Lots of recipes use flour as a thickener, a coating, or another ingredient. You might want to use an alternative to flour. Flour that won't work for you if you're on the gluten-free dietbecause you have celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
While pure cornstarch is gluten-free (it's just made of corn), some brands aren't considered safe on the gluten-free diet sochoose a safe brand of gluten-free cornstarch. Here's a guide to substituting cornstarch for flour in recipes.
Substitute Cornstarch for Flour
It's easy to substitute cornstarch for flour when your recipe calls for a thickener (as in gravy, sauce or pie) or a coating for fried foods. Whether you simply don't have flour on hand or you are looking for gluten-free alternatives, cornstarch has a very similar effect in these cooking applications. However, you should be aware that you can't use cornstarch as a substitute for flour in baked goods.
Thickening Gravy, Sauces, or Pie Fillings
Cornstarch works remarkably well as a thickener in sauces, gravy, and pie fillings, and some prefer it to flour.You won't be able to taste the cornstarch the way you sometimes can taste the flour.Be aware that these foods will be more translucent. This occurs because cornstarch is pure starch, while flour contains some protein.
You can't use cornstarch as a tablespoon-for-tablespoon substitute for flour.Generally speaking, you should use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch for each 1 1/2 to 2 cups of sauce/gravy of medium thickness.
Some things to remember when using cornstarch as a thickener in recipes:
- Bring the mixture to a full boil for 1 minute, which allows the starch granules to swell to their maximum. Reduce heat as it thickens. Overcooking can cause mixtures to thin when they cool.
- Cook over medium-low to medium heat, because high heat can cause lumping.
- Stir gently while cooking, asstirring vigorously can break down your mixture. If you need to add more ingredients, remove the pot from the heat and stir them in quickly and gently.
- You might want to avoid freezing any sauces or gravy you make with cornstarch since they won't freeze well. Theyturn spongy.
Cornstarch vs. Flour
Use half as much cornstarch as you would flour. For example, if the recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of flour, use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. If the recipe calls for 1/4 cup of flour, use 1/8 cup of cornstarch. (The same is true for other starches, such as arrowroot starch, potato starch, and tapioca.)
Also Keep in Mind
Don't add the cornstarch directly—it will clump up and form lumps in your sauce that will be very difficult to dissolve. To avoid this problem,mix the cornstarch with a little cold water (1 tablespoon water to 1 tablespoon cornstarch) until it's dissolved. Then pour the water/starch mixture (known as a slurry) into what you're cooking. Make sure the water you use is cold, and keep stirring as the mixture begins to thicken.
Cornstarch isn't as effective as flour when thickening acidic sauces. It won't work well with those made with tomatoes, vinegar, or lemon juice. Cornstarch also isn't as effective as flour when thickening sauces made with fat, such as butter or egg yolks.
If you have too little liquid in your mixture, there may not be enough for the starch granules to absorb. This is also the case when you have more sugar than liquid, in which case you may need to add more liquid for the mixture to be firmer.
Fried Dishes
You easily can use cornstarch instead of flour as a coating for fried chicken, fried fish, or other fried dishes.Cornstarch will create a crisper coating that will hold up to sauces better and will absorb less of the frying oil (leading to a lower-fat meal).
Here are some tips for frying with cornstarch:
- Consider a 50/50-blend of cornstarch and gluten-free flour—this will
give you a coating that's closer to wheat flour-breaded fried chicken. - Make sure you have a light, even coating of cornstarch on the food you're frying. Heavier coatings can get gummy.
A Word From Verywell
When cooking gluten-free, you may be able to continue to enjoy some of your favorite sauces by learning how to use cornstarch and other gluten-free thickeners.While mastering the art ofsubstitutions can take some trial and error, it can also inspire creativity in the kitchen, leading you to alsowhip up new creations of your very own.
Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
By Nancy Lapid
Nancy Ehrlich Lapid is an expert on celiac disease and serves as the Editor-in-Charge at Reuters Health.
See Our Editorial Process
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FAQs
Thickening Sauces and Gravies
How do I substitute cornstarch for flour in a recipe? ›
If you need to substitute cornstarch to thicken liquid in a recipe that calls for ¼ cup (four tablespoons) flour, you only need two tablespoons cornstarch. If you're substituting flour for cornstarch to thicken the sauce in your recipe, substitute two tablespoons all-purpose flour for every one tablespoon cornstarch.
Can I substitute cornstarch for flour to be gluten-free? ›
The most common use for cornstarch in cooking is as a thickening agent, though it can also be used as a partial substitute for flour in gluten free baking. Cornstarch is frequently used to thicken the filling for pies and in gravies, sauces, soups, and casseroles.
