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You might not reach for cornstarch every week, but the pantry staple is absolutely essential to a well-stocked kitchen. Most of us have a bag on hand at all times. But sometimes we might be shy of the required amount for our latest recipe…although, we’re sure we bought more on our last grocery run. Still, there’s no need to panic. Cornstarch substitutes abound, and there’s a good chance one or more of them are already in your pantry. But first, a brief lesson on what cornstarch is and what it does:
What is cornstarch?
Cornstarch is a fine white powder made from the endosperm of corn kernels. (In the UK, cornstarch is called cornflour; in the States, “corn flour” generally refers to finely milled cornmeal, i.e., whole ground corn kernels. These are not interchangeable.) Frequently used for thickening sauces, stews, and custards, cornstarch is a regular player in stir-fry recipes, where it tightens the sauce to produce a glossy coating. Cornstarch also lends a particular light, crumbly texture to certain cookies and cakes, and it can thicken the fruit filling of a pie or enhance the crisp coating of fried foods.
The best cornstarch substitutes:
Cornstarch substitutes are readily available, but not all perform equally. Some sources cite glucomannan, ground flaxseeds, or guar gum as fine swaps, but these don’t quite replicate the texture of cornstarch and may impart unwanted flavors. Still, you’ll find a bevy of ingredients below that can be deployed in place of cornstarch, each capable of achieving comparable results. But which option you choose depends on what recipe you’re making. While some cornstarch substitutes work well in baked goods, others may be more suited to frying chicken. You might be looking for a glossy sauce solution or an alternative binder. We’ve provided “best use” cases for each ingredient, so be sure to read through before making your final selection.
Nearly identical in texture and with a similarly neutral flavor, potato starch is hands down one of the best cornstarch substitutes. It is a wonderful thickener for sauces, works in baked goods (like buttery Linzer cookies), and also crisps up in fried or baked breadings. Plus, it can typically be substituted in an equal amount, saving you from any mental calculations.
Potato starch is also an excellent option for those with corn allergies, like associate food editor Kendra Vaculin. “My go-to [cornstarch] sub is potato starch. I find that in sweet and savory applications alike—to make slurries, in crispy coatings, in baked goods, generally as a thickener—it works perfectly.” She goes on to say, “The varieties of fried chicken made with potato starch or rice flour on purpose, i.e., not as a sub for cornstarch (like Japanese karaage and Korean fried chicken), are so light and shatteringly crisp, I can’t imagine cornstarch holding a candle.” In particular, she recommends Bob’s Red Mill Potato Starch, which comes in a convenient resealable bag.
Chef and owner of Jackrabbit Filly in Charleston, South Carolina, Shuai Wang, agrees. “If I don’t have cornstarch, the next best option is potato starch. It doesn’t alter the flavor while yielding a similar texture.” Wang suggests erring on the side of using a little bit less potato starch compared to cornstarch (potato starch weighs about 35% more than cornstarch) when using it for sauces and stews.
One other caveat: Don’t confuse potato starch for potato flour. The latter comprises whole peeled potatoes that have been dried and ground into a powder. Potato flour is often used in baked goods to encourage a moist crumb with an earthy flavor. The two can not be swapped.
Rice flour is another smart cornstarch alternative. Not to be confused with rice starch, this product is made from whole, finely milled rice grains. “I like rice flour for certain crispy moments,” says Kendra, “like in batter-fried chicken or to coat tofu cubes.” You can also use rice flour as a thickener for a soup, sauce, or gluten-free gravy, but you’ll likely need twice as much as you would cornstarch.
If you don’t have a bag of rice flour in your pantry, make it at home by grinding plain, uncooked white rice in a food processor or spice mill to a fine powder. If you prefer, you can make rice flour using brown rice; be sure to sift it using a fine-mesh sieve for best results when cooking or baking.
Tapioca starch, which is the same thing as tapioca flour, is another expert-approved substitution for cornstarch. A neutral-flavored powder made from cassava root, tapioca starch works well in baking recipes (like thickening the filling of a fruit pie). “I have used tapioca flour in place of cornstarch for crisps, pie fillings, and cobblers,” says chef David Guas of Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery. “The rough substitution is 2 tablespoons of tapioca flour for 1 tablespoon cornstarch.”
