9 Cassava Flour Substitutes: Alternatives and Benefits

1. Tapioca starch

Like cassava flour, tapioca starch is constituted of the cassava plant.

Nonetheless, whereas cassava flour is produced utilizing the whole root of the plant, tapioca is made utilizing solely the starch of tapioca.

Since they’re derived from the identical plant, it ought to come as no shock that tapioca starch could be a good substitute for cassava. You need to use tapioca starch simply instead of cassava flour in all the things from predominant dishes to baked items.

Tapioca starch and cassava flour are very related when it comes to vitamin, though tapioca starch is barely decrease in carbs and fiber and better in potassium (1, 2).

Nonetheless, take into account that tapioca starch could not present as a lot thickness as cassava flour, so chances are you’ll need to pair it with different gums or thickening brokers in sure recipes.

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Tapioca starch is derived from the identical plant as cassava flour and can be utilized in baked items, predominant dishes, and desserts.

2. Potato starch

Potato starch is an ingredient made by crushing potatoes, extracting the starch, and drying it to kind a effective powder.

Probably the greatest elements of potato starch is that it’s naturally gluten-free, so you should utilize it instead of cassava flour to thicken meals with out gluten content material.

Like cassava flour, potato starch is excessive in carbs. Nonetheless, it’s missing in different vitamins, together with fiber, fats, and protein (3).

Moreover, potato starch is way heavier than cassava flour and other types of flour, so it could make some dishes too dense.

Due to this fact, chances are you’ll discover that it’s finest to make use of potato starch in small portions as a thickener to take care of the feel of your baked items.

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Potato starch is a gluten-free flour substitute that may assist thicken dishes or add construction to baked items.

3. Chickpea flour

Produced from floor dried chickpeas, chickpea flour is a excessive protein, gluten-free flour substitute that you should utilize as a direct substitute for cassava flour in lots of recipes.

It really works particularly effectively as a binder and thickener for fritters, veggie burgers, soups, stews, and sauces.

It’s additionally an important supply of protein, fiber, and micronutrients like thiamine, folate, manganese, and copper (4).

Nonetheless, chickpea flour can have a robust nutty taste, which you will discover overpowering in sure recipes. Moreover, it’s denser than cassava flour, so remember to modify the quantity as wanted. Thicken slowly and verify the feel!

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Chickpea flour has a robust taste and can be utilized instead of cassava flour as a thickener in savory recipes.

4. Almond flour

Produced from almonds which are blanched and floor right into a effective powder, almond flour is without doubt one of the hottest keto-friendly flours accessible.

It’s considerably decrease in carbs than cassava flour and presents you a supply of protein, fiber, and heart-healthy fat (2, 5).

It’s additionally versatile, because of its excessive fats content material, which might add a moist and tender texture to meals — particularly pancakes, cookies, biscuits, breads, and scones.

When you can change cassava flour with almond flour utilizing a 1:1 ratio for many recipes, take into account that this will change the flavour and consistency of your last product. As ordinary, chances are you’ll want to regulate the quantities of different components in your recipe.

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Almond flour is a flexible ingredient with a excessive fats content material, which might enhance the feel of pancakes, cookies, biscuits, and breads.

5. Coconut flour

Made by grinding dried coconut into flour, coconut flour has a effective consistency much like that of cassava flour.

It may be utilized in quite a lot of paleo and keto recipes, together with baked items like muffins, cookies, and muffins.

It’s additionally one of the vital nutritious flours, boasting a hearty dose of fiber, protein, potassium, and iron in every serving (6).

Nonetheless, as a result of it’s denser than cassava flour and imparts a robust nutty taste, you’ll usually want to make use of solely one-quarter as a lot coconut flour as you’ll of different flours in the identical recipes.

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Coconut flour has a nutty taste and a effective consistency. It’s usually utilized in paleo and keto meals, together with baked items like muffins, cookies, and muffins.

6. Arrowroot starch

Arrowroot flour is derived from arrowroot, a sort of root vegetable that’s native to Indonesia.

It has a impartial taste and aroma, so it may be a helpful ingredient for a lot of recipes.

Arrowroot flour is extremely nutritious, packing a great quantity of fiber, protein, and folate into every serving (7).

Lastly, it really works effectively as a thickener and can be utilized instead of cassava flour in a 1:1 ratio when making savory baked items similar to biscuits, cookies, or breads.

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Arrowroot flour is a thickener and gluten-free flour substitute that has a impartial style and aroma.

7. All-purpose flour

Sometimes constituted of a mix of soppy and laborious wheat, all-purpose flour is without doubt one of the most versatile substitutes for cassava flour.

It may thicken your soups, sauces, and gravies. Additionally, you should utilize it for all sorts of baked items — together with muffins, cookies, breads, pancakes, and waffles.

In contrast with all-purpose flour, cassava flour is lighter however tends to soak up extra liquid.

Due to this fact, whereas you should utilize an equal quantity of all-purpose flour to exchange cassava flour, chances are you’ll need to modify the ratio of different components in your recipe to realize the specified texture and consistency.

Moreover, take into account that all-purpose flour has been heavily processed and refined, so it comprises much less fiber per serving than cassava flour does (2, 8).

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All-purpose flour is a flexible ingredient that works effectively in baked items, soups, sauces, and gravies.

8. Rice flour

Rice flour is a gluten-free flour constituted of raw rice that has been finely milled. It’s supreme for baking, however it could actually additionally boast other benefits.

It’s excessive in protein, fiber, and an assortment of different important vitamins, together with B nutritional vitamins and magnesium (9).

It has a refined taste and texture that make it an acceptable substitute for cassava flour in baked items or as a thickening agent. You almost certainly received’t discover it overpowering in your dishes.

Whereas it may be substituted for cassava flour utilizing a 1:1 ratio, rice flour tends to have a stickier texture, so that you may want so as to add additional oil or water to your recipe.

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Rice flour has a refined taste and will be swapped in for cassava flour in baked items or used as a thickener.

9. Cornstarch

Cornstarch could also be one of the vital reasonably priced and customary options to cassava flour.

It’s usually used as a thickening agent to enhance the feel and consistency of all the things from pie fillings to omelets.

Remember the fact that cornstarch is excessive in carbs and energy however low in different vitamins similar to protein and fiber. It typically lacks dietary advantages, so think about using it in small quantities (10).

Moreover, as a result of cornstarch has stronger thickening properties than cassava flour, you usually want to make use of solely about half as a lot.

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Cornstarch can be utilized as a thickening agent to enhance the feel and consistency of many dishes.

Cassava flour is featured in a variety of recipes as a typical gluten-free flour substitute.

Nonetheless, if you happen to don’t have any readily available, loads of different components can work as an alternative.

Although chances are you’ll want to regulate your recipe to account for any variations in style and texture, embrace the number of substitutes accessible. You’ll find flours to fit your gluten-free, low carb, excessive protein, or paleo weight-reduction plan.