Lupin Flour: What It Is & Why It’s Keto-Friendly
Flour is one of the basic building blocks of baked goods. Still, when we usually think of flour, we’re usually thinking of an ingredient that’s totally filled with carbohydrates. And we know high-carb foods are not welcome on a keto diet!
Luckily, though, keto dieters can now partake in the deliciousness of baked goods thanks to a variety of different kinds of keto-friendly flours. Here’s a new (and improved) one for you: lupin flour!
What is lupin flour? How can it be used to create yummy keto-friendly baked treats? Well, friends, we have the answers. We’re here to uncover the mystery surrounding what will soon be your new favorite flour alternative, so let’s learn about lupin and why it may be a better option than wheat-based flour.
Why Is Wheat Flour Not Keto-Friendly?
Being on a ketogenic diet means that we focus on foods with low carbohydrates and low sugar, emphasizing eating moderate amounts of protein and higher quantities of fat.
Carbohydrates are what our bodies love to use for fuel. The evolution of simple carbs leaves them turning into glucose, which our bodies convert into the energy that keeps us going throughout the day. When we begin to limit the amount of carbohydrates that our bodies can run on, fat becomes our bodies’ preferred energy source. Our livers make ketones from fat, which are then used as fuel when there are limited carbs available.
Here is where wheat flour comes into the picture. One hundred grams of flour — which is roughly equivalent to ½ a cup — has a whopping 73 grams of carbohydrates. And because your carb intake while on a keto diet could amount to anywhere from 50 to 20 grams per day, it’s safe to say that consuming all-purpose wheat flour is out of the picture.
Wheat flour is not just pretty carb heavy. It also doesn’t offer much when it comes to vitamins and minerals. Wheat flour is pretty low in nutritional value, so opting for keto-friendly flours could make a lot of sense for any health-conscious individual. Wait until you see what lupin flour brings to the table!
What Is Lupin Flour?
Lupin flour comes from sweet lupin beans, making it a plant based protein that’s very low carb. Lupin beans are also known as lupini beans or lupine beans. Lupin beans are a popular Mediterranean staple, which are now being readily enjoyed all throughout the world as we take note of this protein-packed powerhouse.
The sole ingredient in lupin flour is lupin beans! No added fillers or icky unknown ingredients here. Lupin flour is keto-friendly, gluten free, high in fiber, and vegan by default. Those with peanut allergy should take caution, though — since the lupin bean is a legume, allergic reactions can occur.
To prepare lupin flour, these lupini beans are dried and then milled. The result is perfectly sifted, fine flour that’s ready to be the star of all of your keto dessert recipes.
What Makes Lupin Flour Perfect for Use in Keto Diets?
Remember how we talked about the high carb nature of wheat flour? Here comes our friend lupin flour to save the day and keep things low-carb.
One hundred grams of lupin beans contain only nine grams of carbohydrates! Compared with our earlier calculations of 73 grams of carbs for the same amount of wheat flour, electing to go with lupin flour for your keto baking needs is a no-brainer.
We are loving all of the keto flour options that are becoming fan favorites lately. Lupin flour is growing exponentially in popularity when it comes to keto-friendly flour.
What Are the Benefits of Lupin Flour?
Lupin flour is low carb, but there are so many other advantages to using this flour alternative.
Unlike wheat flour, lupin flour is relatively low on the glycemic index. Why does that matter? The glycemic index imparts a number value on carb-rich foods, based on the effects each food has on your blood sugar. The higher the number, the more that that particular food increases your blood sugar. Foods that are lower in the glycemic index are relevant to the prevention and management of obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
Lupin flour is high in fiber, which is a great health benefit to tout! After all, consuming high amounts of dietary fiber is associated with lower instances of heart disease, obesity, stroke, and high blood pressure. You’ll be the recipient of 10% of your daily recommended fiber intake with just a ½ cup serving of lupin flour.
Munch on a keto-friendly pizza with a lupin flour crust, and know that you are doing your health a favor by including flour that holds a ton of nutritious properties!