Another significant benefit of tapioca is that it freezes well, thereby preserving the consistency of your baked goods. Avoid using tapioca starch in any recipe that requires extended boiling, as the high heat will make your sauce stringy.
One of the most common substitutes for cornstarch is another pantry staple: plain all-purpose flour. But beware: Cornstarch has twice the thickening power of all-purpose flour, which means you’ll need twice as much: For every 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, use 2 tablespoons of flour. While flour can work in a pinch, it’s not a perfect substitute.
Senior test kitchen editor Jesse Szewczyk warns, “Flour tends to give sauces a murkier, denser texture similar to gravy versus the glossy, flowy texture found in cornstarch-thickened sauces [like sweet-and-sour sauce]. Flour benefits from being cooked slightly [as in making a roux] to remove its raw flavor; you can’t throw it into a sauce like you might a cornstarch slurry and expect the same results.”
You’ll also want to be cautious about using flour as a substitute for cornstarch in baked goods: Increasing the flour in a recipe could make the final product dense and tough.
So, when is a good time to swap in flour? It works particularly well as a thickening agent in dairy-based sauces: “I have used wheat flour in my banana pudding recipe in place of cornstarch and experienced great results,” says Guas. Wondering about other types of flour? Whole wheat flour works well as a cornstarch substitute but may give your food a malty flavor (not necessarily a bad thing). Bread flour contains less starch than all-purpose flour, so it won’t be as effective as a thickener, while cake flour has more starch, so you can use less to achieve your desired results.
Gluten-free flour blends can be hit or miss as thickeners. And, as with whole wheat flour, they may affect the taste of your dish. The good news is that there are other gluten-free alternatives on this list, including potato starch, rice flour, and tapioca starch.
An all-purpose thickening agent similar to cornstarch, kuzu starch (or kudzu starch) is a popular ingredient in East Asian cuisine. “Kuzu is derived from the roots of the kuzu plant, a vine native to Japan and China,” says Atsuko Ikeda, author of Atsuko’s Japanese Kitchen. “Kuzu needs to be cooked—the longer the cooking time, the firmer the texture.” Ikeda uses kuzu starch as a setting agent in her recipe for Vegan Panna Cotta—it gives the dessert a bouncy texture that mochi fans will love. Use kuzu starch as a 1:1 substitute for cornstarch to thicken sauces, soups, and desserts.
Arrowroot powder (also arrowroot flour or arrowroot starch) delivers thickening results similar to cornstarch. Arrowroot makes a beautifully shiny sauce, and you can use the same amount of arrowroot that you would cornstarch.
Recipe developer and food writer Rebecca Firkser says, “I’ll use arrowroot as a 1:1 swap for cornstarch in the filling of pies or galettes and to thicken sauces like turkey gravy.” But she notes, “I don’t like using it in dairy-based mixtures like pastry cream or pudding because it can make the mixture slimy as opposed to velvety.”
There are a few things to keep in mind when using arrowroot powder. First, it’s fairly expensive (a 16-ounce jar costs around $10 online), so it’s probably not a good substitute if you need a large amount. Before adding it to your recipe, you must dissolve the powder in cold water, so plan accordingly. Arrowroot powder may lose thickening power over time and doesn’t reheat well. For these reasons, only use it in meals you plan to serve immediately.
While you may be familiar with xanthan gum as a food additive, nonedible products such as lotion, paint, and wallpaper glue also rely on its powerful thickening properties. Gluten-free bakers regularly use xanthan gum in breads and cakes. The additive works as both a thickener and stabilizer, bringing elasticity and strength to doughs without gluten. (According to the FDA, xanthan gum is perfectly safe to consume but offers zero nutrients.) You will want to use it sparingly as a little bit of this powder goes a long way, and adding too much to your dish will make it gummy. Use ⅛ teaspoon of xanthan gum per cup of liquid.
A type of soluble fiber, psyllium husk can be used as a last-ditch cornstarch substitute, though many people even prefer this ingredient because it’s low in carbohydrates. When it comes in contact with liquid, the powder quickly forms a gel-like consistency. It works well in soups and stews and is used as a binder in many gluten-free baking recipes. It’s worth noting that psyllium husk can also be used as a natural laxative, so substitute with caution: Start with ½ teaspoon in your recipe and slowly add more to achieve your desired texture.
