Ever tried baking with amaranth flour? It is an ancient grain and amaranth flour is a flavorful result of grinding down amaranth grains. Many people aren't even aware of the possibility of baking with amaranth flour because it's not available in most mainstream supermarkets. You'll have to look in natural food stores or in large supermarkets for amaranth flour.

Look for recipes that include amaranth flour on the ingredient list before attempting to alter an existing recipe. You can find recipes that use amaranth flour online on the websites of companies who manufacture amaranth flour. Don't try to substitute amaranth flour in a 1:1 ratio for regular white flour. Your baked good will end up tasteless and hard.

Use a combination of flours in addition to amaranth flour when you're trying to adapt a favorite recipe. Limit the amount of amaranth flour you use to no more than 1/3 of the total flour when you're trying to adapt a favorite recipe.

Combine amaranth flour with other flours such as oat flour, barley flour, white rice flour, and soy flour. Try amaranth flour if you have celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity. It's a great choice for these individuals because it is a gluten-free flour.

Allow yourself some time to adjust to baked goods made with amaranth flour. They won't taste quite as good as what you're used to the first time you try them. But the variety in taste is what we’re after at the ‘ol dinner table, right? Something to shake up our taste buds and widen our repertoire? Let’s start with these recipes:

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Amaranth Pancakes or Flatbread

Makes 12 Pancakes

1/2 cup Almond Meal/Flour 
1/2 cup Arrowroot Starch 
1 cup Organic Amaranth Flour 
1/2 tsp Baking Soda 
1/4 tsp Sea Salt 
1 tsp Cinnamon 
1-2 Tb Maple Syrup or Honey 
1-1/2 cups Water 
2 Tb Lemon Juice 
2 tsp Cream of Tartar
  2 Tb Canola Oil 

Combine liquids in blender; blend 10 seconds (or mix in small bowl) and stir into dry mixture. In another bowl blend together all the dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients with dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Cook pancakes on preheated, ungreased, nonstick griddle or frying pan. When bubbly and brown, turn. As batter thickens you may need to add another tablespoon or two of water to keep cakes thin (should be no more than 1/4 inch thick).

*If you want to use pancakes as flatbread, remove to wire racks to cool. When cold, stack, wrap and refrigerate. May toast in a toaster oven or place on wire racks on cookie sheets in moderately hot oven for a few minutes. Make mini sandwiches: try sliced chicken or turkey garnished with nonfat or low-fat mayo, lettuce and tomato. Excellent with peanut butter, too.

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Amaranth Carrot Cookies

This recipe is a healthy cookie that tastes like a carrot cake. Agave syrup was used rather than honey because it's not so sweet. If you use honey you may want to use less than the suggested amount.

6 Tb Vegetable Oil (I prefer melted butter)
1/2 cup Agave Syrup
6 Tb Water
2 cups Organic Amaranth Flour
2/3 cup Arrowroot Starch
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
2 tsp Vanilla
2/3 cup Carrot, grated
2/3 cup Raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet, set aside. Combine all of the wet ingredients and set aside. In a separate bowl sift flours. Combine dry ingredients and sift again. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well. Add raisins and grated carrots. Use a medium size (1.5 oz) spring action scoop to place batter on greased cookie sheet. Using a scoop will ensure your cookies to bake evenly. Bake 12-15 minutes, until cookies are lightly brown. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.

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