This complete guide to oat flour will show you exactly how to make it, when to use it, and how to substitute it successfully in your favorite recipes.
I’m always looking for small, practical ways to boost the nutrition of our meals at home.
Simple things like adding flax seeds to pancake batter or cottage cheese to smoothies can really make a difference over time!
Hands down, though, my all-time favorite nutritional swap is using oat flour in place of all-purpose flour when baking.
Making your own oat flour at home is one of the easiest ways to save money, boost nutrition, and improve the texture of your baked goods – all with a single ingredient!
WHAT IS OAT FLOUR?
Oat flour is, quite simply, old-fashioned rolled oats that have been ground up into a fine powder. Nutrition in oat flour isn’t a big secret. What manufacturers advertise on the label is pretty much what you get:
- Soluble Fiber. Shortens the time in the intestinal tract to promote regularity, slows digestion to make you feel fuller longer, binds acids in the intestines to alleviate constipation, and regulates blood sugar.
- Protein. The same high quality as meat, milk, and eggs.
- Vitamins and Minerals. Vitamin B, Vitamin E, zinc, selenium, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus…These all help the immune system in addition to other bodily functions.
What’s surprising about the nutrition in oats is that you get ALL of this in just one ingredient.
Oats are pretty much a “superfood” thanks to the amazing combination of nutrients available. All the more reason to add them to cookies, don’t you think?
GLUTEN-FREE OAT FLOUR
Learning how to make oat flour doesn’t require any recipe rocket science to pull off successfully. It is super easy! It also keeps my budget down since I tend to keep rolled oats on hand. (Rolled oats are easier to find in the grocery store than whole oats.)
Is oat flour actually gluten-free flour, or is it cross-contaminated? The short answer is that oat flour is naturally gluten-free.
The long answer is that some people who have wheat allergies or sensitivities still react to the proteins in oats in a similar way, and some oats are processed in the same facilities as wheat.
Read labels and determine which oats will work best for you. Those who need gluten-free ingredients can use certified gluten free oats, which can also be easier to find. You’ll still save compared to buying gluten-free oat flour!
Using food I have on hand to make substitutions is one easy way I keep my food expenses down, and it’s one of the first things I teach students in my eCourse Grocery Budget Bootcamp!
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OATMEAL FLOUR RECIPE INGREDIENTS
To make homemade oat flour, you’ll need oats.
Yes, that’s really all you need!
You’ll typically see these types of oats in stores:
- Steel Cut Oats. After harvesting, oats are separated from the husk in a large spinning machine. In the process, many oat groats are broken into small pieces. These small pieces of oat groats are steel-cut oats.
- Old-Fashioned Oats. The steel-cut oats are sifted so that only larger oat groats remain. These are rolled in between large pins and flattened. The result is considered old-fashioned oats.
- Rolled Oats. Old-fashioned oats are steamed and lightly toasted to aid in the cooking process at home. These are called rolled oats.
- Quick Oats. These oats are cut into smaller pieces before being rolled, steamed, and toasted. This is again to aid in the cooking process at home.
- Instant Oatmeal. This is the Quaker maple and brown sugar I grew up with. The oats are pre-cooked at the factory and then dried, usually with flavoring and sweetener added before packaging. (You can make your own instant oatmeal packets at home, too!)
Aim for old-fashioned oats at a minimum. Steel-cut oats have a higher level of nutrition because some of the bran (the outer protective shell) will still be intact. Oatmeal flour from steel-cut oats is considered a whole-grain flour.
Regardless of the type of oats you buy, homemade oat flour will always be more affordable than store-bought! One cup of homemade oat flour costs me about $0.30, compared to over $1 per cup from the store.
HOW TO MAKE OAT FLOUR STEP-BY-STEP
Step 1. Place oats in a high-speed blender or food processor.
Step 2. Blend or process on high until oats are finely ground.
Note: Two cups of oats yield approximately 1 ¾ cups of oat flour.
