In many people’s pantries, there are a few kinds of flour. All-purpose flour seems to take precedence over the others in everyday cooking and baking. Some of the other flours end up neglected until one day, the realization happens that whole wheat flour, corn flour, cake flour, gluten-free flour, or some specialty flour is past its prime.
We’re here to help you with at least one of the flours lingering in the cabinet—whole wheat flour. The 15 recipes below are designed specifically to use whole wheat flour, or they work well when you substitute some or all of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat with excellent results. You’ll find breads, tarts, muffins, cookies, and more that get both a flavor and nutritional boost from robust whole wheat flour.
Peruse these recipes, pick your favorite, grab your bag of opened whole wheat flour and get baking.
No-Knead Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
Whole wheat flour adds a little nuttiness and a bit of extra nutrition to pizza dough. This easy recipe keeps for 3 days in the refrigerator so you can make it ahead and have it ready when it’s time to make homemade pizza.
Uses 1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
Whole Wheat Strawberry Shortcake
All the deliciousness of strawberry shortcake with a few healthier ingredient tweaks. There’s a bit less butter and more whole-grain flour than many recipes. And the whipped topping is half Greek yogurt instead of all heavy cream. The result is all satisfying.
Uses 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
Tomato Galette With Parmesan Whole Wheat Crust
A galette is a rustic tart, giving you the freedom to pay attention to the ingredients—in this case, cherry tomatoes and Parmesan cheese—rather than getting the crust to look perfect. The dough comes together quickly in a food processor, and after a 30-minute chill time in the fridge, it’s ready to use.
Uses 1 cup whole wheat flour
Banana Bread
Everyone loves this banana bread, and you can easily swap out some or all of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour and still have a moist, flavorful quick bread that makes good use of the overripe bananas in your freezer.
Uses 3/4 to 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
Oatmeal Bread
Old-fashioned oats, whole wheat flour, white bread flour, and honey are the basis of this moist, hearty bread. This is a yeast bread, not a quick bread, so be sure to factor in the time it takes for the dough to rise when you decide to make it.
Uses 1 cup whole wheat flour
Easy Vegetable Tart with Carrots, Fennel and Chèvre
Call it a tart. Call it a galette. Call it delicious. Carrots, fennel, onion, and goat cheese fill this whole wheat crust and create a savory fall meal.
Uses 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
Zucchini Walnut Pancakes
If you love zucchini bread, you’ll love these pancakes. Using whole wheat flour adds some healthy grains and the nuts add a bit of protein. Cinnamon and lemon give them a burst of flavor. Yum!
Uses 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
Orange-Spiced Whole Wheat Muffins
These muffins pair perfectly with cold mornings and hot tea. The recipe calls for whole wheat pastry flour and white flour, but you can substitute the whole wheat pastry flour for whole wheat, adding extra nutrition and nuttiness to them. They get a ton of flavor from orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove.
Uses 1 cup whole wheat flour
Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Bread
You can sub half of the all-purpose for whole wheat in this quick bread that’s a copycat of Starbuck’s version. It’s delicious without any add-ins, but feel free to throw in some nuts, vegan chocolate chips, raisins, or dried cranberries.
Uses 1 1/2 plus 1/8 cups whole wheat flour
Morning Glory Muffins
Love carrot cake? These muffins are carrot cake-like and perfect for breakfast. They’re full of shredded carrots, apples, raisins, and whole wheat flour, plus the warming spices cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
Uses 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
Homemade Flour Tortillas
Tortillas are easier to make than you think, and you probably have all of the ingredients in your kitchen: all-purpose flour, butter, salt, and water. You can substitute half or all of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour. You’ll have fresh tortillas in an hour, perfect for all your taco needs.
Uses 1 to 2 cups whole wheat flour
Kicha (Eritrean Flatbreads)
Whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and salt are all you need to make this Northeast African flatbread, plus a little oil for frying it up in a non-stick skillet. Dip it in stew, eat it warm with butter, or pile stewed greens on top of this versatile bread.
Uses 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
Easy Zucchini Bread
If you have both zucchini and whole wheat flour to use up, this super easy-to-make bread is for you. You can swap out half of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat in this recipe to add some nuttiness and extra nutrition to this bread that’s like a spice cake with all the cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in it.
Uses 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Peanut butter. Chocolate chips. Bananas. What a fantastic combination for a delicious quick bread. Swap out some or all of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour and add a little nutty flavor to the mix.
Uses 3/4 to 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
Oatmeal Almond Butter Breakfast Cookies
Packed with rolled oats, whole wheat flour, wheat germ, almond butter, and chocolate chips, these nutritious cookies are the grab-and-go breakfast you’ll be happy you planned ahead.
Uses 1 cup whole wheat flour