The best gluten-free flours

The answer depends on what you want to do with the flour. While buckwheat flour or white rice flour might be the best all-purpose flour choices, there are a host of other options whose different properties lend themselves to varying uses and combinations. Read on to find out which is the best gluten-free flour for baking, making bread, cakes, frying and thickening your sauces. 

There are plenty of gluten-free flours to choose from, but each one has different qualities and ideal uses. Some gluten-free flours are highly absorbent and require additional moisture in the recipe while others are so dense that they need extra leavening. The key is to know exactly what you’re working with. Here is an overview of the top 12 gluten-free flours with tips for using them: 

1. Amaranth flour: best for boosting micronutrients  

This gluten-free flour has a nutty, earthy flavour and tends to absorb the flavours of other ingredients. Rich in fibre and protein, amaranth flour also contains plenty of magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium and iron. It is also particularly high in folate, a nutrient that is very important for pregnant women. Amaranth flour also provides about twice as much calcium as milk per serving. Baking with amaranth flour is a little tricky because it is best combined with other gluten-free flours, particularly for recipes like bread, pie crust and tortillas. When baking with this flour, you’ll need to stick to a ratio of 1 part amaranth flour to three parts other gluten-free flours. When making substitutions, you’ll need about 1 cup of amaranth flour per 1 cup of wheat flour. Amaranth flour browns quickly, so keep an eye on your oven temperature and your bake time. 

2. Almond flour: the flavoursome alternative 

Easily 1 of the most popular gluten-free flours, almond flour is a flavoursome  alternative to traditional wheat flour. Consisting only of ground almonds, this type of flour is loaded with nutrients including magnesium, calcium, potassium and manganese, not to mention dietary fibre and protein. Almond flour has a high total fat content but research suggests that almonds may help lower LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol levels, particularly in people with high cholesterol or diabetes. Almond flour is particularly good for baking, especially cakes and pies.  When substituting wheat flour, use a ratio of about twice as much almond flour as regular flour but the moisture in other ingredients will play a role. Almond flour is tricky when it comes to direct substitutions, so your best bet is to find a recipe that uses almond flour rather than trying to make the conversion yourself. 

3. Buckwheat flour: easy and versatile 

Though the name might be misleading, buckwheat flour is not derived from wheat and it doesn’t contain any gluten. Buckwheat flour has a rich, earthy flavour that works well in quick breads and yeast bread. It does, however, have a crumbly texture so you might want to combine it with other gluten-free flours – brown rice flour works well. Buckwheat flour is rich in fibre and antioxidants as well as iron, magnesium, folate, zinc and manganese. Baking with buckwheat flour is very easy because most recipes allow you to make a direct 1:1 substitution of buckwheat flour for wheat flour. Buckwheat flour is high in fibre and provides a moist, tender texture when used in small amounts. Combine this flour with tapioca flour to make homemade wraps or swap it for another gluten-free flour in your homemade all-purpose blend. In addition to baking, you can use it to coat meat and other proteins prior to frying them. 

4. Cassava flour: the cooked root option  

Made from the same root as tapioca flour, cassava flour is made from the entire cassava root (tapioca flour is the bleached and extracted starch from the root). Cassava flour is gluten-free, grain free and nut free while also being low in calories, sugar and fat. It is rich in vitamin C, manganese, potassium, folate and magnesium but not particularly high in fibre. The 1 thing to be wary of with this flour is that cassava must be cooked to neutralise some of the toxins, so make sure any cassava flour you purchase is made from the cooked root. You should be able to use it at a 1:1 ratio for wheat flour. It has a neutral taste and texture, so it works well as a direct substitute or when blended with other gluten-free flours. If you choose to use cassava flour as a direct substitute, bear in mind it is best for recipes that don’t need to rise – it doesn’t produce a fluffy outcome like wheat flour. 

5. Chickpea flour: nutty and dense 

Chickpea flour is a nutritionally dense gluten-free flour that is different from many of the options on this list. It is made from raw ground chickpeas and is extremely rich in protein, fibre and essential nutrients. Keep in mind, however, that it is naturally dense, so it tends to work best in recipes that require structure. Chickpea flour has a nutty flavour and a slightly grainy texture. It can be used in many recipes but works best in tortillas, crepes and flatbreads. When cooking with chickpea flour, use it at a 1:1 ratio when replacing heavier flours like teff and rye, or add a few tablespoons to recipes that require additional stability. You should also know that it is highly absorbent and creates a sticky texture, so be mindful of how much moisture you use in your recipes. 

6. Coconut flour: packed with nutrients 

One of the most popular gluten-flours together with almond flour, coconut flour is positively packed with nutrients. Made by drying and grinding coconut meat, this flour has a very light and powdery texture with a mild coconut flavour. Coconut flour is rich in fibre and  fats, but very low in carbs. What you need to know about cooking with coconut flour is that it is highly absorbent. When converting a recipe to use coconut flour, you’ll need to use a lot of eggs to provide moisture, to give the product some structure, and to act as a binder. You can’t just substitute coconut flour for wheat flour – you need to substitute between 1/4 and 1/3 cup of coconut flour for every cup of grain-based flour. Additionally, you’ll need 2 eggs per 1/4 cup of coconut flour. 

