Alternative Flour Brownies Test #1

Shipetaukin Organics Millet Flour

We did a lot of alternative sweetener testing with the same Hershey's brownie recipe. That recipe is back and this time we will be testing out different types of flours. Some will be gluten-free like our one today while others will have other claims like more fiber or being organic. For our first Alternative Flour Brownie Test I've picked Shipetaukin Organics Millet Flour. The label claims it is gluten-free, organic, non GMO, and Vegan... why would a flour not be vegan? I don't even what to know how that could happen, do you? I was sent a 2.5 pound bag of this flour from the brand via the Amazon Vine program in exchange for a fair and honest review on that mega website; this article on The Chocolate Cult is an unexpected bonus for them and no other form of compensation was received.

Shipetaukin Millet Flour

First let's look at the flour. As I hope you can see in the photo, it has a slightly yellowish color to it. Compared to wheat flour, this has more calories, approximately 10 more calories per 1/4 cup, which will add about 40 extra calories to our brownies for the entire 10 X 13 inch baking pan, so a few more calorie per brownie depending on how you cut them. The bag says to use it as you would wheat flour but suggests that you add in xanthan gum because millet flour tends to create more crumbly baked goods. Given that brownies are not the type of treat that is usually at risk of crumbling and that I don't keep xanthan gum on hand, I didn't add that and simply subbed in this product for my regular whole wheat flour.

Millet Flour Brownie

Mixing in the millet flour wasn't any different from using wheat flour. The final batter may have been a touch more sticky but not much at all. It looked very much the same. I baked at for the full 35 minutes and it looked very similar to the original recipe brownie. As it cooled off, the inside sunk a bit further than the edges. The edges did crumble and break a bit more but honestly my family didn't care. The inside was incredibly moist to the point that I might be worried about it not cooking thoroughly except I know how long I baked it. It did need to be eaten with a fork or spoon because it fell apart. Millet flour may also have a sweeter taste than wheat flour and given how much cane sugar the recipe calls for, I wonder if the cocoa powder will be allowed to shine at all in these brownies. No point putting it off, let's try it. The taste was quite sweet but the cocoa came through very well even though the sweetness lingered a bit longer than in the original brownies. It did not dry out my mouth at all. 

Ultimately, I can't say this is a type of alternative flour I'd buy again. The crisp top didn't extend to the bottom or the sides, the sweetness lingered too, long, and I need a more versatile and easy to use flour in my house for my family.