Have you used Gluten Free Flour Blends? They all claim to be able to substitute 1 for 1 in any recipe. Now, this is technically true, but the outcomes are all a bit different. Since recently being diagnosed with Celiac disease, I decided I better figure out which flour is actually the best. I decided to start with the basic Nestle Toll House cookie recipe.
I Tested each gluten free flour for texture, taste, longevity and value
I used all the same ingredients, besides the flour and replaced it 1 for 1 in the recipe. I also made sure to have the butter and eggs at the same temperature and mixed all the same. Enough science-y stuff. Let's get down to brass tacks.
Cup4Cup analysis
So Cup4Cup has always been my go-to for baking gluten free since I've had a lot of luck with it in the past. However, I did not realize it has powdered milk in it. So if you're vegan or lactose intolerant, this is not a good option.
FLAVOR: Highest marks for flavor. Cup4Cup gluten free flour was closest in flavor to regular all-purpose flour.
TEXTURE: These cookies came out the thinnest, which means they need to be under-baked to keep from being too crispy.
LONGEVITY: The longevity was just ok. However, this is typical of gluten free flours. You typically want to eat anything made with gf flour on the same day. So it was as expected.
VALUE: This is rated the lowest. While the flavor is very good, the price tag is hefty compared to it's gf counterparts. The price on Amazon is the best though. So if you decide to give it a try, use this link to purchase.
King Arthur Flour Measure for Measure (spoiler, this was my favorite)
The Measure for Measure gluten free flour was the healthiest blend. The first ingredient is brown rice flour and is full of natural vitamins and minerals. It also has no surprise ingredients, like milk.
FLAVOR: The flavor was good. There is a slight taste of brown rice. It isn't bad, it's just that it's there. You know? Now, the added health benefits and the following reasons make this less important.
TEXTURE: Now this was the best part. The cookies had a great rise, were thick, chewy and felt most similar to regular all-purpose flour. Really, as close to perfect as I've had.
LONGEVITY: These also tasted the best 2 days after baking. Just barely dried out. And they kept their great texture even a day or two after that. Pretty impressive, eh?
VALUE: Now, at half the price of Cup4Cup, King Arthur Measure for Measure flour also gets highest marks for value. I order from Amazon since it's not carried in all the stores around here.
Bob's Red Mill 1 for 1 Flour
Bob's Red Mill 1 for 1 gluten free flour blend gave the cookies a nice, even rise. Thinner than the King Arthur Flour, but thicker than the Cup4Cup. This flour came out the driest and had a grainy texture.
FLAVOR: The flavor was very good. No odd aftertaste, similar to AP flour. The ingredients are mostly rice flour. No milk like Cup4Cup, but not full of fiber and vitamins like King Arthur Flour.
TEXTURE: The texture again was the grainiest and driest. So it would need to be under baked to make it taste the best.
LONGEVITY: These were good for about a day, which is typical of GF flours. So I would recommend making a half batch at a time, unless you're having a party.
VALUE: Bob's Red Mill is about the same cost per ounce as King Arthur Flour, so it's a fairly good deal.
The Ultimate Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
I have learned a few tricks along the way about how to make the ultimate gluten free chocolate chip cookies. Still using my tried and true favorite GF flour blend, here are some tips:
Tip #1
Beat the butter, brown sugar, white granulated sugar and vanilla on medium speed for 8 MINUTES. This simple step has made the biggest difference in my cookies, bar none.
The air gets whipped into the butter, along with reducing the grainy-ness of the sugar. It makes a HUGE DIFFERENCE! I learned this trick from the amazing baker, Christina Tosi from Milk Bar. Most cookie recipes mention beating until creamy, but I always set a timer now and 8 minutes has proven to be the optimal timing.
Tip #2
Use a 3 tablespoon scoop. I know this doesn't sound groundbreaking. But I used to always use a 1 tablespoon scoop and make small cookies. No more!
Small cookies will only yield one texture. No one wants a cookie without a soft center. No one. I love this cookie scoop from OXO. Believe it or not, it does not increase bake time much at all. I only bake for 10-12 minutes.
This gives you a bakery-style cookie without it being massive. Some bakeries must use a ½ cup scoop (hello, crumbl cookies).
