01
Arrowroot
6.7best for sauce1 tbsp : 1 tbsp
Use 1:1; arrowroot gives glossy finish like cornstarch, breaks down with prolonged heat
6.7
cornstarch substitute
for sauce.
Sauce work is where cornstarch earns its reputation — 1 tbsp thickens 1 cup of liquid to nappe consistency once brought to 93°C. The starch refracts light for the glossy sheen found on Chinese brown sauces and pan gravies. Substitutes are ranked by emulsion stability when mounted with fat, viscosity-per-gram, reduction behavior when the sauce sits on low heat, and how they cling to a spoon when tilted at a 30-degree angle.
top substitutes
adjustment for sauce
Use 1:1. Arrowroot mounts into emulsified pan sauces with roughly equal viscosity to cornstarch per gram, but gelatinizes at 65-70°C so it thickens 5-8 seconds faster off-heat. Breaks down above 93°C after 2 minutes — pull the pan promptly. Glossy finish, stays clear when cooled to room temp.
02
Tapioca
6.7best for sauce2 tbsp : 1 tbsp
Use 2 tbsp tapioca per 1 tbsp cornstarch; gives glossy thickening for pie fillings and fruit sauces
6.7
adjustment for sauce
Use 2 tbsp per 1 tbsp cornstarch. Tapioca produces extra-glossy, slightly stringy body perfect for Chinese oyster or black-bean sauces. Holds viscosity through freeze-thaw, a cornstarch failure point. Avoid holding above 95°C for longer than 3 minutes — it turns gummy with extended reduction.
03
Rice Flour
10.0best for sauce2 tbsp : 1 tbsp
Use double; less smooth finish
10.0
adjustment for sauce
Use 2 tbsp per 1 tbsp cornstarch. Rice flour delivers opaque, matte body suited to béchamel-adjacent sauces but not Chinese-style glossy glazes. Tolerates long reductions up to 15 minutes at 90°C without shearing. Less smooth on the tongue — the mouthfeel reads slightly granular below 150-micron grind.
show 6 more substitutes
04
Potato Flour
5.01 cup : 1/2 cup
As thickener only; use half
5.0
adjustment for this dish
Use half the volume — 0.5 cup per 1 cup cornstarch. Potato flour peaks viscosity around 68°C with strong water-binding, producing an unusually heavy, cling-coat sauce on slow-simmered European-style dishes. Over 95°C for 5 minutes it turns gluey, so finish sauces off-heat once thickened.
05
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
06
Cake Flour
6.71 tbsp : 2 tbsp
Contains cornstarch already; use for dusting or dredging, not as pure thickener in sauces
6.7
07
Potatoes
3.31 tbsp : 1 tbsp
Grate raw potato into stew for thickening; starchier result, works in soups not clear sauces
3.3
08
Chia Seeds
3.31 tbsp : 1 tbsp
Ground chia thickens puddings and jams; forms gel when mixed with liquid, slightly seedy texture
3.3
09
All-Purpose Flour
10.02 tbsp : 1 tbsp
Use 2 tbsp flour per 1 tbsp cornstarch; thickens sauces but gives cloudier, less glossy result
10.0