Have you ever baked using gluten-free, paleo-friendly tapioca flour? This colorless, flavorless, and odorless starch is manufactured from cassava root. It is also a common component in thick and creamy sauces as well as chewy baked items.

Tapioca is a gluten-free and paleo-friendly flour that lends incredible texture to baked goods, sauces, fried foods, and other delectable recipes.

You probably don’t have any tapioca flour on hand since you’re reading our post. So, instead of going to the store to acquire another bag, let’s look for a suitable substitute that you may already have at home.

Cassava, chickpea, arrowroot, rice, cornstarch flour, and other alternatives to tapioca flour are listed below.

Lets check them out in more detail.

Tapioca Flour Substitutes: Baking Ratio & Nutritional Value

What Does Tapioca Flour Taste Like?

Tapioca has no apparent aroma or flavor.

It is created by soaking a cassava root in water and then rinsing it to remove the starchy juice. It is then dried until just the starch remains.

Tapioca flour is white and offers baked goods a flexible, rubbery, and chewy texture and flavor that is difficult to recreate until we investigate our options.

What Is the Nutritional Value of Tapioca Flour?

One tablespoon of tapioca flour consists of:

• 27 calories;
• 0g fat;
• 6.7g carbs;
• 0g protein;
• 0.1g fiber;

Substitutes for Tapioca Flour

1. Cassava
2. Chickpea
3. Arrowroot
4. Rice
5. All-purpose
6. Cornstarch
7. Potato starch

Cassava

Cassava flour is derived from the same plant that produces tapioca.

The only difference is that cassava flour is made from the whole root, while tapioca is made from the starch part.

Cassava flour, on the other hand, is higher in nutrients and may have a nuttier taste depending on the cuisine.

Because they both have the same quantity of starch, they may be used interchangeably in most baked goods.

Cassava flour, on the other hand, is higher in fiber and hence a more potent thickening. As a result, use less of it to thicken sauces and soups than you would tapioca.

Chickpea

Chickpea flour is a tapioca substitute prepared from crushed chickpeas. It is mostly used to thicken soups and stews, as well as to bake exquisite pastries.

The viscosity of chickpea and tapioca flour is almost same, so you won’t have to worry about the texture.

Chickpea flour, on the other hand, has an earthy and nutty flavor. As a consequence, if you don’t want to change the taste of your sweets, chickpea flour may need more sugar.

Arrowroot

Arrowroot is a fantastic gluten-free replacement for tapioca flour since it is labeled as either starch or flour, much like tapioca flour.

Arrowroot flour has a similar feel to tapioca. It’s also flavorless, which we like.

When thickening a meal, such as tomato soup, you may add arrowroot in equal parts with tapioca.

When baking, however, mix it with additional flour or starch to prevent generating a dough that is excessively thick. Use half arrowroot and half wheat or cassava flour instead of one tablespoon tapioca to one tablespoon arrowroot.

Rice

Rice flour is made from finely ground rice and may be used in lieu of tapioca flour.

Rice flour has a somewhat neutral taste, making it an easy substitute that will not impair the flavor of the final dish.

There is one tiny issue, but rice flour may be sticky. As a consequence, if you use the same ratio to thicken a watery recipe, such as a soup, stew, or sauce, it will surely thicken your food far more.

The same is true for baking, since utilizing it in identical proportions may result in baked foods with a firmer texture. Begin with half of the flour and blend it with the remaining flour.

All-purpose

If you don’t mind a little gluten, all-purpose flour is the most widely available tapioca alternative.

However, there are a few factors to consider with this option. Baked treats, for example, may not be as chewy as those made with tapioca.

You may swap them equally if a recipe asks for a less chewy texture. If a recipe calls for chewiness and fluffiness, however, all-purpose flour must be combined with another flour, such as cassava flour.

Sauces and soups prepared using wheat flour will be more matte in appearance than those made with tapioca. Furthermore, it takes longer to cook and thicken. As a result, it is advisable to utilize it in a 1: ratio.

Cornstarch

Cornstarch, which is manufactured from finely crushed corn, is a gluten-free option. It thickens similarly to tapioca flour, but with a less glossy shine.

As a result, if cornstarch is cooked for an extended period of time, it loses its ability to thicken. If you choose this replacement, be sure you add it after the tapioca.

If you use cornstarch in the same amounts as tapioca in baking recipes, you may end up with a crumbly cake, cookie, or muffin. As a consequence, use half of it, and depending on the recipe, you may want to blend it with other flours, such as cassava.

Potato starch

Potato starch is produced by crushing potatoes to remove their starch and then dehydrating them to produce flour.

Because potato starch is flavorless, it will not overshadow your food. However, it has a thicker consistency than tapioca flour, so keep the ratio in mind.

In sauces and gravies, potato starch may easily replace tapioca flour, thickening them in a 1:1 ratio.

However, if you use a 1:1 ratio in baked dishes, the outcome will be much denser. Instead, use a ratio of 1:0.25 or 1:0.5 tbsp potato starch, followed by extra flour.

Popular Recipes That Call for Tapioca Flour

Tapioca flour may be used in a variety of recipes. We’ll share our favorites with you below. Tapioca starch is the primary star in some recipes, but it also acts as a sidekick to tie all the components together in others.

So, if you’ve ever wondered what to cook with this flour, these ideas should come in handy!

Pao de Queijo

Pao de Queijo, or cheese bread in Portuguese, refers to the well-known Brazilian cheese rolls that are often consumed for breakfast or as an afternoon snack.

They feature soft, chewy outsides due to the tapioca flour. Furthermore, since this recipe does not use yeast, you will not need to spend any time kneading, rolling, or resting the dough while making these cheese rolls. Don’t overbake them and serve them warm to get the whole chewy and cheesy experience.

Pan de Yuca

Pan de Yuca is a Columbian speciality similar to Pao de Queijo from Brazil. It’s a kind of cheese bread that people like to eat in the morning.

Tapioca flour, cheese, milk or water, butter, eggs, and baking powder are the sole ingredients in the Pan de Yuca. With the exception of the cheese, the components are essentially similar to those in Pao de Queijo.

Queso Fresco is a soft and fresh Mexican cheese that is usually used in Pan de Yuca, while mozzarella or cheddar cheese is used in Pao de Queijo. Serve warm with yogurt, tea, or coffee.

New York Pizza Crust

Have you tasted New York-style pizza before? We believe it has the best crust in the world; it flexes and folds like elastic!

So, what is the secret ingredient that allows for this level of chewiness? Of course, tapioca flour! Furthermore, the pizza is completely gluten-free. You may get a pizza that tastes like it was created in a local New York pizzeria in only a few minutes, plus you get to select your favourite toppings!

Berry Cobbler

Cobbler is a delicious fruity dessert that takes less than an hour to prepare. It’s a fruit dish with a fruity filling and no bottom crust. For the filling, blackberries and blueberries are blended, followed by cinnamon for a bit of spice.

It goes well with a good Sunday supper. It’s basic comfort food that’s also really flexible! You don’t have to stick to blackberries and blueberries; add apples, peaches, plums, and the list goes on!

Conclusion

Because there are so many possibilities on our list, we’re assuming you already have at least one kind of substitution you can use in lieu of tapioca flour.

The bulk of the alternatives work similarly to tapioca and have a neutral flavor that will not change the flavor of a dish. Some are somewhat different, such as all-purpose flour, which you should consider even if you are not gluten-intolerant.

Before you go, keep in mind to apply the alternatives in their right proportions!