From light cake flour to dense whole wheat, gluten is created by mixing the dry flour with a liquid and a leavening. If gluten intolerance is a challenge, oatmeal, rice and almond flour are flour substitutes that are worth a try!
Wheat-Based Flour Options
All-purpose flour, cake flour and self-rising flour are all based on white flour made from wheat. While all-purpose flour is made only from the endosperm of the wheat berry, whole wheat flour contain the bran, the germ and the endosperm.
All Purpose Flour & Wheat Flour
If you’re looking to switch from all-purpose flour to whole wheat, Lisa Abraham with the Ohio Beacon recommends replacing 1/3 to 1/2 a cup of all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour.
Bakers beware! You may well produce heavier baked goods than previously, as the process of aging all-purpose flour encourages the formation of gluten.
For many baked goods, blending a small amount of whole wheat flour into all-purpose flour creates a more nutrient and fiber rich substitute for all purpose flour.
If you notice a significant change in flavor or texture, lessen the amount of whole wheat flour in your blend in the next batch.
Substitute For Cake Flour
If a recipe calls for a cake flour, food experts at Epicurious.com suggest removing two tablespoons of all-purpose flour and replacing it with two tablespoons of corn starch.
Once the switch has been made, sift the all-purpose flour and corn starch blend thoroughly. This well-blended substitute for cake flour will produce a very light product.
Cake flour produces a lighter baked good than all-purpose flour because of the reduction in protein.
By reducing the ability of the flour to generate gluten, you’ll get a much less chewy product. Angel food cakes and chiffon cakes call for cake flour.
Substitute For Self Rising Flour
If you’re in a pinch for a self-rising flour, take one cup of all-purpose flour and add 1 and 1/2 half teaspoons of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
This may not be as effective as purchasing a package of self-rising flour, however, because self-rising flour has a lower protein content than all purpose flour.
Neither baking powder nor salt have any impact on the gluten content of all-purpose flour.
Additionally, this method of flower amendment will change up the ratio of dry products to wet products in what you’re baking.
No matter the reason, this substitute for self rising flour will not give you quite as light a result as purchasing self-rising flour will.
Substitutes For Flour Chart
Missing Flour | Flour Substitute |
|---|---|
All Purpose Flour | Equal amount of almond flour. |
| Cake Flour | Use all purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons & replace with corn starch. |
| Self Rising Flour | One cup of all-purpose flour and add 1 and 1/2 half teaspoons of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. |
| Almond Flour | Equal amount of cashew flour. |
| Oat Flour | 1 + 1/4 cup of rolled oats in food processor makes 1 cup of oat flour. |
| Rice Flour | Brown/White rice flour, buckwheat or millet flour. |
Non-Wheat Flour Options
Substitute For Almond Flour
For people with a poor tolerance for any grains, almond flour offers a gentle flavor option as a replacement for all-purpose flour.
Per Danielle Walker at Against All Grain pecan and walnut flours are available, but their flavor can be overpowering. Cashew flour is an effective substitute for almond flour in a pinch.
Almond flour is high in oil. It can be tricky to blend you own almond flour, as you might make your own almond butter.
If you find almond meal instead of almond flour, be aware that you’re working with the almond skin as well as the white flesh.
Be aware that almond flour can burn. You’ll want to experiment with your temperatures to make sure you produce a consistent product. Any goods you bake with almond meal will be denser and more coarse than those made with almond flour.
Substitute For Oat Flour
Oat flour is a gluten-free alternative for those who can tolerate grains. Be aware that you’ll need to increase your leavening agents to make up for the inability of the flour to capture bubbles and stretch.
Per Alina McKee with LiveStrong be prepared to add 2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder with each cup of oat flour. This will keep your baked goods moist without creating a low, dense product.
If you’re interested in working with oat flour but can’t find it in a standard grocery store, you can create your own oat flour by chopping oats into a find powder.
This is a cost effective replacement attempt, as 1 cup + 1/4 cup of rolled oats makes 1 cup of oat flour.
When considering substitutes for oat flour, remember that oat flour is sweeter than wheat flour, and adjust sugar additions accordingly.
Substitute For Rice Flour
Another gluten free flour option is rice flour. If you’re looking for more flavor and a chewier substitute for white rice flour, you can use brown rice flour. Brown rice may be a bit nuttier and will absorb more water.
Other substitutes for rice flour include buckwheat and millet flour.
When seeking out the best brands of rice flour, consider the risk of grit and any worries about gummy texture. Grinding rice can take a bit, and the dried grains may show up in the grind in a variety of sizes.
If grit is a problem, re-process your rice flour in the flood process or blender to break down the larger size particles.
No matter your dietary restrictions or personal preferences, the wide variety of flours available will give any baker a myriad of options for making the best treats.
your amount of oats needed for 1 cup of oat flour is incorrect. if you look more closely at the livestrong site, or the youtube video you posted, you’ll see it’s 1.25c oats yields 1 cup oat flour…not 1/4 cup oats: 1 1/4 oats!!!
Thank you Elly, we fixed the typo.