Types of Gluten Free Flours
Almond Flour
Almond flour (high protein) is one of the most common grain- and gluten-free flours. It’s made from ground, blanched almonds, which means the skin has been removed.
One cup of almond flour contains about 90 almonds and has a nutty flavor. It’s commonly used in baked goods and can be a grain-free alternative to breadcrumbs.
It can typically be substituted in a 1:1 ratio in place of regular or wheat flour. If you are baking with this type of flour, use one extra egg. Note that the batter will be thicker and your end product denser.
Almond flour contains many minerals, including iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, copper and manganese. It’s also a good source of vitamin E and monounsaturated fat.
However, its fat content increases its calorie count to 640 per cup, which is 200 calories more than wheat flour.
While almonds and all nuts are naturally gluten-free, it’s still important to read the package to confirm the flour was not made in a facility where gluten is processed.
Amaranth Flour
Amaranth (high protein/fiber) is considered a pseudo cereal. It’s a group of more than 60 grains that were once considered a staple food in the Inca, Maya and Aztec civilizations.
Amaranth has an earthy, nutty flavor and tends to take on the flavor of other ingredients. It can replace 25% of wheat flour but should be combined with other flours when baking. The best use of this type of flour is for making tortillas, pie crusts and bread.
It’s rich in fiber, protein and the micronutrients manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and selenium. These nutrients aid brain function, bone health and DNA synthesis.
If you have a gluten intolerance, make sure to read labels. Amaranth processed in the same facilities as wheat may contain traces of gluten.
Arrowroot Flour
Arrowroot (starch) flour is a less common gluten- and grain-free powder. It’s made from a starchy substance extracted from a tropical plant known as Maranta arundinacea.
It's a versatile flour and can be used as a thickener or mixed with almond, coconut or tapioca flours for bread and dessert recipes. If you want a crispy, crunchy product, use it on its own.
This flour is rich in potassium, B-vitamins and iron. Studies have shown it may stimulate immune cells and boost immune function
Brown Rice Flour
Brown rice (neutral/light) flour is made from ground brown rice. It’s considered a whole-grain flour and contains the bran, germ and endosperm.
It has a nutty flavor and can be used to make a roux, thicken sauces or prepare breaded foods, such as fish and chicken. Brown rice flour is often used to make noodles and can be combined with other gluten-free flours for bread, cookie and cake recipes.
This flour is high in protein and fiber, both of which can help lower blood sugar levels and reduce body weight.
It’s also rich in iron, B vitamins, magnesium and manganese, as well as plant compounds called lignans. Research suggests that lignans help protect against heart disease.
Buckwheat (high protein/fiber) may contain the word “wheat,” but it is not a wheat grain and is gluten-free. It belongs to the family of pseudocereals, a group of grains that are eaten like cereals but don’t belong to the grass family.
Buckwheat Flour
Buckwheat flour provides a rich, earthy flavor and is good for baking quick and yeast breads. Due to its lack of gluten, it tends to be crumbly in nature. To make a quality product, it can be combined with other gluten-free flours like brown rice flour. It contains a variety of B-vitamins and is rich in the minerals iron, folate, magnesium, zinc, manganese and fiber. Buckwheat flour is also high in antioxidants, specifically the polyphenol rutin, which has anti-inflammatory properties.
Buckwheat can be cross-contaminated with gluten-containing foods during processing, transportation or when used as a rotational crop with wheat. Be sure to look for certified gluten-free on the label to be safe.
Cassava Flour
Cassava (all purpose) is a starchy root vegetable or tuber native to South America. It’s also known as yuca.
In contrast to tapioca flour, which is made from a starchy liquid extracted from the cassava root, cassava flour is made by grating and drying the whole root. This flour is gluten-, grain- and nut-free.
It’s most similar to white flour and can easily be used in recipes calling for all-purpose flour. It has a neutral flavor and is easily digestible. It’s also lower in calories than coconut or almond flours.
Cassava flour consists mostly of carbohydrates. Similar to tapioca flour, it also provides resistant starch, which has a variety of digestive system benefits.
Some research suggests that the resistant starch content in this type of flour may help lower blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity. Note that processing the cassava root may decrease the levels of resistant starch present in the flour.
Coconut Flour
Coconut (high fiber) flour is made from dried coconut meat and offers a mild coconut flavor. Its light texture yields similar results to regular flour and is good for baking breads and desserts.
Note that coconut flour absorbs a lot more water than regular or almond flour. It’s high in the saturated fat, lauric acid. This medium-chain triglyceride can provide energy for your body and may help lower “bad” LDL cholesterol in combination with the flour’s fiber content.
Research suggests its fiber content may help maintain healthy blood sugar levels, as it does not cause them to spike. Coconut flour is a good option for those with nut and gluten allergies. It can be contaminated in the processing phase, so be sure to look at where your flour was produced.
Tapioca Flour
One health benefit of tapioca flour is its resistant starch content, which functions like fiber. Resistant to digestion, this starch is linked to improved insulin sensitivity, lower blood sugar levels, reduced appetite and other digestive benefits.
Corn Flour
Corn flour (neutral/light & high fiber) is a very finely ground version of cornmeal. Cornmeal is made from the whole kernel, including the bran, germ and endosperm.
It’s commonly used as a thickener for liquids and can be used to make tortillas and breads. Corn flour comes in white and yellow varieties and can be combined with other gluten-free flours to make pizza crust.
It’s high in fiber and a good source of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. These two plant compounds act as antioxidants and can benefit eye health by decreasing age-related macular degeneration and reducing the risk of cataracts.
It’s also high in vitamin B6, thiamine, manganese, magnesium and the antioxidant selenium. Corn is from a different branch of the grass family than gluten-rich wheat, barley and rye.