Store any extra oat flour in an airtight container for up to 1 month or freeze for up to 6 months to use in oat flour recipes. Because of the natural oils in the oats (and no extra preservatives), oat flour is not shelf-stable for long periods of time. Luckily, it’s super easy to whip up more when you need it!
OAT FLOUR TIPS
- One cycle on my Blendtec (about 50 seconds) gave me pretty decent flour. A second cycle gave me even finer powder. I prefer the finer flour for my baked goods.
- This flour is NOT as fine as typical all-purpose flour. It will be slightly grainier and more like coarse cornmeal.
Depending on the appliances you have in your kitchen, you’ll have slightly different oat flour results.
| Appliance | Time | Texture | Verdict |
| High-speed blender | 30-60 seconds | Fine | Best |
| Standard blender | 1-2 minutes | Medium | Might need to cool between cycles |
| Food processor | 1-2 minutes | Medium | Okay |
| Coffee grinder | 30 seconds | Very fine | Best for small amounts |
Mistakes to Avoid When Making Oat Flour
- Wet oat flour. Make sure the blender is completely dry before blending the oats. The slightest amount of moisture will cause the oats to blend unevenly, and they won’t store well.
- Gummy, clumpy oat flour. Make sure the blender or food processor isn’t heating up during the grinding.
- Blender clogs or grinds unevenly. Blend a smaller amount at a time or work in batches.
- Gritty, coarse texture. Blend for another cycle or sift the oat flour through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any larger pieces or husks, especially when making oat flour with steel-cut oats.
- Bitter or off-tasting oat flour. Especially after storage, the quality of the oat flour deteriorates, and it can get oily or go rancid. If it tastes or smells off, toss it and start a new batch. Store in an airtight container and freeze if you aren’t using it within about a week.
HOW TO MAKE A RECIPE WITH OAT FLOUR
Making a recipe with oat flour gives baked goods a moist, slightly chewy texture. Oat flour adds moisture to items like cookies and breads that tend to dry out in just a day or two, because oats absorb more liquid and create a dense crumb.
Gluten-free oat flour is the secret weapon for gluten-free families. Even if you’re not a gluten-free family, it helps to know how to substitute oat flour in baking recipes.
- Recipes that require rising: Bread recipes, biscuits, and rolls require gluten in order to rise. Since oat flour doesn’t have gluten, it won’t help with rising or elasticity in any recipe. While you can’t substitute oat flour entirely in bread recipes, you CAN substitute ½ cup to 1 cup of oat flour in those recipes.
- Cookie and brownie recipes: Substitute up to half the wheat flour with oat flour.
- Cake or pastry recipes: Substitute only ¼ of the flour in your recipe with oat flour. Typically, you’re looking for a fluffy rise in cakes or pastries. Too much oat flour will either cause the batter to be too dense or fall flat after baking.
- For all other recipes, like quick bread and muffins: Start with ¼ -½ cup and see what happens! If you add too much the first time, your people might be leery of trying it again. You can always add more next time.
- You can make muffins and quick breads with just oat flour. However, you’ll need to make a few adjustments:
- Add additional leavening agents (like extra baking powder or baking soda) because oats don’t have any gluten to rise on their own.
- An extra egg also helps hold everything together.
- And you may want to add additional wet ingredients since oats absorb moisture as they bake.
- You’ll end up with a slightly denser (but still delicious!) baked good.
Oat Flour Substitutes in Baked Goods
| Recipe Type | Substitution Amount | Texture Result | Needs Adjustment |
| Breads/Biscuits | ½ cup to 1 cup | Heavier crumb | Longer rise time |
| Cookies/Brownies | Up to ½ of the flour | Dense and moist | Add an extra egg |
| Cakes | Up to ¼ of the total flour | Slightly heavier | Increase the leavening agent slightly |
| Muffins/Quick Breads | ¼ cup up to 100% of the flour | Dense and moist | Add an extra egg and additional leavening agents, possibly increase wet ingredients |
Before you substitute oat flour in recipes, consider:
- Is the recipe gluten-dependent?
