Peanut Flour

[BarbinNC]

Someone asked me about this flour, but I have to admit, I have never used it.  Checked online and found it readily available.  Seems Dr. Davis uses it in some of his baking recipes in his books, I had not come across those, but I'm not a fan of peanuts or peanut butter, so probably missed them.


Here are a few sources


https://nuts.com/nuts/peanuts/flour.html


Amazon has it, different brands.  Honeyville.com (looks like they finally dropped the "grains" in their name) doesn't seem to carry it, they do have something called peanut butter powder, not sure it's the same thing.


Has anyone used this flour in baking, and do you like it?  How does it compare to almond or coconut flour>?

[Barbara from New Jersey]

Hi BarbinNC,


Gourmet Girl Cooks uses it in several recipes as well.  It works nicely as a coating for chicken and other meats or fish as a sealer and in stir-fries.  Good thickener for soups and  gravies. Nice flavor, aromatic and it is ground into a very fine powder.  It has about 8 grams of carbs per quarter cup, 12% fat.


I've used it in baking, subbing it for other nut flours.  Good results.  I don't use it much since I hardly bake any more.  It is tasty and gives a nice subtle flavor to your food, like the subtle flavors of Thai cooking.  Coconut flour has a much stronger taste in my opinion. 


You can find this in various food markets, especially since you live close to "peanut" country.  My 2lb bag is from a company called Protein-Plus.
http://www.proteinplusflour.com  I might have mail ordered this, can't remember where I bought it from.

[Lynda (Fl)]

Does it have a distinctive flavor?  I would have shied away thinking it would have a heavy peanut taste, which might be good in pastries.

[Barbara from New Jersey]

BarbinNC,


I don't think so.  It is much milder tasting than coconut flour.  Not as distinctive as almond flour either.  I really like it for sealing fish or chicken.  You use very little so not too many carbs.  In baking, it adds a slight peanutty taste, not as much as peanut butter would.  This is because the oils have been extruded so the flour is very dry. 


I don't use it all that much, but it is a nice addition to your pantry. 

[Rita]

I'd be afraid of all the people with peanut allergies.

[Barbara from New Jersey]

Hi Rita,


Using it for your own meals or for family with no known allergy to peanuts should be just fine.
However, my concern is that peanuts are grown in pesticide laden soils.  Trying to find organic products besides peanut butter has been difficult.  Also, nearly all the readily available national brands have added sugar/gluten coatings or they are roasted in oils not WB compliant.   When I make a stir fry, I often like to add a handful of peanuts to the dish, giving it a Thai-like flavor.  The nuts soften and lose their crunch.




 


 

[BarbinNC]

Thanks for all the input and wisdom.  I don't use peanuts much, and am not tempted to even try the peanut flour myself.  I am quite happy with almond and coconut flour.


We do love other nuts though, my favorites right now are pistachios, I get them at Aldi's and they are very fresh and delicious.  Grandson likes them to, so they are our go to snack right now. 

[Barbara from New Jersey]

BarbinNC,


FYI

Pecan flour is an excellent flour to use in addition to the nut flours you are already using.

[BarbinNC]

Barbara, I have not yet purchased pecan flour, but I do process my whole pecans in the food processor, mostly for "pie dough", I process them and then add butter and a bit of sweetener to form a ball, and then pat into the pie dish, mostly for cheesecakes.  Is that what you mean?  Or do you actually get a finely processed pecan flour and use it for baking products?  It sounds good, as does Hazelnut flour, I might have to get out of my nut flour safety zone a bit, and experiment!   

[Barbara from New Jersey]

BarbinNC,


Yes!  Pecan flour makes a delicious crust.  It is a bit expensive up here in NJ so I personally use them sparingly.  Pecans add a sweet flavor when used as a crust.  I will use single or multiple nuts chopped fine or nut flour for crusts and even for fish like cod, which I then bake.  If you leave skins on the nuts and then grind them up, you get more of a meal rather than a fine flour.  I will toast nuts like hazelnuts, then place them in a plastic bag or between dish towels and shake them up to loosen and separate the skins.  Then I process or chop them.


Each kind of flour is a bit different so I like to experiment.   When I use peanut flour as well as peanut butter to my cookies,  I like the result.  The cookies have a richer peanut taste and not as much of the oil. 

[Michael Beechey]

i ran into peanut powder twice the other day...a little suspicious what else is in it, plus I'm not supposed to eat peanuts, but the idea seemed interesting in a mainstream store like Winners

[Barbara from New Jersey]

Michael,


Peanut flour is useful as a coating for foods you will be sauteeing, baking or frying.  As long as you don't have a peanut allergy, it I find it adds a lovely subtle flavor to chicken, especially to Thai type recipes like chicken satay.  The fat is removed from the peanut and the flour is finely ground.  If you are making cookies of some sort, then the peanut flour adds a nutty richness to your recipe.  It absorbs liquids so use it like you would coconut flour. 

[Michael Beechey]

is "powdered peanut butter" the same as peanut flour?