Rice flour plays a ginormous role in the kitchen, whether you want it for baking or as a thickening agent, it would serve its purpose well.
And when it comes to baking, there is no better flour than rice flour. And while all rice flour would do great in most recipes, brown rice flour is outstanding because it is more nutritious.
Many people use white rice flour and brown rice flour interchangeably. However, brown rice flour offers more nutrients and acceptable flavor. It is naturally gluten-free and a go-to flour for celiac.
The availability of brown rice flour is slim and so there is a high chance that most households would run out of this flour more often.
However, there are great replacements for brown rice flour in any recipe. Tapioca flour, potato starch, sorghum flour, and almond flour are many excellent substitutes for brown rice flour.
Let’s find out about them.
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Why they are the best substitutes for brown rice
We consider these excellent substitutes for brown rice in several recipes that call for it because they have a similar flavor to brown rice flour. They will not alter the taste of your recipe.
And this is the quality to look out for, when finding a substitute for brown rice flour. Above all, the nutritional profile of brown rice is mind-blowing. It is more nutritional than white rice. Both brown rice and white rice are gluten-free, however white rice has a subtle flavor compared to brown rice.
Brown rice has this nutty flavor that makes it outstanding, but also the nutty flavor is mild and would make room for other ingredients to fill your recipe.
So, if you are on a gluten-free diet, find substitutes that are gluten-free as well.
Read: 7 Best Substitutes For Rice Flour In Banneton
Substitutes for brown rice flour
Now let’s learn about these substitutes. We would first find out about the excellent substitutes for brown rice flour in gluten-free recipes.
Gluten-free recipe
1. Millet flour
Like brown rice, millet belongs to the grass family; it is a drought-tolerant crop that thrives in arid regions.
Millet is a nutritious grain that is naturally gluten-free. Millet can replace a good number of numbers of food as seeds. Rice is one food that millet can easily replace in any recipe. And like brown rice, the nutritional profile is amazing.
Millet is an excellent source of protein and minerals. It has a subtle flavor that would not impede other ingredients in your recipe.
You can get millet flour by grinding millet. Many people use millet flour to bake great foods like bread and cake. So, consider millet flour an excellent substitute for brown rice flour.
2. Sorghum flour
Sorghum bicolor is the botanical name of sorghum. Also known as great millet, sorghum is a cereal plant also from the grass family (Poaceae). It is the most highly cultivated food crop; locally people refer it to as guinea corn or darwa.
It is not the same as millet although they are from the grass family and sorghum is also called great millet. The fundamental difference is millet grains are from the panicum miliaceum plant, while sorghum grain is from sorghum bicolor.
Sorghum flour is ground from sorghum; it is gluten-free and has a nutty flavor similar to wheat berries. Sorghum flour is another great substitute for brown rice flour.
3. Tapioca flour
This is yet another great substitute for brown rice flour. Tapioca is a starch gotten from cassava root. Tapioca is native to the northern regions of Brazil.
The nutritional values are quite glaring. While tapioca flour would sit fine in baked foods, it does great as a thickener too!
If it’s that time of the season to have some baked recipes and brown rice flour seems to be a thousand miles away, then tapioca flour can replace brown rice flour.
To crown it all, it is gluten-free. So more options for the gluten-free recipe!
4. Almond flour
How about a versatile substitute for your brown rice flour? Almond is a great nut that is filled with nutrients.
Almond is a species of tree native to Iran and surrounding countries. It is a substantial source of minerals, vitamins, fibers, and protein.
Almond has this slight nutty flavor that can pair well with other ingredients. Almond is ground into powder to get the flour. And this flour is great for baking. And it is a great substitute for brown rice flour. It won’t alter the taste of your recipe, so try it.
5. Potato starch
Potato starch is another wonderful substitute for brown rice flour. Potato starch is gotten by extracting starch from potatoes. This is another option that can be used in place of brown rice. It is gluten-free and has a subtle flavor that is accommodating.
Although it has this slight nutty taste, it is still an excellent replacement for your brown rice flour. The health benefits of potato starch are great as well.
6. Coconut flour
The nutritional value of coconut is mind-blowing. With its fragrance, it adds some taste and aroma to any recipe.
So it is a great substitute for brown rice flour. However, the fragrance might seem unsuitable if you don’t want the aroma.
Coconut flour does well in absorbing liquids in recipes, so you can call it an excellent thickening agent. So, if you wish to use this in place of brown rice flour, try to adjust the ingredients.
Non-gluten-free recipe
If you wish to have a recipe with non gluten-free flour, then read on to find out!
7. Wheat flour
If gluten-free flour won’t be an issue, you can always settle for wheat flour instead of abandoning your recipe entirely.
Wheat flour is a non-gluten-free flour many people used to bake. So wheat flour can easily replace brown rice in a pinch.
Frequently asked question
Is brown rice flour and white rice flour the same?
Brown rice and white rice are both gluten-free and nutritious and can substitute for each other if flavor is not a problem.
White rice has a subtle and plain flavor, which makes it perfect for recipes that require plain substitutes. Brown rice, on the other hand, has a nutty flavor. This makes it a great substitute for recipes that require ingredients with a nutty flavor.
More so, brown rice is more nutritious than white rice.
Is brown rice flour better than white rice flour?
Depends on how you view it. If you want a more nutritious recipe, then brown rice is quite a catch.
If you are looking for a more subtle or plain ingredient, then white rice is the way to go. And, if you are looking forward to having recipes with this nutty flavor, then go for brown rice flour.
Read: 9 Best Substitutes For Cassava Flour
Conclusion
These are all there is to know about substitutes for brown rice flour. It is even better when you know why you want substitutes for your brown rice flour.
Here in this guide are all the best replacements for your rice flour in any recipe. So, ensure you make great use of the substitutes provided in this guide.
If you encounter any difficulty choosing the right replacement to serve your recipe, then refer to this guide.
Good luck making the right choice!