Whether you are baking or making some boba for tea, tapioca flour is something you need. But have you run out of tapioca flour at a crucial stage in a recipe? If that’s the case, don’t worry because I’m here to talk all about tapioca flour substitutes.
Since people learned about boba tea, tapioca flour has been in great demand. Tapioca flour is a multi-purpose flour that can be used in many ways. From baking to stewing, tapioca flour can be your go-to flour. Most importantly, it is gluten-free!
When you are out of tapioca flour, go for a good tapioca flour substitute. Arrowroot, potato starch, corn starch, rice flour, cassava flour, and all-purpose flour are some of the best tapioca flour substitutes.
Tapioca flour is in great demand nowadays; hence, knowing its substitutes can help you replace it amidst your cooking experience. Given below is a brief description of some of the best tapioca flour substitutes.
11 Best Tapioca Flour Substitutes
Tapioca flour might not be something you use regularly. Hence it could be a little confusing for you to find the perfect tapioca flour substitute. If that is the case, I’m here to help. Given below are some of the best tapioca flour substitutes.
1. Arrowroot Powder
Arrowroot powder is taken from a similar root vegetable. It has a neutral taste to it. It has a clear fine texture to it and is naturally gluten-free in nature. Hence arrowroot powder can be used as an ideal tapioca flour substitute.
Arrowroot powder, just like tapioca flour, can be used in multiple ways. It is good for baking goods and also can be used as a thickening agent. However, arrowroot powder thickening capacity diminishes in high heat.
Hence while using arrowroot powder as a thickening agent instead of tapioca flour, make sure to add it only towards the end of your cooking.
2. Potato Starch
Potato starch, just as its name suggests, comes from potatoes. It is white and has a fine texture to it. Unlike potato, potato flour is tasteless and hence can be used as a tapioca flour substitute.
Moreover, just like tapioca flour, potato starch is also gluten-free in nature. Hence if you are looking for an easy tapioca substitute, get your hands on potato starch. However, potato starch adds more thickness than tapioca flour.
Hence while using potato starch as a tapioca flour substitute, add little by little until you get the desired consistency.
3. Cornstarch
Cornstarch is something we all have in our house. So if you are out of tapioca flour, use cornstarch instead. Cornstarch is one of the healthiest tapioca flour substitutes. It works well as a thickening agent and also works great in baking.
Also, cornstarch is ideal for your dish if your dish needs a thickening agent, which should be cooked longer. While using cornstarch as a tapioca flour substitute, follow the 1:1 ratio.
4. Rice Flour
This is one of the easily available tapioca flour substitutes. It is very similar to tapioca flour and can be used in all dishes that call for tapioca flour. Hence if you are out of tapioca flour, go for some rice flour.
Rice flour is extremely nutritious in nature. It doesn’t contribute much to the taste of the dish. It is a good tapioca flour substitute when it comes to baking. However, its thickening property is very weak and cannot be relied upon as a thickening agent.
5. Cassava Flour
Cassava flour is a root powder, just like tapioca flour. Hence cassava flour is one of the best tapioca flour substitutes. Cassava flour has a slightly nutty taste and works well in baking goods.
It can be substituted in most dishes that call for tapioca flour. It works well as a binding agent as well as a thickening agent. While using cassava flour as a tapioca flour substitute, follow the 1:1 ratio.
6. All-purpose flour
All-purpose flour is one of the cheapest and easily available tapioca flour substitutes. It is nothing but refined wheat flour and has a powdery texture similar to tapioca flour.
However, all-purpose flour is not gluten-free in nature. All-purpose flour can be used for baking as well as a thickening agent. However, all-purpose flour doesn’t very well mimic tapioca flour’s properties.
Hence, only use all-purpose flour as a substitute if you cannot find any other.
7. Gluten Free Flour Mixes
Nowadays, many gluten-free flour mixes are available in the market. Most of them work well as tapioca flour substitutes in most recipes.
Hence if you have any of these store-bought mixes at home, you can easily substitute them in place of tapioca flour.
8. Heavy Cream
Heavy cream has a very different texture and taste from that tapioca flour. However, if you are looking for a thickening agent in place of tapioca flour, heavy cream can be a good tapioca flour alternative.
9. Egg
Eggs are a great binder and work well in baked goods. Hence if you are looking for a tapioca flour substitute in baking, an egg can be a good tapioca flour substitute.
However, keep in mind that egg has a different texture and taste than tapioca flour and can affect the dish’s overall taste. Also, eggs cannot be a reliable option if you are a vegan or vegetarian.
10. Vegetable/ Legumes
Are you cooking any soup and simply want to thicken it? In that case, any vegetable soups or stews can be used to thicken the curry as a tapioca flour substitute.
However, while selecting the soup, remember that the end taste of the dish will be affected by the taste of the soup.
11. Gelatin
If you are cooking a sweet dish such as jellies or pudding, gelatin can be used as a tapioca flour substitute. However, gelatin isn’t suitable for any savory dishes and doesn’t go well in baked goods.
Short Recap Of Best Tapioca Flour Substitute
Now that you have seen the best tapioca flour substitute, you must have decided which one to choose for your dish. However, if you are still confused, here is a short recap for your convenience.
Easily Available Tapioca Flour Substitute
- Cornstarch
- All-Purpose Flour
Best Tapioca Flour Substitute For Making Boba
- Arrowroot Powder
Most Suitable Tapioca Flour Substitute
- Cassava Flour
- Potato Starch
Least Suitable Tapioca Flour Substitute
- Egg
- All-Purpose Flour
11 Best Tapioca Flour Substitutes You Can Try!
Ingredients
- Gelatin
- Vegetable/ Legume
- Egg
- Heavy Cream
- Gluten Free Flour Mixes
- All-Purpose Flour
- Cassava Flour
- Rice Flour
- Cornstarch
- Potato Starch
- Arrowroot Powder
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 Thought
Now that we have reached the end of the article, I hope your search for the best tapioca flour substitute ends here! Tapioca flour is a great ingredient for baking and works well as a thickening agent.
However, if you are out of tapioca flour or cannot find tapioca flour in any of your nearest stores, go for any of these tapioca substitutes and thank us later!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is tapioca flour the same as cornstarch?
No. Tapioca flour and cornstarch are two different flours.
Can I substitute tapioca starch for cornstarch?
Tapioca starch works well as a cornstarch substitute and vice versa.
What does tapioca flour do in baking?
Tapioca flour helps in binding.
Is tapioca flour the same as arrowroot?
No. Arrowroot and tapioca flour are two different ingredients.
Is tapioca starch a thickener?
Yes. Tapioca starch works well as a thickener.
