There are a lot of recipes across pretty much every cuisine that calls for the use of breadcrumbs, from southern fried chicken to thick mushroom soups.
The issue is that bread is one of the main foods that must be avoided for those who follow a paleo diet. As a consequence, breadcrumbs are not paleo-friendly.
This makes it a lot harder to find a recipe that fits the paleo diet. But what if you didn’t need to find a whole new recipe and could just replace the breadcrumbs instead?
Our 3 Paelo Substitutes for Breadcrumbs
When fried, breadcrumbs crisp up to create a golden, crunchy coating. Breadcrumbs can also be used to thicken up sauces, soups and stews.
Depending on the kind of bread used, breadcrumbs are usually quite flavourless, making them even more versatile.
Here are our top 3 paleo substitutes for breadcrumbs:
1) Coconut Flour
The name would suggest otherwise but coconut flour doesn’t have that much of a coconut flour.
Compared to the typically flavourless breadcrumbs, it does have a flavour, but it is not that strong. This means that you will not have to worry about the taste of your food being affected too much.
Coconut flour could be incorporated into a batter and used to fry foods, but it is better suited as a thickening agent.
Unlike other flour varieties, coconut flour absorbs water quicker than breadcrumbs. While this means that you can thicken up your soup or sauce in no time, it makes it very easy to use too much coconut flour and make your dish too dense.
This can be easily rectified by adding some water back into your dish until it has the right consistency.
Tip
Though it is already a pretty fine powder, some brands of coconut flour can remain grainy depending on how they have been milled. If you find your coconut flour too grainy, put it through your own food processor to make the texture much smoother.
2) Coconut Flakes
In the same way that coconut flour has a present but not overwhelming coconut flavour, coconut flakes will have a more prominent flavour but will not alter the taste of your dish too noticeably.
Coconut flakes are much easier to find than coconut powder and are cheaper as they are not specialist food. If you struggle to find coconut flakes at your local supermarket, look in the baking section or the snack section.
It is the better choice for creating a crispy coating and will even turn a nice golden colour as a breadcrumb coating would.
Depending on where you buy the coconut flakes from, they may have been tossed in sugar or other sweeteners to work better in baked goods.
To properly replace the tasteless flavour of breadcrumbs, make sure that you buy unsweetened coconut flakes.
Make Your Own Flakes
Plain coconut flakes can be blended into coconut flour if you only have coconut flakes on hand but need to thicken up a dish. Don’t use coated coconut flakes to make the coconut flour; the taste will be all wrong and may ruin your dish.
3) Pork Rinds
You wouldn’t expect pork rinds to be a paleo-friendly snack, but they are. Depending on the brand that you buy, pork rinds can be a very low-calorie snack.
They are made from the skin of a pig, which when covered in oil and roasted, crackles up to create a crunchy rind.
Due to their pork flavouring, pork rinds may not always be the best pairing for your dish. However, when crushed up and used as a coating, they can give any fried food a burst of flavour.
While you could blend pork rinds to make a thickening flour, they will be a very odd texture, so they are better used as a crispy coating or as a garnish.
Ensure It Is Paleo Friendly
Like any food, pork rind manufacturers are sure to add their own twist to the classic pub snack by adding extra flavourings.
Make sure that you check the packet to see if all of the ingredients that have been used to flavour the rinds are paleo-friendly. If you can’t find a paleo brand, it is easy enough to make your own at home.
Other Paleo Substitutes for Breadcrumbs
If you have some more unique leftover flour in the back of your pantry, take the opportunity to use it up as a paleo breadcrumbs substitute. Such as:
- Almond Flour – Working in exactly the same way as coconut flour, some people prefer the almond taste of almond flour compared to the taste of coconut flour.
- Tapioca Starch – Less commonly available, if you have it to hand, then tapioca starch can help to thicken up your dish. It is less grainy than the flours above as it is a starch, so it is perfect for achieving smoother soups or sauces.
Summary
It is hard to follow a paleo diet when so many recipes include technically essential non-paleo ingredients – a widely used example of this being breadcrumbs.
Luckily, a few alternative flours (such as coconut flour) can function the same as breadcrumbs in most recipes.