7. Oat flour: quick bread specialist 

This type of flour is made by grinding oats, so it is gluten-free as long as the oats used to make the flour are free from cross-contamination. Oat flour is very high in dietary fibre and is highly digestible – even more so than regular oats. It also contains protein, B vitamins, phosphorus and magnesium, as well as various antioxidants. The fibre and nutrients in oat flour help lower LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol levels while also stabilising blood sugar and insulin levels. Because oat flour lacks gluten, it may leave your baked goods a little bit too moist so be careful how much you use. Oat flour is best for cookies and quick breads, though you can use it for other things in combination with other gluten-free flours. When making yeast bread, you’ll need extra yeast to make the dough rise, and other recipes need about 2 ½ teaspoons of baking powder per cup of oat flour.  

8. Brown rice flour: crispier cookies 

Brown rice flour is simply finely milled brown rice, so it retains all of the same nutrients as brown rice. This type of flour is rich in dietary fibre, protein and a variety of other nutrients. Because it is milled from wholegrain brown rice, it is a more nutritious option than white rice flour but still has a smooth texture and mild flavour. When it comes to cooking with brown rice flour, it is best for adding crispness to recipes like cookies. Brown rice flour can generally be substituted for wheat flour at a 1:1 ratio when used as a thickening agent in soups, sauces or gravies, but you may need to make some adjustments when using it in baked goods. In many cases, you’ll need another egg to bind the ingredients or some additional fat like oil or butter. You’ll probably also need a few extra tablespoons of liquid to keep the mixture from drying out. 

9. Sorghum flour: great for cakes 

Made from an ancient cereal grain that has been cultivated for more than 5,000 years, sorghum flour is light in colour and texture, though it is a fairly dense flour. It is rich in protein and fibre, which helps maintain blood sugar stability and may also help with digestion. Because sorghum is often processed on shared equipment with wheat products, you need to be careful about finding a product that is certified gluten-free. Sorghum flour is a great option for cookies and cakes, but it is best combined with other gluten-free flours because it is so heavy. When making substitutions, you can use 1 cup of sorghum flour per 1 cup of wheat flour, but you’ll need to add some kind of additional binder. Xanthan gum, corn-starch, egg whites and unflavoured gelatine all work well. You’ll need an extra half-teaspoon of binder per cup for cookies and cakes or 1 teaspoon per cup for bread. 

10. Tapioca flour: ideal as thickener or for healthy baking  

A highly versatile ingredient, tapioca flour has an extremely fine texture and a bright white colour. As mentioned above, it is the extracted starch from the cassava plant, making it very similar to cassava flour. Tapioca flour is extremely popular as a thickening agent because it thickens at a low temperature and maintains its consistency in freezing temperatures. It also thickens very quickly without changing the flavour of the dish. When baking with tapioca flour, you can substitute it at a 2:1 ratio for corn starch or combine it with other gluten-free flours to make your own all-purpose blend. Because it has little sugar or fat, tapioca flour is great for healthy baking. When making direct substitutions, use 1 cup tapioca flour per 1 cup wheat flour. 

11. Teff flour: tough and tasty 

Rich in nutrients, teff flour is a healthy and versatile gluten-free flour. It is particularly rich in fibre, iron, phosphorus, calcium and B vitamins. Teff flour is best used in combination with other gluten-free flours because it may leave your baked goods dry and coarse if used alone. Keep in mind as well that teff comes in several colours – lighter colours have a mild flavour while darker colours are earthy in taste. Often used in breads, pancakes and cereals, teff flour should only be used in small amounts because it has a strong multigrain flavour. You can substitute it directly for millet in recipes or use it in combination with other flours. Try it with buckwheat to make pancakes and waffles or for injera, a type of sourdough flatbread typical in Ethiopia and Eritrea. 

12. White rice flour: fine wheat substitute 

Made from finely milled white rice, rice flour is a great substitute for wheat flour. It works very well as a thickening agent because it prevents liquid separation – it is particularly good for soups, gravies and sauces but can also work for cakes, cookies and crackers. White rice flour contains plenty of manganese, selenium, niacin, magnesium, thiamine and vitamin B6. White rice flour has a silky-smooth texture and it is bright white in colour. Generally speaking, you can substitute white rice flour for wheat flour at a 1:1 ratio in cooking recipes, though baking recipes may need a little adjustment. White rice flour is not ideal for recipes with high fat, low liquid content like cookies or muffins, but it can be combined with other gluten-free flours for a better result. This flour blends well with other flours due to its fine texture and neutral flavour.