12 Best Gluten Free Flour Options

Have you tried making bread with gluten free flour yet? If you’ve got a gluten allergy, it’s time to start now.

Fatigue, headaches, problem skin, digestive issues such as diarrhea and constipation, and neurological issues are just some of the symptoms of a gluten allergy.

More and more people realize that they are allergic to gluten, but the good news is that there are many options out there for sufferers.

Even with gluten intolerance, you can still have your cake (or bread!) and eat it.

Many types of gluten free flour available are just as good for home baking as regular flour, so you can still indulge in all those yummy baked treats that you enjoy.

We’ve put together this guide to the best gluten free flour options available to buy. Let’s take a look…

What Is Gluten Free Flour?

In essence, gluten free flour is flour made from plants and grains other than wheat (brown and white), rye, barley, and triticale which contain gluten protein.

It’s this gluten protein that gives dough its elasticity and helps it to rise, so a gluten free flour mix typically contains a mix of various alternatives such as rice flour, buckwheat flour, teff flour, amaranth flour, almond flour, quinoa, garbanzo, or tapioca flours, or potato starch amongst others.

These flours are usually then blended with a binder such as a xanthan or guar gum, or ground seeds like psyllium husk, flax, or chia, to replace the gluten and give the gluten free flour blend the necessary elastic quality, so it holds its shape when water is added to form a dough.

Single grain gluten free flours are trickier to use as they are a little runnier and are best reserved for sweet treats like cookies or pancakes.

A ready-made gluten free flour mix is ideal for most applications, or you can make your own mix from 2 or 3 different flours to suit your tastes.

Here’s a great video guide on how to make your own:

Gluten free flour behaves slightly differently than regular flour, so using it for home baking requires a slightly different method.

If you choose gluten free flour without a binder, the dough won’t retain its shape, so your dough will need to be placed into a container, such as a loaf pan, for baking.

When baking with gluten free flour, you’ll find that the quantities and measurements of the ingredients in a recipe can also be different, so it’s not always a case of substituting regular flour with the same amount of gluten free flour – it can often take a few attempts to get your baked goods to turn out the exact way you want them.

Weighing ingredients rather than measuring them out in cups is the most sure-fire way to succeed. Baking times can also differ greatly when using gluten free flour as opposed to wheat flour. Make sure to check out our reviews of the Best Food Scales for baking bread to find one that suits your needs.

It’s worth noting that there are also plenty of gluten free cookbooks around, which are full of tempting home baking recipes specially designed with gluten free flours in mind.

To save yourself a lot of time and effort, it’s worth investing in one – particularly if baking with gluten free flour is new to you.

Types of Gluten Free Flour

Like with regular flour, gluten free flour mixes come in many different varieties to suit different purposes.

Both plain white and brown flours are available – usually made with a base of either white or brown rice flour.

There are also some fantastic all purpose gluten free flours, as well as self-raising, which contains a typical raising agent.

Gluten free flours are available with or without an added binding agent such as xanthan gum.

In addition to bread flours, there are also ready-made gluten free cake and cookie mixes if you’re looking for something quick and easy.

Best Gluten Free Flour Options

For some of the best gluten free flours on the market, check out our list below…

Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Flour

This all-natural Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour can be used for baking homemade cakes, cookies, breads, pancakes, waffles, muffins, and more. No wonder it’s one of the most popular gluten free flour mixes on the market!

It’s made from a mixture of potato starch, sorghum, tapioca, garbanzo, and fava beans and is totally vegan.

To make the best use of this gluten free flour, adding a binding agent such as guar or xanthan gum is recommended.

Pros

• Includes lots of fiber, whole grains, and protein
• Easy to bake with
• Works well for many different uses
• Good value for money
• Rises well
• Nice texture
• Can usually be used in the same quantities as wheat flour for most recipes
• High-quality mix

Cons

• Can have a bean-like aftertaste if used in a bland recipe

Namaste Foods Organic Perfect Flour Blend

The Namaste Foods Organic Perfect Flour Blend is made from a mixture of sweet brown rice flour, brown rice flour, arrowroot powder, tapioca starch, sorghum flour, and xanthan gum and is totally organic.

With this all purpose flour, you can bake all your favorite recipes. Simply substitute the wheat flour cup for a cup of this flour. The bag can be re-sealed to keep its contents fresh.

Pros

• Suitable for people with nut allergies
• Includes healthy whole grains
• Xanthan gum binder is already added
• Great taste
• Nice consistency
• Very versatile

Cons

• Takes some trial and error to perfect rise and lightness

Premium Gold All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour

This nutritious vitamin, mineral and protein-rich Premium Gold All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour is 100 percent natural and is packed with tasty and healthy whole grains.

Rice flour, flax seeds, quinoa flour, buckwheat flour, tapioca flour, arrowroot flour, and xanthan gum are all combined to create this gluten free flour which can be used for making all kinds of baked goods, simply replace the regular wheat flour cup for cup.

Pros

• Wholesome and healthy
• Excellent quality
• Great consistency and texture
• Suitable for all kinds of uses
• Delicious taste
• All-natural

Cons

• A little expensive
• Not organic

King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Multipurpose Flour

King Arthur Flour is America’s oldest flour company, and they pride themselves on high-quality, wholesome products.

Free from gluten, preservatives, or anything artificial, the King Arthur Flour Multipurpose Flour is made with a blend of rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, whole grain brown rice flour, and has added vitamins. No wonder it’s so popular with the gluten free crowd!

