Cassava Flour – Where have you been all my life??
Cassava flour is a relatively new flour that is starting to become popular in the healthy eating community. And why not? It’s gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, soy-free, Paleo, Vegan, and Autoimmune Protocol friendly! If that isn’t enough to excite you, consider that cassava flour can be used in place of wheat flour in most recipes!!! It has a neutral taste and a texture similar to wheat flour (not grainy like some nut flours.) It’s slightly finer than wheat flour; a bit like powdered sugar in that if it’s mixed too vigorously it creates a “flour cloud” over the bowl. It’s also a little dryer than wheat flour, so recipes often need slightly more liquid than if using wheat flour.
Cassava flour is a whole-food flour made simply by drying and grinding the white flesh of the peeled yuca/cassava root. (Yuca and cassava are different names for the same root vegetable.)
For baking that does not require rising, cassava flour can often replace wheat flour in a 1:1 ratio. For recipes requiring rising, a combination of cassava flour and other gluten-free flours can be used to obtain the desired result. It requires a little experimentation.
Cassava flour can be used to make cassava breads, tortillas, pizza crust, pie crust, cookies, brownies, cakes, muffins, pancakes, crackers, you name it!! All with no gluten – or even any grain!!! I don’t know about you, but that is REALLY exciting to me!!!
For those who are gluten-free like me, I’m sure you can relate when I say – How much almond flour can a person eat? I kept worrying that the next food sensitivity I was going to develop was a sensitivity to almonds since I seemed to make EVERYTHING out of them!
Cassava flour is a truly healthy alternative to wheat for those who are gluten intolerant or have an allergy to nuts. A further benefit is that it will not spike blood sugar the way many gluten-free flours can. It’s a wonderful choice for “gluten eating” people as well, as it’s a delicious, natural, unprocessed flour.
I use a brand called Ottos Cassava Flour for all of my baking. It can only be found in Whole Foods, specialty stores and online. Click below to purchase Otto’s Cassava Flour.
Otto’s Naturals 100% Natural Cassava Flour Made from Yuca Root Bag, 2 Pound
By ordering Otto’s Cassava Flour through our website we get a small percentage of the sale which helps to support the maintenance of Crazy For Yuca. There’s absolutely no additional charge to you. Thank you so much for supporting our efforts to bring you the latest yuca/cassava recipes!
There are many reasons why I use Otto’s Cassava Flour. First – it tastes great! Many people find it indistinguishable from wheat flour! It has no fillers and is not enriched with anything. The only ingredients are cassava/yuca and water. It’s certified non-GMO, gluten-free, and Paleo. Many other cassava flours are made by peeling and then sun-drying the root. This allows fermentation which can create a sour tasting and musty smelling flour. Otto’s Cassava Flour is made in Brazil, (not Africa like some brands) where it’s peeled and baked according to their proprietary method – with no fermentation or opportunity for mold growth. As someone with autoimmune issues, avoiding mold is a top priority. Otto’s is the highest quality, cleanest tasting flour. If you tried a different brand of cassava flour and didn’t like the taste of your recipe, don’t give up before trying Otto’s. You won’t be sorry.
Otto’s Cassava Flour – Nutrition
Serving size: ¼ cup (32g)
| %DV | ||
| Calories | 110 | |
| Total Fat | 0 g | |
| Cholesterol | 0 g | |
| Sodium | 0 g | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 28 g | 10% |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g | 11 % |
| Sugars | 0 g | |
| Protein | 3 g | 11% |
| Calcium | 32 mg | 2% |
| Potassium | 83 mg | 2% |
| Manganese | 11% |
Cassava flour vs. Tapioca Flour
Tapioca flour is another flour made from cassava, but there are some important differences. While cassava flour is made by grinding and drying the whole cassava root, tapioca flour is the flour that remains after water evaporates from the starchy liquid that gets expelled as a result of washing and grating cassava root (That was a mouthful!)
Tapioca flour is an excellent thickener in sauces , a great replacement for corn starch, and can be used to make things like crepes because of its light texture.
Tapioca flour is much lower in fiber than cassava flour, and therefore not as good a choice for those with blood sugar issues (It may spike blood sugar.)
As a result of its low fiber content, tapioca flour is considered a safe choice for those following a low FODMAP diet – in quantities of up to 2/3 cup.
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Disclaimer– In Crazy for Yuca I write about my own personal health and diet journey. My experience and recipes are not to be considered expert advice or suggestive that anyone follow any particular diet protocol. Each person’s body and medical issues are individual and need to be evaluated by a medical professional. If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.
