Becoming gluten-free can seem overwhelming; giving up that Brooklyn pizza was stressful enough for me. I was used to running downstairs to the local bodega and getting conventional flour to use when a recipe called for flour. When I was told I would have to cut out gluten, I naively thought, “Well, that bites, but I’m sure there is some sort of all-purpose gluten free flour that I can use as an easy substitution for all-purpose flour.” I couldn’t have been more wrong! Looking up gluten-free flours yielded page upon page of different flours I did not know even existed (banana flour is real thing – who knew?), and more stress inducing was the particular science that I would have to learn in order to properly use each flour. I thought it was going to be torture – relearning how to make fluffy pancakes, pies for family dinners, and learn for the first time how to make everyday bread and pizza crust. Although I am still learning the ropes of using various gluten-free flours, I would like to give you a look into my gluten-free pantry.

Brown Rice Flour: this flour is ground up brown rice kernels and is rich in fiber. As a whole grain flour, it must be stored in an air-tight container and refrigerated in order to prevent it from becoming rancid. It’s great to use as sauce thickeners and for breads, pastries, and cookies. Oil or eggs should be added with the brown rice flour when baking. Sorghum flour is a great substitution for brown rice flour.

Sorghum Flour: also known as jowar flour, this flour made of out cereal grain and contains protein. Sorghum flour needs to be combined with other types of flour as binders when baking with it, otherwise any baked goods will have a gritty texture. In my baking experience, cornstarch is a great supplement to sorghum flour as it improves the texture of the baked goods. Add 1/2 a tablespoon of corn starch to every 1 cup of sorghum flour; baking breads might require a higher ratio of corn starch. For those sensitive to corn – add 1/2 teaspoon of xantham gum for every 1 cup of sorghum flour. Adding oil, eggs, or apple cider vinegar to sorghum flour will make baked goods more moist. Sorghum flour should be stored in an air-tight container and should be refrigerated.

Teff Flour: this flour is made from a tiny grain similar to quinoa and is full of iron, calcium, and protein. Teff flour needs to be combined with other flours as binders. It adds a little bit of a nutty flavor (a mix between chestnut and hazelnut) to baked goods. Due to its very fine texture, it is a great flour to bake with, particularly to make breads. Teff porridge is a great and highly nutritional breakfast (boil it as you would with oatmeal)! It should be stored in an air-tight container and should be refrigerated.

Buckwheat Flour: often mislabeled as a cereal grain, buckwheat is actually a fruit seed (the buckwheat flower a favorite among bees that produce honey!). It is commonly used as an alternative to rice and is beneficial in reducing high cholesterol and high blood pressure. It also is full of fiber – a whopping 4.5 grams of soluble fiber per cup! Buckwheat flour is a great substitution for rice flour, sorghum flour, or soy flour and is best used to make pancakes, breads, and pastas. It should be stored in an air-tight container and should be refrigerated.

Tapioca Flour: this flour is also known as tapioca starch and is a ground root of the cassava plant. It is a great flour to use for baking, as it gives baked goods a chewy texture. Cornstarch and potato starch are common substitutes for tapioca flour, although they won’t yield quite the “chewiness” tapioca flour does. Store at room temperature in an air-tight container.

Potato Flour: Potato flour is made from dehydrated and crushed potato. Because of the nature of the vegetable, it cannot be the main flour used in baking as it is too absorbent and will not rise properly, leaving the product feeling “gummy.” Potato flour is best used to make breads, as it maintains moisture, and to thicken sauces. Cornstarch and arrowroot flour are both good substitutes for potato flour. It should be stored in an air-tight container and should be refrigerated.

Coconut Flour: this is my favorite flour to use. It is made from dried coconut and is full of protein, manganese, fiber, and healthy fats (specifically lauric acid). Coconut flour may be substituted for any grain flour by following the ratio of 1/4 cup or 1/3 of a cup of coconut flour per 1 cup of grain flour. Due to coconut flour’s absorbent and clumpy nature, one cup of coconut flour calls for roughly six eggs (beaten) along with about one cup liquid such as lactose-free milk or almond milk (my preference). Nut flours are great substitutions for coconut flour, but be careful when substituting because coconut flour calls for egg and liquid additions, whereas other flours do not. It should be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container, but refrigerating it will make it last longer. I keep my coconut flour in the freezer.

Quinoa Flour: this flour is made by grounding up quinoa seeds. Quinoa flour is one of the few flours that do not have to be partnered with other flours, but it does require a binder, such as eggs. Similar to cooked quinoa, the flour is highly nutritional, as it contains iron, vitamin B, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and zinc. Quinoa flour is best used to make chips, flat-breads, English muffins and pancakes. It doesn’t react too well with yeast, so baking bread with quinoa flour is not ideal. Brown rice flour is a great substitution for quinoa flur in the ratio of 7/8 of a cup of brown rice flour per 1 cup quinoa flour. It should be stored in an air-tight container and should be refrigerated.

Millet Flour: this flour is made by grounding millet whole grains and closely mimics wheat flour, both in consistency and appearance – thus, millet flour is a great choice for baking breads. Millet flour can make baked goods too “crumbly” so it should be partnered with a starch and some sort of wet binder, such as eggs, oil, or milk. Bakers are quite fond of millet flour due to its naturally sweet flavor. Sorghum flour, quinoa flour, and buckwheat flour are all great substitutions for millet flour. It should be stored in an air-tight container and should be refrigerated.

Sweet Rice Flour: this flour is made by grounding short-grain glutinous rice, also known as sticky rice. The name is misleading – it does not have a sweet flavor, but is instead rather “milky.” Due to its starchy nature (almost glue-like), it acts well as a binder and thickener and is best used to make noodles and cakes. The closest substitution to sweet rice flour is cornstarch. It should be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container.

Xantham Gum: is made by fermenting corn sugar and acts as a great binder, thickener, and is useful in baking as it increases the viscosity of dough (an effect that mimics conventional flour). Guar gum is a great substitute for xantham gum. It should be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container. NOTE: Xantham gum may not be suitable for all low FODMAP followers.

Chickpea Flour: this flour is made by grinding dried chickpeas. It is chuck full of nutrients like protein and iron. It should be stored in an air-tight container and should be refrigerated. Chickpea flour is a great substitute for conventional wheat flour when baking, best used for cookies, muffins, and bread. Chickpea flour is also one of the few flours that is greatly useful outside of baking, particularly in meat and fish dishes. Amaranth and banana flour are good substitutes for chickpea flour. It should be stored in an air-tight container and should be refrigerated.

I will be updating this entry as I experiment with other flours not listed. I will also be uploading a flour conversion chart, including substitution ratios in a separate blog entry.