Pros

• Light, fluffy texture
• Can be used as a directed substitute for wheat flour cup for cup
• Full of flavor – tastes like regular flour
• Easy to bake with
• Works well for any recipe, either sweet or savory

Cons

• Some bakers find this flour a little gritty – it may require some extra sieving
• A little expensive

Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Oat Flour

Our final contender is another Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flour – this time made with just pure, wholesome ground oats.

Totally vegan, gluten free and Kosher, this wholegrain oat flour is ideal for adding to other gluten free flours to boost their nutritional value and give a tasty oat flavor to sweet or savory recipes.

Pros

• Packed with protein
• Pure and natural product
• Full of flavor
• Very high quality
• Good, non-gritty texture
• Very versatile
• Vegan
• Kosher

Cons

• Can be crumbly. Best used with a binding agent
• Too finely ground for some bakers’ purposes

Cup4Cup Gluten Free Flour

This gluten free flour is multipurpose and contains cornstarch, white rice flour, brown rice flour, rBST-free milk powder, tapioca flour, potato starch, and xanthan gum. It makes a good 1 to 1 substitution for all purpose flour and wheat flour for your favorite recipes.

The neutral flavor of this gluten free flour won’t change the taste of your recipes. It is certified gluten free, and kosher, and is non-GMO. This is a three-pound bag of gluten free flour that will last you for a while.

Pros

• Gluten free and makes a good substitution for wheat flour and all purpose flour in most of your recipes
• Large three-pound bag at an affordable price

Terrasoul Superfoods Organic Almond Flour

Almond flour can prove to be a good gluten free flour choice as long as you don’t have a nut allergy. In addition, it can add fiber and protein to your baked goods recipes and has a neutral taste, making it a versatile gluten free flour option.

Remember that it has a finer texture than other flour options, which means it won’t make a good substitute for wheat flour.

However, adding more almond flour than what is asked of flour in the recipe or adding xanthan gum or egg whites can leave you with a stiffer dough. This almond flour is good for quick bread recipes, pancakes, and other baked goods.

This almond flour is kosher, USDA certified organic, non-GMO, raw, gluten free, and vegan-friendly. It has a super fine texture because the almond skin is removed, and it is free from propylene oxide and other chemical residues you can find in more conventional almond flour brands.

Pros

• Has a fresh taste and is good for making gluten free breads
• Made of high-quality Spanish almonds
• Has nutritional value

Cons

• On the higher end of the price spectrum
• May need to use xanthan gum for bread recipes since it has a super fine texture

Other Gluten Free Flour Options

In addition to our top picks above, when looking for the best gluten free flour types, consider the following:

Buckwheat Flour

While the name implies this is wheat, it is not a wheat grain and is actually gluten free. It has a rich and earthy flavor that is ideal for baking quick breads and yeast breads.

Since it has no gluten, it is naturally crumbly, so you may want to combine it with another gluten free flour such as brown rice flour.

Buckwheat is also nutritious and packed full of B-vitamins and is rich in minerals like iron, magnesium, zinc, and fiber.

Arrowhead Mills Organic Buckwheat Flour is certified USDA organic and non-GMO. It contains 30 grams of whole grains per serving and is a good source of fiber.

Sorghum Flour

This is an ancient grain and is another naturally gluten free flour option to consider using when baking. It is more of a dense flour and can be mixed with other gluten free flour options.

It is high in fiber and protein and has a good amount of mineral iron and antioxidants. Sorghum flour is best used in flatbreads and pancakes and is often used as a substitution for other grains in some bread recipes.

We already include a Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flour option in our reviews above, but we also wanted to mention Bob’s Red Mill sweet white sorghum flour for gluten free baking. It has a mild flavor and smooth texture and can be used in savory bread recipes and biscuits and muffins.

Chickpea Flour

A chickpea belongs to the legume family, and the flour is made from dried chickpeas. Another name it is commonly referred to is garbanzo flour or besan. It is a good source of fiber and high in minerals. You can replace up to half of all purpose flour in a recipe for chickpea flour.

This chickpea flour by Herbaila is stone ground from 100% premium garbanzo beans and is vegan, non-GMO, and gluten free flour. It is packed full of nutritional value and contains a lot of good protein.

Cassava Flour

Cassava is a root vegetable also known as a yuca. It is made by grating and then drying the whole root. Cassava flour is gluten free, grain-free, and nut-free.

It has many of the same properties as white flour and can be used in recipes that call for all purpose flour.

It has a very natural flavor, making it incredibly versatile. Cassava flour for bread making and gluten free baking is recommended.

Otto’s Naturals Cassava Flour is grain-free and gluten free flour used for baking and as an all purpose flour and wheat flour substitute. It is also dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, and nut-free.

Arrowroot Flour

This is one of the less common gluten free flour options you can use when baking. However, it is a versatile flour and is often used as a thickener or mixed with almond flour, coconut flour, or tapioca flour for bread recipes. It is rich in potassium and B-vitamins.

Anthony’s Arrowroot Flour is made from 100% natural arrowroot and comes in a packaged and resealable 2.5-pound bag. It is gluten free, contains no fillers, is great for baking, and works as a good grain-free thickener for many recipes.

Bottom Line

If you are on the hunt for delicious gluten free bread options and need to find the right gluten free flour to substitute for traditional flour, we hope our recommendations have made the process a bit easier for you.

Remember, some gluten free flours contain more nutrients than others, which ultimately makes them healthier choices you can include in your diet.

Which is your favorite gluten free flour?