I am making a recipe that calls for corn flour, but I don’t have any. What can I use as a substitute?
The best substitute for corn flour is Corn Starch. You can also use potato flour, wheat flour, or all-purpose flour.
What is Corn Flour?
It is a kind of flour that is made from dried corn kernels.
The color is usually yellow but can vary from white to blue depending on the type of corn used.
It has a smooth texture, is gluten-free, and it contains the germ, endosperm, and the hall of the corn.
Corn flour has a sweet flavor when cooked.
You can use it in a variety of different foods such as pancakes, fried foods, muffins, cakes, and bread.
Substitutes For Corn Flour
Let’s get started going through the list of substitutes for corn flour that you can replace with in your recipes.
1. Corn Starch
The most common substitute for corn flour is corn starch. They are similar and both come from corn and are both powders. This makes corn starch a close substitute for corn flour.
Corn flour is made from whole kernels that are grounded into fine powder.
Corn starch is made from the starchy part of the corn.
What Are The Flavor Differences?
Well, corn flour has a more sweet and earth flavor while corn starch is flavorless and adds texture rather than taste to the recipes.
Something to keep in mind is that corn starch and corn flour can’t be used in the same way in your recipes. Corn starch can’t be used in the same way in baking dishes.
Corn Flour does not contain gluten so it may result in a crumbly and dense recipe, especially if making bread.
Corn starch is primarily used to thicken recipes like sauces and gravies.
If you are going to substitute corn flour for corn starch it’s best to use it as a breading for your fried recipes. Mix the corn starch with cool liquids before using.
Substitute equal amounts of corn flour for corn starch.
2. Potato Flour
Another substitute for corn flour is potato flour.
Potato flour is the powdered form of cooked potatoes.
It is made by cooking, drying, and then grinding the whole potatoes.
The potato flour is similar to wheat flour and is white in color and tends to absorb a large amount of water.
Potato flour can be used in baked goods and as a thickener.
When used as a thickener it is best to add it to the middle of your cooking time as it tends to break down if heated too long.
It works well for breading foods and thickening sauces.
Substitute equal amounts in place of the corn flour.
For example- to thicken sauces replace 1 teaspoon of corn flour for 1 teaspoon of potato flour.
3. Wheat Flour
It is a powder that is made from grounding parts of the wheat grain.
The wheat flour is made up of three parts of grain which are the endosperm, germ, and the bran.
It contains gluten which is the protein that gives baking recipes their structure.
I like to use wheat flour in baking recipes and to thicken sauces.
Make sure to double the ratio you are using to substitute since this is whole grain.
For example- to thicken sauces substitute 1 teaspoon of corn flour for 2 teaspoons of wheat flour.
4. All-Purpose Flour
This flour is a general use wheat flour that is very versatile.
It is made from red wheat or a blend of wheats.
All-purpose flour is used in many different recipes like bread, biscuits, cookies, muffins, cakes, pizzas, and so much more.
It can also be used as a thickener for sauces.
I added this flour to the list because it is very versatile for use in recipes and you probably already have it in your home.
Plus, it is easy to find in all grocery stores.
When using all-purpose flour as a substitute for corn flour you will need to double the ratio.
For example- for thickening sauces replace 1 teaspoon of corn flour with 2 teaspoons of all-purpose flour.
Conclusion
No need to worry if you don’t have corn flour on hand. Don’t rush to the store just yet.
There are some alternatives you can use in place of corn flour.
That includes corn starch, potato flour, wheat flour, and all-purpose flour.
For baking, I would use wheat flour or all-purpose flour.
For sauces and soups, I like to use corn starch. It is cheap to buy and easy to find.
Potato flour also works great for thickening but you have to be more careful with cooking with it as it tends to break down easier.
