11 Ways to Use Up Non-Wheat Flours

Balanced in your pantry among all the different nuts, sugars, canned beans, and long-forgotten jars of artichoke hearts, it's possible that there is also a teetering bag or two of alt flour—that is, not the all-purpose stuff, but the buckwheat flour, the almond flour, the chickpea flour that you used a cup of in one recipe and promptly let behind to gather dust. These flours may not be all-purpose, but give them a chance and their purpose will be apparent: big flavor (not to mention, often, gluten-freeness).

Take stock of your half-bags, and make these things with what's left:

Why You Should Always Measure Non-Wheat Flours by Weight

• You can make pancakes with just about any non-wheat flour. (It doesn't get much better than that.)
• Similarly, they'll make a mean crêpe. Crêpes made from buckwheat flour are particularly common (and take well to savory toppings as well as sweet ones).
• Make them with chickpea flour and call them socca.
• If you don't follow a gluten-free diet, you can substitute part of the all-purpose flour in nearly any baked good—like muffins, scones, biscuits, or pie crust—with an alternative flour.
• Nut flours in particular play well in cookies, cakes, or tart crusts. Turn almond flour into honey-almond sesame cookies, orange-spice muffins, or this torte crust.
• Oat flour can become a breakfast- or anytime-worthy cake.

• Rice flour works well—and creates a crispy crust—when dredging meats and fish for frying.
• Rice flours also work well as a thickener for soup, gravy, or anywhere else you'd make a roux.
• You can also bake with it! These rice flour cookies are tender and perfect for eating with a cup of tea.
• A very flavorful flower, like chestnut flour, makes an equally lovely gnocchi, as jacksonholefoodie found.
• You can also use many flours to make crisp crackers—like chickpea flour crackers, amaranth or almond flour crackers, or even rice flour crackers.

What are your favorite uses for alternative flours? And which do you never have a hard time finishing up? Tell us in the comments.