Health Benefits of Semolina Flour

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors
Medically Reviewed by Shruthi N, MD on January 16, 2025
5 min read

Semolina is a type of flour made from durum wheat, a variety typically planted in the spring and harvested in the fall. Durum wheat grains are golden in color, so the milled semolina is a pale-yellow flour. 

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Because they're both golden in color, you might confuse semolina and cornmeal. Or you might have seen a recipe that says you can substitute one for the other. But the two are not the same.

First, unlike semolina, which is milled from a type of wheat, cornmeal is simply coarsely ground corn. And just like corn, it's available in blue, white, or yellow, though yellow is the most common. Polenta and grits and both types of cornmeal. 

Because semolina is milled from wheat, it contains gluten, while cornmeal doesn't. You can sometimes use wheat flour as a semolina flour substitute, but it's only advised for breads. Breads are full of protein and require gluten for good structure. Cornmeal, on the other hand, is not a good substitute for flour because it's gluten free. It's best in liquid batters and things like cornbread and quick breads. 

A 1-cup (167-gram) serving of durum wheat semolina has: 

  • 601 calories
  • 21.2 grams of protein
  • 1.75 gram of fat
  • 6.51 grams of dietary fiber
  • 7.28 milligrams of iron
  • 306 micrograms of folate

High in folate. That cup of semolina gives most people about three-quarters of the folate they need in a day. Folate is a B vitamin that’s also known as folic acid when taken as a supplement or added to food.  

Folate is important during pregnancy for the healthy development of your baby, as it helps prevent neural problems such as spina bifida. The CDC recommends that you get 400 micrograms of folic acid a day when you're pregnant, plus eating foods rich in folate. 

Rich in protein. Every cell in your body contains protein. Protein is made of amino acids. Your body makes many amino acids, but nine of them must come from the food you eat. ‌

Semolina is high in protein, without the saturated fat that red meat has.

Rich in iron. If you’ve been feeling tired lately, you may be low in iron. Not having enough iron in your body is one of the causes of anemia, which is when you lack enough red blood cells. Iron is an essential part of your blood. ‌

Your body gets iron from the foods you eat. Men need 8 milligrams of iron a day, and women need 18 milligrams a day. If you’re pregnant, aim for 27 milligrams a day.

As it’s plant-based, durum wheat semolina has nonheme iron. Your body doesn't absorb this form of iron as well as heme iron, which is found in meat, poultry, and seafood. But you can raise the amount of nonheme iron that your body absorbs by eating semolina with foods rich in vitamin C. The ascorbic acid in vitamin C boosts iron levels.‌

The best sources of vitamin C are fruits and vegetables, such as:

  • Red and green peppers
  • Broccoli
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Citrus, like oranges, grapefruit, and tangerines
  • Kiwi

Low in the glycemic index. The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly your body can digest a food and turn it into blood sugar. Some research has shown that eating foods that are lower on the glycemic index may help people with diabetes.

The glycemic index of pasta made from durum wheat semolina is much lower (47) than pasta made from regular wheat (68).

The short answer is no. Semolina is milled from durum wheat, so it contains protein. Gluten is a type of protein, and about 80% of the protein in wheat is gluten. 

Because semolina gets its color from golden durum wheat grains, you may confuse it with cornmeal. But semolina is not gluten-free. It’s not good for people with medical conditions that are linked to gluten and wheat, even if it is a good ingredient for pasta.   

Most people can eat gluten without any problems. But some can get serious side effects. Check with your doctor if you think you have symptoms when you eat gluten. Taking semolina and other products with gluten out of your diet may help. 

If you're looking for a semolina flour substitute, it really depends on what your needs are. For instance, if you need semolina just to dust your surface or pan to keep your pizza dough from sticking, you can probably use some cornmeal and be fine.

If you need to replace semolina flour in a recipe, it's not so simple. These flours aren't milled the same as semolina, so they may not give your end product the same texture or flavor, but they'll work in a pinch. 

  • Durum flour
  • Whole wheat flour
  • Bread flour
  • All-purpose flour

 

Semolina flour is used in many foods, including: 

  • Pasta doughs
  • Couscous 
  • Pizza dough 
  • Breads 
  • Cookies
  • Biscuits

Semolina bread recipe

You make semolina bread just like any other yeast bread, usually with butter, water, and a few other ingredients. You have to mix and knead it into a soft dough, and then let it rise and double in size. Then shape the dough and place it into your bread tin and let it rest again for a final proof. Then bake and let cool before you enjoy.

Semolina pasta recipe

Making semolina pasta dough is also similar to how you'd make any other pasta dough. Make a well of semolina flour, and add your eggs in the center. Slowly combine the eggs and the flour using a fork or your hands. Once they're combined, form a dough ball and knead it until it's smooth. Then cover it and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. Then form the dough into whatever shapes of pasta you desire. 

 

 

 

 

Semolina is full of good nutrients, including protein, iron, fiber, and B vitamins. It's also healthier than white flour because white flour doesn't contain fiber and protein. 

Semolina is a type of flour made from durum wheat. Semolina is full of good nutrients, including protein, folate, iron, fiber, and B vitamins. It also has a relatively low glycemic index (GI), so it probably won't cause a rapid spike in your blood sugar. But it does contain gluten, so if you have a gluten or wheat allergy, it's probably a food you need to avoid.

Can I eat semolina every day?

It's probably fine to eat semolina every day unless you have issues with gluten or need to watch your sugar intake.

Does semolina spike blood sugar?

Semolina probably won't cause a rapid spike in your blood sugar because it falls in the moderate range on the glycemic index (GI), which measures how fast foods raise your blood sugar.  But it can still have a higher GI than other whole wheat flours, so it's still important to eat in moderation.