What Is a Substitute for Arrowroot?
QUICK ANSWER
The best arrowroot substitutes: cornstarch (1-to-1, most common), tapioca starch (1-to-1, best for freezing), or potato starch (1-to-1, high heat tolerance). All three are gluten-free starches that thicken liquids the same way arrowroot does, with small differences in handling.
Arrowroot is a gluten-free thickener that creates clear, glossy sauces and works well in fruit pie fillings. Substitutes are mostly other starches with similar function but slightly different behavior in heat, acid, and freezing. The right swap depends on the specific recipe.
What's the best arrowroot substitute?
Cornstarch is the most common 1-to-1 arrowroot substitute. Use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch for 1 tablespoon of arrowroot. The result will be slightly cloudier than arrowroot's clear finish, but it thickens the same way and works in most recipes.
Tapioca starch is the next-best 1-to-1 substitute and gives a clearer finish than cornstarch. Potato starch works as a 1-to-1 swap too and handles higher cooking temperatures than the others. All three are gluten-free.
How do these starches differ in performance?
Arrowroot breaks down in acidic sauces (over time when held with vinegar or citrus) but stays stable when frozen. Cornstarch handles acid better but breaks down when frozen and reheated. Tapioca starch handles both acid and freezing well, making it the best all-around substitute for freezer-friendly recipes.
Potato starch tolerates the highest heat without breaking down, which makes it good for sauces that need long simmering. For most home cooking, cornstarch and tapioca starch are easier to find and work in 90 percent of recipes.
Can you use flour instead of arrowroot?
Yes, but flour is less efficient. Use 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour for every 1 tablespoon of arrowroot. The result will be cloudy rather than clear and may have a slight raw flour taste unless cooked for 2-3 minutes after thickening.
For gluten-free recipes, flour isn't an option. The starch substitutes (cornstarch, tapioca, potato) are all gluten-free and work better than flour anyway. For paleo or grain-free diets, arrowroot itself is often chosen because it's both gluten-free and grain-free. The closest paleo-friendly substitute is tapioca starch (also grain-free, made from cassava root).
When does the arrowroot substitute fail?
For recipes that specifically need a clear glossy finish (Asian sweet and sour sauce, certain fruit glazes), cornstarch makes the sauce cloudier. Tapioca starch gives a closer visual match. For freezer-friendly fillings (fruit pies you plan to freeze), cornstarch breaks down on reheating; tapioca starch is the better choice.
For recipes that use arrowroot as a coating (gluten-free fried chicken, frying breading), cornstarch is a fine substitute but the texture changes slightly. Rice flour and potato starch also work well as coating substitutes. For most home thickening needs, any of these starch substitutes get you within 95 percent of the arrowroot result.
Arrowroot substitutes: cornstarch (1-to-1, most common), tapioca starch (1-to-1, best for freezing), or potato starch (1-to-1, high heat tolerance). All three are gluten-free 1-to-1 swaps with minor differences in clarity and behavior across heat, acid, and freezing.
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