Haley: “I want to tell you what I bought online during class tonight, but I don’t want you to look at me like I’m crazy.”

Ben: “Okay, I promise.  What is it?”

Haley: “Peanut Flour”

Ben: “Huh?”

Haley: “It’s basically peanut butter without the salt or oil, which makes it lower fat and no sodium.  You have to mix it with water to use it as a spread.”

Ben: “That’s AWESOME!”

Haley: “Oh, phew.  Ok, good.  ’Cause I bought four of them.”

Before you start lecturing me about my spending habits, let me explain:

1. No one pays attention during class, anyway
2. I keep hearing from the blog-world that Trader Joe’s has the best Peanut Flour
3. I heart Trader Joe’s, but we don’t have one in Hawai`i [I found out through speaking with one of their managers that - although they have a serious obsession with Hawaiian print - they will never open a store in Hawai`i because they can't do it without having to raise their prices significantly (due to cost of shipping), which is against their mission]
4. Amazon only sells them in packs of four

I figured that, since they’re packed airtight, I can keep an extra one around and then give the other two to family/friends who are as addicted to peanut butter as I am.

So, let’s go over the basics:

• Peanut flour is lower in calories, fat, and sodium than peanut butter. Ben and I use Kirkland brand’s Organic Peanut Butter, which doesn’t add sugar to the mix (yes, many peanut butter brands add sugar), and we love it.  I mean, I can eat it by the Tablespoon-full.  And that’s the problem.  A single tablespoon of peanut butter boasts 100 calories and 7.5 grams of fat!  Peanut flour, on the other hand, allows me to have 1/4 c flour for 110 calories and 4 grams of fat.  Mix that with a few tablespoons of water and a dash of salt, and you’ve got 3 to 4 tablespoons of peanut butter for much fewer calories and fat – plus, you can control the sodium yourself.  Check it (take note of the serving size):

[Left: Baker Josef's (Trader Joe's) Peanut Flour] / [Right: Kirkland Organic Peanut Butter]

• What’s it taste like? Peanut flour itself doesn’t taste like much, aside from powdery peanuts, to me [actually, if you've ever had kinako, Japanese soybean powder, that's almost exactly what it tastes like].  When mixed with water, the peanut flour tastes exactly as you’d expect it to – like low-fat PB.  Adding a pinch of salt makes it taste more like peanut butter, but there’s no way to make it taste as rich.  Our consensus: it’s a great lower-fat substitute, but it’s going to take some getting used to.  Eventually we’d like to just have peanut flour in our home so that it becomes the new standard.

• Peanut flour comes in a 1 lb airtight package, which actually yields more flour than you’d expect. I transfered mine into a glass container for easy access and storage.  To mix, just put it in a bowl with some water and use a fork/whisk to create the texture you like (Ben likes his more creamy than I do).  The package suggests using peanut flour to thicken soups and add flavor to favorite recipes [think protein shakes and muffins!].

I’ve been putting peanut flour in my steel cut oats in the morning (which gives it such great flavor, plus a little extra boost of protein), and I can’t wait to try it in the Dream Bar!  This past weekend, after my first Vibram run, I came home to try out another peanut flour recipe: Peanut Buttah Banana French Toast!

I essentially made ABC French Toast, but used Challah in place of regular bread [a friend made us this loaf, but if you're looking for a recipe you can use this one], and added 1/4 c peanut flour and 3 extra Tbsp of almond milk [I recommend mixing the peanut flour with almond milk before mixing everything together.  I put the powder straight into the mix and it was clumpy].

It was amazing. But truth be told, though, I wasn’t in the mood for french toast, so the [very happy!] hubby enjoyed his new favorite carb breakfast while I chowed down on a steel cut oats rendition of the recipe:

In the mix: 1/4 c oats, 1/2 c water, 1/4 c almond milk, 2 Tbsp peanut flour, and 1 tsp chia seeds.  Topped with a grilled banana and served in my favorite bowl, which was handmade by my mother-in-law!