Gluten Free Flours I Always Have On Hand

Whether you're just starting out your gluten-free journey, or you're looking to level up your baking, understanding the different gluten-free flours can make a big difference. In this guide, I'll walk you through some of my favorite gluten-free flours including almond flour, cornmeal, rice flour, oat flour, and gluten-free all-purpose flour blends.

I've been gluten-free for a few years now, and have learned a lot through trial, error, crumbly cookies, and chewy cakes. My goal is to help make your gluten-free journey easier and tastier by sharing what I've discovered so far.

Gluten Free Flour Blends

A good gluten-free all-purpose flour blend is a great place to start when baking! Gluten-free flour blends include a mix of flours and starches, and they take the guesswork out of the baking.

I always have a bag of Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour in my pantry, but I've also used King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour, and Pillsbury Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Blend.

Most blends will have a rice flour or brown rice flour base. If you want a blend that doesn't include rice flour, some brands like XO Baking Co make their flour blend with a cassava flour base!

It's important to note that some blends do not include xanthan gum. Xanthan gum is essential to add structure in gluten-free baking. If your blend doesn't include it, make sure you add some yourself.

Also, some blends like Cup4Cup also offer a Wholesome Blend that could be used as a wholewheat flour alternative.

Almond Flour

Almond flour is really great because it's so high in fat and helps to add richness and moisture to baked goods. It also adds a depth to the flavor, which is especially wonderful if you're also dairy-free an you're not adding any butter to the batter.

You can combine it with another kind of flour, like in my gluten-free pound cake and gluten-free sugar cookies, use it on it's own like I do in my almond flour chocolate chip cookies or gluten-free zucchini muffins.

It's important to note that almond flour is not the same as almond meal. When baking, you want to use finely ground blanched almond flour like Bob Red Mill's Super Fine Almond Flour.

Oat Flour

Oat flour is essentially finely ground oats. You can buy it pre-packaged or make it yourself by grinding rolled oats in a blender or food processor.

Oat flour adds softness and wholesomeness to baked goods and have a mild and slightly sweet flavor. I love to use it in my gluten-free edible cookie dough because unlike some other flours, oat flour doesn't need to be heat treated before eating!

It's important to note that while oats themselves are gluten-free, many are processed in facilities that also process wheat, barley, or rye. Be sure that the packaging clearly states that it's gluten-free, to be safe.

Cornstarch and Potato starch

I love using starches for both cooking and baking. I use both when I need to thicken sauces and gravy.

For baking, I love adding cornstarch to cake batter to add tenderness and lightness. I use it in almost all cake recipes, like my gluten-free chocolate cake and gluten-free coffee cake, but also in my gluten-free blueberry muffin recipe.

Rice Flours

Rice flour is versatile and essential in a gluten-free kitchen, and I keep several types in my pantry.

Mochiko, Joshinko, and Shiratamako

These are glutinous rice flour, which sounds like they might have gluten in them, but they don't! They're made from sticky rice.

Mochiko: A fine and powdery rice flour. Besides making mochi, you can also use it in pancake and waffle batter to give them a fun chewy texture!

Joshinko: A course rice flour that's often used in Japanese sweets like kashiwa mochi.

Shiratamako: A pregelatinized rice flour that gives mochi a smooth, chewy texture. I use it in both my shiratama dango and ichigo daifuku recipes.

Rice Flour for Bread

As I write this, I'm in the process of experimenting with gluten-free bread. I have to say, my favorite gluten-free flour for bread is a Japanese rice flour called mizuhochikara.

I can't find this particular rice flour outside of Japan, so for now, I'll continue to test different flours to see what comes close. Once I find a worthy substitute (hopefully soon), I'll definitely update this post to share.

Cornmeal

Cornmeal brings a rustic, hearty texture to baked goods, as well as a delicious corn flavor. I always have either medium or finely ground cornmeal in my pantry.

You can use it to make grits, add it to pancake or waffle batter, as well as gluten-free cornbread and cornbread croutons!

Masarepa

Masarepa is a type of precooked cornmeal that's been soaked, cooked, dried, and ground. It's most commonly used in Latin American cooking.

I use the P.A.N. brand to make arepas and reina pepiada!