Substituting ingredients for dairy products, nuts, or flour doesn’t mean you have to miss out on favorite foods, flavors, and dishes. No matter what type of ingredient you’re allergic to, there are plenty of tasty gluten-free recipes, dairy-free recipes, and allergen-free recipes that hit the spot. You don’t have to give up old favorites, you just have to adapt them to fit your dietary needs.
Gluten-Free Flour Substitutions
Each alternative baking flour has unique properties, strengths and weaknesses. The fact is that you have tons of options when a recipe calls for flour – you just have to know what’s out there.
If you can’t tolerate a certain flour or you’ve run out, find another flour in the same category and use it as a substitute. While not identical, the flours in each column have comparable baking characteristics and serve a similar function in building the structure in a particular recipe.
Neutral (light) Flours
- Brown Rice Flour
- Corn Flour
- Sorghum Flour
- Sweet Rice Flour
- White Rice Flour
High-Protein Flours
- Amaranth Flour
- Buckwheat Flour
- Chickpea Flour
- Millet Flour
- Oat Flour
- Quinoa Flour
- Sorghum Flour
- Teff Flour
High-Fiber Flours
- Amaranth Flour
- Buckwheat Flour
- Chickpea Flour
- Corn Flour
- Mesquite Flour
- Oat Flour
- Quinoa Flour
- Teff Flour
Stabilizers
- Flax Seed Meal
- Ground Chia Seed
- Potato Flour (not Potato Starch)
Starches
- Arrowroot Powder
- Cornstarch
- Kudzu Root Starch or Kuzu
- Potato Starch (not Potato Flour)
- Sweet Potato Flour
- Tapioca Starch/Flour
Gums
- Agar Powder
- Carrageenan
- Gelatin Powder
- Guar Gum
- Locust Bean Gum
- Psyllium Seed Powder
- Xanthan Gum
Best Alternatives to Dairy, Eggs, Nuts, Soy & Sugar
Milk
Replace 1 cup cow’s milk with one of the following:
- 1 cup soy milk (plain)
- 1 cup rice milk
- 1 cup almond or other nut milk
- 1 cup hemp milk
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 cup goat’s milk, if tolerated
Buttermilk
Replace 1 cup buttermilk with one of the following:
- 1 cup dairy-free milk of choice + 1 tablespoon lemon juice or 1 tablespoon white vinegar (Let stand until slightly thickened.)
Yogurt
Replace 1 cup yogurt with one of the following:
- 1 cup coconut milk yogurt, rice milk yogurt, or soy milk yogurt
- 1 cup dairy-free sour cream
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce or fruit puree
Butter
Replace 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter with one of the following:
- 8 tablespoons butter alternative or margarine, such as Fleischmann’s or Earth Balance Buttery Spread
- 8 tablespoons vegetable shortening, such as Spectrum Organic Shortening
- 8 tablespoons vegetable oil or coconut oil
- 8 tablespoons olive oil (not typically for baking)
For reduced fat:
- 6 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce + 2 tablespoons fat of choice
Cheese
Replace 1 cup cheese with one of the following:
- 1 cup vegan cheese alternative, such as Cheezly, Teese, or Follow Your Heart
- 1 cup Daiya Vegan Cheese (also soy-free)
- 1 cup Parma! Vegan Parmesan (contains tree nuts)
Cream Cheese
Replace 8 ounces cream cheese with:
- 8 ounces cream cheese alternative, such as Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese or Follow Your Heart
Sour Cream
Replace 1 cup sour cream with:
- 1 cup sour cream alternative, such as Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream or Follow Your Heart
Heavy Cream
Replace 1 cup heavy cream with one of the following:
- 1 cup dairy-free creamer, such as Silk, Mocha Mix, or So Delicious
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- ⅔ cup dairy-free milk of choice + ⅓ cup melted dairy-free butter substitute of choice
Light Cream
Replace 1 cup light cream with one of the following:
- 1 cup dairy-free creamer, such as Silk, Mocha Mix, or So Delicious
- 1 cup light coconut milk
See our Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Recipes
Eggs
Replace 1 large egg with one of the following:
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce (or other fruit puree) + 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon flax meal, chia seed or salba seed + 3 tablespoons hot water. (Let stand, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes or until thick. Use without straining.)
