and error. I mostly adapt regular recipes using a variety of gluten free flours that I feel will work best for flavor profile I want in the final product. Coconut flour usually comprises a very small amount of flour in my baking so I don't know if it's absorbent qualities make it too unique for substitutions. – wood May 23 2011 at 3:32
that makes sense. All my recipes use only nut and coconut flours so you take out the coconut and you have a mess. Yes if you have other absorbent flours in the mix then I think it's fine to play around and leave out the coconut flour. – Shari Bambino May 23 2011 at 3:35
What do you consider absorbent flours? What would be the closest to coconut flour? I would like to make the famous paleo cookies with both almond flour and coconut flour or paleo brownies with coconut flour and I'd like to find substitutes until I can order it. – Steven May 23 2011 at 12:46
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 For the brownie recipe I'd probably up the cocoa powder as that acts as a type of "flour". If this is the one with apple sauce then I'd maybe take that down a bit. Do not get rid of any eggs as they help bind the mix. I might do a first attempt just upping the almond flour and cocoa to make up the extra 1/4 cup and see what you end up. I suspect just a looser, more fudgey type brownie. If you don't like what you end up with then back to the drawing board. – Shari Bambino May 23 2011 at 14:50
There are many coconut free options here. paleofood.com/baked.htm – Shari Bambino May 23 2011 at 14:52
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As you posted this on May 23, my birthday!, and have over 2k views, with no upvote, I shall upvote you to celebrate the past 2011 Day of The Juba. Huzzah!

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Coconut flour soaks up liquid like crazy, hence Shari's soupy mess. Better to look up a different recipe that uses nut flour, or just get the coconut flour online - I buy mine through Amazon in bulk, and it lasts a while. I use a lot of recipes from Elana's Pantry, and also use a general sub of 3:1 of almond:coconut flour for regular flour - ie., sub for 1 cup of wheat flour is 3/4c almond and 1/4c coconut, without adjusting the wet ingredients much (or adding a bit of water). Good luck!

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Thank you for sharing your ratio! I'm going to give that a whack and see if I can figure out a ratio in grams. I've given up on GF baking by volume - I never get consistent results. Anyhow, your ratio sounds roughly correct to me, but I'd expect to need to add an egg here and there, or use a bit more fat. It's amazing how much liquid a little coconut flour can suck up. – syrahna Feb 29 2012 at 3:45
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what about arrowroot - where does that fit in? is it a substitute or is it even paleo?

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That's a starch. Probably paleo but definitely not a workable sub for coconut flour. If you want great info on stuff like this, you might want to check out some of the good gluten free baking websites. A lot of people have spent years analyzing the zillions of flours and starches. Arrowroot is different than tapioca is different than cornstarch (and so on) but they're roughly interchangeable. And as always, gluten free baking works best when measured by weight. – syrahna Feb 29 2012 at 3:43
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Is it possible to substitute wheat flour for the coconut flour and reduce the egg count? If so, what's the ratio?

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No...they really are two different animals. And why would you use wheat flour? (It's a paleo board, after all). If you're going to bake with gluten, just pick a conventional recipe and save yourself some baking angst. – syrahna Feb 29 2012 at 3:46
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OK so is there an answer I have a coconut allergy

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