What can I substitute for cornstarch?

By Paulo de VriesLast verified 2026-05-205 sources~4 min readhigh consensus

Quick answer

Best 1:1 sub: arrowroot OR potato starch. For thickening sauces: 2 tbsp flour per 1 tbsp cornstarch (less translucent). For gluten-free: tapioca starch 1:1. For baking: 2 tbsp flour OR 2 tbsp arrowroot per 1 tbsp cornstarch.

5 variables shift this number5 cited sources3 common mistakes addressed~4 min read read below

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The full answer

What cornstarch actually does

Cornstarch is pure carbohydrate (no protein) used for thickening and texture. It's prized for: clear/glossy finish (vs flour's cloudiness), neutral flavor, 2× the thickening power of flour, works in gluten-free baking. Substitutes differ in thickening power, clarity, and how they behave under heat. There's no perfect universal sub.

For sauces, gravies, soups (thickening)

Arrowroot powder — 1:1 sub. Clearer than cornstarch, slightly more powerful. Best for delicate sauces, fruit pies. AVOID with dairy (turns slimy).
Potato starch — 1:1 sub. Clear finish, very stable in cold storage, common in Asian cuisine. Don't overheat (loses thickening past 80°C).
Tapioca starch (or pearl tapioca ground) — 1:1 for sauces. Slightly chewy/elastic finish. Common in pie fillings, bubble tea.
Flour — use 2 tbsp flour per 1 tbsp cornstarch. Cloudier, less glossy, slower thickening (needs to cook to remove raw-flour taste, ~3+ min vs cornstarch's 30s). Most pantries have it.
Rice flour — 2 tbsp per 1 tbsp cornstarch. Gluten-free, mild taste. Common in Asian recipes.
Xanthan gum — 1/4 tsp per 1 tbsp cornstarch. EXTREMELY potent. Stir into liquid; lumps if added to hot.

For baking (cookies, cakes, custards)

Cake flour can replace cornstarch + flour combination (e.g., for cake recipes)
All-purpose flour — 2 tbsp per 1 tbsp cornstarch in cookies + cakes; slightly denser texture
Arrowroot — 1:1 for delicate custards + puddings
Tapioca starch — 1:1 for fruit pies (gives slight chew)

For coating + frying (cornstarch is famous here)

Rice flour — produces equally crispy crust (often crispier!)
Potato starch — very crispy + light texture
Flour — works but heavier, less crisp
Combo: 1 part flour + 1 part rice flour — closest to cornstarch coating

For meringue + soufflé

Cream of tartar (1/4 tsp per egg white) — different mechanism but stabilizes whites the same way
Arrowroot — 1:1 in meringue cookies

Comparison table (thickening power per 1 tbsp)

Starch	Power vs cornstarch	Clarity	Heat stable	Notes
Cornstarch	1× (reference)	High	To 90°C	Pantry staple
Arrowroot	1.1×	Higher	To 80°C	Best clear-sauce sub
Potato starch	1×	Highest	To 80°C	Asian cooking
Tapioca	1×	High	To 95°C	Chewy finish
Flour	0.5×	Low/cloudy	Stable to 100°C+	Most available
Rice flour	0.5×	Medium	Stable	GF coating king
Xanthan gum	4×	High	Very stable	Use sparingly!

Cross-reference: see /pages/what-substitute-for/buttermilk + /pages/what-substitute-for/eggs-in-baking for related substitution math.

Time ranges by condition

Condition	Duration	Note
Sauces / gravies (1:1)	Arrowroot OR potato starch 1:1	Closest match
Pantry-only (use flour)	2 tbsp flour per 1 tbsp cornstarch	Cloudy + slower
Fruit pies (slight chew)	1:1 tapioca starch	Asian markets carry it
Gluten-free baking	1:1 rice flour OR tapioca	Different texture
Frying coating (crispy)	1:1 rice flour OR potato starch	Often crispier than cornstarch
Very thick / minimal-quantity	1/4 tsp xanthan gum per 1 tbsp cornstarch	EXTREMELY potent
Coating chicken/fish	50/50 rice flour + flour	Crisp + structure