- Egg replacer, according to package directions (some brands include Ener-G, PaneRiso Foods, and Orgran)
- 4 tablespoons pureed silken tofu + 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons mashed bananas
Replacing more than two eggs will change the integrity of a recipe. For recipes that call for a lot of eggs, like a quiche, use pureed silken tofu. Because egg substitutions add moisture, you may have to increase baking times slightly.
Egg Whites
Replace 1 egg white with:
- 1 tablespoon plain agar powder dissolved into 1 tablespoon water. Beat, chill for 15 minutes and beat again.
Mayonnaise
Replace 1 cup mayonnaise with:
- 1 cup vegan mayonnaise, such as Mindful Mayo by Earth Balance, Spectrum Light Canola Mayonnaise, or Vegenaise
See our Gluten-Free Egg-Free Recipes
Nuts
Replace tree nuts or peanuts with an equal amount of the following:
- Toasted coconut
- Sunflower seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Toasted sesame seeds (use only 2 to 3 tablespoons)
- Crushed cornflakes
- Crushed crispy rice cereal
- Crushed potato chips
Nut Butter
Replace 1 cup peanut/almond/cashew butter with:
- 1 cup sunflower seed butter
See our Gluten-Free Nut-Free Recipes
Corn Syrup or Cane Syrup
Replace 1 cup corn/cane syrup with one of the following:
- 1 cup honey
- 1 cup agave nectar
- 1 cup maple syrup
Sugar
Replace 1 cup refined white or brown cane sugar with one of the following:
- 1 cup coconut palm sugar
- 1 cup panela/rapadura or Sucanat
- 1 cup erythritol or xylitol
- 1 cup Swerve
- 1/2 – 1 cup monk fruit sweetener (amount varies because some brands are mixed with erythritol or other ingredients)
See our Gluten-Free Refined Sugar-Free Recipes
Soy Sauce
Replace 1 tablespoon soy sauce with:
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
Miso
Replace 1 tablespoon miso with:
- 1 tablespoon soy-free miso alternative, such as Miso Master, South River, or Organicville (these are usually made with chickpeas or adzuki beans)
See our Gluten-Free Soy-Free Recipes
Xanthan Gum
- Ground or whole chia seeds (use equal amounts, in weight, as you would xanthan gum)
- Ground flax seeds (use equal amounts, in weight, and combine with twice the amount of water to form a slurry before using)
- Psyllium husk (use 1 part psyllium to 19 parts flour)
- Agar powder (use twice the amount as xanthan gum called for in the recipe)
Gluten-Free Flour Mixes
To make a gluten-free flour mix, thoroughly combine all ingredients. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator until used. You can double or triple these recipes to make as much flour mix as you need.
All-Purpose Flour Blend
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rice flour
- 1/4 cup tapioca starch/flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch or potato starch
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together well. Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition
High-Fiber Flour Blend
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice flour or sorghum flour
- 1/2 cup teff flour (preferably light)
- 1/2 cup millet flour or Montina flour
- 2/3 cup tapioca starch/flour
- 1/3 cup cornstarch or potato starch
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together well. Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition
High-Protein Flour Blend
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups bean flour (chickpea or soy; your choice)
- 1 cup arrowroot starch, cornstarch or potato starch
- 1 cup tapioca starch/flour
- 1 cup white or brown rice flour
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together well. Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Self-Rising Flour Blend
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups white sorghum flour
- 1 1/4 cups white rice flour
- 1/2 cup tapioca starch/flour
- 2 teaspoons xanthan or guar gum
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together well. Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition
General Guidelines for Using Xanthan or Guar Gum
Gum (xanthan or guar) is the key to successful gluten-free baking. It provides the binding needed to give the baked product proper elasticity, keeping it from crumbling.
Add 1/2 teaspoon xanthan or guar gum per cup of flour blend to make cakes, cookies, bars, muffins and other quick breads.
Add 1 teaspoon per cup of flour blend to make yeast bread, pizza dough or other baked items that call for yeast.
Note: If you purchase a commercial flour blend, read the ingredient list carefully. Some blends contain salt and xanthan or guar gum. If so, there is no need to add more.
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Flour Substitutions chart excerpted from Gluten-Free Makeovers by Beth Hillson. Available from Da Capo Lifelong Books. Copyright 2011.
Nutritional values are approximate due to variances in product brands, manufacturing and actual preparation.