What happens if you use cornstarch instead of flour in baking? ›
Baking is where a complete swap won't work. A cake recipe, for example, will not turn out if cornstarch is used in the place of flour. Baked goods rely on the proteins in the flour (gluten) to help create its body and texture.
What is the trick to baking with gluten-free flour? ›
Gluten-free flours often contain fine starches, so they absorb more liquid than conventional flour. To address this, gluten-free recipes usually call for more liquid and produce looser batters. They may also call for a larger quantity of leavening, like baking powder, to help add volume and lighten the texture.
Can you substitute cornstarch for flour in mac and cheese? ›
Cornstarch or arrowroot -- normally we'd add flour to a roux, but I always substitute flour with cornstarch and it works great. Dry mustard -- dry mustard gives a little bit of an acidic background flavor to balance out the heaviness and richness of the cheeses.
What is a healthy alternative to cornstarch? ›
Tapioca starch or cassava flour.
Cassava flour is more nutritious and has more fiber than tapioca starch. This gluten-free option is mostly used for thickening foods. Similar to arrowroot, you'll use twice the amount of tapioca starch (or cassava flour) as cornstarch in a recipe.
Is it better to thicken with flour or cornstarch? ›
Cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour. When a gravy, sauce, soup or stew recipe calls for flour, use half as much cornstarch to thicken. To thicken hot liquids, first mix cornstarch with a little cold water until smooth. Gradually stir into hot liquid until blended.
Can I substitute cornstarch for flour in a roux? ›
Roux is commonly made with flour, but you can also sub in cornstarch or arrowroot powder. Mix the cornstarch or arrowroot powder with water to form a slurry before adding it to the pan and cooking it with the fat.
Is Argo cornstarch gluten-free? ›
Argo Corn Starch is free of gluten, soy, milk, egg, peanut and tree nuts.
For chewy brownies that taste (in the best way) like those that come from a boxed mix, use about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch per 1/2 cup of flour. You can also substitute cornstarch for the flour in a brownie recipe to make the most fabulous fudgy and chewy gluten-free brownies around.
Can you skip cornstarch in a recipe? ›
All-Purpose Flour
Some tips: Use two tablespoons of flour for every tablespoon of cornstarch. If making a pan sauce, cook the flour in a bit of fat first—you can make this as toasty and caramelized as you want—or boil the sauce for a few minutes to get rid of the “raw flour” taste and texture.
Which is better for fried chicken flour or cornstarch? ›
My not-so-secret tip to the best fried chicken is a combination of FLOUR, CORNSTARCH, and BAKING POWDER. When mixed with the flour, the cornstarch makes the flour coating crispier and gives it that golden brown color! (It has to do with prevention of gluten development.)
What is the closest gluten-free flour to all-purpose flour? ›
In contrast to tapioca flour, which is made from a starchy liquid extracted from the cassava root, cassava flour is made by grating and drying the whole root. This flour is gluten-, grain- and nut-free. It's most similar to white flour and can easily be used in recipes calling for all-purpose flour.
Does baking time change with gluten-free flour? ›
Gluten-free goods tend to brown faster and take longer to cook through. So they need to be baked at a slightly lower temperature, for a slightly longer time. Every recipe is different, but in general, try lowering the temperature by 25 degrees and baking the item for 15 minutes longer.
What happens when you substitute gluten-free flour for all-purpose flour in a recipe? ›
If the original recipe calls for 260 grams of all-purpose flour, substitute with 260 grams of your blend. Beat the batter more. Because gluten-free flours provide less structure than all-purpose, the batter or dough you make with them may require more beating than that which you are accustomed.
How much cornstarch equals 1 cup of flour? ›
But, mixing a portion of cornstarch with regular flour does have the effect of lowering the overall protein. I have always heard the following in American cup measurements: measure one cup all purpose flour, remove two tablespoons and replace with 2 tablespoons corn starch.
Can you use cornstarch instead of flour to thicken? ›
Cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour. When a gravy, sauce, soup or stew recipe calls for flour, use half as much cornstarch to thicken. To thicken hot liquids, first mix cornstarch with a little cold water until smooth. Gradually stir into hot liquid until blended.
Is All Purpose cornstarch the same as flour? ›
All-Purpose Flour
Although it won't produce the same glossy shine as cornstarch, it'll get the job done in a pinch. All-purpose flour contains about half the thickening power of cornstarch, so for every tablespoon of cornstarch required, you'll need to substitute two tablespoons of all-purpose flour.
What can I use instead of flour? ›
11 best flour substitutions
- Chickpea flour. Often confused with besan (see below), chickpea flour is made from ground white chickpeas. ...
- Almond flour. Almond flour is an excellent alternative to have in your kitchen cupboard. ...
- Gluten-free flour mixture. ...
- Coconut flour. ...
- Gram flour (besan) ...
- Rice flour. ...
- Buckwheat flour. ...
- Oat flour.
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