Kitchen reference
Gluten free baking ingredients
Gluten free baking comes down to two families working together: protein and fibre flours that provide structure, stability, flavour, and nutrition, and starches that give a soft crumb and smooth texture. A good loaf needs a mix of both. This is a plain-language guide to the most useful ingredients.
The two categories
Protein and fibre flours
Brown rice flour, millet flour, chickpea flour, and sorghum flour provide structure, stability, flavour, texture, and nutrition.
Starches
Corn starch, potato starch, tapioca flour, and sweet rice flour are fine in texture and create breads with a soft crumb and smooth texture.
A mix of both is required to produce a good loaf of bread.
Protein and fibre flours
| Ingredient | What it is and how to use it |
|---|---|
| Almond meal | Protein, fibre, and omega-3. Make your own from raw almonds or buy as a meal. Widely available. |
| Amaranth | The highest-protein GF flour, higher than wheat, rich in lysine, magnesium, iron, fibre, and calcium. Nutty, earthy flavour. Use up to 25% by volume; more makes baked goods dense and reduces rising as it absorbs liquid readily. |
| Buckwheat flour | A fruit seed, not a wheat. High in protein, fibre, and manganese, with a robust flavour best mixed with other flours. |
| Chickpea / besan | Ground dried chickpeas, used in Indian cookery. High protein and iron. Can add a yellow tinge and a sweet or slightly bitter note. |
| Coconut flour | Made from coconut fibre. Absorbs liquids heavily, so recipes use lots of eggs or liquid. Keeps a coconut flavour. Try substituting 1/3 cup for a cup of nut meal. |
| Quinoa flour | Protein-rich pseudo-grain high in iron, magnesium, zinc, and B vitamins. Can be bitter; rinsing and toasting before use helps. |
| Sorghum flour | Also called milo or jowar. Three times the fibre and twice the protein of white rice flour. |
| Teff flour | Nutrient-rich Ethiopian staple with good protein, iron, and calcium, a deep brown colour, and a sweet, molasses-like flavour. Used for injera. |
| Millet, rice, soy, hazelnut, pecan, pumpkin seed, flaxseed meals | A range of nutritious flours and meals. Millet and flaxseed are prone to rancidity, so buy small amounts and store cool. Rice flour from brown rice has a better nutritional profile. |
Starches and binders
| Ingredient | What it is and how to use it |
|---|---|
| Cornstarch | Ground corn endosperm, used as a thickener. Mix with other dry ingredients for bread, or make a cold-water roux before adding to hot liquids to avoid lumps. |
| Cornmeal | Dried corn, ground fine to coarse. Choose stone or water ground for more nutrition. Buy gluten-free labelled. |
| Potato starch vs potato flour | Potato starch is from raw potatoes (a thickener and body-builder); potato flour is from cooked potatoes and is denser. |
| Tapioca / cassava flour | From the yucca plant. Adds body and a chewy texture and helps the crust brown. |
| Sweet rice flour | Mochiko, from glutinous Japanese rice. Adds body to dough like a starch. |
| Arrowroot | Starch from the Maranta plant, used as a thickener. |
| Xanthan gum | A natural carbohydrate from bacterial fermentation. Provides structure and a smooth mouth feel; the corn base may be GMO. |
| Guar gum | Ground plant seed, better in cold foods like ice cream than baked goods. |
| Gelatin and agar agar | Gelatin (animal) binds cold dough and reduces crumbling. Agar agar (seaweed) is a plant-based substitute in equal amounts. |
| Chia | Plant omega-3, antioxidants, calcium. Holds up to nine times its weight in water and thickens dough. Grind and soak before adding. |
| Baking soda and baking powder | Baking soda needs an acid (such as buttermilk) to create lift. Baking powder is soda plus cream of tartar; use a gluten-free product. |
| Skim milk powder | Adds calcium and protein, helps bread rise and hold moisture. |
Handling notes
Technically oats do not contain gluten, but few Australian oats are certified gluten free (free from cross-contamination), so choose certified products. Flaxseed, millet, and nut meals are prone to rancidity, buy small amounts and store in the fridge. Most seeds, beans, and grains here can also be sprouted and ground into flour.
Adapted for Elemental Health and Nutrition. Further reading: E. Brown, “Gluten-Free Bread”, Running Press, 2013.
Frequently asked questions
What flours do you need for gluten-free baking?
Successful gluten-free baking usually balances two families of ingredients: protein and fibre flours that provide structure, nutrition and flavour, such as brown rice flour, millet flour, chickpea flour and sorghum flour, plus starches that create a soft crumb and fine texture, such as corn starch, potato starch, tapioca flour and sweet rice flour. Combining the two replaces some of the structure that gluten normally provides in conventional baking.
What can replace gluten as a binder in baking?
Because gluten provides elasticity and binding, gluten-free recipes often need a binder. Common options include xanthan gum, which gives a smooth mouthfeel, guar gum, which can work better in cold preparations, and gelatin or agar agar for binding. Ground chia or flaxseed, which absorb several times their weight in water when soaked, can also act as binders. Sweet rice flour adds body too. Choosing a binder helps gluten-free bakes hold together rather than crumble.
How should gluten-free flours be stored?
Some gluten-free flours are prone to going rancid, particularly nut meals, flaxseed and millet meals, so they are best stored cool, ideally in the fridge or freezer, and used reasonably quickly. It also matters that oats used in gluten-free baking are certified gluten-free, since most Australian oats are not certified and may be cross-contaminated. Proper storage keeps the flours fresh and avoids off flavours in your baking.
Reviewed by Rohan Smith, BHSc Nutritional Medicine · Elemental Health & Nutrition, Adelaide. Last reviewed 13 June 2026.
Important: This summary is general information, not personalised medical advice, diagnosis, or a treatment protocol. Speak with a qualified practitioner about your individual situation. Book a consultation →