How Can I Bake With Lupin Flour?
You usually will want to mix lupin flour with another kind of keto flour alternative. This is because some brands of lupin flour can have a bitter taste, which you will want to balance out with almond flour (for sweet recipes) or chickpea flour (for something savory).
You can also use lupin flour in applications where you would use cornstarch, like as a thickening agent in sauces and soups.
Keto Recipes Using Lupin Flour
- Delicious Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies: We keep our chocolate chip cookie recipe simple and fun with this take on a classic snacktime staple — just use half lupin flour and half almond flour as your flour alternatives, and the sky’s the limit. With a constellation of MiiRO’s Dark Chocolate Baking Chips, these chewy lupin flour cookies travel to another galaxy.
- Easy Vegan Chocolate Chip Pancakes: Oh so yummy! Vegan, keto, and perfect for breakfast? Sign us up! Use half lupin flour and half almond flour in this delicious morning staple for an easy morning treat. Serve these sweet lupin flour pancakes with a drizzle of No Added Sugar Maple Flavored Syrup … or even mix in keto and vegan Peanut Butter Baking Chips for good measure.
- Savory Lupin Bean Seitan: If you have never had seitan, you are in for a treat. Fit Vegan Chef shows us an incredible way of making this vegan meat substitute by using lupini beans, which you can easily substitute with the same amount of lupin flour!
What Are Some Other Keto-Friendly Flour Alternatives?
Lupin flour can be used to replace traditional wheat flour in so many of our fave sweet and savory recipes! There are a plethora of other keto-friendly flours to consider for your keto baking needs. Let us introduce the keto crew!
- Coconut Flour. Coconut flour is made by drying coconut meat and processing it until it forms a flour-like consistency. Coconut flour is absorbent, meaning that care must be taken when considering replacing wheat flour with coconut flour.
What does keto-friendly coconut flour taste like? A little hint of coconut, of course. Your ability to detect the coconut aura of coconut flour will depend on how much flour you are using for your keto recipe.
- Almond Flour. Buttery, rich, and a little nutty, almond flour is the perfect keto-friendly flour to use when you are on the hunt for something sweet. Almond flour is super easy to swap with wheat flour – most recipes allow you to change out wheat flour for almond at a 1:1 ratio. Simple as keto pie!
- Flaxseed Meal. Flaxseed meal can be used as flour on its own to create high-fiber crackers and breads. But flaxseed meal also doubles as a vegan egg replacement! Use one tablespoon of flaxseed meal and three tablespoons of water for every egg in a non-vegan recipe.
- Xanthan Gum. Where you would use flour to make a roux, gravy, or thicken a soup, you can use xanthan gum. Sometimes, keto recipes call for a little bit of xanthan gum to give a chewy boost to tasty treats.
If your keto flour hunger has yet to be satiated, you’re in luck. Our article on keto flour can be a great resource when you’re looking to embark on a keto baking journey.
When you’re on the hunt for the best keto-friendly recipes, MiiRO baking products and lupin flour are a match made in heaven! Whether you follow our keto recipes linked above or use them as substitutes in your favorite childhood recipes, these useful low-carb miracles are about to become your new BFFs.
Conclusion
If this was your first introduction to lupin flour, we can guarantee it won’t be your last. Keto-friendly lupin flour is swiftly growing in popularity, and you can ride the protein-based wave, too.
There are many keto-friendly flour alternatives on the market that can easily fit into your macros. Each type of keto-friendly flour shines in a different way, and the versatility of lupin flour is no exception!
Imagine being able to enjoy all of your favorite meals that used to be full of non-keto wheat flour. The ability to use a protein based flour is the key reason why lupin flour is your best bet for enjoying the meals you love.
Sources:
Diet Review: Ketogenic Diet for Weight Loss | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
What Are Lupini Beans? | Food & Nutrition Magazine
Nutrition Facts for Lupin Beans (Cooked) | My Food Data
Glycemic Index Diet | Mayo Clinic
