Mesquite is a legume belonging to the Prosopis genus and a traditional staple food of indigenous cultures from the arid regions of the Americas.
The bean pods of the mesquite can be dried and ground into flour, adding a sweet, nutty taste to breads, or used to make jelly or wine.
When used in baking, mesquite flour is used in combination with other flours. Substitute ¼ cup-to-½ cup mesquite flour in each cup grain flour. Mesquite bean flour is used in breads, pancakes, muffins, cakes and even cookies.
Mesquite powder is high in calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and zinc, and is rich in the amino acid lysine.