- Does it need structure or moisture?
- Can it turn out a little denser and still taste good?
OAT FLOUR FAQS
Is oat flour just ground oats?
Yes! Making oatmeal flour is as easy as putting rolled oats in the blender and grinding them up.
Can I use oat flour instead of all-purpose flour?
You can substitute oat flour for some of your all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour. See the notes above for how much you can substitute depending on the type of baked good you’re making.
How much oat flour does 1 cup of oats equal?
After grinding into oatmeal flour, 1 cup of oats equals about 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons of oat flour.
OAT FLOUR RECIPES TO TRY
Here are a few of our favorite recipes using oat flour:
- Zucchini Bread with Carrots & Apples
- Banana Bread Muffins
- Very Little Bother Oat Bread
- Maple Oatmeal Bread
- Vanishing Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Healthy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- Double Chocolate Blender Waffles
- Cinnamon Oatmeal Blender Waffles
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How to Make Oat Flour
This complete guide to oat flour will show you exactly how to make it, when to use it, and how to substitute it successfully in your favorite recipes.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: approximately 1 ¾ cups of oat flour 1x
- Category: Kitchen Hacks + Tutorials
- Method: Blend
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 cups of oats
Instructions
- Place oats in a blender or food processor.
- Blend or process on high until oats are finely ground.
Notes
- Two cups of oats yields approximately 1 ¾ cups of oat flour.
- To increase nutrition, aim for old fashioned oats at a minimum. Steel-cut oats have a higher level of nutrition because some of the bran (the outer protective shell) will still be intact. Oat flour from steel-cut oats is considered a whole grain flour.
Hello. I can’t use oats. Do you think food processing quinoa flakes would give good results?
Yes, but it wont be exactly like oat meal.
Need a substitute for oats which I can’t eat.
Lucy, can you eat gluten or other flours?
Thanks for this fantastic article on making homemade oat flour. We love seeing new ideas and having new recipes at our fingertips. Keep up the great work!
I’ve been making oat flour from Quaker 1 minute oats for a homemade condition recipe for my dog. I then sift out the kernels that just won’t pulverize because they add nothing to the conditioner. Wasn’t sure what to do with the little kernels. So I cooked them like oatmeal in whole milk with a little homemade ghee and toasted walnuts and bananas and either a little real maple syrup or local Hawaiian honey. It’s so delicious.
I’m wondering what that kernel piece is nutritionally and wether I’m better off getting steal cut? Or at least adding these kernels to steel cut. They’re too good.
Also I read somewhere that oat-flour manufacturing includes steaming the old fashioned oats before processing. Is that different from using Quaker quick cook oats? Mahalo.
Hi Topher! Grains consist of three parts, endosperm, bran and germ. The germ is at the core, the bran is on the outside and the endosperm is what’s white and fluffy (and makes up the bulk of the grain). Any hard parts from oats is likely the germ, and it’s a great source of nutrition! Definitely add them to your steel cut oats. If you’re going to make oat flour, it doesn’t really matter what type of oats you buy (although the more ‘whole’ they are to start with, the better). Quick cook oats are rolled oats that have been cut finely to make the cooking process quicker. If you’re looking for nutrition, always go for the most whole form possible, that will achieve what you’re trying to do!
How are oats contaminated???
You can buy bulk organic oats should not be contaminated
I would like to substitute the oat flour for the all purpose in a sugar cookie recipe. So your saying use half of each or will the oat flour be ok not using any all purpose flour?
Hi Aimee! It’s always going to depend on the recipe. For sugar cookies, you don’t necessarily NEED the lift that AP flour gives, but if you use all oat flour they might be on the chewy side… which may be okay for you! If I were making them, I’d sub 1/4 of the recipe with oat flour, so I knew I wouldn’t drastically alter the texture of the finished cookie. If they came out okay, I’d try subbing 1/2 next time. You can always make a half batch of cookies to test!
