01
All-Purpose Flour
10.0best for cookies1 cup : 7/8 cup
Lighter and grittier; use 3/4 cup AP flour per cup rice flour, loses gluten-free benefit
10.0
rice flour substitute
in cookies.
In Cookies, Rice Flour determines whether you get chewy or crispy results. The replacement must absorb fat and liquid at a similar rate for the right spread.
top substitutes
adjustment for this dish
All-Purpose Flour's gluten provides the chew rice flour can't, so you can skip the 60-minute chill and drop dough straight from the mixer. Use 0.875 cup APF per cup rice flour, cream butter and sugar 4 minutes, and scoop at 2 tablespoons. Cookies spread 30% more — space 3 inches apart on the parchment.
02
Cornstarch
10.0best for cookies1/2 cup : 1 cup
Best as thickener sub only
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Cornstarch has no protein and turns cookies crisp-tender at the edges, almost shortbread-like. Use 0.5 cup per cup rice flour paired with another flour for structure. The dough spreads minimally; scoop at a tight 1 tablespoon and bake until edges are pale golden at 10 minutes. Cream sugar extra to compensate for drop in chew.
03
Oat Flour
10.0best for cookies1 cup : 1 cup
Not GF; adds slight oat flavor
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Oat Flour brings beta-glucans that hold moisture, giving cookies a chewy center that rivals wheat. Swap 1:1, chill dough 45 minutes (shorter than rice flour's 60 because oat hydrates faster), and bake at 350°F. The cookies spread slightly more; drop scoops 2.5 inches apart on the parchment.
show 6 more substitutes
04
Sorghum Flour
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Neutral GF flour swap
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Sorghum Flour has 11% protein that mimics low-gluten wheat, giving good chew without the need for extended chill. Swap 1:1, rest dough 30 minutes at 38°F, and scoop 3 tablespoons. Edges crisp nicely and the tender center holds; bake at 360°F for 11 minutes for golden edges with soft middles.
05
Millet Flour
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Mild and light, gluten-free; good for flatbreads
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Millet Flour is granular and sweet, giving cookies a sandy chew and golden color. Swap 1:1, add 1 tablespoon extra butter per cup to counter its dryness, and chill 45 minutes. Scoop 3 tablespoons; spread is minimal so flatten dough balls slightly before baking for the right diameter.
06
Cassava Flour
6.71 cup : 1 cup
Grain-free, similar texture; slightly stickier dough
6.7
07
Coconut Flour
6.71/4 cup : 1 cup
Very absorbent, use 1/4 cup and add extra egg
6.7
08
Cake Flour
6.71 cup : 1 cup
Fine soft flour for delicate bakes; lower protein yields tender crumb, reduce liquid slightly
6.7
09
Potato Flour
6.73/4 cup : 1 cup
Heavier; use less to avoid density
6.7
technique for cookies
technique
Rice flour cookies spread less than wheat cookies — about 30% less diameter — because there's no gluten network to resist sugar's pull, so you must scoop larger portions (3 tablespoons instead of 2) and rest the dough at 38°F for 60 minutes to let the rice starch fully hydrate. Cream butter and sugar for 3 minutes only; over-creaming whips in air that rice flour can't hold, producing cakey edges rather than crisp ones.
5 inches apart, and bake at 360°F for 11 minutes until edges are golden but centers still look underdone — they firm on the rack. Unlike rice flour in cake where you want a tender, risen crumb, rice flour in cookies should deliver chew at the center and crisp at the edges; pull exactly when the edges show a thin golden ring.
Unlike rice flour in brownies which sets by the 205°F internal mark, rice flour in cookies sets by visual edge color since the dough is too shallow for a probe.
pitfalls to avoid
watch out
Don't skip the 60-minute chill at 38°F — unchilled rice flour dough releases butter too fast and cookies spread into one thin sheet on the parchment without defined edges.
watch out
Avoid over-creaming butter and sugar past 3 minutes — whipped air has nowhere to go in a gluten-free dough and gives cakey centers instead of chewy ones.
watch out
Measure scoops at 3 tablespoons — standard 2-tablespoon scoops produce cookies that dry out by minute 9 because rice flour loses moisture 25% faster than wheat on the rack.
watch out
Don't bake past 11 minutes at 360°F — rice flour cookies firm on cooling; a too-golden edge means the center is already over-crisp when cool.
watch out
Drop onto parchment, never a bare sheet — bare metal conducts heat too aggressively and scorches the bottom before the tops turn golden.