Simple & Homely

Lifestyles of the poor and unfamous

Gluten-free alternatives to flour

A selection of gluten free flour bags on a green background

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Just because you have a gluten intolerance or coeliac disease, it doesn’t mean you should miss out all-things baked. While grain is a key ingredient in most cakes, breads, and bakes, there are gluten-free alternatives on the market. If you’re shopping on a budget, you’ll have to do your research and shop around to find low-cost, high quality gluten-free alternatives. We’ve found examples of each flour, however you should be able to find a bag to suit your budget.

Below, we’ll look into each gluten-free flour in more detail, as well as looking at where you can buy it, and how much it’ll cost you. 

What is gluten?

Gluten is a protein that is found in certain grains, namely rye, wheat, and barley. These grains are used in many different types of food, not just flour:

  • Sausages
  • Lager, stout, ales
  • Barley-containing squash and fizzy drinks
  • Oats
  • Couscous
  • Semolina 
  • Crisps (check the label as not all are gluten-free due to wheat flour additions in processing)
  • Spices/sauces/condiments (see above)
  • Certain ready meals

* This list is not-exhaustive and other types of food also contain gluten

As we say above, always check the label before you buy. Foods that are gluten-free, such as potatoes, can have gluten added during processing. You’ll see that crisps are in the list above as an example; wheat flour can be added during the crisp-flavouring process. 

When buying processed foods, the food label is your best friend. No- to low-gluten whole foods are generally safe: potatoes, rice, quinoa, corn, and buckwheat for example. Dairy foods such as milk and cheese are gluten-free. Protein-wise, meat, pulses, and eggs are safe to eat. And lastly, fresh fruit and vegetables are gluten-free.

However, everyone’s favourite sweet treats are generally off-limits. Let’s take a look at the flour alternatives that enable the gluten-intolerant or coeliac disease sufferers to stuff their mouth with cake along with the rest of us. (Except diabetics, like yours truly. We’ve got a sugar-free baking section if you’re interested.)

Gluten-free flour alternatives

Almond flour 

This alternative has a nutty flavour and can be used in the place of plain flour in baking, or as a grain-free breadcrumb. We used almond flour in a sugar-free biscuit recipe, and the outcome was far softer than its plain flour counterpart (out of six people, four liked the almond flour alternative and two preferred it).

Buckwheat flour 

Buckwheat flour, used by the French in savoury crepes, is not a wheat grain and has a rich earthy flavour. This isn’t just a one trick pony, buckwheat flour is also good for breads, just bear in mind that it’s crumbly in nature. 

Sorghum flour 

Sorghum flour is a heavy and dense flour that can be used in recipes that require a smaller amount of flour. 

Amaranth flour

Like almond flour, amaranth flour also has a nutty flavour. It’s good for making tortillas, pies, and bread.  

Teff flour 

Teff flour is made from an ancient, gluten-free grain that’s high in magnesium, iron, and fibre; it’s also a good source of calcium. While on its own Teff flour is ideal for sourdough bakes, it’s best used in combination with other gluten-free flours. Teff flour also comes in a range of colours, from light to dark.

Arrowroot flour 

Like cornstarch – which is also gluten-free – arrowroot flour can also be used as a thickener. Mix arrowroot flour with water and whisk until lump free before adding it to sauce, gravy, soup, stews, as well as pie, tart, and baking fillings. 

Brown rice flour 

Brown rice flour can be used as a direct swap for white and wheat flours. As the name suggests, brown rice flour is made by grinding brown rice into a fine powder. And, as well as being gluten-free, brown rice flour is free from common allergens, such as wheat, soy, nuts, and sesame. When baking with brown rice flour, you’ll need to increase the liquid, or binding agent, slightly as it doesn’t absorb as much as its gluten alternative.  

The texture of your final bake will be denser and crumblier than if you used white flour.

Chickpea flour

Again, we’ve got another nutty flour. Chickpea flour can be used to make falafel, hummus, and flatbread (specifically, socca).  

Coconut flour 

Substituting all-purpose flour with coconut flour results in a bake with a similar texture. To make flour, the pulp leftover from producing coconut milk is dehydrated and ground down into a powder. Of all the flours on this list, coconut flour has the highest fibre content. Like its coconut sugar counterpart, coconut flour also has a low glycemic index.

Like brown rice flour, you’ll also need to adjust the liquid and fat content of your bake to prevent it becoming too dry.

Cassava flour 

Here we have another gluten, grain, and nut-free flour. However, if you’re looking for a gluten-free flour to use in a sugar-free bake, this is not the flour for you: it’s made from a starch-dense root vegetable (cassava) so will send your glucose levels higher than the Burj Khalifa. 

Cassava is best used as an alternative for self-raising wheat flour, due to its neutral flavour.

Tigernut flour 

Tigernut flour is a sweet and nutty gluten-free alternative that can be used in baking. Due to natural sugars found in the root, tigernut flour gives your bake a sweeter flavour, which when used in combination with a refined-sugar alternative, can help you reduce your sugar intake. 

You can also add a spoon of tigernut flour to your smoothies or shakes to boost your fibre intake.

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