If you need to follow a gluten free diet and you like to bake, you’ve no doubt noticed that many recipes call for a gluten free flour mix. There are a large number of gluten free flours available. Most baked goods, including breads, cakes, and cookies, work best if you use a gluten free flour mix rather than a single flour. The consistency of bread and other baked goods made with flour that’s gluten free may be different than the consistency of bread and other baked goods made with wheat flour. Experiment with different combinations until you find something you like.

Gluten Free Flours

Flours that are gluten free include:

• Almond flour
• Amaranth
• Arrowroot
• Black bean flour
• Buckwheat (which is not really wheat at all, despite the name)
• Chickpea flour
• Cornmeal
• Cornstarch
• Fava bean flour
• Garbanzo bean flour
• Gram flour (not to be confused with graham flour, which is made from wheat)
• Masa harina
• Millet flour
• Oat flour
• Potato starch
• Quinoa
• Rice flour (brown and white)
• Sorghum flour
• Soya flour
• Tapioca starch
• Teff flour

Gluten Free Flour Mix I

3 cups brown rice flour
3 cups cornstarch
2 cups soya flour
1 cup amaranth

Combine flours in a large bowl and mix well. Store in a tightly covered container.

Gluten Free Flour Mix II

2 cups white rice flour
2 cups brown rice flour
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons potato starch
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
½ cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon xanthan gum

Combine flours in a large bowl and mix well. Store in a tightly covered container.

Gluten Free Flour Mix III

4 cups brown rice flour
1 1/3 cup potato starch
2/3 cup tapioca starch

Combine flours in a large bowl and mix well. Store in a tightly covered container.

Gluten Free Self-Rising Flour Mix

2 cups white rice flour
4 tablespoons potato starch
2 teaspoons guar gum
1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Combine flours in a large bowl and mix well. Store in a tightly covered container.

Buying Gluten Free Flours and Flour Mixes

Gluten free flours and flour mixes are available at many grocery stores and health food stores. You can also order them online, of course. Some products to look for include:

• Arrowhead Mills – blue cornmeal, brown rice flour, buckwheat flour, soy flour, white rice flour, yellow cornmeal.


• Authentic Foods – almond flour, arrowroot flour, brown rice flour, cornstarch, garbanzo bean flour, gourmet flour blend (cornstarch, garfava flour, sorghum flour, tapioca flour), multi-blend flour (brown rice flour, cornstarch, potato starch, sweet rice flour, tapioca flour, xanthan gum), potato flour, tapioca flour, white corn flour, white rice flour, white sorghum flour.


• Bob’s Red Mill – all purpose flour mix (fava bean flour, garbanzo bean flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, whole grain sweet white sorghum flour), almond flour, arrowroot starch, black bean flour, brown rice flour, cornstarch, fava bean flour, garbanzo bean flour, green pea flour, millet flour.


• Domata Living – all purpose flour (cornstarch, rice flour, tapioca flour, xanthan gum), seasoned flour (all purpose flour blend with garlic and other spices).


• Ener-G Foods – brown rice flour, gourmet blend (potato starch, tapioca starch, white rice flour), potato flour, sweet rice flour, tapioca flour, white rice flour.


• Gillian’s Foods – brown rice flour, chickpea flour, potato starch flour, tapioca flour, white rice flour.


• Shiloh Farms – almond flour, brown rice flour, buckwheat flour, cornmeal, corn flour, oat flour, potato flour, quinoa flour, tapioca flour, teff flour.