All of the best Arrowroot powder substitute options for this widely used and extremely versatile ingredient! Whether you're thickening a gravy, stew, pie, or custard you can select the very best substitutes with this information shared here!
9 of the Best Substitutes for Arrowroot Powder
Arrowroot powder is one of the underrated but versatile thickening agents used to thicken jams, pies, custards, gravy, and many more dishes. Arrowroot is just that, a root, like potatoes but mostly used as a powder or flour. The arrowroot itself is a tuber that is related to ginger.
The powder from ground arrowroot tubers doesn't have any color or smell. So, it doesn’t affect the flavor, color, or texture of any dish.
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Though it’s always good to have some arrowroot powder handy, don’t worry if you don’t have any at this moment in your kitchen cabinet! I've listed 9 of my best arrowroot powder substitutes here with ratios to arrowroot powder and their best uses!
What is Arrowroot Powder?
As already mentioned, arrowroot is simply a potato-like tuber vegetable with a mild, sweet taste. Arrowroot plants, also called bamboo tubers, are known as Maranta Arundinacea. Arrowroot powder is made from the rhizomes of these and related tuber-plants and is a starchy substance.
As it’s gluten-free, you can have it without worrying about the adverse effects on your health. A versatile thickener, arrowroot powder can be used in various sweet or savory recipes, from delicious desserts and jams to a rich and hearty gravy.
Arrowroot Powder Uses
The popular uses of arrowroot powder are widely varied. If you think that it's only used in cooking, you're mistaken!
Arrowroot powder acts as an excellent ingredient in the hair and skincare department. When it comes to skin and hair care, arrowroot is great in soaking up excess oil from the scalp and skin without making them dry. How cool is that!
Mostly this powder is used as a starch or thickening agent. As a thickening agent, you can use it in gravy, stews, sauce, jams, pies, custards, and much more! This powder provides you with the desired consistency without affecting the flavor or texture of a dish.
To learn more about cooking with arrowroot powder, visit the lovely Miss Jessica Gavin and her informative page!
Arrowroot powder is also used in baking and can be found as an ingredient in cakes, cookies, and more. Plus, arrowroot biscuits are a popular after-dinner snack used by many to aid in digestion!
If you want your fries to be crunchy and crispy, this powder is all you will need.
At times, it is also used as a binding agent. You can use it as a substitute for eggs at times for some vegan recipes.
Benefits of Having Arrowroot Powder in Your Diet
You might be surprised to know the different benefits of Arrowroot. Yes, you can eat Arrowroot, just like a sweet potato. It tastes good and provides you with almost twice the protein amount of a regular potato. If you're someone who likes to keep calories low, arrowroot is for you.
As Arrowroot is very starchy with high fiber, it helps in slowing down digestion. Plus, it helps one feel fuller longer. This feeling of satiety is why it's a popular ingredient in diet foods.
It also helps improve your bowel movements. Arrowroot powder will help stool form normally and reduce the frequency of bowel movements. This powder is often used to treat diarrhea and other bowel issues.
You can read more about the wonderful benefits of arrowroot here!
Is Arrowroot Powder Keto or Keto-Friendly
Technically arrowroot powder is high in carbs, however, when small amounts are used in keto recipes the resulting carb count can be within the dietary carb range. Many people on a keto diet have higher tolerances to carb counts, so at the very least arrowroot powder has fewer carbs ( 3.8g per 1 ounce ) than cornstarch ( 25.6g per 1 ounce ).
While arrowroot powder may not be super keto-friendly, it is gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free, and corn-free. It is a popular thickener for those on a Gluten-Free, Paleo, or Whole30 diet!
Substitutes for Arrowroot Powder
- Flour - All-purpose flour is the most commonly used thickening and binding agent in cooking and baking.
- Tapioca Starch - Tapioca starch is the best substitute for arrowroot powder. If you're going for tapioca powder, you need to use the same amount as the arrowroot powder. It works well in pies, jams, etc. Tapioca starch is the only substitute that is gluten-free. If you want to thicken your gravy and sauces, go for tapioca powder. It will save your day!
- Cornstarch - Cornstarch is the most popular one among arrowroot substitutes available in the market. But, remember that cornstarch is not as nutritious as arrowroot powder. Cornstarch works well as a thickening agent in sauces. If you’re confused about the difference between cornstarch and cornflour, keep in mind that cornflour works more like regular wheat flour than starch. Same as arrowroot powder, add cornstarch to some cold water, and then use the mixture in your sauce. If we talk about any difference other than nutrition value, cornstarch works a bit faster than arrowroot powder. Conversely, arrowroot powder is a common substitute for cornstarch on certain diets.
