Updated Homemade Gluten-Free Flour Blend Recipe

I’ve created my best homemade gluten free flour blend. This mix works exceptionally well as a cup-for-cup substitute for all-purpose wheat flour in many types of baking: cakes, cookies, bars, biscuits, scones, pancakes, muffins, and pastries. With a jar of this blend in your pantry, you can consistently produce excellent gluten-free baked goods. (Skip to recipe.)

(This post has been updated with an improved recipe from my original gluten free flour blend posted in 2016.)

I used to think gluten-free baking was a chore.

Over the past 11 years, since I first had to bake without wheat, I’ve learned a lot and refined my approach. Experimenting with different flours, starches, and hydration taught me what makes gluten-free baking succeed: the right balance of structure, lightness, and stickiness. Many trials ended in disappointment (the chickens were grateful!), but consistent testing led me to this reliable blend.

The wide variety of gluten-free flour mixes online and in stores can be overwhelming—and store-bought blends are often expensive. I’ve tested many combinations and found that some produce great results while others fall short. When I write recipes, I prefer a dependable all-purpose gluten-free mix so readers can reproduce results without worrying which commercial blend was used.

Having a dependable homemade all-purpose gluten-free flour mix simplifies baking and costs far less than commercial blends. Over the years I refined my formula and added a small amount of potato flour (not potato starch), which improves moisture retention and texture. The result is a versatile blend that performs consistently in most baked goods—excluding many yeast breads, which often require specialized flours.

This blend uses a variety of flours because each brings different properties—structure from brown rice and sorghum, chew and binding from sweet rice, and elasticity from xanthan gum. I prefer superfine white rice flour to avoid grittiness and to achieve a lighter crumb, though regular white rice flour also works. Superfine rice flour is often available at Asian markets and some supermarkets.

this is the extra finely milled rice flour I use, but you can also use regular rice flour

Sweet rice flour (also labeled mochiko or glutinous rice flour) is different from white rice flour; although it’s called “glutinous,” it contains no gluten. You can find it in health food stores, Asian markets, and some supermarket gluten-free sections.

If you make larger batches, weighing ingredients is important because volume measurements can vary by cup size, how you scoop, and how compacted flours are. A digital kitchen scale lets you measure directly into a bowl or container for consistent results. I often mix batches five times the base recipe so I always have a ready supply.

How Much Does a Cup of Flour Weigh?

There’s no universal standard for a cup of flour; different sources list different weights. To keep my recipes consistent I use a practical weight guideline: 135–140 grams per cup of flour. When baking gluten-free, weighing flour produces the most reliable results across recipes, especially when using superfine rice flours that are lighter by volume.

With a jar of this gluten-free all-purpose mix, baking becomes more predictable and enjoyable. No more guessing which commercial blend will work—this mix delivers consistent results for a wide range of recipes.

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Kitchen Frau Notes: Potato flour is not the same as potato starch. Potato flour is whole potato that’s dehydrated and ground; potato starch is the separated starch. The blend performs well without potato flour, but including it yields the best texture and moisture.

My Updated Favourite Gluten Free Flour Blend

1¾ cups (205 grams) superfine white rice flour* or 1¼ cups (205 grams) regular white rice flour
1 cup (165 grams) sweet rice flour (mochiko)
1 cup (120 grams) tapioca flour/starch
¾ cup (100 grams) sorghum flour (sweet white sorghum)
½ cup (70 grams) brown rice flour
3 tablespoons (33 grams) potato flour (not potato starch)
2 teaspoons (7 grams) xanthan gum

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and whisk thoroughly, or place in a sealed container and shake until well mixed. Store in a sealed container at room temperature; refrigeration or freezing will extend freshness if desired. The mix will keep as long as the shortest-lived ingredient remains fresh.

Use this mix cup-for-cup to substitute for regular all-purpose flour (if you use superfine rice flours, you may need a slightly heaping cup), or measure 140 grams per cup for consistency. Weighing is the most reliable method.

Makes 4½ to 5 cups (about 680 grams).

TO MAKE LARGER QUANTITIES:

Times 2: Makes ~10 cups / 1.3 kg — use weight measures for best results

410 grams (3½ cups) superfine white rice flour* or 410 grams (2½ cups) regular white rice flour
330 grams (2 cups) sweet rice flour
240 grams (2 cups) tapioca flour/starch
200 grams (1½ cups) sorghum flour
140 grams (1 cup) brown rice flour
66 grams (6 tablespoons) potato flour
14 grams (4 teaspoons) xanthan gum

Times 4: Makes ~20 cups / 2.7 kg — use weight measures for best results

820 grams (7 cups) superfine white rice flour* or 820 grams (5 cups) regular white rice flour
660 grams (4 cups) sweet rice flour
480 grams (4 cups) tapioca flour/starch
400 grams (3 cups) sorghum flour
280 grams (2 cups) brown rice flour
132 grams (¾ cup) potato flour
28 grams (2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons) xanthan gum

Times 5: Makes ~25 cups / 3.4 kg — use weight measures for best results

1025 grams (8¾ cups) superfine white rice flour* or 1025 grams (6¼ cups) regular white rice flour
825 grams (5 cups) sweet rice flour
600 grams (5 cups) tapioca flour/starch
500 grams (3¾ cups) sorghum flour
350 grams (2½ cups) brown rice flour
165 grams (1 cup minus 1 tablespoon) potato flour
35 grams (3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon) xanthan gum