Is Flour Gluten-Free?

When you see the word “flour” written in a recipe, it typically refers to your standard wheat flour – also known as all-purpose flour. While all-purpose flour has a neutral flavor and fine texture that makes it perfect for a variety of different recipes, it isn’t gluten-free. While standard wheat flour may not be gluten-free, there are plenty of flours that are – it all depends on the ingredient from which it is made.

Whether you’re a pro gluten-free baker or an occasional cook, it’s important to have at least a working knowledge of gluten free flours. Here’s what you need to know about gluten-free flour alternatives and some helpful tips for using them in cooking and baking applications.

What is Flour?

While you may associate the term “flour” with a specific product (namely wheat-based all-purpose flour), the term flour is actually much more general than that. Quite simply, flour is a powder ground from grains through a process known as milling. White flour is made from the endosperm of the grain only – both the bran and germ are sifted out and used in other products. Whole-grain flours consist of the endosperm, the bran, and the germ – these are recombined after the germ has stabilized.

13 Gluten-Free Flour Alternatives

Though the term “flour” can be applied to a variety of different products, wheat flour is not gluten-free and should be avoided by individuals with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. Fortunately, there are a number of gluten-free grains that can be made into gluten-free flour. Whenever possible, look for a certified gluten free flour, even when it is made with a gluten-free grain, to avoid the risk of cross contact.

Here are 13 gluten-free alternatives to wheat flour:

1. Buckwheat Flour – Though the name contains the word “wheat,” buckwheat is entirely gluten-free. This flour has an earthy flavor that works well in bread recipes.
2. Corn Flour – A more finely ground version of cornmeal, corn flour is often used as a thickener in recipes and can be used to make gluten-free bread and tortillas.
3. Millet Flour – Millet is a small cereal grain that can be stone-ground into flour. Millet flour has a subtle flavor and a creamy color.
4. Oat Flour – Made by grinding whole-grain oats, oat flour gives baked goods a chewier, more crumbly texture than wheat flour and it adds a unique flavor.
5. Rice Flour – This flour can be made using white or brown rice. Brown rice flour is made using the whole grain and has a nutty flavor while white rice flour is very fine and neutral in flavor.
6. Sorghum Flour – Sorghum is an ancient cereal grain and its flour has a light color and texture along with a mild, slightly sweet natural flavor. Because it is fairly dense, it’s often mixed with other gluten-free flours in cooking and baking.
7. Teff Flour – Teff is a very small grain, about 1/100^th the size of a kernel of wheat. This flour comes in various colors ranging from red to dark brown. Lighter colors of teff flour have milder flavors and the darker colors have an earthy flavor.

In addition to these gluten-free flours milled from grains, there are a number of gluten-free flour alternatives made from nuts, seeds, beans, and root vegetables. Here are a few:

1. Almond Flour – Also known as almond meal, almond flour is made by grinding blanched almonds. It has a nutty flavor and a higher fat content than traditional wheat flour.
2. Amaranth Flour – Similar to buckwheat, amaranth is considered a pseudocereal and it has an earthy, nutty flavor. This flour is popular for use in bread, tortillas, and pie crust.
3. Cassava Flour – Also known as yuca, cassava is a starchy root vegetable native to South America. This flour has a very fine texture and neutral flavor that can easily be substituted for all-purpose wheat flour in most recipes.
4. Chickpea Flour – Sometimes called gram flour, chickpea flour is made from grinding dried chickpeas. This flour has a nutty flavor and grainy texture.
5. Coconut Flour – This flour is made by grinding the dried meat from fresh coconuts and, as such, it retains a mild coconut flavor. Coconut flour is extremely absorbent, so you’ll need to add more moisture to recipes if you’re using it as a substitute for wheat flour.
6. Tapioca Flour – Made from the liquid extracted from the cassava root, tapioca flour is technically a starch and not a flour. It is often used as a thickener in soups, sauces, and pies.

While the gluten-free flours above are useful for a number of cooking and baking applications, if you’re trying to make an existing recipe gluten-free, your best bet is to use an all-purpose flour alternative. Schär’s Mix It Universal all-purpose flour alternative can be used 1-for-1 as a replacement for wheat flour in your favorite recipes. It’s gluten-free, wheat-free, lactose-free, and non-GMO.

Tips for Cooking with Gluten-Free Flour

There are plenty of alternatives to traditional wheat-flour which work perfectly well for cooking and baking applications. Just keep in mind that because these flours are made from different grains (and other foods), they’ll act differently than all-purpose flour. You’ll need to exercise caution in choosing which flour to use in your recipe and there are a few other things you should keep in mind.

Here are some simple tips for cooking and baking with gluten-free flour:

• Follow the recipe closely when using gluten-free flour alternatives – at least until you get a feel for how these flours react and you’re able to make your own adjustments.
• Be mindful of recipes that call for binders like xanthan gum, guar gum, or psyllium husk – without gluten to hold the baked goods together, these binders are necessary.
• Know that certain gluten-free flours have a strong flavor – chickpea flour, for example, has an earthy flavor while almond flour is very nutty.
• When baking with gluten-free flour, always line your pans with parchment to keep the baked goods from sticking and make sure they cool completely before removing from the pan.
• Always use a cooling rack for gluten-free baked goods – if the steam gets trapped inside, the texture can turn gummy or dense.
• Take care when storing gluten-free leftovers, especially baked goods – be sure to squeeze as much air out of the container as you can or freeze the items tightly wrapped in plastic and stored in a freezer bag.
• If your recipe doesn’t turn out quite right on the first time, see if you can’t repurpose it instead of tossing it out – cakes can be turned into trifle and breads into breadcrumbs.

It takes time to get used to using gluten-free flours, especially if you’re a new convert to the gluten-free diet and used to using wheat-based all-purpose flour. Until you learn how different gluten-free flour alternatives act as substitutes in your favorite recipes, practice with recipes that are written specifically for gluten-free ingredients. Check out Schär’s recipe collection for inspiration.