You've read that arrowroot flour is gluten-free and a healthy substitute for regular flour, but you can't find it? Don't worry.
There are some suitable gluten-free substitutes for arrowroot flour.
Looking for a quick answer?
The best Arrowroot Flour substitutes are cornstarch, tapioca starch, rice flour, potato flour and gluten-free baking flour
With these substitutes, you can make equally delicious gluten-free meals and enjoy a variety of flavors. Well, let's see what the best substitutes for arrowroot flour are.
Table of Contents
What Is Arrowroot Flour?
Arrowroot flour is a type of flour made from starchy substances from the tropical plant Maranta arundinacea. It's a plant characteristic of South America, so this flour is very popular in those regions. However, it is increasingly popular worldwide because it is gluten-free.
The fact that it is gluten-free makes it easily digestible, so it's used by many people who have gluten intolerance or some other problem. Also, you can find arrowroot flour on the back of some 100% natural products in food industry. This tells us that this ingredient is quite popular and very rich in nutrients.
This flour is white and has a starchy texture. Many people enjoy pastries and desserts in which you use exactly arrowroot flour. Together with it, you can mix coconut or almond flour. You will get bread of perfect texture, smell, and taste.
What Does Arrowroot Flour Taste Like?
This type of flour has a mild, almost neutral taste. Likewise, there is no smell, so it is challenging to discover the uniqueness of taste and odor in recipes. However, that's why you can easily use it in sweet and savory recipes.
Mostly because of its neutral taste, this ingredient is perfect for so many different recipes such as Instant Pot Carrot Cake. If you combine wheat pasty flour and arrowroot flour, you'll get the perfect combination that's easy to cook and it doesn't change the recipe's taste at all.
On top of that, many people like using this type of flour for bread-like parts of any kind of cake. For example, if you make lemon cake with arrowroot flour, you'll see the real difference in structure.
Arrowroot Flour Health Benefits
Truth being said, the arrowroot plant is definitely offering great benefits to our overall health. However, this is not the same as with lemon or winter melon for example. The thing that makes arrowroot flour so great for our health is the high levels of iron and potassium. So, in that light, this ingredient is great for our immune system and digestive system as well.
If you're struggling with some kind of food, take dairy for example, and your body simply can't process it during the day, you should start consuming this ingredient. Simply speaking, arrowroot flour is able to regulate your digestive system and help you process ''heavy'' foods easier.
Most importantly, arrowroot flour is a gluten-free ingredient, and those who are staying away from wheat or corn flour will highly benefit from arrowroot flour. With this on mind, it's clear that this type of flour is only going to help your overall health and immune system.
The Best Substitutes for Arrowroot Flour
Since this flour is rare in some areas, some stores don’t sell it. That may make it difficult for you to find it. But despite that, there are suitable substitutes that you can certainly easily find. Let's see what they are.
1. Cornstarch
Cornstarch is gluten-free and an excellent substitute for arrowroot flour in its natural form. Also, it has a similar texture and can be used for the same purpose.
Since it can melt when heated, you can use it in sauces, stews, soups, and other dishes. Besides being a healthy version of flour, cornstarch allows you to thicken your dishes and achieve a fine texture.
1 tablespoon of cornstarch:1 tablespoon of arrowroot flour
2. Tapioca Flour
Another good substitute, if you don't have arrowroot, is tapioca flour. In terms of texture, this flour is similar to arrowroot flour obtained from the cassava plant. The taste is also neutral with a small dose of sweetness, which becomes almost imperceptible in combination with other ingredients.
However, because it cannot melt completely, you cannot use it in all recipes. It would be best if you used it for additional thickening of creamy sauces or pie fillings.
1 tablespoon of tapioca flour:1 tablespoon of arrowroot flour
3. Rice Flour
Rice flour is also a good choice because it does not contain gluten, and you can use it for both baking and cooking. So you can freely use it to make bread, pancakes, biscuits, noodles, and thick sauces.
This flour is made from ground rice, which can be brown or white rice. Depending on that, the taste is slightly different. For example, white rice flour has a neutral taste, while brown rice flour has a mild nutty flavor.
½ tablespoon of rice flour:1 tablespoon of arrowroot flour
4. Potato Starch
If you want another alternative, potato starch could be excellent. You can use it in all arrowroot flour recipes because they have a similar taste and texture. The only difference is that potato starch is a little thicker and does not absorb liquids.
However, you can use it to thicken sauces or make delicious pastries. Your dishes will have an earthy taste and a nice dense texture.
1 tablespoon of potato starch:1 tablespoon of arrowroot flour
5. Gluten-free Baking Flour
And finally, you can use regular gluten-free flour for baking. It's mainly made from rice, buckwheat, rye, and others. It has a very light and delicate texture, so it is an excellent substitute for baking bread and other baked goods.
It's a good substitute for arrowroot because it's also gluten-free and can help thicken sauces and soups. But you can make delicious cakes, tarts, and muffins from this flour.
1 tablespoon of gluten-free baking flour:1 tablespoon of arrowroot flour
A Table of Substitutes for Arrowroot Flour
| Substitutes | Typical Characteristics | How to Best Use It? |
| Cornstarch | Neutral Flavor | Sauces, Waffles, Gluten-Free Fried Coatings, Soups, Stews |
| Tapioca Flour | Slight Sweet Flavor | Sauces, Pie Fillings, Gravies |
| Rice Flour | Neutral Flavor | Rice Noodles, Pancakes, Soups, Stews |
| Potato Starch | Bland and Earthy Flavor | Sauces, Baked Goods, Puddings |
| Gluten-free baking Flour | A Bit Sweet or Nutty Flavor (depends on type) | Sauces, Coating Meats, Baking Flatbreads, Cakes, Cookies, Muffins |
Conclusion
If you have decided on a healthier diet for some reason, you can use all types of flour/starch we have listed. Each of them has a unique texture that it transfers to other dishes. Either is a good substitute for arrowroot flour, which may be hard to find in your town.
Therefore, take a look at the list of substitutes for arrowroot flour and come up with new interesting gluten-free recipes today.
FAQs
What Is Arrowroot Flour?
Arrowroot flour is a type of flour made from starchy substances from the tropical plant Maranta arundinacea. The fact that it is gluten-free makes it easily digestible, so it is used by many people who have gluten intolerance.
What Does Arrowroot Flour Taste Like?
Arrowroot flour type of flour has a mild, almost neutral taste. That makes it ideal for sweet and salty combinations.
What Is the Best Substitute for Arrowroot Flour?
The best substitutes for arrowroots flour are cornstarch, potato starch, tapioca, rice, and gluten-free baking flour. You can also mix these to get her to get the best results when it comes to baking sweet cakes.