Substitutes For Potato Starch & Corn Starch?

[PennyG]

I tried searching before I posted this and your help would be greatly appreciated!

I'm allergic to potatoes and corn and want to make some baked goodies for Christmas. Any ideas for substituting the potato starch and corn starch? I have tapioca, various rice flours, and quinoa flakes on hand, but will be going to Wild Oats/Whole Grocer this weekend. The xanthum gum I have "figured out".

Thank you!

[spunky]

I've been baking with sorghum flour and like it very much. You have to add a little more liquid, stir it a long time, and bake longer than gluten flours. It's worked very well for me with stuff like cookies, muffins and cupcakes (I haven't tried layer cakes or breads), pot pie crusts, cobbler crusts, pancakes and waffles, etc.

[RiceGuy]

Besides the sorghum flour spunky mentioned, there are garbanzo and fava bean flours, which add a silky sort of texture. Another good one is soy flour, which helps give a tender and moist texture to baked goods. The general suggestion is to use it in relatively small amounts though, so you won't likely sub the entirety of another flour with it. I haven't tried millet flour, but it's supposed to add a sort of crunchiness I guess. There are really quite a number of others, such as buckwheat, t'eff, and green pea flour too. I'm sure a good combination can be made so that the potato and corn flours won't be needed in order to get the expected results.

In place of corn starch, I believe arrowroot starch could be used, but I only know that one as it's used in gravies and sauces. Soy lecithin might help someplace in there too. If you haven't already done so, check out guar gum. This is supposed to be better than xanthan gum for cake-like textures.

Open Original Shared Link has mixes that contain no wheat, gluten, corn, soy, potato, dairy, casein or nuts. Seems like a perfect fit for you, and you can check the list of ingredients in their mixes and make your own similar blends.

[PennyG]

Thanks Spunky & RiceGuy!

I have a package of Namaste muffin mix here and will look to see what is on the package. I can't use it, because I think I have been reacting to the xantham gum (grown on corn). I will be using guar gum & cream of tartar to substitute when I start experimenting.

I have arrowroot & buckwheat on my shopping list and will add sorghum, fava, & garbanzo flours.

I've been afraid to experiment with different combinations -- Yankee thrift, hate to waste stuff -- but I will have to if I want some goodies for Christmas.

Thank you, again!