Keto Flours Explained: Almond, Coconut, Lupin & More
A keto flour is any flour low enough in net carbs to replace wheat flour without knocking you out of ketosis — mainly almond, coconut, and lupin flour, plus fiber-based binders like psyllium husk. Almond flour runs about 10 to 11 g net carbs per 100 g, coconut flour about 21 to 24 g, and lupin flour as little as 2 to 5 g on some brands' labels, all well below wheat flour's roughly 60 to 70 g. This guide ranks the common options, flags the ones to skip, and explains how to substitute them.
A note before you bake: almond flour is made from a tree nut.3 If you or anyone you cook for has a diagnosed food allergy, avoid the triggering food and use only an alternative already confirmed as safe for that person. Coconut and lupin are not automatic substitutes. The FDA says people with peanut allergy may also react to lupin, and some people without peanut allergy can react; reactions may be severe.4 As with any significant diet change, talk to your healthcare provider before adopting a low-carb pattern long-term, especially if you're pregnant, manage diabetes with insulin, or have kidney or liver disease.
Wheat flour is almost pure starch, which is exactly why it's off-limits on keto — a single cup can cost 80 g or more of net carbs before you've added anything else. The flours below trade most of that starch for fat, protein, or fiber instead, which is what makes bread, bagels, and baked goods possible without leaving ketosis. None of them behave exactly like wheat flour, so knowing each one's ratio matters as much as knowing its carb count.
What counts as a keto flour?
A flour counts as "keto" when its net carbs — total carbs minus fiber — sit low enough that a normal serving fits inside a 20 to 50 g daily budget, generally well under wheat flour's 60 to 70 g net carbs per 100 g.1 Most keto flours get there one of two ways: they're naturally low in starch and high in fat or protein (almond, sesame, sunflower seed), or they're mostly fiber that your body can't fully digest (coconut, lupin, flaxseed, psyllium husk).
That second group is worth understanding, because it explains why some "high total carb" flours are still keto-friendly. Fiber is a carbohydrate by definition, but it isn't broken down into glucose the way starch is, so subtracting it gives the number that actually affects ketosis.1 Coconut and lupin flour both look carb-heavy on a "total carbohydrate" line until you see how much of that total is fiber.
Run any recipe's exact numbers through the net-carb calculator once you know which flour and how much you're using — swapping flours changes more than the carb count, and the calculator accounts for the whole recipe, not just one ingredient.
What are the keto flours, ranked by net carbs?
Lupin flour has the lowest net carbs of the common keto flours, followed by almond flour, then coconut flour — but "lowest net carbs" isn't the same as "best for every recipe." Each flour behaves differently in the oven, so the table below pairs net carbs with what each flour is actually good for.
| Flour | Net carbs / 100 g | Best uses | Swap ratio vs. wheat flour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lupin flour | ~2–5 g* | Bread, usually blended; allergen check required | Replace 20–25% of the flour in a mix; rarely used alone |
| Almond flour | ~10–11 g | Bread, muffins, pancakes, pie crusts | Roughly 1:1 by cup, but expect a denser, moister result |
| Flaxseed meal | ~2 g | Binder, egg replacer, crackers | Not a full flour swap — used in small amounts (1–4 Tbsp) |
| Coconut flour | ~21–24 g | Light baked goods, used in small quantities | About 1/4 to 1/3 cup per 1 cup wheat flour, plus extra egg |
| Sesame / sunflower seed flour | ~10–15 g | Almond-flour-style baking; check allergen fit | Roughly 1:1 by cup, similar to almond flour |
| Oat fiber | under 2 g | Bulk/texture booster, not a standalone flour | Used in small amounts (2–4 Tbsp) alongside another flour |
*Lupin flour figures vary more by brand than the others below — always check the label.
Almond flour
Almond flour is ground blanched almonds, and it runs about 21 g total carbs and 11 g fiber per 100 g — roughly 10 to 11 g net carbs — making it the most versatile keto flour for everyday baking.1 It has a mild, slightly sweet flavor, a fine texture, and behaves closer to wheat flour by volume than any other option here, which is why it's the base for our almond flour keto bread and 90-second keto bread. Because it has no gluten, recipes still need a binder or extra egg for structure, and it's noticeably higher in fat and calories than wheat flour, cup for cup.