Cross-contamination is typically more likely in processed foods made with corn flour. Even cornbread can contain regular flour.
Mesquite Flour
Mesquite flour (high fiber) is made from the dried and ground pods of the mesquite, a tree that grows throughout Mexico and the southwestern US in arid and drought-prone climates. The flour made from the long, beige-colored seed pods have a sweet, slightly nutty flavor and can be used in a wide variety of applications. It has a high-protein, low-glycemic content and can serve as a gluten-free replacement for flours that contain gluten.
Millet Flour
Millet (high protein) flour is a mild-flavored, light-colored flour, making it perfect for using in either sweet or savory recipes. It’s great for using in muffins, cookies and cornbread.
Oat Flour
Oat flour (high protein/fiber) is made by grinding whole-grain oats. It gives baked goods more flavor than all-purpose flour and results in a chewier, crumblier texture.
Baking with oat flour will likely make your end product more moist. Due to its lack of gluten, some ingredients will need to be adjusted to create light and fluffy baked goods.
Oats contain a type of soluble fiber called beta-glucan, which has numerous health benefits. This fiber can help lower “bad” LDL cholesterol, as well as blood sugar and insulin levels.
They’re also rich in other nutrients like protein, magnesium, phosphorus, B-vitamins and the antioxidant group avenanthramides.
Oats and oat flour are often subject to contamination, depending on how they were grown and where they were processed. If you cannot eat gluten, be sure to look for products that have been certified gluten-free.
Potato Flour
Potato flour (stabilizer) Potato flour is usually made from the entire potato, whereas potato starch is just the starch. This flour can add creamy, earthy textures to baked goods including breads and dinner rolls.
Potato starch (starch) The starch will help recipes bind together. Use it sparingly in quick breads, muffins, and gluten-free flour mixes: Too much of it will make baked goods crumbly.
Quinoa Flour
Quinoa flour (high protein/fiber) Not only is quinoa flour high in protein in comparison to other flours, but it's also got fiber, iron, and other trace minerals.
With its mild nutty flavor and pale color, quinoa flour can be used for both savory and sweet recipes. It is excellent in cake and cookie recipes as well as breads and muffins.
Sorghum Flour
Sorghum (neutral/light & high protein) flour is made from an ancient cereal grain that has been grown for more than 5,000 years. The grain is naturally gluten-free and considered the fifth most important cereal grain in the world.
It has a light color and texture, as well as a mild, sweet flavor. Considered a heavy or dense flour, it’s often mixed with other gluten-free flours or used in recipes requiring small amounts of flour.
The sorghum grain is high in fiber and protein, which can help slow sugar absorption. It also contains an abundance of the mineral iron, as well as antioxidants that help you fight inflammation.
Sorghum flour may be contaminated with gluten during processing. Look for the certified gluten-free label.
Sweet White Rice Flour
Sweet white rice flour. (neutral/light) This “sticky rice” flour is mild, not super sweet, but still gluten-free and can make baked goods like a Bundt or coconut cake lighter than brown rice flour because it has a higher starch content.
Tapioca Flour
Tapioca (starch) flour is made from the starchy liquid extracted from the South American cassava root.
This flour is used as a thickener in soups, sauces and pies and has no discernable flavor or taste. It can also be used in combination with other gluten-free flours in bread recipes.
Aside from carbohydrates, tapioca flour provides little nutritional value in the form of fiber, protein or micronutrients. In fact, it's considered inferior to other whole-grain, gluten-free flours and often thought of as empty calories.
Teff Flour
Teff (high protein/fiber) is the world’s smallest grain and is 1/100 the size of a kernel of wheat. It comes in a variety of colors, ranging from white to red to dark brown. Light colors have a mild flavor, while darker shades are more earthy in taste.
Teff flour has traditionally been used to make injera, a fermented, sourdough-like Ethiopian bread. It’s now also used for other foods like pancakes, cereals, breads and snacks. It can be substituted for 25–50% of wheat or all-purpose flour.
Teff flour is high in protein, which promotes a feeling of fullness and can help reduce cravings. Its high fiber content can help manage blood sugar, decrease appetite and aid weight loss. What's more, it contains more calcium than any other grain and is the only ancient grain containing vitamin C.
Tigernut Flour
Tigernut (high fiber) flour is not made from nuts. Tigernuts are small root vegetables that grow in North Africa and the Mediterranean.
Tigernut flour has a sweet and nutty flavor that works well in baked goods. Its sweetness allows you to cut back on the sugar quantity in your recipe.
Note that it’s slightly coarser than white flour and likely results in products with more texture. One-fourth cup packs 10 grams of fiber, which can help lower cholesterol. Tigernut flour is also rich in healthy monounsaturated fat, iron, phosphorus, potassium and vitamins E and C.
Newer on the gluten-free market, few companies produce this flour. The risk of gluten contamination is low, as tigernuts are not grain based.
White Rice Flour
White Rice Flour (neutral/light) Made from finely milled white rice, rice flour is a great substitute for wheat flour. It works very well as a thickening agent because it prevents liquid separation – it is particularly good for soups, gravies, and sauces but can also work for cakes, cookies, and crackers.
White rice flour is high in fiber, though not quite as high as brown rice flour, and it also contains plenty of manganese, selenium, niacin, magnesium, thiamin, and vitamin B6.
White rice flour has a silky-smooth texture and it is bright white in color. Generally speaking, you can substitute white rice flour for wheat flour at a 1:1 ratio in cooking recipes, though baking recipes may need a little adjustment. White rice flour is not ideal for recipes with high fat, low liquid content like cookies or muffins but it can be combined with other gluten free flours for a better result. This flour blends well with other flours due to its fine texture and neutral flavor.