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Luxe Prestige Chronicle

can you substitute flour for cornstarch

Author

Liam Parker

Updated on May 17, 2026

Substitutes for cornstarch
Rice flour. Made from finely ground rice, rice flour replaces cornstarch in a 3:1 ratio.Arrowroot powder. Derived from the tropical arrowroot plant, this powder replaces cornstarch in a 2:1 ratio. Potato starch. Tapioca starch. Flaxseed gel. Xanthan gum. Guar gum.

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cornstarch?

All-Purpose Flour

Although it won’t produce the same glossy shine as cornstarch, it’ll get the job done in a pinch. All-purpose flour contains about half the thickening power of cornstarch, so for every tablespoon of cornstarch required, you’ll need to substitute two tablespoons of all-purpose flour.

Do cornstarch and flour do the same thing?

Corn flour is a yellow powder made from finely ground, dried corn, while cornstarch is a fine, white powder made from the starchy part of a corn kernel. Both may go by different names depending on where you live. Corn flour is used similarly to other flours, whereas cornstarch is mainly used as a thickener.

How can I thicken my stew without cornstarch?

Whisk a teaspoon of flour in a little cold water to make a slurry, then stir into the stew as it’s cooking. Don’t add dry flour directly to the stew as it may clump. After adding the slurry, bring the stew to boil. This will cook out the flour taste and allow the starch to swell.

Which is better cornstarch or flour?

Whether you ran out of flour or have someone in the family with an allergy restriction and need a gluten-free thickener for your soup recipe, it’s important to note cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour. So if you need to substitute cornstarch in a gravy recipe that calls for ¼ cup (4 Tbsp.)

Can I use flour instead of cornstarch for stir fry?

Or use flour as the thickening agent. To replace cornstarch with flour, use twice as much all-purpose flour. Mix the flour with some of the liquid in the recipe to make a slurry before heating.

How do you make homemade cornstarch?

Bring the corn into the blender and add some water to cover the corn in the blender. Blend until you notice a smooth texture. You can decide to blend the corn in batches if the amount of cornstarch you want to make is much. Repeat the process until you are done with all the corn in the bowl.

Can I use baking powder instead of cornstarch?

Can I Use Baking Powder or Baking Soda Instead of Cornstarch. It’s not recommended to use baking powder or baking soda as a substitute for cornstarch. Baking soda adds a particular flavour and both of them have specific chemical properties which is why they act as leavening agents.

How can I thicken liquid without cornstarch?

Use flour as a thickening agent by making a roux, a mixture of equal parts butter and flour. First, melt the butter over medium-low heat, then when the butter is bubbling, add in the flour. Cook the mixture until it’s light brown. Whisk the hot liquid into the roux, use two ounces of roux for every cup of liquid.

Can I thicken a stew with flour?

Flour can be used in three ways:

It can be added to the meat as it’s being fried, before liquid is added, and this way it will thicken a stew as it cooks. We use this method in our beef & vegetable casserole recipe.

How do you thicken a sauce with flour?

Combine 2 tablespoons flour with every 1/4 cup cold water and whisk until smooth. Add the mixture to your sauce over medium heat, and continue to stir and cook until you’ve reached your desired consistency. Test with a spoon.

Can I use flour instead of cornstarch for gravy?

Similar to cornstarch, the technique to thicken gravy with flour works best if you add a little water to your flour to create a liquid-like paste or slurry (you may also use a fine-mesh sieve to strain the dry flour into the hot liquid).