The Best Quick Guide to Cassava Flour

What is Cassava?

Cassava is a root or the underground part of a cassava plant, also known as a yuca root. A tuber crop, it is similar in structure and shape to a yam or sweet potato and grows in many regions. It is a staple worldwide in the diets of around 800 million people. Cassava is made into flour that can be found in many recipes and is gluten-free. It is a natural and easy replacement for wheat flour in a wide variety of recipes.

How is Cassava Flour made? 

1. The cassava is peeled and grated or pulverized into small pieces.
2. The grated cassava is dried out.
3. The dried grated cassava is ground into a fine powder or flour.

Cassava flour vs. Tapioca flour

Though Cassava flour and Tapioca flour both come from the cassava root, there are many differences between the two flours:

• The part of the plant from which they originate:  Cassava flour contains the entire root of the cassava. Tapioca flour (aka tapioca starch) is more processed and made only from the starchy part of the root.
• Fiber content: Cassava flour contains more dietary fiber than tapioca flour.
• Calories: Cassava flour has fewer calories per serving than tapioca flour.
• Use in recipes: Both work similarly, but cassava flour is more effective in baking as a wheat replacement and as a thickener because it is higher in fiber.
• Their taste: Cassava flour has a more distinguished nutty flavor. Tapioca is a more plain-tasting flour.

Uses for cassava flour

Because Cassava flour is gluten-free, it is considered by many to be the most similar gluten-free alternative to wheat flour in terms of taste and texture. This makes it an ideal gluten-free option in baking and cooking. However, cassava flour absorbs a little more liquid than wheat flour. Therefore, consider using slightly less cassava flour than one would use when using wheat flour in a recipe.

How to use Cassava flour

• In baking: Cassava flour can replace wheat flour in many recipes, including pancakes, waffles, bread, muffins, cookies, cakes, and brownies.
• In pasta: as the flour for pasta dough.
• Thickening: as the thickening agent in sauces, gravies, and pie fillings.
• Farofa: A Brazilian dish that includes roasted cassava flour with a texture similar to couscous.
• Flatbreads: Cassava flour is ideal for creating tortillas and flatbreads.

Try our simple recipe!

Cassava Flour Waffles 

servings: 6 5-inch waffles

¼ cup vegetable oil

¼ cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

1 cup milk

1 3/4 cups Panhandle Milling Cassava Flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Directions:  Preheat the waffle iron to medium heat. Whisk together the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine the cassava flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. With a whisk, mix the flour ingredients in with the wet ingredients until very smooth. Finally, scoop about ½ cup of the batter into the greased waffle iron. Cook according to the waffle iron instructions, usually about 3-4 minutes per waffle. Enjoy!