Homemade Gluten-Free Flour Blend (no xanthan gum)
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This Homemade Gluten-Free Flour Blend will happily replace your bag of branded gluten-free flour with infinitely superior results. It creates gluten-free bakes which are light, fluffy and deliciously tasty. It has a neutral flavour with a mix of only 4 gluten-free flours and no xanthan gum. Use this gluten-free flour mix in a 1:1 swap in your favourite cakes, cookies, quick breads, dessert or even pie crust recipes.
This Gluten-Free Flour recipe will become your absolute failsafe flour when you are making a birthday cake, mixing up a batch of cookies or even baking an apple pie. That’s right, it even works in pastry too.
I am promising a lot with this Plain Gluten Free Flour Blend and not least because you don’t have to use xanthan gum or guar gum or any kind of binder with it.
Imagine baking your favourite wheat recipes again and just reaching for this one gluten-free flour and using it as a 1:1 swap. Sounds too good to be true? Well, I hope this gluten-free flour mix will be your next step to achieving gluten-freedom.
Watch the video to see how to make it
What is gluten-free flour?
The gluten-free flour you buy from grocery stores is in fact a combination of different single origin flours which may include flours such as rice flour, buckwheat flour or tapioca starch.
That’s because if you are familiar with gluten-free baking then you will know there is no such thing as a one-size fits all single origin gluten-free flour. If you have tried to use rice flour or oat flour in place of all-purpose flour in a cake or cookie recipe then you may have been disappointed at the gummy or crumbly texture.
This is due to the lack of gluten. Gluten is a collection of proteins found in wheat which stretch and become elastic when reacting with heat, creating bakes with a solid structure and light airy texture.
In order for gluten-free flour to mimic the role of gluten we need to use a combination of flours. These each provide certain aspects of that one role to create a cohesive gluten-free flour which can be used across different bakes.
READ MORE >>> The Ultimate Guide to Gluten-Free or Alternative Flours
Grocery store blends
Now, you can buy gluten-free flour from grocery stores which are basically pre-blended flour mixes. However, perhaps you are not achieving good results from these flours or maybe they are requiring you to add xanthan gum which you don’t love. It might even be the case that you need to avoid one of the ingredients in these flours so you just can’t use it. If this is the case then you might want to start thinking about making your own flour blends.
Your own gluten-free flour blend
If you don’t achieve great results from the grocery store blends then making your own blend at home I guarantee will be a real opener.
Even if you enjoy blending your own flours for individual recipes there will always be a place in a gluten-free kitchen for an easy All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Blend. One that you can reach for without thinking if you don’t have much time or you just don’t feel like dragging out numerous bags of different flour for one cake.
Why You’ll Love This Gluten-Free Flour Blend
- Far better results for all your gluten-free bakes than the bag of gluten-free flour from the grocery store.
- No gritty, gummy or pasty texture.
- Blend of wholegrain and starchy flours with some wiggle room for substitutions if you need to.
- No xanthan gum or guar gum needed to work.
- Neutral flavour.
- Light fluffy texture.
- Only 4 flours needed.
Can you use this gluten-free flour blend in a 1:1 swap with plain all-purpose flour
In most cases, yes. This flour works best as a substitute in most standard cake, cookie or quick bread recipes. I’ve even used it in place of flour in pastry and pie crust recipes and it’s a decent substitute.
Although my favourite flour blend for a gluten-free pastry is used in this recipe >>> Gluten-Free All Butter Pastry Recipe
Thickener: You can also use this flour as a thickening agent and it works well in sauces and stews like in these recipes:
What recipes this flour won’t work with
Look this DIY gluten-free flour is rather marvellous but I’m afraid I can’t advocate for its use in a gluten-free bread recipe or in other really basic recipes where the flour does all the heavy lifting in the recipe (like scones or shortbread) to produce the right texture.
Recipes where it's best to blend your own flours:
Which flours do we need for this DIY gluten-free blend
Sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour / mochiko)
This is an excellent starchy flour which is made from glutinous rice (don’t worry there is no gluten involved). It has sticky properties and as such helps with binding. It also gives a bouncy quality to your bake
Substitution. You can swap this starchy flour for cassava flour or almond flour.
Sorghum flour
This wholegrain flour has a lovely toasty vanilla flavour which creates light and fluffy bakes. However, it can be gritty depending on which brand you use. I particularly recommend Bob’s Red Mill’s sorghum flour which doesn’t have these issues.
Substitution. You can swap the sorghum for buckwheat but it will have a more pronounced flavour. You could also swap for millet flour but it’s not my personal favourite as I find it a little bitter.
Oat flour
It’s a controversial choice as oat flour can be a particular problem for those with coeliac disease or a gluten intolerance. However, if you can tolerate oat flour then I urge you to use it here. It’s a lovely flour for both its soft texture and gentle buttery flavour and works well in this neutral gluten-free flour blend.
