My diet:

Coconut flour

No E-numberFlour treatment agentsOrigin: Plant
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Every diet

VeganYes

Coconut flour is ground coconut.

Gluten-freeYes
HalalYes
KosherYes
KetoDepends

The fiber is high, but a cup of coconut flour still has digestible carbs.

Low-FODMAPDepends

A small amount of coconut flour is often tolerated. A flour-heavy bake may not be.

The short answer
Coconut flour is defatted coconut meat, milled. Coconut flour is vegan and free of gluten. It is only partly keto, because a cup still contains digestible carbohydrate along with the fiber. Large amounts are a FODMAP question.
Generally safe

Fine for most people at normal amounts.

E-numberNone
Comes fromPlant
What it doesFlour treatment agents
Glycemic index—
Daily limitNot set
Also calledCoconut flour, Defatted coconut flour

Rules by country

🇺🇸 US FDANot evaluated as an additive
🇪🇺 European UnionNot evaluated as an additive
🇨🇦 Health CanadaNot evaluated as an additive
CaliforniaNo extra rules

Coconut flour is a food, not an E-number. It is gluten-free and a tree-free nut-free option for many people who cannot use almond flour. Coconut allergy is its own issue.

Daily limit: Experts haven’t set a number because normal food amounts are far below any level of concern.

What is it?

After coconut oil is pressed, the meal is dried and ground. Bakers use a few tablespoons where they would have used a cup of wheat, and they add more egg. The flour tastes faintly of coconut even when the oil is gone.

Where it comes from: Coconut flour is the dried, ground meat left after most of the oil has been pressed out. It is high in fiber and drinks a surprising amount of liquid. It is not the same ingredient as coconut oil.

Why it’s in food

  • Dries a batter
  • Adds fiber
  • Replaces a little wheat
  • Thickens a patty

Often found in

Keto-style muffinsPancakesBreadingEnergy barsCakesMeatballs

Also listed as: Coconut flour, Defatted coconut flour

Health & gut impact

It absorbs liquidUnder study

Coconut flour can take several times its weight in liquid. A one-for-one swap with wheat flour makes a dry, crumbly bake.

Baking properties of defatted coconut flour

FODMAPs in a large serveUnder study

Coconut flesh contains polyols. A spoon of flour in a sauce is a different dose from a muffin made mostly of the flour.

FODMAP profile of coconut foods

What can I use instead?

Almond flour

Ratio: A moister nut flour, unsafe for tree-nut allergy

Best for: Cakes

Oat flour

Ratio: A grain flour that behaves a bit more like wheat

Best for: Pancakes

Related

More flour treatment agents:

Almond flourAlmond flour is ground almonds. Almond flour is vegan, and the nut itself contains no gluten. It is one of the few baking flours that fits a keto pattern. Large servings are high FODMAP because almonds are.Generally safeAlpha-amylaseAlpha-amylase is the enzyme that clips starch so bread can rise and brown. Baked goods often list it only as enzymes. Fungal amylase is gluten-free. Amylase from barley malt is not.Generally safeAzodicarbonamide (ADA) E927aAzodicarbonamide (ADA, E927a) is a dough conditioner that's banned in the EU but still legal in US bread. Baking turns some of it into semicarbazide, a possible carcinogen, so it's one to avoid.Best to avoidBarleyBarley is a gluten grain with a low glycemic index when it is eaten as the whole or pearled berry. The barley berry fails a gluten-free diet, a keto diet and a low-FODMAP diet. It is vegan. Sprouted barley is the start of malt, which is a different ingredient line.Generally safe

Common questions

Is coconut flour the same as coconut oil?

No. The flour is the dry meal. The oil is the fat that was pressed out.

Is coconut flour nut-free?

Coconut is a drupe, and many tree-nut-allergic people tolerate it. It is still a labeled allergen in some rules, so read the allergy statement.

Is Coconut flour safe?

Generally safe (88/100). Coconut flour is a food, not an E-number. It is gluten-free and a tree-free nut-free option for many people who cannot use almond flour. Coconut allergy is its own issue.

Is Coconut flour vegan?

Yes. Coconut flour is ground coconut.

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Scientific sources & regulatory citations
  • Baking properties of defatted coconut flour
  • FODMAP profile of coconut foods