Out of Cornstarch, one case
Can you substitute baking powder for cornstarch?
4 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use All-purpose flour
2 tbsp for every 1 tbsp of cornstarch
No. Baking powder is a leavener: baking soda and a powdered acid, with cornstarch added to keep it dry. It will not thicken a sauce or a filling, and enough of it to stand in for cornstarch foams and tastes bitter and metallic. Use 2 tbsp all-purpose flour per 1 tbsp cornstarch to thicken, or the same amount of arrowroot, tapioca starch or potato starch.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- The tweak —
- Whisk it into ¼ cup cold liquid until smooth, stir that into the pan and simmer at least 2 minutes longer than you would for cornstarch.
- Best for —
- gravy, stew and chowder
- Pantry —
- Likely in your cupboard
One casethe full cornstarch card
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of 1 tbsp cornstarch | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | All-purpose flourgravy, stew and chowder | 2 tbspTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Arrowroot powderstir-fry sauces and glazes | 1 tbspTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Tapioca starchfruit pie fillings | 1 tbspTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Potato starchdredging chicken, tofu and vegetables for frying | 1 tbspTweak it | Tweak it |
| Not a swap | Baking powder | not a swapNot for this | Not for this |
All-purpose flour
neutral once simmered; pasty if undercooked
The thickener most kitchens have. Flour is only about three-quarters starch, so it takes twice as much, and it turns a sauce opaque.
- Best for
- gravy, stew and chowder, puddings and cream pies that have to slice, sauces that will be reheated
- Prep
- Whisk it into ¼ cup cold liquid until smooth, stir that into the pan and simmer at least 2 minutes longer than you would for cornstarch.
- Contains
- gluten
- Where it fails
- Stir-fry sauces, fruit glazes and anything that should be clear and glossy: flour turns them cloudy.
Arrowroot powder
neutral taste
A pure root starch that thickens clear and glossy, the closest in look to a cornstarch sauce.
- Best for
- stir-fry sauces and glazes, fruit sauces and acidic sauces, tender cookies and shortbread
- Prep
- Stir it into 2 tbsp cold water, add it at the very end and take the pan off the heat as soon as the sauce thickens.
- Suits
- vegan, gluten-free
- Where it fails
- Milk and cream sauces, where it turns slimy, and sauces kept at a boil, where it thins out again.
Tapioca starch
neutral; slightly stretchy if you use too much
Cassava starch, also sold as tapioca flour. It thickens fast at low heat and stays clear, including after freezing.
- Best for
- fruit pie fillings, glossy sauces, gluten-free baking
- Prep
- Stir it into 2 tbsp cold water and add it in two halves, stirring 30 seconds between them.
- Suits
- vegan, gluten-free
- Where it fails
- Puddings and cream pies, which will not set firm.
Potato starch
neutral taste
The best stand-in when the cornstarch was a coating for frying: it fries to a thin, crisp shell. It also thickens a sauce at the last minute.
- Best for
- dredging chicken, tofu and vegetables for frying, thickening a soup or sauce right before serving
- Prep
- For a sauce, stir it into 2 tbsp cold water and add it off the boil.
- Suits
- vegan, gluten-free
- Where it fails
- Sauces that will be boiled, held warm or reheated: potato starch thins out with heat and time.
Baking powder
bitter, salty and metallic at the amounts a cornstarch swap would need
A chemical leavener that makes carbon dioxide when it gets wet and again when it gets hot. The cornstarch in the can is there to absorb moisture, and it comes mixed with the soda and acid.
- Best for
- raising cakes, biscuits and pancakes, which is a different job
- Where it fails
- In a gravy or pie filling it fizzes and leaves the liquid thin. In cookies it makes the dough puff and spread and taste of soda. As a dredge for deep frying it does not form a crust.
Baking soda is the same answer: it is pure leavener with no starch at all.
Tips for substituting cornstarch
4 tips- To thicken 1 cup of liquid in place of 1 tbsp cornstarch, use 2 tbsp flour or 1 tbsp arrowroot, tapioca starch or potato starch, always mixed into cold liquid first.
- If you already stirred baking powder into a sauce, start again. The bitter, salty taste cannot be cooked out or covered up.
- In cookies that call for 1 to 2 tsp cornstarch, leave it out or use the same amount of flour. Do not add extra baking powder in its place.
- For crisp oven-baked chicken wings, baking powder is a separate, published technique: about 1 tsp baking powder per pound of wings, tossed with salt. That is far less than a cornstarch dredge, and it is not a coating for deep frying.
Questions
5 questionsIs baking powder the same as cornstarch?
No. Cornstarch is pure starch, a thickener with no leavening power. Baking powder is a leavener made from baking soda and a powdered acid, with cornstarch added so it does not clump in the can. They look alike and do opposite jobs.
Can I use baking soda instead of cornstarch?
No. Baking soda has no starch in it and will not thicken anything. It also tastes soapy in any amount larger than a recipe needs for rising.
Can I use baking powder instead of cornstarch for frying chicken?
Not as a coating. A cornstarch dredge is a layer of starch that fries into a crust, and baking powder does not do that. Use potato starch, rice flour or all-purpose flour for the dredge. A small amount of baking powder, about 1 tsp per pound, is used on oven-baked wings to dry and crisp the skin, which is a different method.
Can I use cornstarch instead of baking powder?
No, the swap fails in that direction too. Cornstarch does not make gas, so a cake or biscuit made with it in place of baking powder will not rise. For 1 tsp baking powder, use ¼ tsp baking soda plus ½ tsp cream of tartar.
What can I use if I have no cornstarch and no flour?
Any pure starch works in the same amount: arrowroot, tapioca starch or potato starch. In a soup or stew, 2 tbsp instant mashed potato flakes per cup of liquid will thicken it, and simmering a sauce uncovered until it reduces needs no thickener at all.