Substitution. You can also swap the oat flour for buckwheat or millet flour (as suggested with the sorghum flour).
Tapioca flour (starch)
This starchy flour is a great binder and works alongside the sweet rice flour to hold your bake together. It’s a lighter flour than sweet rice flour though so balances it out well to avoid your bake becoming too dense. Tapioca flour also browns well so will help give a good crust to your bake.
Substitution. You can swap for potato starch or arrowroot powder.
Important note on substitution
The reason gluten-free flour blends have a number of different flours involved is that it works better to spread the roles over different flours. Too much of one flour can lead to the balance being wonky – the structure not quite working and this is usually where we get a gummy texture. Therefore if you do make any substitutions I recommend to still keep to at least 4 different flours for a good even balance.
Gluten-Free Flour Cheatsheet
The Gluten-Free Flour Cheatsheet makes choosing the right flour easy, breaking down every option from sorghum to cassava into four simple categories. With nutritional info, flavour pairings, and a printable reference section, this guide cuts through the confusion so you can navigate gluten-free baking with clear flour choices.
How to find the gluten-free flours in this recipe
Larger supermarkets are now great for sourcing single origin gluten-free flours. I can find oat flour and tapioca flour at my local big store. Sweet rice flour is available in Asian supermarkets or in the Asian aisle where is might be labelled glutinous rice flour or mochiko. Sorghum flour can usually be found at good health food or organic food shops.
If you live in a country where some of these flours are unavailable then I suggest using one of the substitutes I have suggested.
However, you can also buy any of these flours from various online stockists such as Shipton Mill, Healthy Supplies, Souschef or Amazon.
No xanthan gum needed
Xanthan gum or guar gum is a common additive to some gluten-free flour blends. And if you don't have xanthan gum in your blend many recipes will suggest you add it in along with your other ingredients. In theory xanthan gum helps to mimic the gluten effect since it is a powerful binding agent.
However, for this gluten-free flour blend xanthan gum is not required. The blend has enough starchy flours which help with the structure and the texture of your bakes without unnecessary additives.
In fact none of my recipes on this website contain xanthan gum. If you use the right blend of gluten-free flours with a sufficient amount of starch or protein then it isn't necessary to use xanthan gum at all.
However, on the odd occasion where you do feel your recipe could benefit from a little added binding power then you could add an extra egg or use ground flaxseed or chia seed.
READ MORE >>> Why I never bake with xanthan gum
How to make gluten-free flour: step-by-step instructions
For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.
In theory you just add your flours together and mix them up. Here are some tips though so you achieve a good balanced blend.
1.Mix your DIY gluten-free flour straight into your airtight container. This is so there is minimal chance of flour wastage.
2. Make sure your container is large enough to fit all the flours with plenty of room.
3. Place your flour container on your digital scales and set the tare to zero.
4. Weigh out your sweet rice flour. Set the tare to zero again. Continue to weigh all your flours directly into the container, setting the tare to zero each time.
5. Place the lid on the container tightly. Then give it a great shake for at least a minute, if not two, to make sure all the flours are well combined. Then it’s ready to use.
How to store your flour
Store your gluten-free flour blend in a cool dark place until you are ready to use. It is best to use within 3 months. Flours don’t have as long a shelf life as you might think.
If you are worried about the temperature in your storage place then you can also keep the flour blend in the fridge where it will keep nice and fresh until the next time you want to use it.
If you are keeping your flour in the fridge then once you have measured it out for your intended use then bring it up to room temperature before adding it to the other ingredients, so it will blend in evenly.
Using this gluten-free flour mix for best results
- You don’t need to rest your batters or mixtures when using this flour before placing your bakes in the oven. However, some brands of single origin flours (particularly sorghum) can have a courser grind than others so resting can help in this instance.
- I recommend weighing out your flour when you use it if you can as measuring cups can be accurate.
- If you are using this flour in place of self-raising flour in a recipe then you will need to whisk in the rising agents. Add 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt for each 120g/4oz/1 cup of flour.
- Gluten-free flour can often benefit from a lower and slower baking time than regular flour. Try lowering the oven temperature by 10-15 degrees and baking for an extra 10-15 minutes in the oven.
What recipes will this homemade flour blend work with?
You can use this flour in place of any flour blends for most standard cake recipes. Try using it as an alternative to the flours suggested in these recipes:
- Gluten-Free Vanilla Layer Cake
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Fudge Cake
- Gluten-Free Fruit Cake
- Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake
- Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
- Gluten-Free Victoria Sponge
It also works in other recipes, such as banana breads, cookies, crumbles and even pie crusts (although when rolling out gluten-free pastry I recommend rolling between parchment to help avoid breaking).