- Sweet Rice Flour - Rice flour is another suitable replacement for arrowroot powder. It has higher starch content than arrowroot powder. Sweet rice flour is perfect for frozen desserts. Note that sweet rice flour is not the same as traditional rice flour. Regular rice flour is used more commonly as a normal flour rather than a thickening agent. There are chances that sweet rice flour will make your sauce cloudy. So, it’s good to stick to baking using rice flour. Also, you’ll need to use half the amount of rice flour when substituting your arrowroot powder.
- Potato Starch - Potato starch works best when used for baking. Almost similar to arrowroot powder, this arrowroot substitute has far less nutritional value. Just like arrowroot powder, potato starch or potato flakes are almost flavorless. If you're planning to use arrowroot powder in baked goods like muffins, bread, etc., you can definitely switch out for potato flakes.
- Cream of Tartar - Cream of tartar is not a match for arrowroot powder as a starch. However, if you plan to use arrowroot powder to add volume to your custard or pudding, you can use cream of tartar as a substitute. As this is not the usual use of arrowroot powder, the results of using this substitute cannot be assured.
- Xanthan Gum - (Keto-Friendly Option) As you already know, arrowroot powder can also act as a binding agent similar to eggs, where one needs to make all the ingredients bind together. Xanthan gum gives your soups, sauces, puddings, and cooked custards almost identical results to using cornstarch or arrowroot powder. It is best used in cooked applications.
- Glucomannan Powder - (Keto-Friendly Option) Glucomannan powder is a tasteless, high-fiber powder from the root of the tuber konjac plant ( or elephant yam ). This is my best recommendation if you are looking for a thickener to use in keto recipes. Glucomannan powder should be mixed with cold water before adding to hot liquids, like a cornstarch slurry.
- Psyllium Husk - (Keto-Friendly Option) Psyllium husk is a very popular thickening agent used by those on a keto diet from the Plantago ovata plant. This plant-based thickening agent is composed completely of soluble fiber, which means that it is extremely low in calories and has zero net carbs.
It is always easy to find the right substitute of arrowroot powder as starch, but quite tricky when it comes to binding other ingredients. It becomes more difficult as arrowroot powder is usually already working as a replacement for another recipe ingredient.
More Great Substitutes!
📖 Recipe Card
Arrowroot Powder Substitute
Ingredients
Option 1 - Flour
- 2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
Option 2 - Tapioca Starch
- 1 teaspoon tapioca starch
Option 3 - Cornstarch
- 3 teaspoon corn starch
Option 4 - Sweet Rice Flour
- ½ teaspoon sweet rice flour
Option 5 - Potato Starch
- ½ teaspoon potato starch (½ to 1 full teaspoon potato starch)
Option 6 - Cream of Tartar
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar (will vary per recipe)
Option 7 - Xanthan Gum
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
Option 8 - Glucomannan Powder
- 1 teaspoon glucomannan powder
Option 9 - Psyllium Husk
- 1 teaspoon psyllium husk
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Select the substitute option that will work best for your recipe. Make any necessary conversions to the amount needed for substitution.
- Prepare your recipe and adjust the desired thickening as needed.
Bonita Kish says
My recipe asks for 1 cup of arrowroot starch.
can I substitute 1 cup of cornstarch?
Angela Latimer says
It should be close to a 1:1, but I would start with less cornstarch and adjust as needed. I typically add 1 tablespoon to thicken 1 cup of liquid, or 2 tablespoons per 1 cup liquid for a thicker gravy consistency.
Nelly Gonzalves says
INVALUABLE INFORMATION. THANK YOU SO MUCH
Marjanne says
Ik wil vruchtencompote (dus geen jam of vlaaivulling) maken met diepvries bosvruchten. Heb je hier ervaring mee en zo ja: hoeveel arrowroot zal ik gebruiken voor een halve kilo fruit? Ik wil er wat honing en kaneel toevoegen. Verder nog tips?
I want to make fruit compote (so no jam or pie filling) with frozen forest fruits. Do you have experience with this and if so: how much arrowroot should I use for half a kilo of fruit? I want to add some honey and cinnamon. Any other tips?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Bij het maken van fruitcompote (van bevroren fruit) kook je het fruit eerst naar beneden en dan dikker. Gebruik voor elke 1 kop saus (8 vloeibare ounces of ongeveer 225 ml) 1 eetlepel arrowroot-poeder - dat is dezelfde hoeveelheid als u van maizena zou gebruiken. Het enige verschil dat ik zou willen opmerken, is dat het gebruik van honing als zoetstof de compote ook kan verdikken. Begin met minder en voeg meer toe als dat nodig is.
Aangezien een halve kilo ongeveer vier kopjes fruit is, heb je tussen de 2 en 4 eetlepels arrowrootpoeder nodig.
When making fruit compote (from frozen fruit) cook the fruit down first, then thicken. For each 1 cup of sauce (8 fluid ounces or roughly 225 mL) use 1 tablespoon of arrowroot powder - which is the same amount as you would use of cornstarch. The only difference I would note is that using honey as your sweetener may also thicken the compote. Start with less and add more as needed.
