PSA: How To Make Your Own Oat Flour & Why It's So Much Healthier

Unfortunately, oat flour's popularity in the kitchen hasn't been matched by its popularity with grocery store buyers. While it's becoming more common, it still can be hard to find in grocery stores, but fear not—making your own oat flour is one of the best-kept secrets in gluten-free baking. Not only is it super easy, but it actually results in a healthier end product. Here's why.

There are exactly two steps to making your own oat flour—pour rolled (not quick-cooking or steel-cut) oats into a dry blender or food processor, and turn it on. You may need to scrape down the sides once or twice to get a uniform texture, but in less than a minute, you'll have a fine, powdery oat flour that you can keep on hand (in the fridge or freezer, ideally—see below for more on that) for whenever a recipe calls for it.

The second reason making your own oat flour is healthier has to do with cross-contamination. While oat flour made from gluten-free oats is gluten- and nut-free, every step of processing allows for more opportunities for the oats to come in contact with machines that process traditional, gluten-filled grains or nuts. The less processing that happens out of the home, the fewer opportunities for cross-contamination—it's as simple as that.

Play around! Use it to thicken traditional oatmeal, or toss it into a smoothie for an added boost of fiber. If you want to play around with it in your baking recipes, just add a little bit more of whatever rising agent you're using (baking powder or soda or yeast) since oat flour is denser and heavier than traditional white or whole wheat flour. Lean into the flavor with oaty blueberry pancakes or waffles, or a chocolate chip oat cookie. Have fun! Experiment! The possibilities are endless.