Try it as an alternative to the flours suggested in these recipes:
These recipes have been specifically developed using this homemade flour blend:
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Homemade Gluten-Free Flour Blend
Ingredients
- 340 g sweet rice flour - glutinous rice flour, mochiko
- 240 g sorghum flour
- 220 g oat flour
- 200 g tapioca flour - starch
Instructions
- Place a large flour container on your digital scales and set the tare to zero.
- Weigh out your sweet rice flour. Set the tare to zero again. Continue to weigh all your flours directly into the container, setting the tare to zero each time.
- Place the lid on the container tightly. Then give it a great shake for at least a minute, if not two, to make sure all the flours are well combined.
- Store in a cool dark place until ready to use.
Video
Notes
- Sweet rice flour. Can be substituted for cassava flour or almond flour.
- Oat or sorghum flour. Can be substituted for buckwheat or millet flour.
- Tapioca starch. Can be substituted for potato starch or arrowroot powder.
Love this flour mix! I noticed in many of your recipes, almond flour is used. Could I substitute this mix for the almond flour? My daughter is severely allergic to nuts, so I have been avoiding those recipes, but they look so good 🙂
It depends on the recipe. If it's a cake recipe then I often use almond flour alongside a branded gluten-free flour - in those instances you can swap the whole amount of almond flour + gluten-free flour for my homemade blend. Other recipes it might not be so straightforward. However, just drop me an email on the recipe you wanted to make and I can confirm whether a swap for the almond flour can be made.
Thank you so much for your quick reply!
Hi!
Would this blend work in a savoury recipe? I'm hoping to make perogies and want to make a dough that is similar to that used with wheat flour for my daughter who is now GF. And also gum free! Thanks!
I use this flour a lot for savoury doughs like English style dumplings or pancakes, but I have to say I have never had perogies so can't comment on those particularly. Let me know if you try it as I'd love to know the results.
Hi - I am a new follower on your blog. I made up the gf flour recipe but I don’t see the amount of psyllium husk required in place of xantham gum.
Thank you
Dee
I don't use psyllium husk in every recipe - only in my bread recipes. You will find the most success with this flour when you use it to replace all-purpose flour in cake recipes and I have also had great success with a lot of cookie recipes and pastry recipes. It doesn't need any extra thickener. It can be used for any recipe on my website which calls for a gluten-free all-purpose flour - no xanthan or psyllium husk needed.
I love this flour mix, especially since it does not have xantham gum. I keep some mixed in the freezer for everyday baking. I even used it for pancakes which turned out great. I really love your recipes. When I'm looking for a new recipe, I check your website first. Thank you for your dedication to baking and willingness to share your creations.
That's lovely to hear and I'm thrilled you are finding the flour blend so useful!
Good morning, I was browsing on pinterest and found you there. Loving your site and I may try your gf flour recipe. I needed to figure out on my own that I had celiac around 30 years ago as the doctors couldn't figure it out. back then there were no gf products available so I was making my own flour blend. here in the states I really like bobs red mill gf products so when they came out with their 1 to 1 gluten free flour blend I have been using that with good success. but it does have more carbs in it along with the xanth. gum. I will try yours as I still have sorghum flour in my freezer
Hi Kathy, I'm so happy you have found me and do let me know if you try the flour recipe!
a question I can't find glutinous brown rice flour-or a sweet brown rice flour can just brown rice flour be substituted for the glutinous white thanks
update I found sweet brown rice grown in calif so I can turn that into flour we live rural so I shop for a lot of things like this online
I saw in your other comment that you found sweet brown rice flour which is great as you can't substitute regular rice flour for sweet rice flour - they are too different.
Can I use brown rice flour (glutinous) in the place of white rice flour?
Yes you can!
Hi! Sweet rice flour is one of my favourites and it's good to know you don't use xanthan gum either - seems like a lazy choice for a lot of GF recipes and often not tolerated well (which I think defeats the purpose of a recipe being GF!)
I want to ask how best to sub wheat flour for this in recipes? By volume or by weight? Because I know sometimes the hydration needs to be different between wheat flour recipes and GF recipes.
thank you!
I always bake by weight so I substitute by weight as well. For this particular flour blend you can just swap it in.
Thanks - can you clarify please. If a recipe calls for 1 cup of white wheat flour, would I first need to work out what a cup of wheat flour weighs in grams and then use that amount of GF flour in grams? Or use 1 cup of the GF flour?
It's a great question. It's best to always work in weights so 1 cup of all-purpose wheat flour is supposed to weigh 120g so if a recipe calls for 2 cups of wheat flour then assume you need 240g flour. Then swap for 240g of this gluten-free flour blend.
thank you 🙂
I made this flour blend and baked muffins with it today! They turned out perfect! Thank you for sharing a nightshade free and xantham gum free flour blend! Love it!
You are welcome - I'm so happy it worked out well for your muffins!
