I recently bought some cake mix from Norwegian brand, Sukrin, which was on offer at Ocado. Unfortunately the cake didn’t turn out too well, and when I contacted Sukrin to let them know, they asked if I would like to try some of their other products. After a second batch of (much more successful) cakes (tip: cupcakes work much better than a big cake) I turned my attention to their unusual flours.

I love to try new ingredients, and the low-carbohydrate, low-fat flours made from sesame, almond and coconut especially appealed. But I didn’t have a clue how to use them! With some speckled bananas going spare in the fruit bowl, I created these 2 recipes:

Sesame, Date & Banana Bites

These soft little morsels aren’t true cookies, but they are rather yummy, and are free from dairy and refined sugar to boot! Perfect for a little mid-morning pick-me-up.

Makes 6-9 cookies.

Ingredients

• 50g Sukrin Sesame Flour
• 75g gluten free oats
• 40g chopped dates
• ½ tsp baking powder
• a pinch of salt
• 1 ripe banana
• 50g dairy free spread (I used Pure Sunflower spread, you could use butter)
• 25g runny honey

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°c and lightly oil/line a baking sheet
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, stir together all of the dry ingredients
3. Mash the banana
4. Melt the dairy-free spread/butter and honey together (about 1 minute on low in the microwave)
5. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet, and the banana, stirring well until you have a wet, sticky dough
6. Drop dessert spoonfuls of the batter onto the baking sheet and flatten slightly with the back of your spoon
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. Leave to cook on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Coconut & Banana Pancakes

These are the drop-scone/Scotch kind of pancake. Definitely need a generous drizzle of syrup or dollop of Greek yogurt, and a good handful of fresh berries.

Makes 8-10 small pancakes.

Ingredients

• 1 small banana, mashed
• 4 large eggs
• 40g Sukrin Coconut Flour
• 1tsp cinnamon and a little vanilla essence (optional)
• A little coconut or olive oil for frying

Method

1. Weigh the coconut flour in a jug or mixing bowl and add the cinnamon.
2. In a separate jug, whisk together the eggs, mashed banana and vanilla.
3. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, and which thoroughly to produce an even, sticky batter.
4. Heat the oil in a frying pan, and drop dessert spoonfuls of the batter into the pan. Cook for approximately 1 minute on each side.
5. Serve with your choice of topping!

Have you tried these flours? What other recipes would you recommend?