The Best Ultimate Guide to Baking with Amaranth Flour

The Ultimate Guide to baking with this versatile and nutritious flour.

Gluten-free baking is here to stay, and the most significant challenge is getting the best bang for the buck regarding added flavor and nutrition. How about exploring a flour that adds a unique and delightful texture and outstanding health benefits to your baked products?

What is Amaranth?

Amaranth is an ancient grain cultivated for over eight thousand years. Amaranth references the Greek word meaning “everlasting” or “immortal.” This is a reference to the seed’s virtual indestructible nature. There are approximately 60 species of amaranth that have been identified. Some are cultivated for ornamental purposes. Some are used for leaf vegetables. The variety we’re discussing is the seed used for grain (sometimes called a pseudo-cereal). It will always be gluten-free because it cannot cross-pollenate with grass cereal grains like oats or wheat.

The Nutrition of Amaranth

Amaranth grains contain about 65% carbohydrate, 14% protein, 12% water, and 7% fat. For every 3.5-ounce (100 gram) serving, amaranth contains about 370 calories. It has roughly 20% of your daily value of protein, dietary fiber, folate, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, and several dietary minerals. It is rich in manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and selenium.

Here are some of the health benefits of amaranth and amaranth flour:

• It is naturally gluten-free and safe for celiac disease or gluten-sensitive individuals.
• It may have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body and help prevent the development or progression of chronic disease.
• It contains more than your daily value for manganese in a single serving – manganese is essential for neurological health and brain function.
• It is naturally rich in antioxidants, which play a crucial role in protecting against free-radical damage and oxidative stress.
• It may help lower LDL or “bad” cholesterol and total cholesterol levels by as much as 22% while increasing HDL or “good” cholesterol.
• It is high in protein and fiber, which could support weight loss by decreasing the hunger hormone ghrelin levels to reduce appetite and calorie intake.

How Is Amaranth Used? 

Learning how to use this ancient flour to fit best the cultures that cultivated it would be to its best use advantage in your kitchen. Think of ancient Mayan, Incan, and Aztec civilizations. This flour is particularly popular in Mexican, Indian, and Asian cuisine today. This cuisine can be used to cook whole grains and baking flour. The grain has a distinct flavor with corn, grass, and earthy notes. 

Baking with Amaranth Flour

Amaranth flour is made by grinding the seeds of the amaranth plant and can be used in many different applications. It is most often used for flatbread-like tortillas. Eggs or xanthan gum are needed to make them light when used in bread. It is an excellent addition to quick bread like cakes and muffins. Amaranth doesn’t work well as a direct substitute for wheat flour. It is best used in combination with other gluten-free flours.

Simple tips for baking and cooking with amaranth flour:

• It works well in combination with nut flours (such as almond or pecan) because of its subtle, nutty, earthy flavor.
• It absorbs a lot of liquid due to its high fiber content, so increase the liquid in your recipe and leavening to avoid dense finished products.
• For a textural difference, use amaranth flour as a 25% replacement for wheat flour in recipes that are already 100% wheat. Combine it with other gluten-free flours to achieve the best texture for your baked goods.
• It is an excellent thickener for soups, sauces, and stews.
• Store in a cool, dry place. It is best used within 2-3 months. Store in the freezer in an airtight container if you want to keep it even more fresh tasting.

Recipes Using Amaranth Flour

If you’re new to using amaranth flour, your best bet is to start with a recipe explicitly made for amaranth flour instead of trying to make substitutions. Once you get a feel for this nutritious gluten-free flour, you can try it as an alternative to wheat flour in your favorite recipes. Here are some recipes to try!

Sweet Amaranth Cornbread

1 cup Specialty Grains Organic Amaranth Flour

1 cup Organic Cornmeal

1 tsp. sea salt

2 tsp. baking powder

½ cup organic honey or agave nectar

3 large eggs

1 cup almond milk

1/3 cup olive oil or avocado oil

Directions:

• In a 2-quart-sized bowl, combine the amaranth flour, cornmeal, sea salt, and baking powder.
• Whisk the honey, eggs, almond milk, and oil in a medium bowl. Add the egg mixture to the dry mixture and mix until smooth, about 1 minute.

• Pour batter into a greased 9-inch baking pan or deep cast-iron skillet. Bake at 400°F 30-35 minutes until golden brown and internal temperature over 180°F.

Gluten-Free Orange Spice Cookies

2 eggs

½ cup butter, melted

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 cups Specialty Grains Amaranth Flour

1 Tbsp. fresh orange zest

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375° F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Combine all ingredients.
• Drop cookies by the tablespoon onto parchment paper 2 inches apart.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool completely before removing from the baking sheet.

Amaranth Flour Pumpkin Pecan Muffins

1 ½ cups Specialty Grains Organic Amaranth Flour

½ cup Specialty Grains Organic Sorghum Flour

¾ cup sugar

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp salt

½ cup chopped pecans

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/3 cup maple syrup

3 eggs

1 Tbsp. vanilla

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a standard muffin pan with paper liners and spray with pan spray.
• combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, spices, and pecans in a medium bowl.
• whisk pumpkin puree, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Add dry
• ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well to combine.
• Portion 1/3 cup of batter into each prepared muffin cup. Sprinkle muffins with additional chopped pecans if desired.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.