This High-Protein Alt-Flour Will Be Your New BFF for All Your Savory Baking Needs

The baking aisle used to be home to white flour and white flour only. Not anymore, though: Just like the limit of varieties of alt-milks doesn't exist, in 2020, we're flour-ing just about everything. If you want proof, look no farther than this week's episode of Well+Good’s Alt-Baking Bootcamp, where hosts Mia Rigden and Jenny Dorsey use protein-dense quinoa flour in their delicious gluten-free scone recipe.

"Quinoa is a pseudo grain that's really high in protein, so especially in the morning—when you enjoy scone for breakfast most of the time—that's going to give you a really important protein boost to help keep you going throughout the day," says Rigden. One cup of quinoa contains about eight grams of protein (that's more than an egg!). Quinoa flour itself has a whopping 16 grams of quinoa per cup, depending on the brand. And, because quinoa contains all nine essential amino acids that help your body function in tip-top form, it's what nutrition experts consider a complete protein—which is a rare achievement among plant-based foods.

Along with protein, quinoa also imbues your body with fiber (five grams per cup, to be exact), plenty of folate, bone-healthy calcium, and iron. Nothing to sneeze at, especially since traditional white flour lacks most of these benefits.

As for where to get your new go-to flour alternative, specialty grocery stores (like Whole Foods) and even your local grocery will likely carry the stuff. But to save yourself a chunk of change, Dorsey says you can also DIY your own flour with a high-powered food processor of blender. "If you don't find quinoa flour in a grocery store near you, it's also really east to make. Buy quinoa and grind it in your blender," says Dorsey. Done and done.

But if you're still wondering how to use quinoa flour, check out the video above, where our hosts combine it with almond and coconut flour to make a delicious savory scone. You'll want to try out this recipe ASAP.