What Is Tapioca Starch? 5 Ways to Use the Gluten-Free Flour

Tapioca starch, sometimes called tapioca flour, comes from the root of the cassava plant, also known as yuca, a tuberous root vegetable native to South America. Manufacturers wash the cassava root, pulverize it into a soft pulp, and then squeeze it to extract the liquid. When the liquid evaporates, the extra-fine, white powder that remains (which is pure starch) is known as tapioca flour.

Tapioca starch is a neutral-tasting flour and is naturally gluten-free and vegan. This makes it a good substitute and gluten-free alternative to many other flours. It’s a common ingredient in gluten-free flour mixes, which typically contain a combination of cornstarch, potato starch, rice flour, almond flour, xanthan gum, and brown rice flour. You can usually find tapioca starch in the baking aisle of grocery stores.

You might confuse tapioca starch with arrowroot starch, another powder that comes from the tubers of a rhizomatic plant, but they are distinct.

When using tapioca to thicken soups, stews. or other hot liquids, you must first make a slurry. To do so, combine equal parts tapioca starch with cool water, and whisk until the tapioca dissolves. Then slowly pour the slurry into the hot liquid and stir to combine. It's important to make a slurry because adding the tapioca starch directly into hot liquids will cause the starch to clump.

In addition to its use as a finely ground flour, tapioca can be useful in other forms. You can use tapioca starch to make tapioca pudding or tapioca pearls. You can also use tapioca starch to make boba (also known as tapioca balls), which involves combining tapioca flour with sugar or sweeteners to produce the chewy texture that is popular in boba tea (also known as bubble tea).

You can substitute tapioca flour for all-purpose flour in baked goods and other dishes, but the starchy flour has many other uses, too. Here are five ways you can use tapioca starch:

1. 1. To bake Brazilian bread: Pão de queijo is a traditional Brazilian bread that includes tapioca starch, eggs, cheese, and milk. In Brazil, the bite-sized breads are typically a breakfast or snack food.
2. 2. To bake gluten-free recipes: Gluten-free baking mixes often include tapioca. If you want to bake gluten-free bread, cake, or other grain-free desserts, you can use tapioca starch in conjunction with other gluten-free baking flours. Use tapioca flour in a 1:1 swap with wheat flour.
3. 3. To create crispy coatings: You can dust meats (like stewing beef) in tapioca starch before pan-frying them for a crispy exterior. Alternatively, you can make gluten-free dishes like fried chicken by using tapioca starch in place of wheat flour.
4. 4. To thicken pie filling: To thicken fruit pie fillings, use instant tapioca. In a large mixing bowl, combine the fruit (such as blueberries, strawberries, or cherries—whatever the recipe calls for) with ¼–⅓ cup of tapioca flour. Let the mixture rest for fifteen to twenty minutes so the tapioca has a chance to absorb the juices. Then, following the recipe, pour the pie filling into the pie crust. Tapioca is a better choice than cornstarch or all-purpose flour in pie fillings because acids won't break down its thickening power.
5. 5. To thicken stews: Tapioca is a popular thickening agent because it retains its thickening power even after being frozen (cornstarch does not).

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