Don’t have cornstarch or did you realize you’re cooking? Here is the best substitute for cornstarch for thickening recipes.
Preparing a recipe that calls for cornstarch and you don’t have it? Don’t worry, there are few options that are perfect as a replacement. Cornstarch is used as a thickener for sauces: savory and sweet. You’ll find it in fruity desserts like strawberry rhubarb crunch and savory recipes like stir-fries. Whether you have an allergy or are just exhausted, there are a few simple substitutes that work well.
Best substitute for cornstarch
1. Arrowroot Starch
The Best Substitute for Corn Starch? arrowroot starch. It’s the starch derived from arrowroot and is commonly used in gluten-free baking to add light texture to baked goods. It’s a great cornstarch substitute suitable for those with corn allergies and it offers that nice glossy shine just like cornstarch. Replace arrowroot starch 1:1 with cornstarch. (Here’s a sample recipe: Blueberry Crisp.)
2. Flour
Another great cornstarch substitute? Regular flour! Flour works similarly to thickening sauces, although the end result doesn’t give the sauce the glossy finish that cornstarch gives. Here’s the substitution ratio: Use 2 tablespoons of flour for 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a recipe.
Other substitutes you can try: tapioca starch or rice flour. We haven’t worked with either of them in our recipes, so we can’t comment on their effectiveness. But you are welcome to try! Let us know how it’s going in the comments below.
Note: Our vegan chocolate ice cream and other dairy-free ice cream recipes use cornstarch as a thickener to create a creamy texture. You could try arrowroot starch, but flour wouldn’t have the same properties.
Here are some recipes where you could use this cornstarch substitute:
