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How to Make a Recipe Gluten-Free

Making a recipe gluten-free is not "swap the flour and go." Gluten hides in soy sauce, most breadcrumbs, some broths, beer, malt, and a surprising number of packaged seasonings. And the swap for wheat flour depends entirely on what you're baking · a cup-for-cup blend that works for cookies will produce a rubbery cake.

Step 1: Find the gluten (all of it)

Scan the recipe for these ingredients · they contain gluten unless labeled otherwise:

Step 2: Pick the right flour

This is where most home conversions fail. There is no universal gluten-free flour · the swap depends on the bake:

Step 3: Add xanthan gum (if your blend doesn't include it)

Xanthan gum replaces gluten's binding power. Rules of thumb per cup of GF flour:

Most brand-name blends already include xanthan · read the label before adding more.

Step 4: Handle the non-flour swaps

Step 5: Adjust liquid

Gluten-free flours absorb more liquid than wheat flour. For most baked goods, add 1–2 tbsp extra liquid per cup of GF flour. For bread and pizza, expect 25–30% more hydration.

Step 6: Rest the batter

Let GF batters and doughs sit for 15–30 minutes before baking. The starches hydrate fully and the gritty texture (a common complaint) disappears.

Step 7: Reduce oven temp for baked goods

Drop the temperature by 25°F and bake 5–10 minutes longer. GF flours brown faster on the outside while the center is still raw at standard temps.

The shortcut

Skip the manual work · convert the recipe automatically →