Since half a kilo is roughly four cups of fruit, you should need anywhere between 2-4 tablespoons of arrowroot powder.
Janie says
Hello I'm wanting to substitute cornstarch for arrowroot and a body butter. It calls for two teaspoons error root powder How many teaspoons of cornstarch should I use.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
You'll need 3 teaspoons of cornstarch for each teaspoon of arrowroot powder, so a total of 6 teaspoons of cornstarch. Since you are making body butter, I would start with half (3 teaspoons) and adjust from there. Hope that helps!
Antepli says
Merhaba cevizli sucuk imalatımda Mısır ve buğday nişastası kullanıyorum yerine bunu kullansam nasıl kullanmam gerekiyor ve artıları eksileri ne olur
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Merhaba! Ararot tozu kullanmak cevizli sosisinize daha besleyici bir katkı olacaktır. Mısır nişastanızın 1/3'ünü kullanın. Ceviz sosisi içinde öğütülmüş yulafları da severim, bu da sosisin kalınlaşmasına yardımcı olur. Umarım yardımcı olur!
Sylvia van Adrighem says
Bij de beschrijving van tapiocameel schrijf je dat je evenveel moet gebruiken als arrowroot maar in de conversie tabel staat dat je 1 theelepel arrowroot vervangt door 1 eetlepel tapioca.
Welke is juist?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
De gelijke delen zijn correct, gebruik 1 theelepel per elke theelepel die in uw recept wordt genoemd. Bedankt voor het opmerken van die fout!
Ashlee says
I HAVE A QUESTION!!! if a recipe calls for 1 cup of arrowroot flour, can i replace it with 2 cups of whole wheat or all purpose flour? Please answer lol
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Flour can be substituted, use 2 parts for each 1 part of arrowroot powder, although that's alot to use in a recipe. I would start with less and adjust as needed. Using whole wheat flour can be done, however, it changes the flavor of a recipe. What recipe are you working with? I could answer more specifically with some details, thanks!
Claudia says
Tenho uma receita muito antiga, de brevidade, feita com araruta, açúcar, manteiga e ovos. Não encontro mais araruta bem fina. Encontrei a farinha meio granulada, e a receita não deu certo. Já testei amido de milho e goma/tapioca, mas também não deu certo. Existe algum outro substituto mais fácilde achar? Ou então, onde encontrar a araruta fininha? Agradeço muito se puder me ajudar, adoraria poder fazer novamente a receita da minha avó...
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
La mayoría de estos sustitutos se basan en lo que están disponibles en los EE. UU. Oa través de Amazon. ¿Dónde te encuentras? (traduzca su respuesta al inglés si es posible, ¡gracias!)
Claudia says
Obrigada pela resposta. Moro em São Paulo, Brasil. Desculpe, mas não sei traduzir para o inglês. Se os substitutos não se baseiam no que está disponível no Brasil, vai ficar inviável para mim... Vou continuar pesquisando até achar araruta bem fina, para poder fazer a receita da minha avó. E poderei compartilhar com você o que eu encontrar. Obrigada!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Adoro ajudar! Se eu soubesse qual é o propósito da substituição, também poderia ser mais útil. Você simplesmente acabou de araruta (ou não está disponível para compra) ou precisa evitá-la por motivos alimentares? Posso ser capaz de apontar a direção certa.
Eu ficaria muito feliz se você compartilhasse o que você achou como um ótimo substituto, e a receita da sua avó também! Obrigado Claudia!
Claudia says
Olá Angela! A substituição é porque não encontro mais a araruta em pó bem fino disponível no mercado. Encontrei uma mais grossa, quase granulada, e a receita não deu certo. O resultado não é bom. Com amido de milho ficou mais ou menos, mas o sabor é muito diferente... Ainda não encontrei um substituto, mas posso compartilhar a receita com você, com alegria. Minha avó ficaria feliz com isso! Espero que você possa experimentar e goste! Como quer que eu mande a receita?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Oi claudia, sim, muito obrigado. Isso seria muito legal da sua parte. por favor envie para angela@bakeitwithlove.com
Lucy Vallejo says
Hi! Can Whole Wheat Flour also work!?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Yes! Whole wheat flour works exceptionally well as a thickening agent in any recipe, just keep in mind that it will add a nutty flavor to your recipe results. Good luck with your recipe!
ELLEN says
if i am substituting all purpose flour for arrowroot powder is it 2 tsp of flour to 1 tsp of arrowroot or doubled.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Use 2 teaspoons of flour for every 1 teaspoon of arrowroot powder. Thanks for asking!
Cat says
What amount of arrowroot are you starting with for your recipe? 1 TSP, TBSP or other - can't do the conversion without it (ex 1 TSP arrowroot = 1/2 TSP cream of tartar) Thanks!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
All conversions are for 1 tsp of arrowroot as the base. Thanks for asking!
chris says
Very useful ideas