What Is Breadfruit Flour?

Breadfruit flour is a naturally gluten-free flour made from breadfruit, a tropical fruit that grows on long-lived trees throughout the Pacific Islands, Caribbean, and other tropical regions around the world.

At Ananas, breadfruit flour is the foundation of everything we bake. From our cookies and brownies to our blondies and Mookies, breadfruit flour helps us create treats that are gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and paleo-friendly without sacrificing flavor or texture.

Whether you're discovering breadfruit for the first time or are simply curious about the ingredient behind our desserts, here's everything you need to know about breadfruit flour.

Breadfruit Flour at a Glance

Breadfruit flour is:

✓ Naturally gluten-free

✓ Made from dried breadfruit

✓ Mild in flavor

✓ Versatile for baking

✓ Used in cookies, brownies, breads, and more

✓ Produced from a tree-grown crop

Breadfruit has been cultivated throughout the Pacific Islands and tropical regions for generations and is becoming increasingly popular as an alternative flour.

What is Breadfruit? 

Breadfruit is a tropical fruit that grows on large evergreen trees. It has a green exterior with a distinctive textured surface and a starchy interior when mature.

The scientific name for breadfruit is Artocarpus altilis, and it belongs to the same plant family as jackfruit, figs, and mulberries.

When cooked while mature, breadfruit has a mild flavor and texture often compared to potatoes, fresh bread, or roasted chestnuts. As the fruit ripens, it becomes softer and sweeter.

Because breadfruit trees can produce abundant harvests year after year, breadfruit has long served as an important staple food in many tropical communities.

Is Breadfruit Flour Gluten-Free?

Yes, breadfruit itself does not contain gluten.

Since breadfruit flour is made entirely from breadfruit, it is naturally gluten-free. 

At Ananas, we use gluten-free breadfruit flour to create desserts that can be enjoyed by customers looking for gluten-free or healthier options.

What Does Breadfruit Flour Taste Like?

One of the reasons we love breadfruit flour is its versatility.

Breadfruit flour has a mild, approachable flavor that works beautifully in baked goods. It doesn't overpower chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, matcha, or other ingredients.

Many people describe breadfruit flour as:

• Mild
• Light
• Slightly nutty
• Subtly earthy
• Easy to pair with both sweet and savory flavors

Because of its neutral flavor profile, breadfruit flour allows the other ingredients in a recipe to shine while contributing structure and texture.

Why We Bake With Breadfruit Flour

At Ananas, breadfruit flour is more than just an ingredient - it's part of our story.

We chose breadfruit flour because it aligns with what we believe desserts can be:

• Delicious
• Naturally gluten-free
• Plant-based
• Thoughtfully sourced
• Made for sharing

Breadfruit flour helps us create treats that bring people together, whether they're gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, paleo, or simply looking for something delicious.

Every cookie, brownie, blondie, and Mookie we make starts with ingredients chosen with purpose, and breadfruit flour is at the heart of that mission.

Breadfruit Around the World

Breadfruit is known by many names around the globe and has been enjoyed in a variety of traditional dishes for generations.

Some common names include:

• Ulu (Hawaii)
• Panapén (Puerto Rico)
• Rimas (Philippines)

Today, breadfruit is enjoyed in many forms, including:

• Roasted breadfruit
• Breadfruit chips
• Stews and savory dishes
• Breads and baked goods
• Gluten-free flour

Its versatility has helped make breadfruit an important food crop in many tropical regions.

Why Breadfruit Matters

Breadfruit is more than a unique baking ingredient.

Breadfruit trees are highly productive, climate-resilient trees that can provide food for decades. Once mature, a single breadfruit tree can produce enough fruit to yield up to 300 pounds of nutrient-rich, gluten-free flour each year.

Because breadfruit thrives in tropical regions where food insecurity is often greatest, and many organizations are working to expand breadfruit cultivation to support long-term food security, economic opportunity, and sustainable agriculture.

At Ananas, we're proud supporters of Trees That Feed Foundation, a non-profit organization that plants breadfruit trees in communities around the world.

Every Ananas dessert celebrates an incredible fruit that's good for people, good for communities, and better for the planet.

It's dessert with a sweeter purpose.