Substitutions
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
Quick answer
Sorghum flour
1 cup rice flour = 1 cup sorghum flourAll substitutes, best first
1 cup rice flour = 1 cup sorghum flourA 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.
1 cup rice flour = 1 cup gluten-free 1-to-1 baking blendThese 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.
Allergen checkBlend compositions vary and some include almond flour. Read the label.
1 cup rice flour = 1 cup cornstarch, for frying and dredging onlyBoth 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.
At a glance
| 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-freeEgg-freeGluten-freeNut-freeSoy-freeVeganVegetarian |
| Number of substitutes | 3 |
Questions
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.
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.
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. Crisper and lighter, but it has no structural capacity - useless in a batter or a bake.
Related
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.