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Don’t have arrowroot starch or flour, or realize you’re all out while you’re cooking? Here are the best arrowroot powder substitutes to use in recipes.

Arrowroot powder substitute | Arrowroot starch substitute | Arrowroot flour substitute
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Arrowroot powder, otherwise known as arrowroot starch or arrowroot flour, is the dried and ground root of the arrowroot plant, a starchy root vegetable. It’s a popular substitute for cornstarch and great at thickening sauces, both savory and sweet.

In fact, it’s possible the recipe you’re making was adapted to use this substitute for cornstarch. Don’t have arrowroot powder on hand? No problem. Here are a few easy substitutes that work well!

Best arrowroot powder substitutes

1. Cornstarch

The best arrowroot powder substitute is cornstarch. Cornstarch is a starch that’s made from corn grains. Your recipe may call for arrowroot powder because it’s often used as a substitute for cornstarch, especially for people with corn allergies.

Cornstarch provides that nice glossy shine just like arrowroot powder. Cornstarch is a 1:1 arrowroot starch substitute. It’s great in stir-fry sauces and desserts, like a fruit crisp.

2. Tapioca flour

Another good substitute for arrowroot powder is tapioca flour. Also called tapioca starch, it’s a thickener that you can use in the same way as arrowroot. Keep in mind that it doesn’t do well after freezing, as it can become clumpy with an odd texture.

It can also add a light sweetness to recipes, but typically you’ll use it in small quantities. Tapioca flour is a 1:1 arrowroot flour substitute.

3. All-purpose flour

This is one you likely already have in your pantry. Flour acts in a similar way to thicken sauces, but keep in mind that the sauce won’t end up with the glossy finish that arrowroot powder gives. Here’s the substitution ratio: use 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour for every tablespoon of arrowroot powder in a recipe.

Here are some recipes where you could use this arrowroot powder substitute:

About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi there! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of two cookbooks, busy parents, and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share simple, seasonal recipes and the joy of cooking. We now offer thousands of original recipes, cooking tips, and meal planning ideas—all written and photographed by the two of us (and tested on our kids!).

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4 Comments

  1. Sheila Eastment says:

    Using recipe requiring arrowroot powder! Haven’t got but think xanthan gum may be used as substitute? Same amount required? Many thanks….👍💚

    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      We don’t have experience with xanthan so I’m not sure. Sorry!

  2. Jen Ficks says:

    I am making a blueberry cherry crumble with arrowroot as a thickener. I couldn’t find i will just use my corn starch. I read 2 different things: substitute arrowroot but use half the amount or just substitute 1 to 1 equal amounts.
    What do you think?

    1. Sonja Overhiser says:

      We recommend substituting 1 for 1 with arrowroot for cornstarch. Let us know how it goes!