Hello Cassava Flour

Guys! Meet my new favourite baking friend, Cassava Flour. It just might be the bees actual knees when it comes to gluten, grain and nut free baking, and the lovely people at Health Riot recently sent me a few bags to play with. But before you get out your bowl and whisk and whip up these Healthy Waffles, or fluffiest-ever Pancakes, here are few things you should know.

The cassava plant is a staple in parts of South America, Asia and Africa (also known as Manioc, and a few other names), it’s a starchy tuber (similar to yams or potatoes). Next up, Cassava Four is not, in fact, the same as Tapioca Flour – Tapioca is actually made from the starch that is extracted from the root of the plant, whereas Cassava Flour is the whole root, peeled, dried and ground. That means that it has more fiber than tapioca, BUT it’s still extremely high in carbohydrates. So, no, if you’re Banting of following a very strict low carb and low sugar diet, then this might not be your new best friend. However, I’m all for everything in moderation, and reasonable portions sizes, so see no reason why these shouldn’t be on your breakfast menu from time to time.

If you’d like to experiment with Cassava Flour at home, you can substitute it into most recipes at a ratio of 1:1 for wheat flour.

Sources: Downshiftology.com; AuthorityNutrition.com