{"schema":"askedwell-earned-page-v1","url":"https://askedwell.com/pages/what-substitute-for/cornstarch","question":"What can I substitute for cornstarch?","short_answer":"Best cornstarch substitutes: all-purpose flour (use 2× the amount) · arrowroot powder (1:1) · tapioca starch (1:1, glossier finish) · potato starch (1:1, neutral flavor) · rice flour (use 1.5× amount). Choose by application: arrowroot best for clear sauces; flour best for opaque gravies.","long_answer":"Cornstarch (cornflour in UK English) thickens liquids by absorbing water during heating, creating a translucent, glossy thickening. Different substitutes thicken at different rates + with different appearance + flavor profiles. Choose based on the visual + textural goal.\n\n**Best substitutes ranked by application:**\n\n**1. All-purpose flour (most common substitute):**\n- **Ratio**: 2 tablespoons flour = 1 tablespoon cornstarch\n- Best for: gravies, white sauces, opaque finishes\n- Appearance: cloudy + opaque\n- Flavor: slight wheat undertone\n- Method: make a slurry (mix with cold liquid) before adding to hot\n\n**2. Arrowroot powder:**\n- **Ratio**: 1:1 with cornstarch\n- Best for: clear sauces, fruit fillings, glossy gravies\n- Appearance: very clear + glossy\n- Flavor: neutral\n- Note: don't overcook (breaks down at sustained boiling)\n\n**3. Tapioca starch (tapioca flour):**\n- **Ratio**: 1:1 with cornstarch\n- Best for: fruit pies, Asian sauces, vegan custards\n- Appearance: glossy, slightly elastic (chewy thicker)\n- Flavor: subtle starch\n- Note: rehydrates faster than cornstarch — works at lower temps\n\n**4. Potato starch:**\n- **Ratio**: 1:1 with cornstarch\n- Best for: Eastern European stews, gravies, Asian cooking\n- Appearance: cloudy + neutral\n- Flavor: minimal (more neutral than cornstarch)\n- Note: stronger thickening than cornstarch (use slightly less for similar result)\n\n**5. Rice flour:**\n- **Ratio**: 1.5x the amount of cornstarch\n- Best for: dust on fried foods, light coatings, Asian sauces\n- Appearance: cloudy + slightly granular\n- Flavor: neutral\n- Note: needs more time to fully thicken\n\n**6. Wheat starch (different from flour):**\n- **Ratio**: 1:1 with cornstarch\n- Best for: clear sauces, dumplings\n- Less common in US grocery stores\n\n**7. Glucomannan (konjac):**\n- **Ratio**: Half the amount of cornstarch\n- Best for: low-carb thickening, keto cooking\n- Appearance: very glossy\n- Flavor: neutral\n\n**By specific application:**\n\n**For gravies (opaque, savory):**\n- Best: flour (2× ratio), potato starch, instant-flour\n- All-purpose flour is classic + traditional\n- Method: roux first (see /pages/what-ratio-of/roux-fat-flour) for richest result\n\n**For Asian stir-fry sauces (glossy):**\n- Best: cornstarch (if you have it), arrowroot, potato starch\n- Tapioca starch works but is too chewy for some\n\n**For fruit pies (clear filling):**\n- Best: arrowroot powder, tapioca starch\n- Tapioca pearls (instant Minute Tapioca) work but visible\n- Avoid: flour (cloudy filling)\n\n**For pudding + custards:**\n- Best: cornstarch (if you have it), arrowroot\n- Tapioca works but creates eggless tapioca-pudding texture\n\n**For thickening cocktail syrups:**\n- Best: arrowroot (most clear)\n- Doesn't work: flour (off-flavor in drinks)\n\n**For coating fried chicken/dumplings:**\n- Best: cornstarch (if you have it), rice flour, potato starch\n- Flour works but isn't crispy\n\n**For deep-fried tempura (light crisp):**\n- Best: cornstarch + flour blend\n- Pure cornstarch breaks down too easily\n- Rice flour is the Asian alternative\n\n**Slurry method (all starches):**\n- Mix starch with COLD liquid first (water or stock)\n- 2 tablespoons starch + 4 tablespoons cold water = standard slurry\n- Whisk into hot liquid; bring to boil; thickens within 1 minute\n- NEVER add dry starch to hot liquid (lumps everywhere)\n\n**Cooking instructions per substitute:**\n\n**Flour-based