What changes the time

Use case (sauce vs coating vs baking). Sauces → arrowroot/potato. Coating → rice flour. Baking → flour at 2× volume.
Clarity desired. Clear gloss → arrowroot/potato. Doesn't matter → flour. Translucent → tapioca.
Dairy in recipe. AVOID arrowroot with dairy (turns slimy). Use cornstarch, flour, or tapioca instead.
Heat stability needed. Hot for long? Flour or tapioca. Brief high heat? Cornstarch, arrowroot, potato.
Cooking time available. Quick (1-2 min) → cornstarch/arrowroot. Slow (5+ min) → flour to cook out raw taste.

Common questions

Can I substitute flour for cornstarch in pie filling?

Yes but the result differs. Use 2 tbsp flour per 1 tbsp cornstarch. The filling will be cloudier (not glossy-clear like cornstarch gives) and may take 5+ minutes simmering to fully cook the raw flour taste. Best alternative for pies: tapioca starch (1:1) — gives a slight chewy texture that's often preferred for fruit pies, especially berries. Or arrowroot (1:1) — clearest gloss but loses thickening if reheated multiple times.

Why does my arrowroot sauce turn slimy with dairy?

Arrowroot interacts with the casein protein in dairy to create a slimy, ropy texture. This is a chemical reaction — not bad cooking. Solution: switch to cornstarch, tapioca starch, or flour for any dairy-containing sauce (béchamel, cheese sauce, cream gravy). Save arrowroot for: clear fruit sauces, Asian stir-fry glazes, custards using egg yolk thickening (no dairy needed), pan sauces from non-dairy stock.

How much xanthan gum equals 1 tablespoon of cornstarch?

About 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum per 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Xanthan is ~4× more potent than cornstarch as a thickener. CRITICAL: never add xanthan directly to hot liquid — it will clump immediately. Instead: pre-mix xanthan into a cool ingredient (oil, cold portion of the liquid, dry ingredients), then whisk into hot. Common in gluten-free baking and salad dressings. Too much xanthan = mucus-like texture; start with 1/8 tsp + add more.

Sources

We cite primary research, expert practice, and authoritative reference. Higher-tier sources weighted heavier. See methodology.

Tier 1 · peer-reviewed / governmentalTier 2 · editorial referenceTier 3 · named practitioner

T2America's Test Kitchen Cook's Illustrated — Starch comparison thickening + clarity tests
T3J. Kenji López-Alt, The Food Lab — Frying-coating starch comparison
T3Harold McGee, On Food + Cooking — Starch chemistry: amylose vs amylopectin behavior
T2King Arthur Baking gluten-free guide — GF starch substitutions tested
T1USDA FoodData Central — Composition + thickening properties of starches

Books referenced in this answer

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The Food Lab — J. Kenji Lopez-AltFind on Amazon

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What could change this answer

honest uncertainty

We don’t know your specific equipment, ingredient batch, or environment. This answer is the best directional estimate from cited sources. Here’s where it’s less certain:

5 factors shift the answer. Your specific use case (sauce vs coating vs baking), clarity desired, dairy in recipe (and more) can move this estimate in either direction. The table below shows the documented ranges.
Range spans 7 documented conditions. Pick the row that matches your scenario; halfway between two rows is your best estimate. The widest condition you can imagine is the safer upper bound.
Treat as a directional starting point. Real-world equipment, ingredient batch, and ambient conditions cause natural variance the table cannot capture. Use sensory checks (sight, smell, touch, internal temperature when relevant) alongside this answer — not instead of it.
Backed by 5 cited sources — verify if precision matters. See the Sources section for primary references. Cross-check the cited materials when stakes are high: commercial production, food safety, allergens, dietary or medical considerations.
Verified 13 days ago. If you found a better-sourced answer or our answer no longer matches reality, tell us — corrections are public and dated. The page exists to be accurate, not to be unchanged.

Cite this page

de Vries, P. (2026). What can I substitute for cornstarch?. AskedWell. Retrieved 2026-06-02, from https://askedwell.com/pages/what-substitute-for/cornstarch

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Last verified: 2026-05-20 · Published 2026-05-20

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