For gluten-free recipes, having a good flour mix is essential, obviously. A few years ago, I shared how to make the cheapest gluten free flour mix ever. I was (and am) quite proud of it. It’s super easy, super cheap, and can be made even cheaper if you grind your own flour.
I’ve used that mix for nearly every recipe under the sun, and loved it. But, as with most areas of life, even our go-to flour mix has evolved.
I like this one better in many ways. It has a better flavor, and gives baked goods better structure.
I wouldn’t be afraid to test this gluten-free flour mix recipe against some of the most highly rated commercial mixes out there, and unlike the first mix, I use this one for everything. Everything. From cakes, to cookies, to bread. Yes, even bread, usually with few modifications.
That said, this mix isn’t for everyone.
Who this mix is for:
Anyone who want a…
- Reasonably inexpensive flour mix
- Excellent flavor blend
- Excellent textures of finished products
- A truly all-purpose blend
Who this mix isn’t for:
Anyone who wants…
- The cheapest of the cheap (you can get that here.)
- Is sensitive to corn products
- Anyone who can’t find reasonably priced corn flour
- Doesn’t like the color yellow. (har-har)
The magic ingredient in this flour mix, in case you haven’t guessed, is corn flour. Not cornmeal, and not cornstarch, but corn flour.
But why corn?
Corn tends to be ground very finely, a must in gluten-free baking, and not only that, it’s high protein content lend structure to gluten-free doughs and baters. Something that is sorely missing when gluten is removed.
But what about GMOs?
The best way to be sure that you’re not consuming genetically modified corn is by purchasing organic corn flour. Genetically modified organisms cannot be grown organically. That said, organic flour can get expensive. The key is to always read labels, and to be willing to call the companies and ask about their stance on GMOs.
How much more expensive is this flour mix?
Sad to say, I haven’t been able to grind my own corn flour, though I still firmly believe in grinding your own grain when possible, and certainly grind my own brown rice for this mix.
The cheapest of the cheap flour mix cost me a mere $0.34 at the time that article was written. Well, the price of rice came up, and cornstarch went down, thanks to ordering in bulk. Still, It’s costing us less than $0.50/pound.
And since corn flour will make up 1/3 of this mix, that brings the total cost per pound of mix up to $1.03 per pound.
That’s a pretty significant price increase!
But it’s also still very cheap, and for me, it’s well worth it, because it has paid dividends in the improved quality of my baked goods.
So, if you care to spend as much as a dollar-three on flour mix – which, by the way, is still waaay cheaper than any premade mix on the market – I highly recommend this gluten-free flour mix recipe.
(Another thing I feel I should mention is that we don’t actually pay that much since we bought our corn flour with a co-op in 50lb bags.)
So are you ready to get down to business and make some flour mix? Alrighty!
Gluten-Free Flour Mix Recipe
Looking for an easy gluten-free flour mix to make yourself? Try this recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 cup corn flour (NOT cornmeal, or cornstarch! You want finely ground corn flour)
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon guar or xanthan gum*
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together thoroughly, and store in an airtight container.
Multiply this recipe by however times you want to, just remember, one part of each main ingredient, and 1 teaspoon of gum per cup of flour.
*Note on the gum: I do not personally add gum directly to my mix. I find it more efficient and cheaper to add a custom amount to each recipe because some recipe, like bread, will need the full 1 tsp. per cup, and other recipes, like pancakes, need little-to-no gum at all.
Enjoy! You will love this flour mix! And just so you know, it’s been tested with almost every recipe on this site. 🙂
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Melody says
Yay!! I’m excited to try this!! So this will be one cup gluten free substituted for one cup of wheat all purpose flour? I want to make my near two year old a nice fluffy delicious cupcake or cake for his upcoming birthday!! All the other tries that I have attempted to do this have not gone well and flavor of the cupcake was horrible.