I understand not substituting the whole about of all purpose flour with oat flour. Can I sub the whole amount if I’m making quick bread which doesn’t use yeast? Banana bread for example.
Maybe. You’ll have to play with each individual recipe LeAnna, but it’s not impossible.
I happen to have a grain mill and use whole oat groats in it. A grain mill will grind the flour however fine you want it. I also use popcorn in it to make corn flour – not English corn flour (cornstarch), but a flour that is finer than cornmeal. I can also change the setting and make it coarse like cornmeal.
I also grind beans in it and can make some “instant” refried beans in about 5 minutes. “Cream” of chicken soup that you wouldn’t know was beans instead of cream takes about 3 minutes.
Hope this helps someone.
thought i should mention about using oat flour for oatmeal baths from poison sumac, ivy, oak, and also chicken pox.
Thankyou for this post! I recently bought 10lbs of org rolled oats and thought, “How can I use these up?” You’ve given me a great idea and some new recipes to try 🙂 thanks again, Tiffany!
I use oat flour(blended in a coffee grinder) for oat waffles and muffins(with whole oats mixed in.) I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to eat comfort food that you don’t have to feel guilty about.
I appreciate this blog. It encourages my family’s path on eating more whole, real food.
Thank you so much for the uplifting and kind comment!! I’m glad you enjoy the oat flour, and how awesome that you can make it in your coffee grinder! Good thinking!
I actually started doing this awhile back when you posted the Zucchini Apple Carrot Bread (which I always make as muffins). They sounded good but my daughter can’t have gluten, so I experimented with doing all oat flour. It worked pretty well, and I’ve done it in several other recipes as well, mostly successful. I grind up however many cups of oats the recipe calls for flour (so 2 cups if the recipe is 2 cups of flour), and then add an additional 1/4 cup of unground oats for each cup of ground. Hopefully that makes sense. It’s an easy way to do gluten free without buying special flours!
That does make sense, and how wonderful that it’s working as a direct substitution! Thanks for sharing this Katherine – I know other GF readers will find it helpful!
I already had a blog post scheduled about this when you posted this one. An oat flour recipe revamp of some muffins. If you’re interested…
http://katesgreatcrafts.blogspot.com/2015/03/recipe-revamp-gluten-free-peanut-butter.html
Thanks Katherine!
Bonus- oat flour is basically baby oat cereal, so you can make instant baby oatmeal out of this. I used to do this for my son when he was starting solids because I could turn it into oatmeal without heating it up at all. It is significantly cheaper than those little boxes of infant oatmeal. You can also use baby oat cereal in place of oat flour if you end up with some via WIC or whatever.
Yes! What a great idea Tarynkay – thank you for sharing!!
Can’t wait to try this! Who knew? Hope my ninja can produce some decent oat flour. Not sure if I can use my wondermill?
I bet the Ninja will work just fine!
When you use oat flour in your oatmeal cookie recipe which calls for 1/2 whole wheat flour, 1/2 all purpose, do you use the oat flour in place of the whole wheat or replace 1/2 of each of the white and wheat with oat flour? I’m wondering too if I can run steel cut oats thru my nutrimill to make oat flour since I don’t have a very powerful blender? I had no idea oats were so nutritious, can’t wait to try this!
I replace the all-purpose with oats. Yes – you can run your steel cut oats through the nutrimill. It might take a few rounds, but it’ll work!
I use a blender or flour grinder or a ninja to grind the oats info flour.
My bread receipe: 9 cups flour 5 cups unbleached flour, bromated, maulted barley, 1 cup whole wheat, 2 cups oat flour, 1/2 cup graham flour 1/4 flax meal 3/4 barley flour
3 pkg yeast
3 cups water sometimes I use potato water
pinch salt
2 or 3 table spoons honey
1/4 cup olive oil
bake at 425 for approx 45 to 55 minutes