Natural Evolution Green Banana Baking Flour 454g
Banana flour does differ from wheat flour with its “wholesome earthy flavor” and slightly darker coloring when cooked.
There has to be one question that comes first with an alternative flour: how does it compare to wheat in formulations?
“Green banana flour, in high-standard form, bakes incredibly well and is a very rare gluten-free flour that can rise and remain, as it is starch-based,” says Krista Watkins operations manager at Natural Evolution Foods (Australia). Natural Evolution Foods has been selling banana flour for the past five years within Australia, and in May the company began selling to North America over the Internet.
Watkins says banana flour does differ from wheat flour with its “wholesome earthy flavor” and slightly darker coloring when cooked, and, as with many gluten-free flours, a binding agent may be necessary in certain formulations.
“When making dough recipes such as pasta, pizza bases, or pastries, we recommend using xanthan gum [as a binder],” says Watkins. “However, we have made many different loaves of bread without xanthan gum and have found chia seeds and eggs work well as binding agents also.”
It also takes less banana flour to achieve a similar effect as wheat in formulations. Sometimes just two-thirds as much flour will do the trick, according to WEDO’s Wintzer.
“If you go cup for cup with our flour, you will end up with a hockey puck,” says Wintzer.
As for potential health benefits, many consumers know that bananas are a good source of potassium, fiber, and other essential vitamins and minerals. But green banana flour from both WEDO and Natural Evolution Foods also boasts a high content of resistant starch, which has been shown in several studies to have prebiotic properties. The only drawback is that resistant starch may lose its nutritional value if the flour is baked, so the starch appeal could only apply to smoothies or other raw products, says Wintzer.
There has to be one question that comes first with an alternative flour: how does it compare to wheat in formulations?
“Green banana flour, in high-standard form, bakes incredibly well and is a very rare gluten-free flour that can rise and remain, as it is starch-based,” says Krista Watkins operations manager at Natural Evolution Foods (Australia). Natural Evolution Foods has been selling banana flour for the past five years within Australia, and in May the company began selling to North America over the Internet.
Watkins says banana flour does differ from wheat flour with its “wholesome earthy flavor” and slightly darker coloring when cooked, and, as with many gluten-free flours, a binding agent may be necessary in certain formulations.
“When making dough recipes such as pasta, pizza bases, or pastries, we recommend using xanthan gum [as a binder],” says Watkins. “However, we have made many different loaves of bread without xanthan gum and have found chia seeds and eggs work well as binding agents also.”
It also takes less banana flour to achieve a similar effect as wheat in formulations. Sometimes just two-thirds as much flour will do the trick, according to WEDO’s Wintzer.
“If you go cup for cup with our flour, you will end up with a hockey puck,” says Wintzer.
As for potential health benefits, many consumers know that bananas are a good source of potassium, fiber, and other essential vitamins and minerals. But green banana flour from both WEDO and Natural Evolution Foods also boasts a high content of resistant starch, which has been shown in several studies to have prebiotic properties. The only drawback is that resistant starch may lose its nutritional value if the flour is baked, so the starch appeal could only apply to smoothies or other raw products, says Wintzer.