Sometimes we tend to make things harder than they need to be. Oat flour for example. I love it. It lends a slightly nubby texture to many baked goods and brings a wealth of nutrition along with it.
But my local stores often don't carry it. Hence, I found myself ordering online and paying more shipping fees than I care to admit to. (shhh... don't tell my husband!)
And then I thought, "Why don't I just pop some oats in to the blender and make my own flour?".
And I did. And I had oat flour ground to the fineness I desired for the particular recipe I was making in mere seconds (with no shipping fees!).
Want more of a nubby texture for your pancakes? Don't process the aots quite as long. Want a finer texture for crepes? Blend a little longer.
Oat flour has become one of my go-to flours lately, and when I purchase gluten-free oats it reduces the gluten in our baked good.
Long known to have cholesterol lowering benefits, (Oats, oat bran, and oatmeal contain a specific type of fiber known as beta-glucan - and since 1963, study after study has proven the beneficial effects of this special fiber on cholesterol levels), antioxidant compounds unique to oats, called avenanthramides are now being said to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
And if that isn't enough, according to The World's Healthiest Foods, oatmeal also has the potential to stabilize blood sugars, enhance immune response to infection, lower type 2 diabetes risks, and protect against postmenopausal breast cancer. #superfood
After reading all these health benefits, I'm even more inspired to kick up our daily oats and I've been substituting oat flour in place of a portion of the all-purpose flour in pancakes, waffles, muffins, breads, etc. I've even been known to add a few tablespoons into Liv's smoothies and she doesn't have a clue.
So here's to oat flour! Make your own and save those shipping fees!
DIY Oat Flour
A simple spin in the blender - I use a Blendtec (note this post is not sponsored by Blendtec nor has Blendtec given me a blender) and within a few pulses I have transformed my oats into oat flour. I've also used a regular blender with good results, however I wasn't able to blend quite as fine as I wanted at times.
To prepare:
Place rolled oats (gluten-free or not) into your high-powered blender or regular blender. Pulse until pulverized, then pulse a few more times to desired fineness. Note, with a regular blender you may have to process for a longer time.
Store in an airtight container.
Here are a few of our favorite recipes:
Love this! I use oat flour all the time doing it the same way you describe! :-)
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