Gluten Free Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 ½ cups gluten free flour blend or all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- kosher salt sprinkled on top optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, add butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 8 minutes. Yes, 8.
- Turn mixer off, add eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed until dough is smooth.
- In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt.
- Add flour mixture to butter mixture all at once. Mix on low just until flour is blended, not a second more. This takes my Kitchen Aid mixer about 10 times around the bowl.
- Add chocolate chips and mix for about 3 seconds, until evenly distributed.
- Using a 3 tablespoon scoop place dough balls 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake on center rack for 9-11 minutes, until lightly brown on the edges and still soft in the center.
- Allow to cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.
Nutrition
Joan Rosolowsky
Hi Amy,
I have been gf for ten years and a baker for decades. I am always trying every gf cup for cup out there but I am very interested in healthier offerings. Your post here is helpful. I am curious now to try King Arthur again for cookies. I did not like the product when I tried it years ago. You might be very interested in GF Jules’ all purpose gf flour. It performs beautifully in most recipes, is very clean ingredients but it is very costly. Another excellent product available at a reasonable expense on Amazon is premium Gold gluten free flax blend flour. It performs beautifully cup for cup, is a very healthy alternative and yields lovely results. I often combine a white cup for cup gf flour with it in muffins if you want a healthier but not such a rustic result. It makes lovely muffins.
Amy
Thank you for the tip! I'll check those out!
Bayan Sharafi
Thank you for taking the time to make this!! Ive been using Bobs red mills for a while and I couldnt ever fix the grainy texture. Definitely will check out King Arthurs blend! Thank you :))
Anonymous
Do you have any advice for flours to use in bread and particularly sourdough bread making? I’m interesed in comparisons to Nameste flour blend found at Costco which is so affordable. I just can’t get the results I’m looking for and don’t know if it’s the sourdough or the flour. Anyone?
Amy
Hello! I am not an expert (yet) on making gluten free yeasted breads. However, I recommend the book "Gluten-Free Baking at Home" by Jeffrey Larsen. Not only are there amazing recipes, but he gives a great explanation of different flours used for different recipes. He has a blend he makes on his own, which can be a pain, but is really the only way to get that great crumb and crust we crave! I hope that helps. Good luck!
Marina
Thanks for this helpful review! Do you know which GF flour performs best for making quick breads and muffins, and which for for yeast breads? Bb’s recently put out a video on their various products and said the 1-1 doesn’t have enough protein for yeast breads, explaining why my attempt came out gluey and doughy/uncooked on the inside. Would love another comparison,
Amy
Hi Marina! I've been wanting to do another review using a muffin recipe. I've found King Arthur to make the best muffins and cupcakes (like truly delicious). I haven't tried a lot of yeast breads with GF flour, except for focaccia. I use King Arthur for that as well. It tastes great, but only lasts a day. I will get to work on this and post something as soon as I can!
Janice Stanton
Thank you for the info. I used Bob’s 1to 1 for the first time in cookies 🍪 last night. They were dry and grainy. I will be Returning to the store.
Amy
Bummer! I'm finding that Cup4Cup is the best for cookies, and I'm loving King Arthur for cake. I hope you find one you love!
Lynn
Thank you Amy, this was very interesting and helpful. I have been experimenting with King Arthur's Measure for Measure. I have found when I use their recipes instead if substituting for my recipes the end result is better. Their Banana Muffin recipe on the package is delicious, sometimes I add mini chocolate chips.
Amy
So glad you enjoyed this Gluten Free Flour comparison!
Melodee
Thank you so much for posting this and for the effort it took to put the data together. I was going to do my own evaluation today but you saved me the time. New following
Sara
This is a really helpful post! Thank you! I haven’t ever seen this done or thought to do it myself when I was diagnosed with Celiac 7 years ago (I was just so overwhelmed at the thought of figuring out what was or wasn’t gluten free - I didn’t even know these things existed for awhile after my diagnosis). I really appreciate that you did everything the same in all of them, and even compared longevity and value, because those are so important, too!! Excellent post!
Amy
Thank you so much! I'm so glad I could help!
Patty Purcell
Great Post Amy! I love your photos and all your commentary!
I have nieces who are gluten free - I'm going to pass this on to them too!