Gluten-Free Baking and Substitutions

22 comments - 05.06.2013

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I’m thrilled when folks want to make recipes from this site and my books, including those who are gluten-intolerant or have celiac. However I’m the first to admit that gluten-free baking is not my area of expertise. So I can’t usually say how and what to substitute in recipes that call for wheat flour.

Wheat flour acts as a binder in recipes and gives cakes and cookies, the gluten gives doughs and batters structure. Broadly speaking, if a recipe has just a small amount of wheat flour, such as 2 to 4 tablespoons (20-40 g), you can often just swap out another flour. I like flours such as buckwheat, chestnut, quinoa, corn, and oat flours, because they are “natural” tasting and go well with most other flavors and ingredients used in baking. Note that some of those flours may be processed in a facility that processes wheat flour, so always check and make sure that the flours you are purchasing are gluten-free, especially oat. Other substitutions include nut flours (also called nut “meal”) as well as corn and potato starch. If the recipe calls for more flour than that, I recommend using one of the workarounds, listed below.

I generally assume that people who are gluten-free, and bake frequently, know better than I do how certain ingredients and substitutions will behave in recipes. So I often defer to gluten-free bakers since most have workarounds that they have success baking with. Here is a round-up of tips, suggestions, and recipe that should help gluten-free bakers find an appropriate swap-out for wheat flour.

To Buy Pre-Prepared Gluten-Free Flour Mixes

Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Flour (Bob’s Red Mill, available on Amazon)

Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour (King Arthur Flour, also available on Amazon)

How to Make Your Own Gluten-Free Flour Mix

How to Make a Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix (Gluten-Free Girl)

Make Your Own Gluten-Free Flour Blend (Simple & Delicious)

Homemade All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Mix (Penniless Parenting)

Gluten-Free Flour Mix (Art of Gluten-Free Baking)

All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Blend Recipes and Information (Gluten-Free On a Shoestring)

Substitutions for Wheat Flour in Gluten-Free Baking

Baking Substitutions for Gluten-Free Flour (Gluten-Free Goddess)

Gluten-Free Grains (Gluten-Free Mommy)