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Brown Rice, Bran & Spelt Flakes vs Oats: What's the Difference?
- by S R
Pantry Guide
Brown Rice, Bran & Spelt Flakes vs Oats: What's the Difference?
Oats are already a flake, rolled into the shape you know from every porridge bowl. The real question is what else can go in that bowl. Here's how rice, bran and spelt flakes actually compare, and a few real recipes to try each one in.
Compare a Flake
Tap through to see flavour, texture and best use for each.
Oats
The default for a reason, mild, creamy, and endlessly versatile between porridge, baking and granola. Organic Jumbo Oats give a thicker, chewier bowl, while Organic Porridge Oats cook down smoother and faster. If you need a certified gluten-free option, Organic Gluten-Free Jumbo Oats and Organic Gluten-Free Porridge Oats cover both.
Organic Brown Rice Flakes
A mellow, neutral flavour that's genuinely one of the closest substitutes for oats, they cook up similarly and absorb liquid well. Good in porridge, muesli, smoothies, and as a topping for loaves.
Organic Bran Flakes
Made from wholemeal wheat flour and wheat bran, with a toasty, slightly malty flavour and a good dose of fibre. Best eaten as a cereal or baked into bran muffins and scones.
Organic Spelt Flakes
Steamed and rolled the same way as oats, but made from spelt, an ancient wheat relative. Slightly sweet and nutty, good in porridge, granola, muffins and as a crunchy topping for soup.
Recipes to Try
Spelt Flake Cereal Bowl
Spelt flakes simmered with almond milk, mixed spice and strawberries, into a warm, gently spiced breakfast bowl.
Get the recipe →Easy Leftover Porridge Cake
Turns yesterday's cooked oatmeal into a moist, spiced snack cake with blueberries, a good way to see oats used beyond the breakfast bowl.
Get the recipe →We don't have a dedicated recipe live yet for brown rice flakes or bran flakes specifically, both work well simply swapped into any oat-based porridge or muesli recipe using the same rough quantities. Browse the recipes blog for more ideas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I substitute rice flakes for oats in a recipe?
Usually, yes. Brown rice flakes are one of the closest substitutes for oats in texture and how they absorb liquid, so they work well in porridge, muesli and most baking that calls for oats.
What's the difference between bran flakes and oat bran?
They're not the same thing. Bran flakes are typically made from wheat flour and wheat bran, giving a toasty, cereal-like flake, while oat bran comes purely from the outer layer of the oat grain and has a softer, finer texture.
Why choose spelt flakes over oats?
Mainly for variety and flavour, spelt flakes have a slightly sweeter, nuttier taste than oats' neutral mildness, and hold a bit more bite once cooked.
Oats are the mild, everyday default, brown rice flakes are the closest like-for-like swap, and bran or spelt flakes are there for when you want a heartier, more distinct flavour in the bowl.
Browse the full range of organic flakes at Maven Wholefoods.
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- gf oats
- gluten free jumbo oats
- gluten free oats
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- Oats
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