What can I substitute for cornstarch?

By Paulo de VriesLast verified 2026-05-204 sources~4 min readhigh consensus

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.

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The full 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.

**Best substitutes ranked by application:**

**1. All-purpose flour (most common substitute):** - **Ratio**: 2 tablespoons flour = 1 tablespoon cornstarch - Best for: gravies, white sauces, opaque finishes - Appearance: cloudy + opaque - Flavor: slight wheat undertone - Method: make a slurry (mix with cold liquid) before adding to hot

**2. Arrowroot powder:** - **Ratio**: 1:1 with cornstarch - Best for: clear sauces, fruit fillings, glossy gravies - Appearance: very clear + glossy - Flavor: neutral - Note: don't overcook (breaks down at sustained boiling)

**3. Tapioca starch (tapioca flour):** - **Ratio**: 1:1 with cornstarch - Best for: fruit pies, Asian sauces, vegan custards - Appearance: glossy, slightly elastic (chewy thicker) - Flavor: subtle starch - Note: rehydrates faster than cornstarch — works at lower temps

**4. Potato starch:** - **Ratio**: 1:1 with cornstarch - Best for: Eastern European stews, gravies, Asian cooking - Appearance: cloudy + neutral - Flavor: minimal (more neutral than cornstarch) - Note: stronger thickening than cornstarch (use slightly less for similar result)

**5. Rice flour:** - **Ratio**: 1.5x the amount of cornstarch - Best for: dust on fried foods, light coatings, Asian sauces - Appearance: cloudy + slightly granular - Flavor: neutral - Note: needs more time to fully thicken

**6. Wheat starch (different from flour):** - **Ratio**: 1:1 with cornstarch - Best for: clear sauces, dumplings - Less common in US grocery stores

**7. Glucomannan (konjac):** - **Ratio**: Half the amount of cornstarch - Best for: low-carb thickening, keto cooking - Appearance: very glossy - Flavor: neutral

**By specific application:**

**For gravies (opaque, savory):** - Best: flour (2× ratio), potato starch, instant-flour - All-purpose flour is classic + traditional - Method: roux first (see /pages/what-ratio-of/roux-fat-flour) for richest result

**For Asian stir-fry sauces (glossy):** - Best: cornstarch (if you have it), arrowroot, potato starch - Tapioca starch works but is too chewy for some

**For fruit pies (clear filling):** - Best: arrowroot powder, tapioca starch - Tapioca pearls (instant Minute Tapioca) work but visible - Avoid: flour (cloudy filling)

**For pudding + custards:** - Best: cornstarch (if you have it), arrowroot - Tapioca works but creates eggless tapioca-pudding texture

**For thickening cocktail syrups:** - Best: arrowroot (most clear) - Doesn't work: flour (off-flavor in drinks)

**For coating fried chicken/dumplings:** - Best: cornstarch (if you have it), rice flour, potato starch - Flour works but isn't crispy

**For deep-fried tempura (light crisp):** - Best: cornstarch + flour blend - Pure cornstarch breaks down too easily - Rice flour is the Asian alternative

**Slurry method (all starches):** - Mix starch with COLD liquid first (water or stock) - 2 tablespoons starch + 4 tablespoons cold water = standard slurry - Whisk into hot liquid; bring to boil; thickens within 1 minute - NEVER add dry starch to hot liquid (lumps everywhere)

**Cooking instructions per substitute:**

**Flour-based thickening:** - Cook 1-2 minutes in liquid to lose raw flour taste - Otherwise tastes "starchy" + raw

**Arrowroot:** - Add at the END of cooking (1-2 min before serving) - Don't boil aggressively (breaks down) - Sets quickly

**Tapioca/Potato starch:** - Add mid-cook or near end - Tolerates sustained simmering better than arrowroot - Reheating fine for both

**Cornstarch (for comparison):** - Add mid-cook - Tolerates simmering for several minutes - Refrigerates well; doesn't weep liquid

**Don't:** - Substitute 1:1 with flour (need 2×) - Skip the slurry step (lumps form instantly in hot liquid) - Boil arrowroot-thickened sauces (breaks down) - Use sweet rice flour ("mochi flour") as cornstarch substitute (different chemistry; for desserts only)

**Quantities by liquid volume:** - Thin sauce: 1 tbsp cornstarch (or equivalent) per 1 cup liquid - Medium sauce: 1.5 tbsp per cup - Thick gravy: 2 tbsp per cup - For substitutes using 2× ratio (flour): 2 tbsp flour = 1 tbsp cornstarch

**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.

Most 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.

Time ranges by condition

Condition	Duration	Note
All-purpose flour	2 tbsp flour = 1 tbsp cornstarch	—
Arrowroot powder	1:1	—
Tapioca starch	1:1	—
Potato starch	1:1	—
Rice flour	1.5x the cornstarch amount	—

What changes the time

Visual goal. Clear/glossy: arrowroot or tapioca. Opaque: flour or potato starch.
Cooking time. Arrowroot adds late (1-2 min before serving); cornstarch + tapioca + flour tolerate longer cook
Flavor sensitivity. Flour adds wheat flavor; starches are more neutral
Acidic environment. Tapioca + arrowroot work better in acidic sauces; cornstarch breaks down in acid

Common questions

Why does flour require 2 tablespoons for every 1 tablespoon cornstarch?

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.

Can I substitute flour for cornstarch in fried chicken coating?

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.

Which substitute is best for gluten-free thickening?

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).

Sources

We cite primary research, expert practice, and authoritative reference. Higher-tier sources weighted heavier. See methodology.

Tier 1 · peer-reviewed / governmentalTier 2 · editorial referenceTier 3 · named practitioner

T2The Joy of Cooking — Standard home reference with thickener substitutions + ratios
T2America's Test Kitchen, "The Science of Good Cooking" — Tested starches across application types
T3J. Kenji López-Alt, Serious Eats — Modern home reference with side-by-side starch testing
T3Harold McGee, "On Food and Cooking" — Starch chemistry: amylose + amylopectin behavior in different starches

Why this page existsThis page exists because “What can I substitute for cornstarch?” is one of the recurring questions we measure across search queries + LLM crawls + reading depth. When enough asking accumulated, we wrote this answer with sources cited. The mechanism is the trust signal — see how it works.

What could change this answer

honest uncertainty

We don’t know your specific equipment, ingredient batch, or environment. This answer is the best directional estimate from cited sources. Here’s where it’s less certain:

4 factors shift the answer. Your specific visual goal, cooking time, flavor sensitivity (and more) can move this estimate in either direction. The table below shows the documented ranges.
Range spans 5 documented conditions. Pick the row that matches your scenario; halfway between two rows is your best estimate. The widest condition you can imagine is the safer upper bound.
Treat as a directional starting point. Real-world equipment, ingredient batch, and ambient conditions cause natural variance the table cannot capture. Use sensory checks (sight, smell, touch, internal temperature when relevant) alongside this answer — not instead of it.
Backed by 4 cited sources — verify if precision matters. See the Sources section for primary references. Cross-check the cited materials when stakes are high: commercial production, food safety, allergens, dietary or medical considerations.
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Cite this page

de Vries, P. (2026). What can I substitute for cornstarch?. AskedWell. Retrieved 2026-05-21, from https://askedwell.com/pages/what-substitute-for/cornstarch

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Last verified: 2026-05-20 · Published 2026-05-20

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