Here's a guide to help you bake with gluten free flours. Learn the difference between whole grain and starchy flours and why it matters.
Ready to bake with gluten free flours? I'm here to help you get started! There are so many gluten free flours to choose from, and each brings its own flavor and nutritional profile. I love to combine different flours, and tend to choose a specific flour based on the other flavors I'll incorporate in a recipe. I've created this gluten free flours guide to help you get an idea of the different types of flours you can use in your gluten free baking.
When I wrote my cookbook, Flourless, I used mainly oats and almonds to create DIY flours per recipe. (The gist of the cookbook is to use simple ingredients to bake naturally gluten free recipes.) During the 10 years since my book came out, I've leaned into using all different kinds of gluten-free flours, from sorghum flour to teff flour to sweet white rice flour and more. This has allowed me to create wonderful bakes that mimic those made with regular flour.
I develop recipes using gluten free flour or a combination of flours that I know will complement the other flavors (berry buckwheat scones benefit from the unique flavor of buckwheat flour, while teff and chocolate are boon companions in a chocolate teff cake). As you experiment, you'll find what flour works best for you—maybe you'll rely on oat flour to create oat flour blueberry muffins, or do a mix of different flours.
On this site, I always give substitution suggestions per recipe based on the original flour called for. But of course, you can also experiment based on your personal tastes and preferences. Get an idea of all the different gluten free flours you can use in your baking in this post, and make sure to check out my gluten free baking tips post for gluten free baking best practices.
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Gluten Free Flours Guide - Getting Started
If you'd like to convert a traditional recipe to be gluten-free using single-origin flours, a good ratio to make a balanced blend is:
70% wholegrain flours (1-3 different flours) to 30% starch (1-2 different flours)
A few things to keep in mind when you experiment with different flours:
- Always measure and convert by weight. Each brand of gluten free flour is different, so for the best results, use a digital scale. This will also ensure that if you convert a recipe to be gluten-free, you'll have the correct amount of flour compared to the other ingredients.
- What brand of flour? I really like Bob's Red Mill and Anthony's products for quality, consistency, and relative affordability. I can find many naturally gluten-free flours at my local grocery stores, and they're always available online. Choose the brand/s that work best for you.
- You don't have to stress. Sometimes oat flour by itself works beautifully in a recipe, and you won't need to add any other flours, sometimes a bit of tapioca will lighten it up, and sometimes almond flour adds needed moisture. You can just follow my recipes, which have been carefully developed for the flours I use, or have fun and experiment.
- It's OK to do 1:1. You can just choose 1 whole grain flour and pair it with 1 starchy flour if you don't have a lot of flour options in the pantry. The ratio method will help the recipe turn out well!
Whole Grain Gluten Free Flours
My favorite types of gluten-free flours are whole grain flours. It is rare that I will call for white rice flour in my recipes, although it does happen occasionally (like in my gluten free vegan chocolate cake recipe).
Whole grain gluten-free flours include oat flour, sorghum flour, teff flour, millet flour, buckwheat and quinoa flours (these last two technically are considered seeds), amaranth flour, and brown rice flour. If you are very sensitive, make sure to buy flour that is marked certified gluten free.
Read on for more about these unique gluten-free whole grain flours.
Oat Flour
My absolute favorite gluten-free flour, oat flour is made from rolled oats that are finely ground into flour. It's so easy and economical to DIY your own oat flour, just give oats a good grind in the food processor. Learn how to make oat flour. If you are sensitive, make sure to buy certified gluten-free oats or oat flour. Oats are high in protein, fiber, and magnesium, which make them a nutritional favorite. But I also love them for their versatility and light buttery flavor, which brings such a delicious undertone to any baked good made with oat flour. More about baking with oat flour.
Sorghum Flour
High in fiber and protein and a good source of antioxidants, sorghum flour is a wonderful naturally gluten-free flour. It is a great substitute for oat flour if you can't eat oats; try it interchangeably in all of the recipes on Cucina Nicolina that call for oat flour.
Teff Flour
Another nutritional powerhouse, teff flour is a protein-packed naturally gluten-free flour. You can use ivory teff flour if you want your baked goods to turn out a bit lighter in color than when you use regular teff flour. Teff is also a good source of iron, calcium, fiber, and Vitamin C.
Millet Flour
Made from finely ground millet grains, millet flour is high in fiber, niacin, beta-carotene, Vitamins A and B, potassium, iron, calcium, and antioxidants. It has a subtle flavor and adds a lovely buttery color to baked goods.
Buckwheat Flour
Buckwheat flour has a very distinctive flavor that's often described as "earthy" or robust. It's lovely balanced with almond flour and is high in protein, fiber, and antioxidants. And if you've wondered is buckwheat flour gluten free? yes, it is, despite having "wheat" in its name.
Quinoa Flour
I make quinoa at least once a week to eat with stir fries, and I love quinoa flour, too! It is high in protein and is great included in recipes that have bolder flavors, such as with chocolate or bananas. If you find quinoa to be bitter, toast the flour or quinoa beforehand. Quinoa flour can be easily made at home using a high speed blender to pulverize toasted quinoa into a fine powder.
