What is Lupin Flour? (2024)

Let’s face it: it doesn’t matter if you’re talking beans or beetroots, nuts or coconuts, cake or cassava, seeds or sorghum… there’s a flour variety made for and from just about everything these days (as a specialty flour company, we know…). It can certainly make it difficult to inform yourself on what to use when, or why to use what (and it looks like you might be just be a testament to that difficulty, given that you have stumbled across our article where you are learning more about lupin flour!). But regardless of your dietary preference, (gluten-free, low-carb, vegan, or just ‘gimme-darn-tasty-while-still-cheap-and-healthy’), lupin flour is a new power-packed specialty flour option that is sure to find a happy home in any modern diet.

Lupin flour is milled from the sweet white lupin bean, a legume in the genus lupinus, which is comprised of over 100 different species of lupin. While lupin has been hanging around in Australia since as early as the 1850’s1, it has only more recently become a crowd-favorite flour for use in cooking and baking. It is naturally gluten-free, low on the glycemic index, low in starch, distinctively high in both protein and fiber, and uniquely low in carbohydrates. In fact, Modern Mountain lupin flour is 40% protein and 37% fiber.

With only 2g of net carbs per serving, lupin flour makes most of its red-carpet appearances in keto and low-carb baking and cooking and has quickly become a staple in any keto kitchen. However, that’s certainly not to suggest that it doesn’t make plenty of star appearances in other areas; whether it’s gluten-free cooking, protein-packed baked goods, or even vegan meat substitutes (seitan, we're looking at you), lupin flour flourishes.

With only 2g of net carbs per serving, lupin flour makes most of its red-carpet appearances in keto and low-carb baking.

Top 5 Benefits of Lupin Flour (as chosen by Modern Mountain)

Low in carbs: We know that low-carb lifestyles are here to stay. In fact, in 2018, “keto” was the most googled food-related search query in the world. And there is no lack of studies that evince the benefits of drastically limiting carbohydrate consumption in your daily diet, including losing weight, burning fat, curbing hunger, lowering blood sugar, and improving heart health2. As your new low-carb flour choice, lupin flour can help to improve your cooking and baking while keeping you in ketosis.

High in fiber: Dietary fiber has been proven to be essential in your daily diet for helping to normalize bowel movements, lower cholesterol, control blood sugar, and more3. With 38% of your daily fiber intake in just one serving, lupin flour makes it easier to consume ample fiber.

Low on the glycemic index: The glycemic index was originally created to guide the diets of those with diabetes. Due to its minimal starch, lupin flour is a low-glycemic-index flour option. Studies have shown that low-glycemic diets may aid in weight loss efforts, control blood glucose levels, and curb hunger4.

Anti-inflammatory properties: Recent studies have hinted that the proteins in lupin beans may help to fight against inflammation, assisting with diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension5.

Pre-biotic: As they say – “gots to care for the guts” (trust us, they say that. You must just not know them). Given that lupin beans are a pre-biotic food, lupin flour helps to promote a healthy gut through the growth of “good” bacteria that supports digestive health.

Other Common Questions on Lupin Flour

What can you make with lupin flour?

Lupin flour has proven to be pretty darn versatile in a variety of different recipes (we haven't found lupin's limits yet). Some of our favorite uses of lupin flour are below, but you can also find all of our lupin flour recipes here:

  • Gourmet keto pizza crust
  • Fluffy keto waffles, pancakes, or funnel cakes
  • Quick keto noodles
  • Buttery keto biscuits andsandwich breads
  • Chocolate gluten-free cookies
  • Crispy low-carb tortilla chips

Just a few of our favorite recent lupin flour creations!

What does lupin flour taste like?

Lupin flour is probably best known for having a naturally slightly bitter taste. But really, we think it all comes down to genetics. For every comment saying that lupin flour is bitter, you'll find several more proclaiming that no bitterness has ever been detected. So, give it a try and see what you think. Customers have said that Modern Mountain lupin flour has a fuller, nuttier flavor in comparison to other lupin flour options. To combat any bitterness, we always recommend pairing lupin flour with a bit of your favorite seasonings or sweetener, such as monk fruit sweetener, as well as always using it in a 1:1 ratio with other flours like almond flour.

Is lupin flour keto friendly?

In case you did not catch it from our summary above – YES! Lupin flour is not only keto-friendly, but is now one of the most popular keto flours on the market today. If you have not tried it, lupin flour just might be what has been missing in your low-carb pantry.

I am allergic to peanuts… can I eat lupin flour?

Lupin is a legume that is related to peanuts and soya. Some individuals with peanut and soy allergies have had issues with lupin flour, so we recommend that you do not eat lupin flour if you are allergic to legumes, peanuts, or soy. Read more on the FDA’s statement of lupin allergies here.

