What is a Suitable Substitute for Cornstarch?

To replace cornstarch with another binding agent, you can use different types of flour such as potato, rice, locust bean gum or guar gum, psyllium husk, or agar-agar. The latter consists of red and blue-green algae and originally comes from Japan. If you want to use agar-agar as a substitute for cornstarch, you must first dissolve the powder in boiling water. After that, you can also use it as a vegan gelatine substitute. Gluten-free and also free from animal products is also locust bean gum, with which you can bake and cook, but which is also suitable for binding pies, puddings, or jam.

Cooking with cornstarch substitute

Cornstarch binds sauces, creams, and soups, but it is also used if you want to try our homemade French fries, for example. To thicken sauces, you can also use commercially available flour as an alternative to starch. To avoid lumps, be sure to sprinkle it through a sieve into the liquid. Just keep in mind that if you, a family member, or guests have gluten intolerance, wheat flour is not a suitable substitute for cornstarch. Egg also works but is not suitable for a vegan diet or for allergy sufferers. The situation is different if you use psyllium husks as a cornstarch substitute. They develop an effective binding effect, for example for soups, are suitable for a vegan diet and, like agar-agar, are gluten-free.

Substitute for cornstarch for baking

It could be so easy: For the cake, simply use baking powder as a substitute for cornstarch. Finished. However, the calculation doesn’t quite add up. Because while starch is supposed to bind, baking powder serves as a leavening agent, makes the dough airy and fluffy, and is therefore not a suitable alternative. If you have run out of cornstarch, you can simply use custard powder as a substitute. Because that consists mostly of cornstarch anyway. However, keep in mind that it naturally has its own flavor that should match the baking recipe. Rice, potato, and guar gum, on the other hand, have a neutral taste. The latter binds liquid particularly effectively. All three alternatives are gluten-free and suitable for vegans. Our expert knows what you should eat if you have a wheat allergy.