Gluten-Free Starches
Starch is good for thickening soups, sauces, and gravies. But it won’t hold baked goods together, and it’s not a good one-to-one substitute for flour in baking. There are four major wheat-free starches you can cook with: corn, arrowroot, tapioca, and potato.
Cornstarch is considered a grain starch, while arrowroot, potato and tapioca starches are considered root starches. Potato starch, tapioca, and arrowroot are larger-grained starches which gelatinize at relatively lower temperatures. Sauces thickened with these starches are more translucent and glossy, feel silky to the palate and have less forward flavors once cooked. These root starches don’t stand up to longer cooking as well as grain starches, so they’re best used to thicken sauces toward the very end of cooking.
To learn more, click on the links below to jump to the section or answer you're looking for:
- Arrowroot Starch
- Arrowroot Starch Replacement
- Tapioca Starch
- Is tapioca gluten free?
- Tapioca Starch Substitute
- Potato Starch
- Is cornstarch gluten free?
- Cornstarch substitute
- Is cornmeal gluten free? (takes to you to another page)
- Working with starches
Arrowroot Starch
Arrowroot flour is ground from the root of the plant and is very useful for thickening recipes. It is tasteless and the fine powder becomes clear when it is cooked, which makes it ideal for thickening clear sauces. It doesn’t mix well with dairy though, as it forms a slimy mixture.
It’s recommended that arrowroot be mixed with a cool liquid before adding to a hot fluid. Overheating tends to break down arrowroot’s thickening property. Arrowroot is a good cornstarch substitute for when you don't have any on hand or you can't consume corn products.
How to store arrowroot starch: Arrowroot should be kept in an airtight container and stored in a dark, dry, and cool place (no refrigeration is required).
Arrowroot Starch Replacement
If you're looking for an arrowroot starch replacement, an arrowroot powder replacement, or an arrowroot flour substitute - two teaspoons of arrowroot can be substituted for one tablespoon of cornstarch.
Tapioca Starch
Tapioca starch thickens quickly and at a relatively low temperature. It’s a good choice if you want to correct a sauce just before serving it. It is also a great binding agent when putting together your own favorite gluten-free flour blend. Tapioca starch is a good cornstarch substitute.
How to store tapioca starch: Tapioca should be kept in an airtight container and stored in a dark, dry, and cool place. If you want it to keep for long periods of time, store in the refrigerator.
Is Tapioca Gluten Free
Yes, tapioca is gluten free. Always check labels to double check that the tapioca wasn't processed in a facility that processes wheat.
Tapioca Starch Substitute
I often get asked for a good tapioca starch substitute or a tapioca starch alternative. If you can't have tapioca a good tapioca starch substitute is arrowroot or cornstarch.
Potato Starch
This is a fine white flour made from potatoes, and has a light potato flavor which is undetectable when used in recipes. It’s one of the few alternative flours that keeps very well for long periods of time. Potato starch adds moisture to baked goods and acts as a wonderful thickening agent.
How to store potato starch: Potato starch should be kept in an airtight container and stored in a dark, dry, and cool place (no refrigeration is required).
Is Cornstarch Gluten-Free
Yes. Corn is gluten-free and thus cornstarch is gluten-free. I often get asked is cornstarch gluten-free. Cornstarch is a medium-sized starch granule that thickens at a higher temperature than root starches. However, once that temperature is reached, thickening happens very quickly! Because cornstarch is almost pure starch, it’s more efficient as a thickener than wheat flour.
Check out this post on what does cornstarch taste like if you're interested in the flavor components.
Tips: When you want one cup of liquid to be fairly thick, it takes one tablespoon of cornstarch. (A stir-fry sauce might use only one or two teaspoons per cup of liquid). One tablespoon of cornstarch will replace three tablespoons of flour in sauce and gravy recipes.
Storage: Cornstarch should be kept in an airtight container and stored in a dark, dry, and cool place (no refrigeration is required).
Cornstarch Substitute
I often get asked for a good cornstarch substitute or a cornstarch alternative. If you can't have corn products a good cornstarch substitute is arrowroot or tapioca starch.
Working with starches:
- To avoid lumps, mix the starch with an equal amount of cold liquid until it forms a paste, then whisk it into the liquid you want to thicken. Once the thickener is added, cook it briefly to remove the starchy flavor. Don’t overcook! Liquids thickened with some starches will thin again if cooked too long or at too high a temperature.
- Cornstarch, arrowroot, and tapioca are the most popular starch thickeners. They have different strengths and weaknesses, so it’s a good idea to stock all three in your pantry.
- Starch thickeners give food a transparent, glistening sheen, which looks nice in a pie filling but a bit artificial in a gravy or sauce. If you want high gloss, choose tapioca or arrowroot. If you want low gloss, choose cornstarch.
- Cornstarch is the best choice for thickening dairy-based sauces. If you need a cornstarch alternative, try arrowroot or tapioca starch.
- Choose arrowroot if you’re thickening an acidic liquid. Cornstarch loses potency when mixed with acids.
- Sauces made with cornstarch turn spongy when they’re frozen. If you plan to freeze a dish, use tapioca starch or arrowroot as a thickener.
If you have any questions please leave a comment below.