I get that using wheat flour can be scary, especially if you’re used to white flour in everything, or you were forced to eat whole wheat everything growing up like I was.  But here’s the thing, chances are the wheat you ate growing up is NOT the wheat that is available now.  Mostly because it used to be that only hard RED wheat was available to purchase.  Red wheat is darker in color and comes with a stronger flavor.  In the last 10-20 years, they’ve started offering hard WHITE wheat, which is lighter in color and milder in flavor….which means it perfect for you to use in your own baking.

So why use wheat flour?  Well, you might be like me and out of flour (thank you COVID-19) without a prayer of ever finding it in stock again (thank you panic shoppers).  But you might also just be interested in giving your baked goods a punch of vitamins, nutrients, fiber, and protein. The truth is that using whole wheat flour is actually really smart and strategic. If you don’t know much about the difference between all-purpose flour (the kind you buy in the store) and whole wheat flour, you should know that all-purpose or bleached flour comes from wheat flour, but in order to make it so it can sit on a shelf for longer, they remove the wheat germ (which contains a small amount of oil that can go rancid).  The problem is that when they remove that part they are removing all of the nutrients and vitamins as well.  But don’t worry, they add back FOUR of the TWENTY-TWO vitamins and nutrients.  So, as you can tell, mixing in a little whole wheat flour is actually really good for you! 

So, now that you’re sold, it’s time to give you the essential tips for being successful at adding whole wheat to your own recipes and liking it!

TIPS FOR USING WHOLE-WHEAT FLOUR IN YOUR OWN RECIPES

1. Try it in desserts first–who can turn down a cookie? (No one, that’s who.)
2. Try using half white flour and half whole-wheat flour.  It’s not necessary to substitute whole-wheat flour for ALL of the white flour in every recipe. (If you want an easy way to rotate through your flour, add one pound of whole wheat flour to a 5 lbs of all-purpose flour and use it in anything, but be sure to use it within 4-6 weeks)
3. Use recipes that your family already enjoys and is familiar with.
4. Disguise wheat flour, which is light brown in color, in bread, cakes and cookie recipes that contain brown sugar, molasses, spices, chocolate, or mashed fruit or vegetables (such as bananas, applesauce, zucchini, or carrots).
5. Use whole wheat flour in recipes that also call for oats, oat flour, or nuts.  Oats and nuts have a hearty flavor that compliments the flavor of the wheat.
6. If you’re using it in a bread product (like biscuits or pancakes) use honey instead of syrup or jam because honey and whole wheat are like best friends and taste insanely good together.
7. REMEMBER: don’t warn your family that there is whole wheat in the food they’re about to eat.  If you don’t say anything they’ll assume you followed the recipe just as you always have.  So sit back, smile to yourself and watch your family members gobble up the food…wheat and all!

BUT SERIOUSLY…DON’T JUST TAKE MY WORD FOR IT:

Here are some comments I’ve received about whole wheat

“I made whole-wheat chocolate chip cookies for my kids. I  thought for sure they’d be able to tell they looked a little darker…but nobody said a thing and they ate them all!”-Keri

“I made brown sugar zucchini bread [with whole wheat flour] and thought it was great! I  was worried though, that y kids would be able to tell I’d used whole wheat flour. But nope, they ate it all and begged for more.  Thanks so much for the tips!” -Meredith

“I made wheat pancakes this week and loved them!” -Stacia

THE TRICK:

The trick to it all, is to think HOW CAN YOU use it, not that you can’t.  Think about the following and choose who you WOULD use whole wheat in it:

• Chocolate Chip Cookies (click the link to get my favorite whole wheat chocolate chip cookie recipe)
• Chocolate Cake
• Banana Bread
• Snickerdoodles
• Biscuits 
• Bread (click the link to get my favorite whole wheat bread recipe!)

The truth is, I’ve used some amount of whole wheat in all of those and it was great! So, to get you going, I’ve also included my favorite whole wheat banana bread recipe.  Feel free to use 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 all-purpose or 100% whole wheat!

These tips and tricks were shown in a LIVE Instagram Meet up, if you missed it, you can watch it HERE in our Outsmart Dinner Facebook Group!