Wholefoods & Baking
Alternative Flours 101: A Complete Guide to 13 Flours Every Baker Should Know
4 min read · Hover the cards below
One flour rarely does every job. Beyond the plain wheat flour most kitchens default to, there is a wide range of alternative flours, each with its own texture, flavour and gluten status, suited to a different kind of bake.
Here is the full lineup, grouped by what each flour is actually milled from, since that is what decides how it behaves once it hits the bowl.
Grains & pseudo-grains
These build structure and rise. Hover or tap each card for detail.
contains gluten
The traditional all-rounder. Strong gluten development gives bread, pastry and yeasted bakes their structure.
contains gluten
Refined and finely milled for a soft crumb. Gives cakes and pastries a lighter texture than whole wheat.
less gluten than wheat
Bold and slightly sour. Weaker gluten than wheat is exactly why it makes such a dense, distinctive loaf.
gluten-free
No relation to wheat despite the name. Earthy and slightly bitter, the base of pancakes, blinis and soba noodles.
gluten-free
Fine and starchy with a sweet corn flavour. Thickens sauces and gives cornbread its dense crumb.
gluten-free
One of the smallest grains in the world, with an outsized iron content and a mild, nutty flavour.
gluten-free
Neutral and fine-textured. A common base for gluten-free blends, rice noodles and delicate batters.
gluten-free
Milled from a complete-protein seed. Earthy flavour, good structure in gluten-free baking blends.
Roots & starches
These add chew and moisture.
gluten-free
Milled from the whole root. Mild enough to swap in directly for wheat flour in simple bakes.
gluten-free
Pure starch from the cassava root. Adds the stretch and chew that gluten-free bakes often lack.
gluten-free
Dense and highly absorbent. A small amount adds real moisture and a softer crumb to dough.
Legumes & fruit-based
These add protein, body, or natural sweetness.
gluten-free
Nutty and savoury. Noticeably higher in protein and fibre than most flours on this list.
gluten-free
Subtly sweet and very absorbent, so recipes need extra eggs and liquid to balance it out.
How to start
You do not need to overhaul your baking overnight. Replace a quarter to a third of the flour in a recipe you already make often, and see how the flavour and texture shift from there.
Maven Wholefoods stocks the full range worth keeping on hand. Buckwheat flour is the easiest starting point for pancakes and quick breads, cassava flour swaps closest to wheat for everyday bakes, and coconut flour is worth trying once you are ready to bake with fewer, simpler ingredients.
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