I'd like to do some gf baking for a friend. Can I just finely grind my organic oats in a food processor to make my own oat flour? I've purchased everything else the same as in your recipe. Thanks. Looking forward to using it.
Hi Tina, yes you can. Homemade oat flour can be a little more nubbly depending on your food processor but the results will be just as delicious.
Love this flour combo. Any thoughts on quinoa flour?
Quinoa flour is great. Personally I find the flavour too pronounced. It has a similar amount of protein to oat flour and is a good swap for it if you wanted to try using it in the mix.
Just wondering when converting your recipes-how does a g compare to the US oz?
The conversions are done using an automatic conversion calculator so I can't give you the exact method of the measurements used.
I am very happy with the results of this gluten free flour mix. I needed one that did not use xanthan gum. This has worked well for gravy, cookies, sweet breads…will keep using it!
Thank you so much for your lovely feedback - I'm so happy you are enjoying using this flour!
This is my go-to flour blend for everything now, whether Georgina's recipes, or my own (either converted or made up on the day). It's faultless and utterly reliable. It's also a lighter calorific option to ground almonds, which had been my standard when converting recipes. I make up a batch and keep it on my shelf with my single source flours. The only think I haven't used it for is pastry, as I use Georgina's recipe and slightly different blend for that, with perfect results every time.
I'm so pleased to have discovered this site, a couple of years ago now, when a friend asked for apple pie, and I needed a gf pastry recipe. I've never looked back!
I'm so happy you love this flour mix - thank you so much for leaving your feedback!!
In this "Gluten Free" flour blend, your first ingredient is GLUTINOUS rice flour. Obviously, a different rice flour would be GF, however with a very different texture.
Perhaps this can be marketed as a "wheat free" alternative, but you can't market something as "gluten free" when it contains gluten.
That's like saying something is "peanut free", but don't worry- peanut oil is only used to fry it! *facepalm*
I agree it can be confusing. Rest assured that even though glutinous rice flour (aka sweet rice flour) is named as such that it is totally gluten-free. Its confusing name is just referring to the sticky glutinous texture of the rice (not that is is 'gluten-nous'). For further information on sweet rice flour you can view my stand alone post on this unique and delightful gluten-free flour >>> What is Sweet Rice Flour. Or it's an easy google search for more information. https://www.thekitchn.com/is-there-gluten-in-glutinous-rice-204053
Glutinous rice flour isn't gluten
Glutinous rice flour is another name for sweet rice flour. It does not contain gluten but is milled from glutinous rice (which refers to the glutinous texture of this type of rice not the fact that it contains gluten). It can be confusing you are right!!
Your recipes say flour blend A which one is that.
Hi Ginny, those aren't my recipes you are thinking of. Maybe Gluten-Free Alchemist? I'm pretty sure she titles her flour blends that way.
Ah sorry I have your blends one for pastry and one for cakes.
Hi! 🙂 Does this work well in vegan cakes also?
Yes it does.
My grandson and I made a batch of pancakes today that were light and fluffy and delicious, using this flour blend. I was particularly impressed by the flavor. Also made a wonderful batch of chocolate brownies with it on Friday. They were to die for! Thanks for the info on xanthan gum, Georgina.. I will make up this flour blend again. hello from Ontario, Canada.
So happy to hear the blend worked well for your pancakes - thank you for leaving your feedback!
Hi Georgina just reading the flour blend above you say you don’t recommend substations daughter can’t do Oat Flour could I use almond flour. I also have your flour blend for the pastry can’t wait to try that one.
Ginny
Hi Ginny. You can substitute the oat for almond flour (or millet flour or buckwheat flour).
Georgina would I use the same quantity of Almond Flour as oat flour.
Yes - the same amount.
Hi Georgina,
I have made half batch of this blend and it worked really well in a banana bread recipe. I had earlier made different blends from other blogs but they didn't work out. This was the best.
The banana bread was so tasty. I am pretty sure it's because of these flours. The all purpose flour doesn't give that depth of flavour this one has.
Thank you for doing the hard work for us. I still have some left. I will test some cookie/biscuit recipes now. To be true, I used a recipe designed for gluten. Just the edges were slightly crumbly but the insides held together well.
Thank you,
Sushma
That's great to hear - it is a tasty flour mix - I'm happy you enjoyed it in your banana bread! Can't wait to hear what you use it for next!
Thank you so much Georgina for this great GF F blend✨I’ll try it as soon as possible in your GF cheddar cheese scone recipe..
You are so welcome. Let me know if you try the Cheese Scone recipe - I'd love to know what you think!
I'm so excited to try this. I tried 5 recipes for my 4 year olds birthday cake last week & just had to go back to a gritty shop bought blend. Thank you so much, I'm look forward to stress free baking that all my family can enjoy. x
I look forward to hearing if you try it!