How many carbs are in lupin flour?

While it varies from brand to brand, Modern Mountain lupin flour has only 2g of net carbs per ¼ cup (30g) serving.

Where can I buy lupin flour near me?

While lupin flour is a hit with the keto crowd, it can still be difficult to find in local stores. But not to fret – lupin flour can be purchased with Prime 2-Day Shipping from Amazon here, or directly on our site here.

What can I substitute for lupin flour?

Truth be told, there is not much out there quite like lupin flour. However, if you find yourself in a crunch, we recommend substitute almond flour or experimenting with another pulse-based flour like chickpea.

What foods contain lupin flour?

Lupin flour is most frequently found in home-based baking and cooking, although you may find it as an ingredient in some low-carb baked goods or baking mixes on grocery store shelves.

Now, a question for you! Do you have a favorite recipe with lupin flour?

Let us know! We like to post our favorite recipes on our site. If we post yours, we'll give you (mad) props as the creator and will link to your blog or personal website (if you have one)!

What is Lupin Flour? (2024)

FAQs

What is lupin flour? ›

Lupin flour is a low carb all purpose flour substitute made of ground lupini beans. It's rich in protein and low in net carbs, so it's ideal for keto baking. While almond flour and coconut flour can be overly dry, lupin flour is known for its ability to absorb moisture.

What can you substitute for lupin flour? ›

Either almond flour or coconut flour can also serve as a lupin flour substitute depending on whether you need more fat or what your recipe calls for. But, overall, these flours are keto-friendly, gluten-free, and are great wheat flour alternatives.

What are the disadvantages of lupin flour? ›

The most common adverse effects are gas, bloating, and stomach pain. Lupin is LIKELY UNSAFE when products with toxic levels of alkaloids (sometimes called bitter lupin) are used. They can cause many adverse effects which can lead to breathing problems and death.

What is in lupin flour? ›

Ingredients And Nutritional Value Of Lupin Flour

Australian Sweet Lupin flour only consists of one ingredient: organic Australian Sweet Lupin beans. It's made entirely from plant protein which makes it vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO.

Is lupin flour good for you? ›

Lupin is an excellent source of high-quality plant protein for people who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet. It is gluten-free and provides a more nutrient-dense wheat replacement than other grain and cereal alternatives currently utilised in gluten-free diets.

Is lupin flour better than almond flour? ›

Not only is lupin flour naturally gluten-free, making it an excellent option for those with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease, but it also comes with an impressive nutritional profile that outshines other low carb options like almond flour and coconut flour.

What is the unhealthiest flour? ›

Avoid the common all-purpose white flour because it is high in calories, most often stripped of nutrients, and is linked to weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2D), hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.

Does lupin flour spike blood sugar? ›

Lowers blood sugar: Lupin flour has a low glycemic index, which means it does not cause a rapid rise in blood sugar levels. This makes it a good choice for people with diabetes or those who are trying to manage their blood sugar levels.

What does lupin do to the body? ›

Are there side effects from eating lupin? Legumes like lupin are somewhat notorious for causing gas and bloating. This is because they contain a type of carbohydrate the human body lacks the enzyme to break down. Canned beans tend to have less of this carbohydrate due to how they're cooked.

How do you eat lupin flour? ›

Some species of lupin are also grown for their seeds which can be used in foods. The seeds are normally crushed to make lupin flour which can be used as an ingredient when making pasta, pancakes, and baked goods such as pastries and pies.

Does lupin flour go bad? ›

In a Nutshell: Unopened lupin flour can last up to two years or more when stored properly. Once opened, its shelf life decreases, but you can extend it with proper storage methods.

Does lupin flour spike insulin? ›

Lowers blood sugar: Lupin flour has a low glycemic index, which means it does not cause a rapid rise in blood sugar levels. This makes it a good choice for people with diabetes or those who are trying to manage their blood sugar levels.

Is lupin flour high in lectins? ›

After the alkaloids are removed from seeds by debittering or by breeding to produce sweet varieties, lupin seed is highly valuable as a human food and animal feed, with high protein and dietary fiber and low levels of antinutritional factors such as phytates, protease inhibitors and lectins [21].

Does lupin flour contain gluten? ›

Lupin flour is highly digestible and gluten free. Lupin beans are a non-GMO alternative to soybeans. Note: Lupin flour may cause allergic reactions in those with peanut, almond, and legumes allergies. * See recipe below.

Is lupin a wheat flour? ›

The European white lupin has been eaten as a food by humans dating back to the ancient Egyptians, but use of the sweet lupin is relatively recent. Lupin flour is high in protein, essential amino acids and fibre, is easily digestible, low GI, cholesterol free, an appetite suppressant, and wheat/gluten free.

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