(last updated February 8, 2023)
5 from 14 reviews
Janet Harlow
Leave a CommentJump to Recipe
This gluten-free flour blend is made without rice flour and is an excellent flour for gluten-free baking. The easy recipe mixes up in just a few minutes and makes moist, light and fluffy cakes, muffins, pancakes and more. It has become my absolute favorite gluten-free flour blend.
Be sure to check out my blog post with more information on gluten-free flour blends for baking and my collection of gluten-free baked goods recipes.
Why Rice-Free Flour?
Almost all gluten-free flours, baked goods, crackers etc. contain some rice flour. So most gluten-free people eat a lot of rice. Recent research on inorganic arsenic in rice has shown that many rice products contain high levels of inorganic arsenic. The advice coming from this research is that if you eat a large amount of rice and rice-based products, it is a good idea to add variety.
There are many other grains and grain flours that are gluten-free. And it’s always a good idea to have more variety in your diet.
Flour Blend Ingredients
Gluten-free flour blends are usually a combination of grain flours and starches. This combination is what helps to mimic the texture created by traditional wheat flour.
Vitacost.com is an excellent source for gluten-free flours. They have their own line of certified gluten-free flours and have all of the ingredients listed below.
Sorghum flour – Sorghum is a grain that is commonly used in Africa. It has a slightly sweet and neutral flavor that works extremely well in baked goods, especially cakes. This is why sorghum is the main ingredient in this flour blend.
Millet flour – Millet is an ancient grain used in Asia as early as 8300 BC. Its protein content is comparable to that of wheat, so millet flour makes a nice substitute in gluten-free baked goods.
Potato starch and tapioca starch add lightness and some binding ability to this flour. These starches are part of what helps to make up for the lack of gluten.
Most store-bought, ready made gluten-free flour blends include xanthan gum, guar gum or inulin. These are binders that help gluten-free baked goods hold together and allow them to be moist and fluffy. Without them, or any other binder, gluten free baked goods are crumbly and dry. This recipe below calls for xanthan gum or guar gum.
How to Use this Flour
This flour blend can be used in almost any recipe that calls for a gluten-free flour blend. The xanthan gum (or other binders) can be left out if desired. This way you can add the binder when you’re mixing up your cake or other recipe and customize the amount used. There are a few recipes that do better with either more or less xanthan gum than a basic all-round gluten-free flour blend.
For example, crepe batter works best with no xanthan gum at all. If you want your cookies to spread, a lower amount of xanthan gum works well. Pancake batter is usually too thick with an average amount of xanthan gum. So I use a lower amount for pancakes as well.
Here are some guidelines on how much xanthan gum or other binders to add, if you choose to leave it out of the blend:
- Cakes, cupcakes, quick breads and muffins – Add 1/2 tsp xanthan gum/binder for each cup of flour used.
- Pancakes, waffles and cookies – Add 1/4 tsp xanthan gum/binder per cup of flour.
- Pie crust – Add 3/4 tsp xanthan gum per cup of flour.
- Crepes – No binder. The binders make the batter so thick that it doesn’t spread in the pan. So none is necessary.
NOTE: Gluten-free breads need a different balance of flour blend ingredients. As is, this flour would not be a good option for yeast breads.
Gluten-Free, Rice-Free Flour Blend
Author: Janet Harlow
Servings: 3 cups
This recipe for gluten-free flour without rice flour and is excellent for gluten-free baking. It works well for cakes, cupcakes, muffins, crepes and more!
5 from 14 reviews
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Recommended Products
Vitacost Gluten-Free certified gluten-free flours
Ingredients
- 1¼ c sweet white sorghum flour
- ¾ c millet flour
- ⅔ c potato starch (NOT potato flour)
- ⅓ c tapioca starch or tapioca flour
- 1½ tsp xanthan gum or guar gum
Instructions
NOTE: This flour blend is appropriate for cakes, cupcakes, muffins, quick breads, pancakes, waffles, and biscuits. It is not appropriate for a yeast bread. Gluten-free yeast breads require a different mixture of gluten-free flours and starches.
It's important to measure the flours by spooning into the measuring cup. This will assure a more accurate amount.
Then level the flour using a straight edge knife or spatula.
The xanthan gum can be left out if desired. But it will need to be added for almost all baked goods. If you leave it out of the blend, add xanthan gum as follows to specific recipes:
Cakes, cupcakes, and muffins, add 1/2 tsp xanthan gum for each cup of flour used. For pancakes, waffles and cookies, add 1/4 tsp xanthan gum per cup of flour.
Place all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and whisk thoroughly until there are no lumps of flour. The starches tend to clump, so be sure they are completely broken up and incorporated evenly.
OR
Place the ingredients in the bowl of your food processor and pulse 15 times. Then run continuously for 5 seconds.
Place the flour blend in a tightly sealed container and store in a cool place, or in the freezer to keep it fresh longer. Find the expiration dates on the sorghum and millet flours and write the earliest one on the container. The flour blend will stay fresh much longer than the expiration dates if you store it in the freezer.
Did you make this recipe?Let me know how it was! Tag @chefjanetk on Instagram.