Choosing a tapioca starch substitute for boba is easy with my full recommendations for all your substitutions. Just check it out based on my advised usage for each tapioca switch to ensure a proper formula, and you’ll be sure to have something perfectly suited in your cupboard. You can substitute other ingredients if your recipe calls for tapioca flour but you’re out of it. Others will perfectly thicken your heavy stews, while some are ideal for sweets, desserts, and general baking. Since I really enjoy using tapioca flour, I’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the top alternatives. If you like this theme, I can recommend you similar themes like: The Most Friendly Option Low Carb Bean Substitute, 10 Best Substitute For Banana Peppers You Will Need, Best Product Substitute For Spanish Onion.
What is Tapioca Starch?
Made from the starch of the tapioca root, tapioca, often known as tapioca flour, is a well-known gluten-free flour. It is likely best known for giving gluten-free baked goods a thick, chewy texture, but it also functions well as a thickening for sauces, soups, puddings, and other foods that are suitable for those with allergies. tunnel.
Cassava plant pulp is used to make tapioca flour, which is substantially different from tapioca starch, which uses the entire tuber rather than just the pulp.
The cassava root is prepared by peeling, washing, chopping, chopping, rinsing, spinning, and washing it again until it is reduced to starch and clean water, and then drying.
It is also excellent for those with dietary restrictions who cannot eat potato or maize products.
Tapioca Starch Substitute For Boba
1. Cornstarch

It is simple to utilize cornmeal as a tapioca alternative. Actually, chances are good that you already have a couple in your pantry or cabinet.
Cornstarch is particularly excellent for gluten-free cooking and baking because it is naturally gluten-free.
You must reduce the amount in your recipe by around half because it has a considerably stronger thickening power than tapioca flour. Use only 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in place of, say, 2 tablespoons of tapioca flour in your recipe.
2. Potato Starch

The gluten-free potato starch can be used in place of tapioca flour. Nevertheless, depending on what you’re cooking, it has a thicker consistency and can produce a thicker product.
You can simply substitute it in a 1:1 ratio if you’re using a tiny amount to thicken a sauce or stew.
A little more guesswork is needed when using a greater quantity for something like a baking mix.
Consider cutting the amount of tapioca flour your recipe calls for by roughly 25% to 50%. To make up the difference in total weight, switch out the tapioca with this amount of potato starch and add a few other components that resemble flour.
3. Arrowroot

The Maranta arundinacea plant is used to make arrowroot, a flavorless, gluten-free powder. It may be substituted in most recipes at a 1:1 ratio and is quite comparable to tapioca flour. When added to tapioca flour as a thickening or as part of a baking mixture with other flours and starches, galangal root is a fantastic addition.
When used as a standalone powder, it is less resilient than tapioca.
Galangal won’t be a good substitute until it’s combined with a variety of other flours if your wonderful recipes ask for tapioca flour as the only starch.
4. Rice Flour

A decent gluten-free substitute for tapioca flour is rice flour.
It is made from rice that has been finely ground, and it has a very mild flavor that won’t change how the finished product tastes.
You might need to make a few adjustments to the recipe because rice flour can often be stickier and denser than tapioca.
Use half as much rice flour as tapioca, as a general guideline. Use only 1 tablespoon of rice flour, for instance, if your recipe asks for 2 tablespoons of tapioca flour.
If your neighborhood grocery does not carry rice flour, you can order it online.
5. All – Purpose Flour

In most recipes, all-purpose flour can substitute tapioca flour in a 1:1 ratio, although depending on what you’re using it for, the texture may change.
Using tapioca flour to thicken gravies, soups, and sauces results in a lustrous, brilliant shine. Similar meals that have been thickened using all-purpose flour will have a duller appearance. Cooking time may also need to be adjusted.
All-purpose flour must simmer for a little while longer to eliminate the dough-like texture it has when it is fresh compared to tapioca flour, which is unflavored and combines easily.
Keep in mind that all-purpose flour contains gluten and is made from wheat. Therefore, if you are attempting to make your dish gluten-free, it is an inappropriate substitute for tapioca.
6. Gluten-Free Flour Mixes

Use any gluten-free flour mix you may have on hand or have seen on the grocery store shelf as a thickener in savory meals. Again, try to avoid using this substitute in puddings, custards, and fruit sauces due to some of the qualities, such as clarity.
7. Instant Tapioca Pearls Or Boba

Tapioca pearls and the word “Boba” are often used interchangeably. Instant tapioca pearls or boba can be used in place of tapioca starch, which is frequently used in baking.
Use 1 tablespoon of instant tapioca pearls or boba for every 1 12 teaspoons of tapioca flour that the recipe asks for.
8. Collagen Or Eggs

Especially for sweet dishes like pudding and custard, this is a unique approach to thicken recipes. Additionally for savory items like meatballs, fritters, beef burgers, and patties (vegetarian alike).
Knowing your audience is important because this is a common allergen and doesn’t work well in sauces and soups. It’s also not vegan.
9. Pectin And Gelatin

This starch can replace tapioca flour in some dessert recipes and is frequently used to thicken jams and jellies. Consider the fruit sauces, puddings, and custards that flours and other substitutes wouldn’t work well with.
Be careful because these can’t replace flavorful foods like soups and stews! When substituting them, a minimal quantity is required.
10. Agar Agar

the red algae-based vegan alternative to gelatin. Superior to stretchy cheeses, like mozzarella, for cheeses that will be sliced or cut.
There is no general guideline for the ratio of this ingredient to tapioca starch; instead, it will vary depending on the recipe.
Recipe using Cornstarch to Tapioca Starch Substitute For Boba
FAQ?
Is Tapioca Starch A Substitute For Cornstarch
Yes, you can use either cornstarch or tapioca flour in place of the other. Use a 2:1 ratio, or 1 tablespoon of cornstarch for every 2 tablespoons of tapioca flour, and the opposite for 1 tablespoon of cornstarch for every 2 tablespoons of tapioca flour.
While tapioca flour is best added at the end of cooking or baking, cornstarch can be added to the recipe at the start because it can survive high heat for an extended amount of time.
Are Potato Starch And Tapioca Starch Interchangeable?
Yes, largely. Since potato starch is dense, you might want to use a lighter flour if you’re using it as a thickening agent, but in general, the two components can be used interchangeably.
Both are heat-resistant, gluten-free, and suitable for both baking and cooking. Think about cookies, pizza, and pancakes, oh my!
Keep in mind that potato flour and potato starch are not the same. Tapioca starch and potato flour cannot be used interchangeably.
Is Tapioca Starch The Same As Cornstarch?
I doubt it! Compared to cornstarch, tapioca starch is significantly different. One is made from corn kernels, and the other is made from the cassava plant’s tubers. They are alike, nevertheless, in that they are both thickeners.
While cornstarch has a more translucent, hazy appearance, tapioca starch is known to leave a shiny, clear surface.