A guide to cornstarch, tapioca, potato starch and other thickeners (2024)

FAQs

What is the healthiest thickening agent? ›

Easy-to-access alternatives are wheat flour, arrowroot flour, and rice flour. These are good alternatives to cornstarch because they are more nutritious and contain fewer carbohydrates and calories. Xanthan and guar gum are much stronger thickeners than cornstarch, but they can be harder to obtain and use.

Today, the main commercial refined starches are cornstarch, tapioca, arrowroot, and wheat, rice, and potato starches.

Thickening ability.

Tapioca starch is better if you want to thicken pie filling, sauces, pudding, or soups. Tapioca can handle high temperatures and a large variety of pH levels, unlike potato starch which tends to be less effective in high temperatures or more acidic foods.

Starch is a long chain of sugar molecules linked together. Starches we commonly use in the kitchen come from wheat (flour), corn (cornstarch), potato, arrowroot, and cassava (tapioca). When we add starches to liquids, they absorb water.

If you have a corn allergy or gluten insensitivity, avoid eating cornstarch. Instead, use the above-mentioned alternatives like arrowroot, tapioca, or potato starch for your health and safety.

The nutritional benefits of these starches are almost mediocre, with none of them being nutrition packed. However, among the three starches Tapioca starch contains more calcium and vitamin B-12 making it a better option. It is also low in calories and easy to digest, preferable to use in cereals.

Some people prefer arrowroot to cornstarch because it contains more fiber (1, 2). It also forms a clear gel when mixed with water, so it's great for thickening clear liquids ( 3 ). It's recommended to use twice as much arrowroot as cornstarch to get similar results.

Gluten free, easy to cook with and practically tasteless, potato starch is a great starch to use if you don't want to change the flavor of a recipe. Plus, unlike cornstarch, potato starch can tolerate higher temperatures. This being, it's often used as a replacement for cornstarch in many baked goods recipes.

When it comes to nutritional value, arrowroot flour and potato starch flour are quite similar. They are both low in calories and fat, making them suitable options for those looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Potato starch is the most potent of the bunch, with long starch molecules that quickly tangle with each other and thicken a liquid.

What thickens better than cornstarch? ›

There are a number of effective substitutes for tapioca flour. Alternative thickeners include cornstarch, potato starch, cassava flour, and arrowroot. Good substitutes for frying include cornstarch, potato starch, and rice flour. Alternatives in baking include rice flour, chestnut flour, and all-purpose flour.

Whole grains: Farro, quinoa, whole-grain breads and pastas, bulgar wheat, and brown or wild rice. Starchy vegetables: Potatoes (preferably with the skin), green peas, corn and winter squash like butternut or spaghetti squash. Starchy beans and legumes: Black beans, lima beans, chickpeas, split peas and lentils.

Starch constitutes about 60 % of oat grain. It is mainly a constituent of endosperm. There is considerable difference observed between the physicochemical properties of oat starch and other cereal starches.

Cornstarch, tapioca, and flour are the most commonly used starches, but other alternative starches such as arrowroot and kuzu actually offer more nutritional density, have some medicinal properties, and provide a smooth finish to a recipe.

All natural, aqueous-based polymeric thickeners are derived from polysaccharides with the most common being sourced from cellulose (wood, cotton) and starch (corn, potato). Other important polysaccharide sources include seaweed, plant seeds/roots, and those derived from fermentation.

Cornstarch is a pure carbohydrate, but flour has more nutrients. Cornstarch is a common ingredient in a wide variety of foods and beverages. It's used by home cooks and in commercial settings. Cornstarch is not a very nutrient-rich food, though, so it's an open question whether or not cornstarch is bad for you.