Modern Mountain Flour Company - November 14, 2021

What is Oat Fiber?

RAISE A TOAST FOR THE FANTASTIC KETO-FRIENDLY FIBER THAT WILL TRANSFORM YOUR LOW-CARB BAKING (OR WHATEVER BAKING FLOATS YOUR OAT)

Despite their widespread praise by nutritionists and health fanatics alike, oats have a humble origin: porridge for English peasants in the 14th century. It was the Scots who turned oats into a more formal meal. While the Scots adored oats, the English rolled their eyes at it. In a dictionary he wrote in 1755, Englishman Samuel Johnson went as far to define oats as “eaten by people in Scotland but fit only for horses in England.” A Scottish Lord slapped back with, “that’s why England has such good horses, and Scotland has such fine men!”

Lucky for us, this 18th century oat drama was short-lived. Whether you choose your morning oatmeal, Cheerios, oat bran muffins, or oatmeal raisin cookies, it’s clear that the world has united with a love of oats. Now, oats may seem simple, but today we’d like to spice things up a bit introduce you to the oat form that is nearest and dearest to our hearts. It’s one that may be little known but is rapidly growing in popularity due to its powerful place in low-carb baking: Oat Fiber.

About Oat Fiber

Flours and fibers are found from just about everything these days, including the glorious oat. But if you’re looking for a keto-friendly baking ingredients that can add pizazz to your baking while also helping you to hit your net carb targets, you’re surely about to be a fan of oat fiber, primarily because it has zero net carbs and zero calories (cue mic drop).

While the oat groat is the source of most common fan-favorite oat forms like rolled oats or steel cut oats, oat fiber is made purely from the husk of the oat, which is the shell that surrounds the oat groat/kernel. Much like psyllium husk powder, oat fiber is made from grinding the outer husk of the oats rather than the oats themselves, creating a finely powdered fiber.

Why We Love Oat Fiber

In keto baking, texture can be pretty tough and tiring. Lucky for us, oat fiber is the superstar we've sought to keep the texture of low-carb baked goods moist and soft. This is because oat fiber absorbs liquid at an impressive rate of 7 times its weight. It improves the texture and crumb of breads and baked goods and bulks them up with plenty of dietary fiber, all without adding anything of those pesky carbs that bring the risk of kicking you out of ketosis.

With an extremely mild taste and an ultra-fine powdered texture that can easily blend into mixes, smoothies, or shakes, Modern Mountain Oat Fiber can be used in everything from muffins and cupcakes, to smoothies and shakes, to cereals and cookies. Just a couple of tablespoons in any keto bread or baked good can do the trick, although you’ll frequently find oat fiber used in much larger quantities in low-carb baking recipes. But please, don’t you dare limit oat fiber to baking alone. Oat fiber works well as a binding agent in meatballs or meatloaf, makes a great low-carb substitute for flour in chicken dishes, and adds a fibrous boost to your morning smoothies or shakes.

Adding just a couple of tablespoons of oat fiber to any keto bread or baked good can help to noticeably improve texture and crumb

Discover it for yourself by adding it to your next keto sweet or treat or by mixing it into your favorite store bought or homemade flour blend. It’s truly the do-it-all secret to achieving tantalizing texture in your keto creations, and we’ll go as far to say that your low-carb pantry isn’t complete without it.

Five Fantastic Fast Facts about Fiber_¹. 

1. Fiber aids digestion to help normalize bowel movements and support overall bowel health.

2. Fiber helps to ease constipation troubles.

3. Fiber helps to control blood sugar levels.

4. Fiber helps to maintain an healthy body weight, since high-fiber foods tend to be more satiating and keep you full for longer.

5. Fiber may help you to reduce your risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Other Common Questions on Oat Fiber

How to use oat fiber?

Add a couple of tablespoons of oat fiber any keto baking recipe to help improve texture, or follow any recipe that calls for oat fiber. Oat fiber is often found working alongside some of its fondest flour pals like lupin flour,  almond flour, coconut flour, or golden flaxseed meal.

Please know that due to its ability to retain moisture, you may need to increase the amount of water in your recipe if you are adding a significant amount of oat fiber to your dry ingredients.