Lupin flour
Lupin flour is milled from lupin beans, a high-fiber, high-protein legume, and some brands report as little as 2 to 5 g net carbs per 100 g — the lowest of the common keto flours. It has a mild, slightly bitter, bean-like flavor that's usually most palatable blended with another suitable flour rather than used on its own. Lupin is not a tree nut, but that does not make it universally safe. The FDA says people with peanut allergy are most at risk of reacting to lupin, while some people without peanut allergy may also react; reactions can include anaphylaxis. Look for lupin by name in the ingredient list and follow the individual's allergy plan.4
Coconut flour
Coconut flour is made from dried, defatted coconut meat and is extremely fiber-dense, at around 21 to 24 g net carbs per 100 g out of roughly 60 to 64 g total carbs.2 It absorbs far more liquid than any other flour on this list — a little goes a long way, which is why recipes use only a quarter to a third of the volume you'd use of wheat flour. Skip a straight substitution here: too much coconut flour without extra egg and liquid produces a dry, crumbly result.
Psyllium husk and flaxseed meal (binders)
Psyllium husk and flaxseed meal aren't flour replacements on their own — they're binders that stand in for the gluten wheat flour normally provides, and both add negligible net carbs at the small amounts recipes call for. Psyllium husk is almost entirely soluble fiber, which is what gives keto bread its chew and helps it hold together; flaxseed meal runs about 29 g total carbs and 27 g fiber per 100 g — close to 2 g net carbs — and can also replace an egg (1 Tbsp ground flaxseed plus 3 Tbsp water, rested 5 minutes) in a pinch.
Oat fiber, sesame flour, and sunflower seed flour
Oat fiber, sesame flour, and sunflower seed flour are less common keto flours worth knowing: oat fiber is nearly pure insoluble fiber with well under 2 g net carbs per 100 g, while sesame and sunflower seed flour sit closer to almond flour, at roughly 10 to 15 g net carbs per 100 g. Oat fiber (not to be confused with oat flour, which is high-carb) is mainly used to add bulk and structure alongside another flour. Sesame and sunflower seed flour are both good nut-free stand-ins for almond flour, though sesame flour has a stronger, nuttier flavor and sunflower seed flour can turn baked goods slightly green from a harmless reaction with baking soda.
Which flours should you avoid on keto?
Wheat flour, rice flour, and most "low-carb" baking blends belong on the avoid list — wheat flour alone runs about 60 g net carbs per 100 g even in its whole-grain form, and white/all-purpose versions run higher still because they have less fiber.1 Rice flour, cornstarch, and potato starch are all similarly starch-heavy and unsuitable for keto in any real quantity.
Watch out for pre-made "low-carb" or "keto" flour blends, too — some pad their volume with wheat starch, tapioca starch, or maltodextrin to improve texture, which can quietly push the net-carb count much higher than the marketing implies. Check the ingredient list, not just the front-of-package claim, and confirm the per-serving net carbs on the actual nutrition panel.
How do you substitute keto flours 1:1?
Almond flour is the closest to a true 1:1 swap for wheat flour by volume, but coconut flour is not — use only about a quarter to a third as much coconut flour as wheat flour, and add one extra egg per 1/4 cup of coconut flour to make up for the liquid it soaks up. Lupin flour works best blended with almond flour rather than swapped in fully; start by replacing 20 to 25% of the total flour with lupin and adjust from there.
A few conversion notes worth keeping in mind:
- Almond flour → wheat flour: roughly 1:1 by cup, but expect a denser, moister crumb and less rise, since almond flour has no gluten.
- Coconut flour → wheat flour: use 1/4 to 1/3 cup coconut flour per 1 cup wheat flour, and add extra egg and liquid — it's the most absorbent flour here by a wide margin.
- Lupin flour → wheat flour: best blended at 20 to 25% of the total flour weight rather than used alone, both for texture and flavor.
- Binders (psyllium husk, flaxseed, xanthan gum): add in small amounts (1–3 Tbsp per recipe) alongside a base flour — they replace gluten's structure, not the flour's volume.
Every substitution changes the total carbs of a recipe, so re-run the numbers with the net-carb calculator any time you swap flours rather than assuming the original recipe's nutrition label still applies. For a full list of what else belongs in a keto-friendly pantry, see the keto food list and the keto grocery shopping list.
If you're ready to put one of these flours to work, our keto bread hub links to both homemade recipes and a store-bought comparison, starting with the almond flour keto bread loaf and the 90-second keto bread mug version.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best flour for keto baking?
Which keto flour has the fewest net carbs?
Can you substitute almond flour for coconut flour 1:1?
Is oat flour keto?
Is coconut flour lower carb than almond flour?
Is lupin flour safe if you have a nut allergy?
Works cited
Article history
- Corrected almond and lupin allergy guidance with accessible FDA sources
- First published
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