Elise says
I can’t vouch for how this would act in a recipe that was meant for wheat flour, since I’ve never tried it though I know that in many “regular” recipes you can use gluten-free flour with just a few adjustments. I *can* however vouch for this gluten-free chocolate cake recipe. It’s amazing!
colleen says
The key to Gluten Free baking are the eggs. My entire family is gluten free, corn fee, all gum free etc due to allergies. We have a farm. I double sometimes triple the fresh farm eggs in all my recipes and all baked goods taste as good or better than “regular” desserts.
Sharon says
is it 1 tsp or 1tbl ? The recipe says 1 Tbl but you refer to 1 tsp in the info.
Elise says
It’s one TBL for the 3 cup recipe, which comes out to 1 tsp. per cup of mixed flour.
Anna @ Feminine Adventures says
This looks great! We aren’t gluten-free, but have friends who are and it’s really difficult to make baked goods without a good flour blend. 🙂
Sarah says
Hello,
I’m allergic to both gluten & rice and I’d like to try your mixture. Is there any other alternatives for rice flour?
Elise says
I’m not sure what alternative would act exactly like rice flour, but in general, sorghum is very good.
Julie says
I haven’t tried it yet but I have heard of using almond and or coconut flour. Search for recipes on pinterest. I belive almond flour is just ground almonds, and same for coconut. ????
brenda says
hi I must be really stupid because I don’t understand the 1tbs gum to the 1 tsp gum you told the other lady that ask this same question that it is a tablespoon for the 3 cups recipe.if you wanted to grind corn what kind would you buy thanks
Elise says
Not dumb. After re-reading it, I realize it’s not actually very clear.
It’s one teaspoon of gum per cup of flour, or one Tablespoon per 3 cup batch. (3t. = 1T.)
On the corn, popcorn kernels grind really nice for cornmeal, and they’re pretty much guaranteed non-GMO. However, to make finely ground corn flour, if I’m not mistaken, requires roasting the corn lightly before grinding, and possibly a more powerful grinder.
I’m honestly not 100% sure on anything about making corn flour except that the finest setting on my grinder produces cornmeal out of raw corn.
LeeAnn says
Can you substitute white rice flour, or half and half, for the brown rice flour?
Elise says
Yes, that should work fine. 🙂
Lynn says
Thanks for the recipe. I’m anxious to try it. But,and I hope I’m not being dense here, how will I know which recipes need more gum? Can you have too much? If I added the amount in the recipe, would it ruin some of my baked goods?
Thanks again
Elise says
A lot of recipes will have a caveat “Add this much gum if not already in your mix”. But a lot of it is guess work. In biscuits or sandwich bread, you’ll use around 1 teaspoon of cup to a cup of flour, in pancakes and waffles, around 1/4 teaspoon per cup of flour, and most other things will be in between that.
You can have too much, and the result is dense, gummy products. In some cases, if there’s too much, you baked good may look fabulous straight out of the oven, but will continue contracting as it cools.
Hope that’s helpful. 🙂
Winter says
Just wanted to say I used this mix today for a peach cobbler recipe…so delighted in the result. We have only been experimenting with gluten free for a few weeks, and has been quite disappointing, I must admit. This mix was perfect for the topping of my cobbler. Yay for a great all-purpose mix! Thanks so much. (Also your gf biscuits on this site are awesome =) Will make a comment over there.)
Winter says
Thought I’d post a comment over here, as well as on your all-purpose mix post…I have made these biscuits twice now-it was the first gf recipe I tried that the family enjoyed. They are so close to an actual wheat flour biscuit. I added a bit of sugar second time around, and that batch won my heart. So, thank you, for making this new venture into the gluten free world so much more enjoyable for us. I am sure I will be utilizing your posts many times in the future. I appreciate you putting the effort into these recipes…I’d never get it right on my own!
MJ says
So can I just clarify for my own sanity… It’s 1 cup of everything to 1 tsp. of guar , Not 1 TBS as you have in the recipe? It’s kinda confusing for me sorry and I want to be sure. Thanks MJ
Elise says
It’s one Tablespoon for that recipes, which comes out to 1 teaspoon of gum per cup of flour.
