The 11 Best Sorghum Flour Substitutes
Sorghum flour is taking the world by storm! Unfortunately, manufacturers haven’t yet caught up with the demand. This flour is extremely nutritious, easy to use, but hard to find. Not to mention the price tag that accompanies it!
So, what are the best sorghum flour substitutes? The best substitutes for sorghum flour include substitutes such as potato starch, cornflour, almond flour, and coconut flour. Other great options include teff flour, soy flour, arrowroot powder, rice flour, oat flour, and quinoa flour.
As you can see, there is no shortage of options. The real trick is choosing one that will work best for what you are trying to substitute.
That is why today’s jam-packed article is going to be loads of fun! Not only will we be discussing every element of sorghum flour, but we’ll also be going over exactly how to choose a substitute.
Then, we will look at the 11 best substitutes that will work great for a variety of sorghum flours’ characteristics. Ready to get started?
What Is Sorghum Flour?
Before looking at exactly what sorghum flour is, let’s first discuss the main ingredient, sorghum.
Many of you may have heard about this ingredient by now; however, it is still pretty underrated in Western and European countries. It is actually the 5th largest produced cereal grain in the world!
Sorghum is considered a superfood. It is an ancient cereal grain that forms part of the Poaceae grass family. They are small and round and come in a wide variety of colors.
Yellow and white are the most common, however, some varieties will give you red, black, brown, and even purple!
So, moving on to sorghum flour itself! Naturally, the flour form of this product will have a very different consistency.
Before it is sifted and whisked, it does tend to clump together. So, all that this means is that sifting is essential!
The flour is usually made from the Sorghum bicolor variety for its mild and semi-sweet flavor. This variety also produces beige-colored flour (if you’re looking for a sorghum flour to try, this one‘s our favorite)!
This variety of sorghum grains gives the flour a smooth texture that is the most versatile for baking.
Sorghum can be used in both savory and sweet recipes. It can be used to bake loaves of bread (although they will be dense), makes a great flour for cakes, muffins, and pastries, and can be used to make pasta.
Sorghum is a very nutritious cereal grain. It contains a lot of protein (for flour), high amounts of carbs, and a ton of vitamins and minerals.
It is exceptionally high in B-vitamins, copper, and iron. And, did we mention this is an excellent gluten-free flour substitute?
Naturally, the flour part will lose some nutrients because of how it has been processed. However, rest assured that unbleached sorghum flour will still be packed with vitamins and minerals.
How To Choose A Substitute For Sorghum
There are many substitutes for sorghum flour! So, before choosing one, you will first need to decide which characteristic of the sorghum flour you want to substitute.
Let’s discuss some of the main characteristics of sorghum flour and how to choose an appropriate substitute.
Gluten-Free
As we have mentioned before, sorghum flour is an excellent gluten-free flour. So, when choosing a substitute, stay away from wheat-based flours and any other grain flours that contain gluten.
You can usually have a look at the packet itself. If the flour is completely gluten-free, they will indicate it. Keep in mind though that many gluten-free flours, like sorghum, are relatively expensive.
Furthermore, gluten-free flours will create dense products, So, it is good to use them in combination with lighter flours to counter the density it will create.
Because there is no gluten, the flour won’t create an elastic dough, which is essential for some products like bread and pasta.
Gluten-free flours work best for baked goods like muffins, pastries, cakes, and most batter-based products like waffles.
Beige Color
The color of flour may not seem important, but it is. Let’s say you are making a sponge cake using sorghum flour.
If you substitute it with a very dark-colored flour, it will change the look of the entire cake. For some products, this isn’t a big deal, but for others, like a chiffon cake, it is!
So, always make sure to know what you are looking to substitute, especially if you still want to keep the pale beige color the flour gives products.
Soft And Light Texture
Yes, folks, believe it or not, but flours have different textures. Especially alternative flours!
If you look at sorghum flour and almond flour, you will immediately note that almond flour is much heavier per cup, has a coarser texture, and is denser.
This could completely change the texture of your product, and not necessarily in a good way. So, if you are looking for specific textures, rather stick with similar flours like potato flour or chickpea flour.
The Mild And Sweet Flavor
A lot of people use sorghum flour specifically because it is relatively flavorless. Again, let’s look at almond flour, which has a very definitive almond-like taste. The same goes for coconut flour or chickpea flour.
If you want your product to keep its neutral flavor, then don’t choose flavored flour. Or, you will just have to add flavoring extracts or concentrates to try and hide the flavor of the substitute flour.
Highly Nutritious
And finally, if you are using sorghum flour solely for its high nutrient content, then your substitute will have to be highly nutritious as well.
Luckily, there are a ton of scientifically research-backed articles on the health benefits of these wheat-flour alternatives.
If you are looking to substitute a specific nutrient, then these are your best bet!
The 11 Best Sorghum Substitutes
So now that we know what we’re looking for in a substitute, let’s get to some of our favorite choices if you have to swap out this ingredient in a recipe!
1. Arrowroot Powder
Our first substitute for today is arrowroot powder. And before you stress about finding it, it has actually become incredibly accessible and affordable!
First things first, what is arrowroot powder? This flour is extracted from the roots of a tropical plant called Maranta arundinaceae.
The root itself looks very similar to cassava roots. The flour is minimally processed to keep all of its natural characteristics and nutrients.
Arrowroot powder is naturally gluten-free, fat-free, cholesterol-free, and completely wheat-free. All in all, it is a fantastic option for allergies, intolerances, and people with Celiac disease.
It also has a very light color, making it perfect as a substitute for lightly colored baked goods.
This substitute will work better in cakes, muffins, and batter-based recipes. Because of its high starch content, it also makes a fantastic thickening agent. You can use it to thicken sauces, soups, and stews.
