8 Cornstarch Substitutes (What Works Best?)

Cornstarch is a powerhouse ingredient in cooking and baking because it acts as a thickener, stabilizer, and tenderizer depending on the recipe. It’s well worth keeping a tub around because you’ll never know when you’ll need it. In case you don’t have any handy, be sure to try out any of these cornstarch substitutes.

Here are 8 substitutes for cornstarch.

1. Potato Starch

Potato starch is one of the best cornstarch substitutes around when it comes to thickening and breading. It’s made from crushed potatoes and is free of gluten, which is why it’s a popular ingredient in gluten-free baking and cooking.

Can I Use Potato Starch Instead of Cornstarch?

Yes, you can definitely use potato starch as a cornstarch substitute. Potato starch is an excellent thickening agent, however, it does thicken sauces more quickly than cornstarch does, especially when heat is applied. It’s mostly flavorless though, so you can incorporate it into most recipes without any problems.

Potatoes contain resistant starch, which does not spike blood sugar levels as quickly as simple carbohydrates and can even improve digestion and insulin sensitivity. Potatoes have also been shown to help protect you from certain diseases like cancer thanks to their high antioxidant content. Potato flesh contains anthocyanins, a type of antioxidant that has been found to slow the growth of cancer cells.

Best for: baking, cooking, savory recipes, breading, soups, sauces, puddings, pie fillings

How to Substitute Potato Starch for Cornstarch

Substitute 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 teaspoon of potato starch in a 1:1 ratio.

Potato starch requires less time than cornstarch to thicken sauces. This means less time on the heat, especially at high temperatures. You may opt to add in the potato starch at a later time in the recipe compared to cornstarch so as not to make the sauce too thick.

2. Rice Flour

Rice flour is another gluten-free cornstarch substitute that’s often used in Asian cuisine for use in soups, desserts, pastries, and rice noodles. It’s typically used as a thickener in recipes, and is particularly useful in clear soups.

Can I Use Rice Flour Instead of Cornstarch?

Yes, you can. In fact, rice flour works great as a substitute for cornstarch especially for savory recipes such as tempura batter or chicken soup. It does have a mild flavor to it, so it can affect the overall flavor of your recipe if used in large amounts.

Rice flour is said to be a healthier alternative to regular white flour because it contains nutrients that offer a multitude of health benefits. Rice flour contains choline, an essential nutrient that enables the liver to purge harmful LDL cholesterol from the bloodstream. There is also evidence that rice flour may help relieve inflammation in the body, which is one of the leading risk factors for diseases such as autoimmune disorders, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases.

Best for: baking, cooking, savory recipes, breading, soups, sauces, puddings, pie fillings

How to Substitute Rice Flour for Cornstarch

Substitute 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 2 teaspoons of potato starch in a 1:2 ratio.

For thickening purposes, you can dissolve some rice flour in hot or cold water until it forms a paste. Once you have the paste, you can then add this to your sauce or soup to avoid clumping.

Be sure to use fine-milled white rice flour for this, as some other varieties of rice flour can turn out grainy. Fine-milled white rice flour will result in a smoother, less gritty texture to your recipe.

3. All-Purpose Flour

All-purpose flour is one of the best options you can use as a cornstarch substitute because it goes with practically everything and it behaves very similarly to cornstarch. You see it all the time, but did you know all-purpose flour can be used in place of cornstarch?

Can I Use All-Purpose Flour Instead of Cornstarch?

Definitely.! When used as a cornstarch substitute, all-purpose flour helps t