How to Thicken Pudding Without Flour or Cornstarch | Livestrong.com (2024)

FAQs

How to Thicken Pudding Without Flour or Cornstarch | Livestrong.com? ›

Measure out 3/4 teaspoon of unflavored gelatin for every cup of milk or cream in your pudding. This will set it gently, without creating the characteristically rubbery texture associated with gelatin.

Gums: You can also use vegetable gums, such as xanthan gum or guar gum, to thicken sauces. Xanthan gum and guar gum are very powerful, so use minimal amounts—too much can make the sauce slimy or unpleasantly chewy. 7. Potato starch: You can use potato starch in place of cornstarch with a one-to-one ratio.

Cornstarch: Three tablespoons of cornstarch thickens the vanilla pudding. Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the flavor, but it won't make the pudding taste salty.

Cornstarch often teams up with egg yolks to thicken a custard or pudding. Swapping in all-purpose or rice flour is your best bet here, since tapioca, potato starch, and arrowroot powder can be finicky with respect to cooking and holding.

Measure out 3/4 teaspoon of unflavored gelatin for every cup of milk or cream in your pudding. This will set it gently, without creating the characteristically rubbery texture associated with gelatin.

Two scoops of Thick and Easy® powder are required to thicken 100 mL of fluid to pudding thick consistency. Add the powder a little at a time, stirring briskly with a fork or small hand whisk. Allow a few minutes for the drink to thicken. Fluids with thickening powder added will become thicker after standing.

A key ingredient in instant pudding is gelatinized starch, a dried instant starch that readily absorbs liquids, which causes the pudding to gel when mixed with milk. Additional ingredients sometimes used as a thickener include gums that are soluble in cold water, such as carrageenans and alginates.

Put the saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, whisking, until the pudding starts to bubble and thicken, about 1-2 minutes (it will continue to thicken as it chills).

Use one tablespoon cornstarch mixed with one tablespoon cold water (aka a cornstarch slurry) for each cup of medium-thick sauce. Thoroughly mix the cornstarch and water together. Our Test Kitchen recommends shaking the cornstarch and water in a Mason jar for easy mixing. Once combined, pour the mixture into your sauce.

Easy-to-access alternatives are wheat flour, arrowroot flour, and rice flour. These are good alternatives to cornstarch because they are more nutritious and contain fewer carbohydrates and calories. Xanthan and guar gum are much stronger thickeners than cornstarch, but they can be harder to obtain and use.

How to make a slurry without cornstarch? ›

Using Flour Instead

Unlike cornstarch, flour doesn't make sauces more glossy, and if not cooked completely, it can slightly change the flavor of a dish. If using flour, you'll still want to make a slurry: The ratio is two tablespoons of flour and 1/4 cup of cold water for each cup of liquid.

Egg yolks, arrowroot, tomato paste or butter can thicken sauce in place of flour or cornstarch.

Cornstarch and arrowroot are gluten-free alternatives to thickening with flour. They'll also keep your sauce clear and cloud-free. You'll need about 1 tablespoon for every cup of liquid in the recipe. Mix the cornstarch with equal parts water to create a slurry and pour it into the pot.

Mashed banana or pumpkin puree

You can also mash a large ripe banana or add ½ cup of pumpkin puree to the mixture. This will not only thicken the batter but it will make it denser, so make sure to add ¼ to ½ teaspoon of baking powder to the mix so your pancakes don't turn out dense.