Cassava flour is made from the yuca root. Unlike tapioca starch which is starch taken from the root, cassava is the whole root.
The yuca roots are peeled, dried and ground into flour. Some brands are sun-dried. Otto’s Naturals Cassava Flour is baked. They say this reduces the risk of mold.
The resulting flour has a silky feel. It has a smooth, mild flavor and is not gritty at all.
It is gluten, grain and nut free, so this is a good choice if you can’t have grains or nuts which are common in gluten free flours.
I received a pound flour so that I could test it out. It didn’t get me very far so I had to purchase another two pound bag. It’s a little pricey.
You’re supposed to be able to substitute cassava flour 1 to 1 for regular all purpose flour in a recipe without having to add any other gums or starches. As a result, it is supposed to taste pretty close to the “real thing”.
So how did it do?
I took some regular online all purpose flour recipes and tried them out substituting cassava flour. I also subbed out some of the sugar for Swerve.
First, I made some pumpkin muffins. They were really good. They were moist, and had a good mouth feel. Not rubbery or gritty.
I did eventually make several changes to the recipe. You can find my muffin recipe here.
Next, I made chocolate chip cookies replacing the flour (and sugar) again. I used the tried and true Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie recipe. When I made the first batch they were very thick and stayed as balls when baked, so I had to press the balls down on the cookie sheet. They didn’t spread much.
This photo, the cookie on the right just cooked as is. The two on the left, I pressed down.
I tried again, using much less cassava. I still had to press them down, but they came out much better than the first time. An excellent tasting chocolate chip cookie.
It seems that you need to use less flour because it soaks up more moisture than regular flour.
I also found the muffins and cookies to be extremely soft until they cooled enough. So don’t try to move them too soon.
I made some apple muffins with cinnamon sugar topping as well as lemon muffins with crumb topping. Both using all purpose flour recipes and substituting Otto’s cassava.
Oh, it’s also important to know that you should mix in the flour very gently. Otherwise you will be enveloped in a cloud of flour! Cough, cough….
How to Convert Otto’s Cassava Flour in a Recipe
It’s not exactly a 1 to 1 conversion.
It is 1 to 1 by WEIGHT. So, if the recipe requires 100 grams of all purpose flour, you would weigh out 100 grams of cassava.
If you are using a measuring cup and the recipe listed 1 cup flour, you would use 1 cup cassava flour BUT it has to be SIFTED.
If you don’t sift it, you need to reduce the volume by 25%, so 1 cup of flour would be 3/4 cup cassava flour, unsifted. In the case of these cookies, I needed even a little less than that.
You need to experiment a little.
FYI: 1 cup of all purpose flour weighs 120 grams. Otto’s kindly provides that information.
While yuca does contain cyanide, it has been cooked and each batch is tested for safety.
You should never eat yuca raw.
How Does it Compare to Almond Four and Gluten Free Mixes?
Comparing equal amounts of flour:
- It has the lowest amount of calories
- Contains the least amount of protein
- Unlike gluten free blends, it contains no dairy, corn, gums or rice (only a few blends contain dairy)
- It is much higher in carbs than almond flour
- Contains some fiber, but not as much as almond flour
- Contains some potassium, but less than almond flour
- Contains no sodium or sugar
Pros:
- resistant starch, which may be good for gut health
- gluten-free (certified by the Gluten Intolerance Group)
- grain-free
- paleo
- nut-free
- soy-free
- dairy-free
- not complicated to use
- just yuca, nothing else
- AIP friendly
- smooth, not gritty
- Non GMO certified
- no added salt or sugar
Cons:
- lower in nutrients
- high carb
- not organic
Availability:
- Online
- Amazon
- Throughout the US and Australia
- Wegman’s
- Whole Foods
- Publix
- HEG
- Fresh Market
- Shoprite
- Dean’s Natural Market
- Raley’s
- many more stores see their store locator
To learn more about Otto’s Cassava Flour, check out their website.
**I strive to give an honest opinion and accurate information. All information was accurate at the time of publishing to the best of my knowledge.
Peppers and Planks 