Substitutions

What can I use instead of rice flour?

Q: Can I use sorghum flour instead of rice flour?

1 cup rice flour = 1 cup sorghum flour. A similarly neutral gluten-free grain flour with a comparable absorption rate, and a smoother texture than rice flour's characteristic grit. Softer and slightly sweeter, with a less sandy mouthfeel.

Q: Can I use gluten-free 1-to-1 blend instead of rice flour?

1 cup rice flour = 1 cup gluten-free 1-to-1 baking blend. These blends are mostly rice flour already, with starches and gum added to fix exactly the structural problems rice flour has on its own. Generally better than plain rice flour in baking. In a tempura batter, plain rice flour is crisper.

Finely milled white rice. The backbone of most commercial gluten-free blends, neutral in flavour and slightly gritty on its own.

What it does in a recipe: Neutral gluten-free bulk and structure, and crispness in fried coatings. Pick the swap that covers that job — the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.

Also called: White rice flour

3substitutes

2close matches

Flourscategory

Quick answer

Sorghum flour

1 cup rice flour = 1 cup sorghum flour

All substitutes, best first

3 ways to replace rice flour

Sorghum flour

Closest match

1 cup rice flour = 1 cup sorghum flour

A similarly neutral gluten-free grain flour with a comparable absorption rate, and a smoother texture than rice flour's characteristic grit.

Trade-offSofter and slightly sweeter, with a less sandy mouthfeel.

BakingVeganVegetarianGluten-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-freeSoy-free

Gluten-free 1-to-1 blend

Closest match

1 cup rice flour = 1 cup gluten-free 1-to-1 baking blend

These blends are mostly rice flour already, with starches and gum added to fix exactly the structural problems rice flour has on its own.

Trade-offGenerally better than plain rice flour in baking. In a tempura batter, plain rice flour is crisper.

BakingVeganVegetarianGluten-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeSoy-free

Allergen checkBlend compositions vary and some include almond flour. Read the label.

Cornstarch (for coatings)

Reliable

1 cup rice flour = 1 cup cornstarch, for frying and dredging only

Both are pure starch that fries to a hard, glassy crust, which is the specific property a fried coating wants.

Trade-offCrisper and lighter, but it has no structural capacity — useless in a batter or a bake.

FryingVeganVegetarianGluten-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-freeSoy-free

At a glance

Rice flour in summary

Category	Flours
Job in a recipe	Neutral gluten-free bulk and structure, and crispness in fried coatings
Suits	Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Egg-free, Nut-free, Soy-free
Swaps available for	Dairy-free Egg-free Gluten-free Nut-free Soy-free Vegan Vegetarian
Number of substitutes	3

More flours

All-purpose flour4 substitutes Almond flour3 substitutes Bread flour3 substitutes Buckwheat flour3 substitutes Cake flour3 substitutes Chickpea flour3 substitutes

Cooking around an allergy? Diet tags here describe the ingredient itself, not any particular brand. Processed products change formulation without notice and shared production lines are common, so read the label on everything you use. A severe allergy is a medical matter — confirm with the manufacturer or your clinician rather than relying on a substitution chart.