You are looking for the best corn flour substitutes because you were out of cornflour when you desperately wanted to make a pudding. Jeepers creepers! No worries, TheFoodXP squad is here to tell you all about the best substitutes for corn flour.
Cornflour can work wonders for many of your recipes. That is why, in this article, I’m going to give you some of its best substitutes. Got any ideas? Some of the best corn flour substitutes are cornstarch, rice flour, wheat flour, all-purpose flour, potato flour, self-rising flour, and cornmeal.
Cornflour is widely known to be the perfect binding agent in most of your recipes. It helps greatly in keeping the dish together, or you can say, ‘Cornflour’s back hurts from carrying the recipe.’
Being a handy ingredient, it’s only obvious that cornflour has great importance. Hence, it becomes equally important to finding the best substitutes for it. In this article, I’ll give you the various reasons why you need substitutes for corn flour and what exactly you can substitute it with.
Corn Flour and Its Role In the Culinary World
Cornflour is pure gold when it comes to using it in recipes. It always understands the assignment. Cornflour has finely powdered corn kernels or maize. One of the reasons it is so popular is that it is both vegan and gluten-free.
Cornflour works as a great binder in recipes. It provides the dish with the required structure. It is flavorless when consumed raw, but it develops a sweet and earthy flavor once you use it in a recipe. Being a versatile ingredient, you can use it for frying, breading, etc. It is mostly used in batters and baking cookies, muffins, etc.
Cornflour also provides texture to food items. It thickens the overall dish when used in soups, stews, etc. To prevent the cornflour from lumping in heated food recipes, it is recommended for you to mix it with water beforehand.
Corn Flour on The Health Radar | Looking Through The Wellness Telescope
Cornflour is not only important while cooking but also has a great nutritional value to it. It provides instant energy and also greatly helps in digestion. It is good for pregnant women and is also a good promoter of healthy body weight. It enhances bone health and reduces the risk of high blood pressure.
Why Should We Substitute Corn Flour?
Corn flour is an absolute essential in every household pantry. But that doesn’t mean you can never be out of it. If you are an avid user of it, you will be out of it sooner than you realize. That’s when the best corn flour substitutes can get in and save your day!
Also, some people might be allergic to corn and can have varied allergic reactions. Feeling bloated, stomach cramps and vomiting are some of the signs of corn intolerance. If that’s the case, you need the help of cornflour substitutes for a flavor similar to corn flour without actually using it. So, shall we talk about the best substitutes for corn flour right away?
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14 Best Corn Flour Substitutes
From breading to frying, cornflour is like a genie for most recipes. Therefore, it becomes almost essential for you to find the appropriate replacements for it. Given below is a list of the seven best substitutes for cornflour.
1. Cornstarch
Cornstarch and corn flour are often mistaken for the same thing, but they aren’t. Corn starch is white, different from that of corn flour. It is made from the corn kernel’s starchy part and provides a similar consistency in food items as corn flour.
The lack of flavor in corn starch makes it important to season it before adding it to your recipe. You can use cornstarch in the same amount as the recipe calls for corn flour. Cornstarch is the perfect substitute for corn flour in breading, thickening soups, etc. You can use it to make ginger lobster as well.
2. Rice Flour
Rice flour is another suitable replacement for cornflour. It is generally used to make noodles, desserts, etc. It is white and is produced from grounding the rice grains finely. Just like corn flour, rice flour is also mostly vegan and gluten-free.
You can easily substitute corn flour with rice flour in desserts, soups, etc. The advisable amount of rice flour to substitute corn flour is twice the quantity of corn flour. Rice flour serves as a great thickening agent when making mango phirni.
3. Wheat Flour
.As the name suggests, wheat flour is made from grounding wheat finely. It isn’t gluten-free like cornflour but has great nutritional value to it. It gives a nutty flavor and a firm texture when added to recipes.
Wheat flour also works as a great substitute for corn flour due to its thickening properties. Again, when substituting cornflour with wheat flour, use twice the quantity asked for. It works great in recipes that require thickening and also in baked goods like garden harvest cake as well.
4. All-Purpose Flour
Suppose you’re looking for a substitute for cornflour while baking; all-purpose flour should be your go-to option. All-purpose flour is white and is made up of wheat. It is highly refined and is commonly used in muffins, cupcakes, etc. It can be used for both thickening food and deep-frying.
All-purpose flavor might not provide the same texture as corn flour does but is still a worthy substitute. You might want to use twice the quantity of all-purpose flour for what the recipe calls for corn flour. However, if you are making drop biscuits, then the quantity of flour remains the same.
5. Potato Flour
Talking about substitutes for cornflour and not mentioning potato flour? That is a crime I can’t possibly commit. It is made out of potatoes (shocker!) and dried to give potato starch afterward. It is gluten-free and has a great absorption factor to it.
Potato flour is best used to substitute for cornflour in thickening stews and soups, coating vegetables and meat, etc. It is advisable to use the same amount of potato flour as required for cornflour.
6. Self-Rising Flour
Self-rising flour is an amazing substitute for cornflour. It is made up of all-purpose flour with salt and baking powder. Self-rising flour is often used in several baked items. As the name suggests, it helps the dish to rise.
Use it in bread, biscuits, and fried items and see the magic of self-rising flour. If you do decide to use it as a substitute for cornflour, remember to use the same amount of self-rising flour as asked in the recipe.