Amaranth Flour
Amaranth is a naturally gluten-free flour made from ground amaranth grains. It is high in protein, fiber, micronutrients, and antioxidants, and brings a nutty undertone when used in baking.
Brown Rice Flour
Brown rice flour is a starchier, whole-grain grain naturally gluten-free flour that is often found in gluten-free baking recipes. I prefer to use other whole grain flours in my baking because I eat brown rice in my savory meals and don't want to overdo it as brown rice contains higher levels of arsenic.
Cornmeal
I made some nice recipes using just cornmeal to include in my book, and I love pairing cornmeal with almond flour for moisture or oat flour for textural contrast (try this naturally gluten free strawberry cornmeal cake). Depending on the recipe, choose finely ground (more of a flour) or medium grind (more texturedf) cornmeal. Unless it specifically calls for polenta, skip the coarser cornmeal because it can make your bakes gritty.
White Rice Flour
White rice flour, although not a whole grain flour, is a very versatile, neutral flour that's on the starchier side. I don't use it a lot in my baking but it does have its place.
Starchy Gluten Free Flours
When creating a homemade gluten-free flour mix or translating a favorite recipe to be gluten-free, it's important to have the proper balance of whole grain or nut flours to starchy flours for the ultimate in gluten-free baking success. Starches like sweet white rice flour also act as a binder in gluten-free baking, so there's no need to add xanthan gum. For more on that, see why don't I use xanthan gum in my gluten-free recipes?
Learn more about starchy gluten-free flours:
Sweet White Rice Flour
Sweet white rice flour, or glutinous rice flour (note: it's gluten-free!), is amazing in gluten-free baking recipes as it works as a binder with other gluten-free flours to create wonderful structure and flavor, no xanthan gum required. Sweet white rice flour is also known as mochiko, and makes the delicious Japanese mochi, and it is high in starch. This flour is a must in gluten-free baking.
Tapioca Flour
Tapioca flour, which is made from the dried root of the cassava plant (it differs from cassava flour in that it is extracted from the starch of the cassava root while cassava flour is made from the entire root). Tapioca flour, like sweet white rice flour, is essential to gluten-free baking as it creates a light, fluffy texture while helping to bind the other gluten-free flours together in the recipe.
Potato Starch
NOT potato flour, potato starch is the extracted and dried starch from potatoes. Potato starch works similarly to tapioca flour, and can be used alongside tapioca flour to balance and lighten recipes. I don't use potato starch often, but it will show up in some recipes.
Arrowroot Flour
Also known as arrowroot starch or powder, arrowroot powder is another gluten-free starchy flour extracted from tubers. It contains a good amount of potassium, iron and B vitamins, and is grain-free, which will suit many. It is used as a thickener and binder in gluten-free recipes.
Nut Flours
Nut flours are exactly what their name states -- flours made from nuts. Learn more about nut flours:
Almond Flour
A staple in gluten-free baking, almond flour is high in protein. Almond flour is made from finely ground almonds and I use almond flour rather than almond meal in my recipes. Almond flour brings moisture, structure, and texture to gluten-free baking.
Tiger Nut Flour
If you can't tolerate almonds, tiger nut flour is a good alternative as it performs like almond flour. Tiger nut flour is actually not made from nuts but from dried, ground tubers and is low in carbohydrates.
Coconut Flour
Coconut flour is a fine, soft powder that's made by grinding dried coconut meat into flour. It's important to note that coconut flour performs very differently from other flours and is very absorbent. So if you wish to substitute it for another flour in a recipe you may end up with poor results. It's best to make recipes that are specifically designed to incorporate coconut flour.
Chestnut Flour
Popular in Europe and especially Italy, chestnut flour is made from ground chestnuts. The flour has a sweet undertone that nicely complements baked goods. I consider chestnut flour to be a specialty flour and don't use it in my baking.
Other Nuts: Hazelnut, Walnut, Pistachio, etc.
These nuts may be treated similarly to almond flour in recipes, though, of course, if you substitute hazelnut flour for almond flour, for example, the flavor of your bake will change. Always buy or make your nut flours as finely ground as possible (more of a "flour" than a "meal").
Gluten Free Flour Blends
Another option for gluten-free baking is a flour blend that allows you to substitute it (by weight!) for all-purpose flour in a recipe. It should have the right balance of starchy and whole grain flours to mimic regular flour. Many blends also contain xanthan or guar gum. If you don't want a blend that contains these extras, you can make your own blend or buy one that leaves them out.
I recommend carefully reading the ingredients list on a package of 1:1 gluten-free flour. Some blends contain dried milk powder, egg, or other dairy products. If you're allergic or vegan, skip these blends. A few options could include:
- A homemade blend, such as my homemade gluten free flour blend that is made with just oat flour, tapioca flour, and sweet white rice flour. See my post for the recipe. It also provides substitution suggestions if you don't eat oats.
- King Arthur Flour Measure for Measure Flour
- Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour
- Pamela's All Purpose Gluten Free Flour Mix
- Cup4Cup Gluten Free Flour
