Cornstarch substitute
Use 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour for every 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Potato starch or arrowroot can be swapped 1 for 1.
Out of cornstarch mid-recipe?
Tell Sous Chef what you are missing. It swaps the ingredient and rewrites the steps that use it, and keeps your original recipe.
What are you making?
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All-purpose flour
Great fit2 tbsp all-purpose flour
For this dish: Classic thickener for gravies and stews.
How: Use 2 tablespoons per 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Whisk it into a little cold water first, then simmer until thick and no raw flour taste remains.
What changes: Flour has about half the thickening power, so you need twice as much. Cook it a few minutes after it thickens so it does not taste of raw flour.
Contains wheat.
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Arrowroot starch
Great fit1 tbsp arrowroot starch
For this dish: Clear and glossy, great in acidic sauces.
How: Use about the same amount as cornstarch, mixed into cold liquid first. Add near the end of cooking.
What changes: It does not break down in acidic liquids like fruit juice, and it keeps its texture after freezing and thawing.
No major food allergens in these ingredients. Check labels on packaged products.
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Potato starch
Works1 tbsp potato starch
For this dish: Good for quick sauces, but breaks down in long simmers.
How: Swap 1 for 1. Add near the end of cooking and do not boil it hard.
What changes: Similar glossy finish. It tolerates more heat than cornstarch but cannot withstand long cooking times.
No major food allergens in these ingredients. Check labels on packaged products.
What cornstarch does in a recipe
Cornstarch is nearly pure starch. It thickens liquids when heated, and it has about twice the thickening power of flour. It gives a smooth, glossy, slightly cloudy finish. A substitute has to thicken at the right strength and survive the dish's heat and acidity.
Swap it in your recipe with Sous Chef
A substitution is more than one ingredient line. The steps that use it change too. Sous Chef edits both on a working copy of your recipe, so the original is always one tap away.
You ask Sous Chef
"I don't have cornstarch."
Sous Chef edits the recipe
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
Use 2 tablespoons per 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Whisk it into a little cold water first, then simmer until thick and no raw flour taste remains.
When not to substitute
Do not switch thickeners in tested canning recipes. Use only the thickener the recipe names.
Common questions
What can I use instead of cornstarch to thicken sauce?
All-purpose flour at 2 tablespoons per 1 tablespoon cornstarch, or potato starch at 1 for 1. Arrowroot also works about 1 for 1.
How much flour equals 1 tablespoon of cornstarch?
2 tablespoons. Cornstarch has about twice the thickening power of flour.
Can I freeze food thickened with cornstarch?
Cornstarch can turn spongy after thawing, so arrowroot is better for freezer dishes. If a frozen gravy weeps, bring it to a full boil and whisk.
Related
- Cake flour substitutes
- Powdered sugar substitutes
- Cornstarch cups to grams
- All ingredient substitutes
- How to substitute an ingredient
Sources
- 5 Alternative Starches to Flour - Bob's Red Mill
- Cornstarch vs. Potato Starch - Bob's Red Mill
- Pie Thickener - King Arthur Baking
- Ingredient substitutions (Colorado State University Extension)
- List of ingredient substitutions for cooking and baking (Utah State University Extension)
- Rescuing frozen gravy (America's Test Kitchen)
Cook with what you have.
Import any recipe into Sous Chef and ask for the swap. It rewrites the ingredient list and the steps, and never loses the original. Free on iPhone.