Amaranth Flour substitute

Best substitute

Sorghum Flour

Use the same amount by weight as the amaranth flour you are replacing

Best for gluten-free flour blends

Different taste

Sorghum flour is the easiest 1:1 swap and gives you the same soft, slightly sweet gluten-free crumb without amaranth's peppery edge. Teff flour at 1:1 is the closest on flavour, earthier and darker. Quinoa flour at 1:1 matches the protein but tastes more bitter, so toast it in a dry pan for five minutes first. Amaranth flour is doing two jobs in a gluten-free blend: it adds protein and holds water so the crumb stays soft for a day longer, and it adds an earthy flavour. It is never the structural flour, so if it is only 15 to 25 percent of a mix, any of those three swaps will work with no other changes. If you are cooking Indian fasting food and the recipe says rajgira atta, use water chestnut flour (singhara atta) or buckwheat (kuttu atta) instead, because those are the other flours allowed for vrat.

Other amaranth flour substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2Teff Flour
Different taste
Use the same amount by weight
The nearest match on flavour, another tiny high-protein seed milled whole.
What changes
Best for
gluten-free bread, flatbreads, pancakes, brownies, waffles
Earthier and molasses-like rather than peppery, and brown teff will darken a pale batter noticeably. It drinks slightly more water, so expect a thicker batter and loosen with a tablespoon of liquid per cup if it looks stiff.
3Quinoa Flour
Different taste
Use the same amount by weight
Similar protein level and the same grassy character, widely stocked.
What changes
Best for
gluten-free blends, cookies, crackers, savoury baking
Untoasted quinoa flour tastes distinctly bitter and soapy, which is far more noticeable than amaranth's pepperiness. Spread it on a tray at 325F for 8 to 10 minutes, cool it, and the bitterness largely goes away.
4Buckwheat Flour
Different taste
Use the same amount or half buckwheat and half rice flour if you want it milder
Strongly earthy gluten-free flour that also happens to be the traditional Indian fasting flour, kuttu atta.
What changes
Best for
rajgira puri or thalipeeth, pancakes, crepes, savoury flatbreads
Much bolder than amaranth and it tints the crumb grey-purple, so a sweet cake made with it tastes almost mushroomy. In a fasting flatbread that boldness is fine and traditional.
5Millet Flour
Taste and texture differ
Use the same amount by weight
The mildest gluten-free option, mildly sweet and corn-like.
What changes
Best for
cakes, muffins, cookies, gluten-free blends
Millet holds less water than amaranth, so a cake made with it can feel sandy and dry by the second day. Add a tablespoon of oil or yogurt per cup of flour to compensate.
6Water Chestnut Flour (Singhara Atta)
Taste and texture differ
Use the same amount by weight for fasting recipes
The other flour permitted in Indian vrat cooking, and the standard stand-in for rajgira flour.
What changes
Best for
fasting puri, thalipeeth, sheera, coating for fried snacks
It behaves like a starch rather than a protein flour, so the dough is looser and the fried result is crisper and lighter but tears more easily. Adding a boiled mashed potato to the dough, as many traditional recipes do, holds it together.

What is Amaranth Flour?

Amaranth Flour is Amaranth flour is a fine gluten-free flour milled from whole amaranth seed, sold in Indian shops as rajgira flour or rajgira atta, with an earthy, faintly peppery, almost savoury flavour.

Cooking tips

Amaranth flour is best as a minority partner. Keep it at 15 to 25 percent of a gluten-free blend; above about a third the earthy, hay-like flavour takes over a sweet bake and people describe it as tasting savoury or grassy.
It is high in protein and fat and goes rancid faster than rice or corn flour. Smell it before you bake, and store it sealed in the fridge or freezer rather than a warm cupboard.
Because it holds a lot of water, batters keep thickening as they sit. Mix, wait five minutes, then judge the consistency, or you will over-thin it.
It browns faster than white flour thanks to its protein. Drop the oven by 15F or tent the top if you are baking a loaf for more than 40 minutes.
For a rajgira flatbread there is no substitute for the sticky dough amaranth makes on its own, which is why traditional recipes bind it with boiled potato. If you swap the flour, keep the potato.

Frequently asked questions

Can I just leave amaranth flour out?

If it is one flour among several in a gluten-free blend, yes: replace it with the same weight of whatever else is in the blend, usually sorghum or brown rice flour, and the bake will work. If it is the only flour in the recipe, such as a rajgira flatbread, you cannot leave it out, because there is nothing left to make a dough.

Can I use amaranth flour instead of wheat flour, one for one?

No. It has no gluten, so on its own it makes a dense, crumbly bake that will not hold a risen structure. Replace up to about a quarter of the wheat flour in a muffin or pancake recipe and it works well. For a full swap you need a gluten-free blend plus a binder such as xanthan gum or psyllium husk.

Is amaranth flour the same as rajgira flour?

Yes. Rajgira atta, ramdana flour and amaranth flour are the same product; rajgira is simply the Hindi name. Kiwicha is the Andean name for the same seed. Any of them can be swapped for another with no adjustment.

Can I make amaranth flour from amaranth seed at home?

Yes, and it is the cheapest route. Grind dry amaranth seed in a spice grinder or high-speed blender in short bursts, 30 seconds at a time so it does not heat up, then sift and regrind the coarse bits. One cup of seed gives you roughly one cup of flour.

Why does my amaranth flour bake taste bitter or grassy?

Two likely causes. Either you used too much, in which case cut it to a quarter of the total flour, or the flour has gone rancid, which is common because it is oily. Fresh amaranth flour smells faintly nutty and dusty; if it smells like old paint or crayons, throw it out.

Related substitutes

More grains & starches substitutes

Amaranth Flour substitute

Other amaranth flour substitutes

2Teff Flour

3Quinoa Flour

4Buckwheat Flour

5Millet Flour

6Water Chestnut Flour (Singhara Atta)