How to Make Plantain Flour From Home

Bananas are more than just long yellow fruits. Farmers produce more than 1,000 varieties of bananas, including plantains, all of which you can put in Banana Holder.

You may have eaten fried plantains at Mexican or Spanish restaurants. But plantains are far more versatile than that side dish. Plantain flour is an incredible derivative that you can incorporate into many recipes.

What goes into plantain flour? How can you prepare it at home? What are some good recipes that call for it specifically?

Answer these questions and you can take advantage of this incredible kind of banana. Here is your quick guide.

What Is Plantain Flour?

Plantains are in the same family as bananas. They are sometimes called “cooking bananas” because they are so similar. Yet they are starchier and less sweet than bananas, making them akin to a potato.

They are not good to eat raw, but they can be processed or cooked in a number of recipes. They are a staple of African, South American, and Central American cuisines.

Plantain flour is flour made from dried plantains. It serves as the basis for a number of recipes, including baked goods. You can find packages of it in certain grocery stores, but it may be hard to come by unless you make your own.

Plantain Flour vs Regular Flour

Regular flour is made from wheat. It is often processed down to a fine powder, leaving few essential nutrients.

Though plantain flour is similar in texture to wheat flour, it maintains the nutrients of the plantains. Plantains have dietary fiber, vitamins A and C, and magnesium. They cause lower blood sugar spikes than wheat and other grains do, making plantain flour good for diabetics.

You can use plantain flour in any recipe that calls for all-purpose flour. Plantain flour may be slightly sweeter than wheat flour, so you should use it mainly for desserts and baked goods.

How to Make Plantain Flour

You can buy plantains at any major grocery store. Select five unripe ones. They should be green with a firm texture.

Take your plantains and slice them into thin circles. Your ideal tool is a dehydrator, but you can use an oven at 140 degrees to dry your plantains out. Lay them out in one row on cookie sheets, then put them in for six hours.

You may want to inspect them to make sure they are dry. Do not spray your sheets with oil, which can make the bottoms of your slices moist.

Touch the tops when your timer goes off to see if they are ready. If they feel wet, put them back in at the same temperature. You may need to leave your chips in overnight to allow the water in them to evaporate.

Once they are dry, put them in a food processor. Pulse a few times to break them down. You may have to clean off the blades or pry pieces off the side so they chop evenly.

Keep pulsing until you have produced a smooth and thin flour. Take an airtight container and put your flour inside, then store it away in the pantry. You can keep your flour in the refrigerator, especially if you are not planning to bake with it.

Make sure no light shines on your flour. This will keep it dry for a longer period of time. If you haven’t used your flour in a few months, check it to see that it does not have any mold.

Plantain Flour Recipes

You can swap out all-purpose flour for plantain flour in any recipe. You can also integrate plantain flour into smoothies and milkshakes. But there are more elaborate recipes that call for plantain flour in particular.

Bread

Mix three cups of plantain flour with baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Add some water with a splash of apple cider vinegar to your dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon until you have a thick and smooth batter.

Take a loaf pan and spray it with some cooking spray. Then pour your batter inside, tapping the pan so it fills evenly and releases air bubbles.

Bake your bread in the oven for 45 minutes, and let it cool in the pan for an additional ten minutes. Make even slices on a cutting board using a serrated knife.

Pancakes

Mix some ground flax together with water at room temperature. Put the mixture off to the side for five minutes until it becomes hard.

Then mix plantain flour with cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. When the dry ingredients are combined, add in some almond milk, yogurt, and vanilla extract. You can then add your flax mixture in until everything is well combined.

Pour a little oil into your frying pan and preheat it over medium heat. Take a tablespoon of your batter and cook it on your pan until the bottom is golden brown. If you have enough room, you can cook two cakes at once.

Keep cooking until you have used all of your batter. Fresh blueberries, honey, and maple syrup work as great toppings.

How to Use Plantain Flour

Plantain flour is a great way to add life to your recipes. Plantains are starchier bananas, making them ideal for flour production.

Plantains are healthier than wheat stalks, making them a healthier base for flour. Plantain flour maintains essential nutrients like dietary fiber and vitamin C.

Slice some plantains into thin circles and dry them in your oven over several hours. Then put the circles in your food processor and grind them down to a powder. Use your flour to make bread and pancakes.

Plantains are one path to more interesting meals. Find out more by following our coverage.