Josie says
I just came across this recipe at the perfect time. I was making my own all purpose gf flour mix, but it called for potato starch and I can’t find potato starch in any stores around town any more. I did however find corn flour and gave this mix a try (I have the same grain mill as you, and love it!) Anyway, I just used this mix for some gf sugar cookies. I was nervous about the results using a new flour mix and all, but they turned out delicious! I am excited to use this flour for other things and to try out some of the recipes on your site. Thank you!
Elise says
Yay! Thank for sharing. I’m so glad you it’s working well for you! 🙂
RMEgas says
Hi… I have a question.. we have some options regarding corn flour… in my country Ecuador, we can find Toasted corn flour or just corn flour… what do you suggest?
Thanks..
Elise says
I usually buy “lightly toasted” corn flour, but I think either will work, as long as it’s fine flour, and not coarse like cornmeal.
Anjee says
Thanks for your easy recipe! I researched buying corn flour and corn starch in bulk and came across an interesting comment on the description on a bulk cornstarch bag. It stated that cornstarch was also known as corn flour. Do you agree? If so, could the recipe be two cups corn flour and one cup brown rice flour? Organic corn flour is much cheaper than organic corn starch. Thanks for any clarification!
Elise says
Hi Anjee, in the United Kingdom, cornstarch is referred to as cornflour, but in this case, it is NOT the same thing.
The corn flour referred to here is stone ground, whole grain, and light roasted.
jenny says
On the gluten free flour can I make it with coconut flour?
Elise says
Coconut flour doesn’t bake like other flours, so I don’t think it would work well in this.
Marthea says
What is the difference between cornstarch & cornflour ?
Elise says
Cornstarch is where the starch is seperated from the bran and fiber, corn flour is the whole roasted kernel that has been ground into flour.
Lu says
Elise
Found the recipe. I’ll let you and your readers in on the results.
colleen says
looking for a ravioli recipe gluten free?
Elise says
Check here: https://www.frugalfarmwife.com/article/gluten-free-ravioli-recipe/
Joy says
Hello elise,
Can masa harina be used instead of cornflour in your mix?
Are they both same?
Elise says
Masa harina, is lime-treated corn, whereas corn flour is finally ground corn (as opposed to cornmeal). The main difference is your baked goods will be more coarse.
Joy says
Thank you elise,
The cornflour that you use is it yellow in color or white?
I’ve seen these two varieties, which one is best?
Elise says
I have never used white, so I’m not sure?
Jennifer Whitcomb says
I made sugar cookies with this flour and I could really taste the corn. They were like corn bread sugar cookies… is that what you have found as well? Do I need to only use this flour if my cookies or bread has a strong predominate flavor, so the corn taste doesn’t come through? I will also say that I bought the corn flour sold to make tortillas. Not Bob Mill brand. I don’t know if that would make a difference. I just thought corn flour is corn flour no matter who makes it. Anyway, I love your site and appreciate your thoughts!
Elise says
No, it shouldn’t taste predominately like corn. I haven’t personally used Masa for anything but making corn tortillas, and highly recommend corn flour from Azure Standard.
Faith King says
Hi my 2.5 year old is gluten and corn free. Is there a corn free friendly recipe by chance?
Donna says
Just curious when you bake GF do you weigh your flour? And do you have any idea how many grams in a cup of your Flour Blend?
Maria says
Hi! Can you use Maseca instead of corn flour? I am concerned with using too much corn that is not treated with lime.
Sheree says
Hi! I was wondering if grinding popcorn kernels would be the same as corn flour? I noticed you said you don’t grind your own corn flour. I was curious about the popcorn though as I know it can go through the nurtimill. The bob’s red mill corn flour tastes too strong to me.
Lana says
I see a lot of your older recipes call for a different gluten free flour blend. Can I use this blend in replacement? Is this a one and one type of flour that I can use in replacement for regular flour?
Connie says
Hello, could I replace cornstarch for arrowroot?
Roz says
It would be much better if you put the ingredients in grams as well as cups
Sally says
In your recipe you say to add 1 tlbsp of guar gum but in the notes below you say you add the guar gum at time of baking but you say 1 teaspoon. Does that mean you add 1 tsp for each ingredient listed, which would be equivalent to 1 tablespoon?