Overwhelmed by all the gluten free flour mixes on the market? Here’s a list of our favorites, along with proven recipes for each so you can get back into the kitchen and enjoy fresh baked goods!

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Flour is the staple of baking, and just because you’re living a gluten free lifestyle doesn’t  mean you have to give up on having fresh, homemade baked goods!

Gluten free products have come a LONG way in the past few years, and there are so many great options to help you achieve the results you want when you’re baking your favorite goodies. We make an effort to try every gluten free flour we can, and here you will find our favorites and what recipes they work best in.

What is your favorite gluten free flour blend? Tell us in the comments!

A few notes about gluten free flour:

There is no one size fits all when it comes to gluten free flours. A lot of people I talk to are looking for one flour that does it all. While there are many great flour mixes (listed below!) that I love, I always have more than one on hand to use in different types of recipes. You’ll have the best results with your baking if you use a blend suited to the recipe you’re using. I’ve included below the recipes on this site that work particularly well with each flour blend.

Let’s talk about gluten.

Gluten is the binding agent in regular flour that holds your baked goods together. Gluten free flours do not, obviously, contain gluten so they are prone to being crumbly and dry if you don’t add some sort of binding agent. 

Most gluten free products have either xanthan gum or guar gum to accomplish this. I’ve used both, and have found that while xanthan gum is a little (not a lot) more expensive than guar gum, it seems to do a better job while using less in your recipes. Adding a binder isn’t optional for most gluten free recipes.

Some people are sensitive to xanthan and/or guar gum and use different binding agents such as psyllium husk or ground flax. Other natural binders are eggs and bananas. If your finished product has a gummy texture, you have added too much of a binding agent to your recipe. I’ve noticed that in recipes that include a lot of eggs, I need less xanthan gum.

There is a sliding scale for the amount of xanthan you need: 1/4 tsp per cup of gf flour for cookies, 1/2 tsp  for cakes/muffins/quick breads, 1 tsp for yeast products (bread, pizza dough, etc.) This ties back to the idea that there is no ONE gluten free flour that will work well with all kinds of recipes. I find gfJules has just the right amount of xanthan for bread products to make them turn out absolutely perfect. If I’m making crepes, I prefer to use Gluten Free Mama’s or King Arthur’s Multipurpose so I can add the exact amount of xanthan I need to avoid a gummy texture.

While each of the flours work with our dietary needs, always read labels and choose flours that are safe for you to consume.

 

gf Jules

This is a long-standing favorite of ours, as it is for many people. Here are a few things we love about GF Jules products:

1. Owner Jules Shepard has been at this for a long time. She knows her stuff, she eats gluten free herself, and she has an abundance of products, recipes, tutorials, and gluten free information on her site (if you haven’t checked it out yet, do so!). She’s a go-to resource for everything gluten free.
2. GF Jules products are certified gluten free and are also free from nuts which is a biggie for a lot of people.
3. The first time I tried her flour to make a simple white sauce, I was hooked. It is the perfect substitute for regular flour in sauces, gravies, breading, and anything else like that. 

Works best for: Breads, Sauces, and Cookies

Buy HERE

Contains: corn.

Recipes that work well with this flour:

1. Crescent Rolls 
2. Homestyle Macaroni and Cheese
3. Soft Garlic Breadsticks 
4. Coca Cola Cupcakes 
5. Sandwich Bread
6. Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pancakes)
7. Better-Than-Ding-Dongs Cake

 

 

Cup4Cup

This is the holy grail of gluten free flour for biscuit recipes. If you want to make some FANTASTIC gluten free biscuits, grab a bag of Cup4Cup.

Works best for: Biscuits and Sauces

Buy HERE

Contains: milk and corn.

A few recipes that work well with this flour: 

1. Easy Gluten Free Biscuits 
2. Gluten Free Muffins 5 Ways
3. Coca Cola Cupcakes 
4. Almond Poppyseed Muffins
5. Brownie Cookies 
6. Gluten Free Blueberry Biscuits

 

 

Gluten Free Mama’s Almond Blend

This particular blend has been a staple in our house for several years. The addition of just enough almond flour gives your baked goods additional rise and helps with texture. You won’t even notice the almonds are there.

Gluten Free Mama flours have no added xanthan. This means you’ll have to purchase xanthan gum to add to your recipes. Gluten Free Mama also makes a Coconut Blend which we have used as well. It makes great pancakes and you can use it for pretty much anything you use the almond blend for, we just prefer the taste and texture of the almond blend.

Buy HERE

Contains: nuts (almonds). Shared facility with milk.

Recipes that Work Well with Gluten Free Mama’s Almond Blend:

1. Gluten Free Soda Biscuits * 
2. Almond Poppyseed Muffins * 
3. Blender Crepes with Cheesecake Filling
4. Diner Pancakes 
5. Tamale Pie 
6. Brownie Cookies
7. Popovers 
8. Chocolate Crepes

Pamela’s

Works best for: 

Buy HERE

Contains: no allergens.

Recipes that work well with this flour:

1. Healthy Banana Muffins
2. Orange Poppyseed Bread
3. Browned Butter Banana Bread with Maple Glaze
4. Gluten Free Muffins 5 Ways
5. Almond Poppyseed Muffins

 

Thrive

We recently discovered this one and it quickly jumped to our favorites list. Thrive is a food storage company based in UT, they were previously known by Shelf Reliance in case that rings a bell with you. I knew nothing about it until a year or so ago when a friend introduced us.  Their flour is not gritty (helllllllo cookies!) and we’ve also made pancakes, muffins, and even sandwich bread with it. Another bonus is that it has a 6 month shelf life once opened, and a 5 year shelf life until you open it.

Works best for: Cookies and Quick Breads

Buy HERE

Contains: no major allergens. Be aware that all Thrive products are made in a facility which also handles milk, egg, soy, wheat and tree nut products. I have toured their facility and they have a separate room for all their gluten free products, the doors are clearly labeled with what can and cannot come into the room, employees wash hands, change gloves and aprons before coming in. All equipment is washed and sanitized between each product run. The gluten free flour is certified gluten free.

Recipes that Work Well with Thrive Gluten Free Flour:

1. Dark Chocolate Brownies with Sea Salt
2. Diner Pancakes 
3. Skillet Cornbread
4. Soft Sugar Cookies

 

 

Tree Street Grains

This is a great healthy alternative to traditional rice-based blends. It’s made completely of whole grains with no added starch. It has a stronger flavor too, as is customary with whole grain blends. We use it for recipes that turn out well with a heartier flour such as pancakes and still have some experimenting to do.  Tree Street Grains gluten free flour states on the packages that it is manufactured in a dedicated gluten free facility, but it isn’t currently certified.

Buy HERE

Contains: corn.

Recipes that work well with Tree Street Grains Gluten Free Flour:

 Diner Pancakes We still have some experimenting to do 😉