What can I make with oat fiber?

You'll quickly discover that oat fiber can be used in a ton of low-carb recipes. Some of our team's favorite uses for oat fiber can be found below.

• Pancakes and waffles
• Pizza Crust
• Sandwich bread
• Blueberry muffins
• Keto fried green tomatoes

Low-carb challah bread with oat fiber from @soofiainayat

Low-carb pizza crust

Loaf of keto bread from @thebutterflybakeress

Where to buy oat fiber?

If you’re lucky and live near a keto grocer, you may be able to find oat fiber located in the baking section. However, most markets won’t carry oat fiber as it remains an uncommon consumer item for those not on the keto diet. The quickest and most convenient option to purchase oat fiber is on Amazon here. You can also get it directly from our site here!

How to make oat fiber?

Oat Fiber is not something that can be made at home, unless you are a farmer who grows oats and can separate the oat from the husk and grind the oat hull to a fine powder (and if that’s the case, maybe we should connect…).

Oat flour vs. oat fiber - what's the difference?!

Oat flour is a whole grain flour made from grinding oats (most commonly rolled oats) into a finely ground flour. It’s a flour that has become an increasingly popular gluten-free alternative to all-purpose flour. Oat fiber, on the other hand, is an ultra-fine powder milled from grinding just the oat hull. It’s dietary fiber; that’s it and that’s all. It’s a secret of keto bakers to help improve texture, add bulk, and reduce net carb counts of breads and baked goods.

What does oat fiber do in baking?

As an insoluble fiber that absorbs up to 7 times its weight in water, oat fiber helps to add bulk and improve the texture of breads and baked goods. From breads, pastries, muffins, crackers, pizza crusts, and more, just a couple of tablespoons can help to improve texture and crumb of whatever low-carb creation you’re craving next.

How many net carbs are in oat fiber?

Oat Fiber has zero net carbs. Oat fiber is an insoluble fiber where 100% of the carbs present are in the form of dietary fiber. Because you’re dealing with fiber, the entirety of the carbs present will go through the body undigested, and eventually passed through as body waste.

We find that that this can sometimes confuse bakers who are beginning to test out low-carb baking. If you’re ever having trouble with your net carbs (in oat fiber or elsewhere), you can remember this handy equation for calculating net carb counts of ingredients, recipes, or pre-packaged products:

Net Carbohydrates = Carbohydrates – Dietary Fiber – Sugar Alcohols or Allulose

What can I use as a substitute for oat fiber?

Surely oat fiber should soon be a staple in your pantry if you’re enjoying any low-carb baking or intending to incorporate additional fiber into your diet, and there’s not many similar fiber options that pack such a punch for your keto baking. However, if you’ve run out of your supply while cooking your favorite recipes, here a couple of fibrous alternatives that may be worth giving a shot:

Psyllium Husk
Chia Seed Meal
Golden Flaxseed Meal

Now, a question for you! Do you have a favorite recipe with oat fiber?

Let us know! We like to post our favorite recipes on our site. If we post yours, we'll give you props as the creator and will link to your blog or personal website (if you have one)!

Ready to give oat fiber a shot?

Suggested Recipes

Keto Fried Chicken

Forget Kentucky Fried Chicken... it's all about the Keto Fried Chicken these days! This is a quick, easy, and darn delicious fried chicken recipe relying on lupin flour, oat fiber, and parmesan cheese. It's also highly recommended that you pair this with our keto waffles for the best low-carb chicken and waffles you could ask for!

Keto Bagels

Looking for a keto-friendly bagel to spice up your low-carb breakfast game? Look no further. Made with just 5 ingredients, these keto bagels are ones with tantalizing taste and texture. Give them a quick spread of butter or cream cheese, and enjoy!

Low-Carb Sandwich Bread

It's a low-carb loaf to write home about! Enjoy sandwiches and toast while easily staying under your net carb count with this golden sandwich bread loaf. It's offers a nice crust, and a fluffy inside with nice chew. Slice it thin for a sandwich, or saw it thick for a nice, hearty French toast.