Gluten-Free Swaps: Flours, Thickeners and Substitutes

From The New Day Notebook · Facts last checked October 21, 2026

Practical swap guides for gluten-free cooking and baking: which flour to use in place of wheat flour, how much xanthan gum to add, which starches thicken a sauce and what to use instead of soy sauce, breadcrumbs or wheat grains. Numbers are starting points; recipes written for a specific flour will always be more reliable than a conversion.

• Can You Use Almond Flour Instead of All-Purpose Flour?Not as a straight swap in most recipes.
• Coconut Flour Substitutes and How to Swap ItCoconut flour soaks up far more liquid than other flours, so it cannot be swapped cup for cup with almond flour, wheat flour or gluten-free blends..
• Gluten-Free Flour Substitute for All-Purpose FlourA gluten-free all-purpose blend that already contains a binder (usually xanthan gum) is the closest swap for wheat flour.
• Gluten-Free Substitutes for Breadcrumbs and PankoRegular breadcrumbs and panko are made from wheat bread.
• Gluten-Free Substitutes for Couscous, Bulgur, Orzo and BarleyCouscous, bulgur and orzo are wheat, and barley contains gluten.
• Gluten-Free Substitutes for Soy SauceRegular soy sauce is brewed with wheat.
• Gluten-Free Thickeners: Cornstarch, Arrowroot, Potato Starch and MoreCornstarch, arrowroot, potato starch and tapioca starch are naturally gluten-free thickeners.
• How Much Xanthan Gum Per Cup of Gluten-Free Flour (and Substitutes)Xanthan gum stands in for some of the structure gluten provides.

Gluten-free all-purpose flour blend

Is It Gluten-Free? Food and Ingredient Lookup

When to loop in your doctor or dietitian

If you suspect gluten is a problem for you, talk to a doctor before removing it, because celiac disease testing needs gluten in the diet. A registered dietitian can help you build a gluten-free diet that covers your nutrition needs.