7. Cornmeal
Cornmeal, like cornflour, is made out of corn, so it’s obvious that it would taste just like it. Cornmeal is a bit coarser than cornflour. The flavor of cornmeal is one of the reasons it is one of the best substitutes for cornflour. Cornmeal works great when it comes to frying, breading, etc. Use the same amount of cornmeal as required for cornflour in the recipe.
8. Arrowroot Powder
Arrowroot powder also goes by the names arrowroot starch and arrowroot flour. It is a white-colored starch powder obtained from the plant Maranta arundinacea. It has a powdery, smooth texture with a bland flavor. You can use cornflour to thicken soups, sauces, gravies, and doughs.
Arrowroot powder is a gluten-free, grain-free, and vegan substitute for corn flour. Make sure you add water to the powder and create a mixture with no lumps before using it to thicken sauces or gravies.
9. Tapioca Flour
Tapioca flour is the starch obtained from the roots of cassava plants. It is a fine white flour with a sweet taste and thick texture. It is gluten-free and is used as a thickener in baked goods, soups, sauces, stews, and puddings.
As a corn flour substitute, tapioca flour is a viable option for thickening purposes. However, it can’t be used to replace cornflour in baking recipes. When used otherwise, you may have to double the amount of tapioca flour.
10. Masa Harina
Masa harina translated to dough flour in Spanish. It is a fine dough made by grinding corn kernels that have been cooked and soaked in an alkaline solution (a process known as nixtamalization). It has a nutty, buttery flavor and a smooth texture.
For substituting corn flour while making tamales or tortillas, masa harina is the best substitute. It helps the dough to be thicker, simultaneously rendering a light texture.
11. Sorghum Flour
Sorghum flour is obtained by grinding whole grain sorghum. It has a sweet, earthy flavor and a smooth texture. It is a popular alternative for various types of flours. It is used to make gluten-free cakes, bread, and other baked goods. It is rich in phenolic compounds, which work as antioxidants.
Sorghum flour is a suitable alternative to corn flour due to its sweet flavor and thickening abilities. You can combine sorghum flour with other flours or a binder for best results.
12. Ground Flaxseeds
Flaxseeds are plant-based foods that are highly nutritious. These are rich in fiber, protein, fat, and omega-3 fatty acids. Ground flaxseeds have an earthy, nutty flavor with a subtle sweetness. They also have a fine, smooth texture.
Ground flaxseeds are good substitutes for corn flour due to the subtly sweet flavor they give. They also help in thickening sauces, gravies, doughs, and soups. You can add water to ground flaxseeds before substituting them for corn flour.
13. Semolina Flour
Grinding durum wheat gives you semolina flour. It is dark in color and has an earthy, nutty flavor. It has a coarse texture, and when added to recipes, it renders an amazing crunchiness. Ground flaxseeds are also used as a thickening agent.
Semolina flour can be used to replace cornflour in recipes due to its thickening properties. It can be substituted on an equal ratio, but you have to be aware that it has high gluten content in it.
14. Homemade Corn Flour
Why bother with substitutes if you have some corn kernels, a food processor, and some time to spare, of course?
Homemade corn flour can be made easily by grinding dried corn kernels in a food processor until a fine, smooth powder is obtained. You have to store it in an air-tight container to prevent the attack of moisture. It can be refrigerated and used for six months.
Short Recap Of Best Corn Flour Substitutes
That must have been an exhaustive read on the best substitutes, right? Let me make it easy for you to remember the details with the help of some points.
Corn-based Substitutes: The best corn flour substitutes based on corn are cornstarch, cornmeal, masa harina, and homemade corn flour.
Wheat-based Substitutes: The best corn flour substitutes based on wheat are wheat flour, all-purpose flour, self-rising flour, and semolina flour.
Other Substitutes: Rice flour, potato flour, tapioca flour, arrowroot flour, and sorghum flour are the other best corn flour substitutes.
How To Use Corn Flour Substitutes In A Recipe
Corn Flour Substitutes
Ingredients
- Cornstarch
- Rice Flour
- Wheat Flour
- All-Purpose Flour
- Potato Flour
- Self-Rising Flour
- Cornmeal
- Arrowroot Powder
- Tapioca Flour
- Masa Harina
- Sorghum Flour
- Ground Flaxseeds
- Semolina Flour
- Homemade Corn Flour
Instructions
- Go through the substitutes and see which one seems fit for the recipe.
- Collect your ingredients and use your preferred substitute.
- Use the substitute in the required amount and proceed to make the dish according to the recipe.
Final Musings
Cornflour is a pretty unique ingredient. It has qualities to it like no other. Hence, finding the best substitutes for it with desirable qualities is difficult. I hope the substitutes provided above are the solution to all your corny problems. So, go on and try them in your recipe! Remember to tell me how you liked it in the comments below!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the corn flour substitute in baking?
All-purpose flour and wheat flour are good corn flour substitutes in baking.
What is the corn flour substitute for frying?
Cornstarch, potato flour and self-rising flour are good corn flour substitutes for frying.
What is the corn flour substitute for thickening?
Cornstarch, rice flour, wheat flour, and all-purpose flour are good corn flour substitutes for thickening.
What is the corn flour substitute in biscuits?
All-purpose flour, self-rising flour, and wheat flour are good corn flour substitutes that can be used to make biscuits.
What can I use instead of cornflour for stir fry?
Arrowroot powder can be used instead of cornflour in stir fries.
