Sweet potato flour: A healthy, gluten-free alternative to wheat flour

 If you are looking for a healthy, gluten-free alternative to wheat flour, look no further than sweet potato flour.

Sweet potato flour is made from dried or dehydrated sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) tubers, which are then finely ground. It has a a slightly sweet taste that complements many cuisines. Its low protein content makes it more suitable for tender baking applications, such as cakes, muffins, pie crusts or some cookies.

It is a good source of resistant starch, which is excellent for digestive health and blood sugar management. Because of its high starch content, it is best used in batters and coatings, or as a thickener for gravies and sauces. You can replace wheat flour with its equivalent weight of sweet potato flour. Moreover, the versatile sweet potato flour is naturally gluten-free. It also has more nutritional content than traditional wheat and soy flours. In fact, a study published in the International Journal of Food Properties (IJFP) expounded on sweet potato flour's nutritional value.

The authors of the IJFP study from Wolkite University in the East African nation of Ethiopia said consumption of sweet potato flour is connected with good health and improved human nutrition. Sweet potato flour contains various vitamins, minerals, antoxidants, choline, protein and fiber.

"Individuals who [suffer] from celiac illness and gluten intolerance are looking for wheat-free products. Sweet potato flours partially swap cereal flours, which display benefits for people diagnosed with celiac disease," the researchers mentioned. They ultimately concluded that sweet potato flour could address both health-related problems and food security issues in some countries where I. batatas is grown. 

How to use sweet potato flour

While you can definitely use sweet potato flour to make bread, here are some other ways you can use this ingredient.

Use as breading for meat

Sweet potato flour is light and fluffy so it crisps nicely when fried or when baked in the oven. It works out amazingly well when you need a coating base for chicken or fish, plus the nice orange color can give your finished products that golden goodness appearance you want with a table-ready appetizing entree. You can easily season your breading recipe with crushed red pepper, garlic, onion powder, paprika and other organic spices for some zing.

Add sweet potato protein to a smoothie

You can add a bit of sweet potato flour to your morning smoothie or afternoon pick-me-up smoothie if you want to add just a dab of natural protein. The flavor is generally mild so it won’t overpower the most desirable ingredients in your smoothie mix.

Add fiber to yogurt

If you want to eat yogurt for a healthy gut microbiome but need more fiber, stir in a tablespoon or two of sweet potato flour. One serving of this alternative flour gives you a full 13 grams of fiber, and the flour will make your yogurt a little richer and thicker so it will even be more filling.

Whip up some biscuits for a fueling breakfast

Sweet potato biscuits can provide you with enough protein and fiber to keep you satiated and hold you over from breakfast until lunch.  

Homemade gnocchi with sweet potato flour

In Italian cooking, gnocchi (pronounced "nyow-kee") is a type of pasta consisting of pillowy, tender and chewy dumplings that practically melt in your mouth when done right.

Ingredients

For four people, you will need:

• 600 grams of sweet potato
• 500 grams of sweet potato flour
• 2 egg yolks
• A pinch of salt
• A pinch of organic turmeric powder
• A pinch of organic ground nutmeg

Directions

1. Cook peeled and cubed sweet potato in a large volume of salted water for 30 minutes. Once cooled, puree and add the sweet potato flour, egg yolks, salt, pepper, turmeric and nutmeg. Mix and knead to obtain a homogenous paste.
2. Separate the dough into 2-centimeter-wide balls before cutting them into small pieces. Shape each piece into gnocchi and roll them on the back of a fork to create the ridges.
3. Plunge the gnocchi into boiling water. When they float to the surface (roughly 2-3 minutes), drain–your sweet potato gnocchi are ready to be eaten. Because of its shape, gnocchi is especially good for thick sauces but they are also delicious just drizzled with melted butter and a little sage.