01
Potato Flour
5.0best for raw1 cup : 1/2 cup
As thickener only; use half
5.0
cornstarch substitute
for raw.
Raw cornstarch is inedible — the granules hydrate but stay gritty below 62°C gelatinization threshold, and uncooked starch carries a chalky mouthfeel plus potential microbial risk on warm surfaces. For no-cook applications such as fruit glazes hydrated with boiling syrup then cooled, substitutes must either pre-gelatinize at low temperature or set through a different mechanism entirely (hydrocolloid gelling, seed mucilage). Food-safety and room-temperature texture drive this ranking.
top substitutes
adjustment for raw
Use half the volume — 0.5 cup per 1 cup cornstarch — but only when hydrated with liquid at or above 68°C, since potato flour absorbs water cold but develops full body only above its gelatinization threshold. Gritty texture at room temp unless hot-bloomed first, then cooled, then folded into the raw component.
02
Arrowroot Flour
10.01 tbsp : 1 tbsp
Same as arrowroot; 1:1 swap for thickening, freezes better than cornstarch but don't boil long
10.0
adjustment for raw
1:1 by tablespoon. Pre-gelatinize arrowroot in boiling liquid 30 seconds, then chill to 4°C before folding into raw fruit salads or uncooked mousse bases. At room temperature it holds clarity for 2-3 hours before syneresis begins — cornstarch clouds within 45 minutes under the same conditions.
03
Chia Seeds
3.31 tbsp : 1 tbsp
Ground chia thickens puddings and jams; forms gel when mixed with liquid, slightly seedy texture
3.3
adjustment for raw
Use 1 tbsp ground chia per 1 tbsp cornstarch. Chia thickens via mucilage swelling — no heat required. Hydrates fully in 10-15 minutes at 20°C, forming a gel that binds raw puddings and overnight oats with a slight nutty note. Food-safe cold, unlike raw cornstarch.