How Much Does Flour Cost?

Last Updated on October 12, 2023
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

Flour is one of the foods that we inevitably eat every day, whether we are talking about bread, pastries like cookies, or even dishes that include it. Although it is often associated with wheat, in fact, flour can be obtained from other sources, such as corn, rice, legumes, and pseudocereals.

Flour contains water, lipids (fats, but in very small quantities), mineral salts (Ca, P, K, Fe, Na, Cl, Mg), water-soluble vitamins (dissolves in water A, B1, B2, PP, E), carbohydrates (sugar, cellulose, pentose), proteins (albumin, gluten, prolamine, and globulin).

How much does a bag of flour cost?

The cost per 5-pound bag of flour is anywhere between $2.5 and $5 at most grocery stores, while the retail prices online have competitive rates if you buy flour in bulk with delivery options available, at less than half the price. The cost of a bag of flour varies depending on the quantity, brand, flour type baking needs, and where you purchase it from. You can find out more about these brands by looking at our table below.

Walmart.com, with more than 20 brands in its inventory and prices ranging from $2.75 for five pounds of Gold Medal Flour all the way up to $9 for a 25-pound bag of Great Value brand, is a one-stop-shop when it comes to finding flour at an affordable price.

You may have found yourself in a situation where you need to buy wholesale bags for your restaurant. These 50-pound bags of all-purpose flour are typically sold at restaurants supply stores and wholesalers. A typical bag will cost anywhere between $12 and $17 each depending on the brand name.

Almond flour is more costly than other types of gluten-free flour, being also dietary, with an eight-ounce bag costing about $3 to $6. For example, on Amazon’s site, a four-pound package will run you close to $35.

You might also like our articles about the cost of baking powder, cornstarch, or yeast.

Whole wheat flour is a popular choice for bread-lovers because of its rich flavor and high fiber content. The average price per five pounds in grocery stores can be anywhere from $5 to $12, depending on where shoppers go.

Coconut flour is a type of wheat replacement used in baking. The dried defatted meat from mature coconuts can cost up to $6 per 16-ounce package and it’s extremely versatile, lending itself well as an alternative for people who suffer from gluten intolerance or other digestive issues that arise when eating traditional flours like rye and barley.

If you want healthier, more nutritious flour from natural sources without sacrificing taste or quality then try unbleached flour. This baking flour is suitable for yeast bread, puff pastries, Danish pastries, and any recipes that require a stronger gluten network for cooking and baking.

It’s expensive though as it ages naturally and doesn’t use any chemical agents so prices can be about double those for bleached varieties. Walmart offers Great Value All-Purpose Unbleached Flour in a 5 lb bag for $2.34.

For the cake flour expect to pay around $4 for a 32-ounce bag.

Flour prices

The most common way to think about flour is as the “all-purpose” variety, but it turns out there are quite a few varieties with unique properties.  You can find some of them in this table below which lists the average prices for each type.

Types of flour and their uses

• Barley flour is a flour that is suitable for a lot of pastries; it can be used when you want to make cakes, flatbread, or yeast bread like loaf. Because it has a low gluten content, it is used when you want to have a quick, unleavened bread on the table.
• Oatmeal is a whole-grain flour also used for cakes and pies. But you have to be very careful with it, keep it in the fridge because it deteriorates quickly and acquires an unbearable aroma. It is known for its nutritional value rich in b vitamin, magnesium, fiber, and so on.
• Rye flour is flavored, and darker in color, but even so, it can be used when you want to make banana pancakes or muffins. Compared to wheat varieties it has more fiber and free sugar and less starch and protein.
• Rice flour can be used in dishes with a fine texture, but it also needs special storage containers, in a place without moisture. It can also be a substitute for those with wheat allergy.
• White cornmeal is a fine flour and is usually used when it is necessary to thicken a sauce or put it in the freezer, or by professional bakers as a substitute for wheat flour in desserts. You can find it on store shelves under the name of corn starch.
• Chia flour is obtained from chia seeds. It has a lot of nutritional properties, but when you use it you must keep in mind that it absorbs a large amount of liquid.
• Quinoa flour is made from quinoa and can be used in most gluten-free recipes.
• Tapioca flour is white, light, and fine and is used as an ingredient for thickening.

Important things to consider

You may have noticed the T mark and a number on the flour package. This number indicates whether more or less of the beneficial grains and substances have been preserved during the flour’s processing. It is the coating of cereal grains, which contains the largest amount of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Therefore, the more substances this flour contains, the more valuable it is for the body. A high value indicates that the flour is darker in color and better ground than bleached wheat flour.

This means that it has a higher gluten content, is of poorer quality in terms of baking, and the sourdough will leaven more. Instead, a lower T number means that the flour contains more fiber and minerals, and the dough will be fluffier and softer.

The taste of a good dish that has flour in its composition largely depends on the way the flour is stored. It must remain dry throughout storage. If you want to keep it in the fridge then it must be placed in an airtight container. If you keep it in the closet or pantry, it is best to keep it in a glass container or in a paper bag.

When buying flour, choose the product in paper packaging, because in plastic bags the flour can not breathe.

When buying flour, pay attention to the shelf life, which must be no more than 1 year.

When preparing the dough, be sure to sift the flour. In this way, it is enriched with oxygen and the cakes will be fluffy.

The correct color of the flour is white or fine cream. If initially, the flour was white and then became dark, this means that the flour has spoiled.

The flour tastes sweet. If it’s bitter, it means it’s been in the drawer too long. Also, the quality flour is not crispy. If you taste it, it should not gnash between teeth. Otherwise, it is an indication that it contains some impurities, most likely sand.

How can I save money?

Store brands are just as good, if not better than name-brand products. For example, store-brand flour can be up to 40% less expensive and still have all of the same high-quality properties.

You can save a lot of money by buying in bulk from wholesale clubs.