Out of Flour, one case
Can you substitute cornstarch for flour?
3 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Cornstarch as a thickener
1 tbsp for every 2 tbsp of flour
Only for thickening and frying, not for baking. To thicken, use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch for every 2 tablespoons of flour, stirred into cold water first. For frying, swap it in equal amounts for a crisper crust. Cornstarch cannot replace the flour in bread, cake or cookies, because it has no protein to build structure.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- The tweak —
- Stir into an equal amount of cold water, add to the simmering liquid, and cook 1 minute. Do not make a roux with it.
- Best for —
- gravy and pan sauces
- Pantry —
- Likely in your cupboard
One casethe full flour card
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of 2 tbsp flour | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cornstarch as a thickenergravy and pan sauces | 1 tbspTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Cornstarch for fryingfried chicken wings and tofu | Same amountTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Cornstarch in place of some flour in bakingtender cakes and cupcakes | 2 tbsp per cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| Not a swap | Cornstarch for all the flour in baking | not a swapNot for this | Not for this |
Cornstarch as a thickener
neutral; glossy and translucent
Pure starch thickens with twice the power of flour and turns clear and glossy.
- Best for
- gravy and pan sauces, stir-fry sauces and glazes, fruit pie fillings and puddings
- Prep
- Stir into an equal amount of cold water, add to the simmering liquid, and cook 1 minute. Do not make a roux with it.
- Suits
- gluten-free
- Where it fails
- Long simmering, acidic sauces and freezing. The gel thins if boiled for many minutes or frozen and thawed.
Cornstarch for frying
paler and crisper
Cornstarch fries up thinner and crisper than flour and absorbs less oil.
- Best for
- fried chicken wings and tofu, tempura-style batters, dredging fish
- Prep
- Use it alone for a thin, brittle crust, or half cornstarch and half flour for a crust that is crisp but still substantial.
- Suits
- gluten-free
- Where it fails
- A thick, craggy Southern-style crust, which needs the gluten in flour.
Cornstarch in place of some flour in baking
the same flavor; softer and finer
Swapping 2 tablespoons of each cup of flour for cornstarch lowers the protein and gives a more tender crumb. This is the standard cake flour substitute.
- Best for
- tender cakes and cupcakes, shortbread and sugar cookies
- Prep
- Remove 2 tbsp flour from each cup, add 2 tbsp cornstarch, and sift together twice.
- Where it fails
- Replacing more than about a quarter of the flour. The bake crumbles.
Cornstarch for all the flour in baking
Flour gives baked goods their structure through gluten and protein.
Cornstarch has neither.
- Best for
- nothing: use a gluten-free flour blend if wheat is the problem
- Where it fails
- Bread will not rise, cakes collapse and cookies turn to sandy crumbs.
Tips for substituting flour
4 tips- Conversions for thickening: ¼ cup flour = 2 tbsp cornstarch; 2 tbsp flour = 1 tbsp cornstarch; 1 tbsp flour = 1 ½ tsp cornstarch.
- A recipe that starts with a butter and flour roux can still use cornstarch: skip the roux, melt the butter into the liquid, and thicken with a slurry at the end.
- Cornstarch must reach a simmer to thicken, then should come off the heat. Stirring hard or boiling long breaks the gel.
- For gluten-free gravy, cornstarch is the easiest swap: 1 tbsp per cup of liquid gives a medium-thick gravy.
Questions
4 questionsHow much cornstarch equals ¼ cup of flour for thickening?
2 tablespoons.
Can I use cornstarch instead of flour to make a roux?
No. Cornstarch clumps and scorches in hot fat. Thicken at the end with a cold-water slurry instead.
Can I use cornstarch instead of flour for fried chicken?
Yes. Use the same amount for a thin, very crisp crust, or mix half and half with flour for the classic thicker crust with extra crunch.
Can I bake a cake with cornstarch instead of flour?
No. You can replace 2 tablespoons per cup of flour with cornstarch to make the cake more tender, but not the whole amount.