Zucchini season is just around the corner. Abundance ahead! If you don't grow zucchini yourself, the chances are good that you will be offered free zucchinis by friends, neighbours, or co-workers. You may want to think twice about refusing after you've read this post. Amish flour is gluten free because it is made entirely from zucchinis. Nothing else. It can be used to replace up to one third of the regular flour called for in muffin and coffee cake recipes and adds the same moist crumb that we all love in zucchini cake.
How to Make Flour from Zucchinis
The method couldn’t be simpler.
Wash your zucchinis. Whether you peel or not is up to you; it's mainly an aesthetic choice. If the zucchinis are huge, the skin is thicker so peeling is probably a good idea. Large zucchinis should be quartered lengthwise so you can remove the seeds.
Evenly cut into ¼-inch/.5-centimetre thick slices. Spread on dehydrator trays in single layers placing the slices as close as you can without overlapping. If you have a lot of zucchini to work with, shredding might be a faster more space-saving option. Spread evenly on the trays, not too thick. Dehydrate at 125°F / 52°C until they are completely crispy. This will take at least 12 hours although it might take as long as 24 hours if your trays are crowded and your dehydrator is full. You should be able to snap a slice, not bend it. Don't skimp on drying time. If you're unsure, go ahead and dry for a few more hours.
Grind the Flour
In batches, using the small canister of your high-powered blender or smoothie maker, pulse the dried zucchini to the texture of flour. Pour the flour, using a funnel, into 1-pint / 500-ml jars. Screw on the lids, then leave the jars on the counter for a few days to condition them. Shake them twice a day and watch to see if moisture forms on the inside of the jar. If there is any, your Amish flour would eventually mold and be ruined, so you should store it in the freezer instead.
Store the Flour
Properly dried, zucchini flour keeps well from one harvest to the next. This is one dehydrated product to which I like to add a food-safe desiccant packet just to be on the safe side. It’s not necessary, but if you have them, this is a good use.
Store in a dark pantry until you need a new jar in your baking cupboard (hence the small jar size). If I have several jars to store, I boost the freshness by using two-piece canning lids that I seal with the jar attachment of my vacuum sealer.
Zucchini flour can replace up to one-third of any starch-based flour. If you bake gluten free. you probably have coconut flour in your cupboard. Try swapping it out one-to-one. Your baked goods will be more moist and less scratchy to the throat. Plus you can give yourself a pat on the back for using a local food, always a bonus.
Here are two of my favourite gluten free recipes — Amish Flour Mug Muffin and Amish Flour Rhubarb Coffee Cake.
Amish Flour Mug Muffin Gluten Free
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- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ¼ banana, mashed
- sweetener to equal 1 tbsp of sugar — Volupta/Lakanto or coconut sugar are good
- 1 tbsp coconut flour
- 1 tbsp Amish flour (zucchini flour)
- 1 tsp psyllium husk (optional)
- ½ teaspoon baking power
Microwave the butter in the mug until just melted, 15 seconds. Swirl the butter to coat the lower sides of the mug. Add the apple cider vinegar, banana and egg. Beat well with a fork. Measure in the dry ingredients and stir until there are no lumps. Microwave from 90 seconds to 2 minutes, depending on your microwave’s power. The muffin should not be wet in the middle when it’s finished.
Optional: place six frozen blueberries on top of the dough and increase cooking time by 30 seconds.
Amish Flour Rhubarb Coffee Cake Gluten Free
Butter an 8” x 8” baking pan. Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C
Prepare the rhubarb:
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- 1 ½ cups raw rhubarb stems, sliced ½” thick
- 1/3 cup water
- ¼ tsp stevia to sweeten to taste (or equivalent sweetener)
Put the rhubarb in a microwaveable bowl with the water and cook for 2 ½ to 3 minutes or until soft. Sweeten to taste using stevia. To get the equivalent sweetness with sugar, start with ¼ cup sugar and adjust until the rhubarb tastes like dessert, not vinegar.
Make the batter:
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- 5 eggs
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar or the same amount brown or white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1/3 cup Amish (zucchini) flour
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Beat in the melted butter. Stir in the dry ingredients until smooth. Then stir in the stewed rhubarb. Scrape the batter into the buttered baking pan. Let it rest for five minutes. Bake for 30 minutes until set.
When rhubarb season is over, don't be sad. This recipe works with applesauce too.
Please share your thoughts about Amish flour in the comments. I'd love to know what worked for you. Do you have suggestions for other ways to use this lovely vegetable flour?