thickening:**\n- Cook 1-2 minutes in liquid to lose raw flour taste\n- Otherwise tastes \"starchy\" + raw\n\n**Arrowroot:**\n- Add at the END of cooking (1-2 min before serving)\n- Don't boil aggressively (breaks down)\n- Sets quickly\n\n**Tapioca/Potato starch:**\n- Add mid-cook or near end\n- Tolerates sustained simmering better than arrowroot\n- Reheating fine for both\n\n**Cornstarch (for comparison):**\n- Add mid-cook\n- Tolerates simmering for several minutes\n- Refrigerates well; doesn't weep liquid\n\n**Don't:**\n- Substitute 1:1 with flour (need 2×)\n- Skip the slurry step (lumps form instantly in hot liquid)\n- Boil arrowroot-thickened sauces (breaks down)\n- Use sweet rice flour (\"mochi flour\") as cornstarch substitute (different chemistry; for desserts only)\n\n**Quantities by liquid volume:**\n- Thin sauce: 1 tbsp cornstarch (or equivalent) per 1 cup liquid\n- Medium sauce: 1.5 tbsp per cup\n- Thick gravy: 2 tbsp per cup\n- For substitutes using 2× ratio (flour): 2 tbsp flour = 1 tbsp cornstarch\n\n**Cross-reference:** see /pages/what-ratio-of/roux-fat-flour for flour-based thickening as a roux + /pages/how-long-does/custard-temper for cornstarch in pastry cream.\n\nMost published references (Joy of Cooking, America's Test Kitchen, J. Kenji López-Alt, McGee \"On Food and Cooking\") converge on the substitutes + ratios above as standard.","duration_iso":"PT0M","ranges":[{"condition":"All-purpose flour","duration":"2 tbsp flour = 1 tbsp cornstarch"},{"condition":"Arrowroot powder","duration":"1:1"},{"condition":"Tapioca starch","duration":"1:1"},{"condition":"Potato starch","duration":"1:1"},{"condition":"Rice flour","duration":"1.5x the cornstarch amount"}],"variables":[{"name":"Visual goal","effect":"Clear/glossy: arrowroot or tapioca. Opaque: flour or potato starch."},{"name":"Cooking time","effect":"Arrowroot adds late (1-2 min before serving); cornstarch + tapioca + flour tolerate longer cook"},{"name":"Flavor sensitivity","effect":"Flour adds wheat flavor; starches are more neutral"},{"name":"Acidic environment","effect":"Tapioca + arrowroot work better in acidic sauces; cornstarch breaks down in acid"}],"sources":[{"label":"The Joy of Cooking","note":"Standard home reference with thickener substitutions + ratios"},{"label":"America's Test Kitchen, \"The Science of Good Cooking\"","note":"Tested starches across application types"},{"label":"J. Kenji López-Alt, Serious Eats","url":"https://www.seriouseats.com/thickening-agents-comparison","note":"Modern home reference with side-by-side starch testing"},{"label":"Harold McGee, \"On Food and Cooking\"","note":"Starch chemistry: amylose + amylopectin behavior in different starches"}],"faq":[{"question":"Why does flour require 2 tablespoons for every 1 tablespoon cornstarch?","answer":"Cornstarch is pure starch; flour is ~75% starch + 25% protein. The protein doesn't thicken — only the starch does. So 2 tablespoons of flour = ~1.5 tablespoons of starch = roughly equal thickening to 1 tablespoon of pure cornstarch."},{"question":"Can I substitute flour for cornstarch in fried chicken coating?","answer":"Yes, but result differs. Flour-coated chicken is golden + crispy with traditional crunch. Cornstarch-coated chicken is lighter + crispier with cleaner break. Combination (50/50 flour + cornstarch) gives best of both worlds."},{"question":"Which substitute is best for gluten-free thickening?","answer":"Arrowroot powder is the gluten-free gold standard — clear, glossy, doesn't add flavor. Tapioca starch and potato starch also gluten-free. Rice flour works but less reliably. Avoid all-purpose flour (contains gluten)."}],"keywords":["cornstarch substitute","thickener substitute","arrowroot powder","tapioca starch","flour for cornstarch","gluten free thickener"],"category":"cooking","date_published":"2026-05-20","date_modified":"2026-05-20","license":"CC-BY-4.0","attribution":"https://askedwell.com"}