2. Rice Flour
Rice flour is another extremely common wheat flour substitute that is milled from granules of rice. This flour can either be made from brown rice or white rice. Naturally, this will affect the characteristics of the flour itself.
There are other varieties of this product too. They are mainly classified according to the type of rice used, or the milling method used. The packaging will likely indicate which rice and production method is used.
While many people claim that rice is completely free of gluten, some research papers suggest otherwise.
However, what is definitely confirmed is that it has a lower glycemic index than white bread. So, depending on how sensitive you are to gluten, you may want to do some more research first.
Furthermore, rice flour is white in color, is basically flavorless, and will make an excellent substitute for virtually all sorghum recipes.
3. Tapioca Flour
Tapioca flour is obtained from cassava roots, also known as the yuca (not to be confused with the yucca plant). This flour is quite impressive.
It is another very nutritious flour that is rich in vitamins, minerals, and carbs. It is also low in protein, fat, and cholesterol (even lower than sorghum).
And, it is also completely gluten-free! Now, tapioca flour and tapioca starch is the same product. So, don’t substitute large quantities of sorghum flour with it. It will produce very dense products that may even come out rubbery.
This flour has a slightly nutty flavor and also has elements of sweetness. You can use it to make cookies, pancakes, and batters.
4. Coconut Flour
We absolutely love coconut flour! Sometimes even more than almond flour in fact! Coconut flour has been made from fresh coconut flesh. It is a nut-based flour that is naturally gluten-free and contains a ton of nutrients!
But, the biggest factor to consider about this flour is its flavor and texture. Coconut flour, like most nut-based flours, is textured. This means it isn’t a smooth powdery substance. Furthermore, it has a strong coconut flavor.
Now, coconut flour does work great as a regular flour substitute and unlike starchy flours, won’t create extremely dense textures. It is mostly the flavor that you have to make peace with. Other than that, you won’t be disappointed!
5. Oat Flour
We prefer using oat flour over oat bran. Oat flour is made from the entire oat kernel, not only the bran (like oat bran). This makes it a lot more nutritious as you are getting the fibers, vitamins, and minerals from all of the elements.
And, you can even make oat flour at home using a food processer! Just buy oats and blend until you reach the desired consistency!
Oat flour also has a slightly beige color and isn’t completely white. And, it has a nutty flavor with mild sweetness. You can easily hide the nutty flavor by using extracts and concentrates. Or simply add more sweetener if that is an option.
6. Quinoa Flour
Quinoa flour, or at least in our books, is relatively new to the mainstream market. But, just like the whole grain, it has a fantastic nutrient profile. Quinoa flour can be made from white or red quinoa, which will affect the color of the flour.
It is high in protein, fiber, and contains virtually no gluten at all. It also has a ton of other health benefits thanks to the nutrients it carries!
Because quinoa is a high-protein flour, it does allow the dough to become stretchy without having the regular gluten-proteins present. This makes it a fantastic option for loaves of bread and pasta!
The biggest challenge with this flour is its taste. Many people say that it has a bitter flavor to it, but these are only super tasters (people who are sensitive to bitter flavors).
If you do end up noticing it, you can try flavoring extracts to hide it or add some sweeteners like sugar or honey.
7. Almond Flour
Almond flour is arguably the first wheat-flour alternative that made it big! This flour has been around for ages and you have even likely used it before.
This flour is made from almonds. These almonds are often peeled before being ground into a coarse flour.
Now, just like coconut flour, the coarseness will allow you to make less dense products. So, if you want to mimic the texture that sorghum flour produces, then this flour probably won’t make the cut. Nevertheless, you should still give it a try!
Other than being gluten-free and easy to work with, it has a fantastic nutrient content and is easy to find too!
8. Soy Flour
Soy flour is another high-protein flour that will help counter the lack of elastic gluten-forming proteins.
The proteins soy contains will help you create beautiful breads and flatbreads without adding any gluten. Furthermore, this flour is highly nutritious.
There are two types of soy flours: natural (also known as full-fat soy flour), and defatted soy flour.
Defatted soy flour has had its oils removed during processing and has a more concentrated amount of proteins as compared to full-fat soy flour.
But, arguably full-fat soy flour (which still contains all of its natural oils found in soybeans) is more nutritious.
This flour has a beige color to it but has a texture very similar to that of sorghum flour. It can be used to make virtually anything, especially if you don’t mind the slightly earthy taste.
9. Potato Flour
Yes, even potato flour has made its way onto our list! Well, why wouldn’t it?
Potato flour is obviously a gluten-free flour and is much less expensive as compared to most wheat-free flour alternatives. This is likely because potatoes themselves are so easily accessible and affordable.
Keep in mind though that this is another high-starch flour that may affect the final texture of baked items and bread. It has a white color and very dense texture that works best as a thickening agent or if used in small quantities only.
You can also try to substitute a small part of sorghum flour with potato flour, and replace the rest with almond or coconut flour instead.
10. Teff Flour
This flour has only recently been introduced to Western countries; however, it has been a staple cereal grain on the African continent for millenniums!
This ancient grain is used to make whole grain teff flour, which naturally is extremely high in nutrients. It is gluten-free and very high in protein, again, making it a great option for bread and pasta-making.
Teff flour has a slightly coarser texture and has a light brownish color. This will obviously affect the texture and color of your products, so choose this substitute wisely.
11. Cornstarch
A lot of people love to use cornstarch as a substitute for sorghum flour—any wheat flour really! Not only is it gluten-free, but it is also very easily accessible and arguably the cheapest wheat-free substitute of them all!
Cornstarch can produce fantastic products, but keep in mind that it may create a very dense texture. This is because it is mainly starch and very little of anything else.
So, we would recommend using it mostly for thickening purposes or as a part-substitute along with a coarser flour.
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