Arrowroot powder can be used as a thickener for sauces, gravies, puddings and jellies. Unlike cornstarch or flour, arrowroot powder has a completely neutral taste, and will not make your sauces turn cloudy. It's also great for gluten-free baking because it helps make cakes and cookies lighter and softer.

Arrowroot powder is also known as arrowroot flour and arrowroot starch.

How to Use Arrowroot Powder

To thicken sauces and stews: Mix 2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder with 1/4 cup of water before adding it as a thickener to your sauces and stews. Since arrowroot powder breaks down more quickly than cornstarch, it is important to add it towards the end of your recipe, so it isn't subject to high temperatures for too long. Arrowroot is tasteless and won't change the color of your foods. Another advantage is that it freezes well.

To soften baked goods: Arrowroot powder is also a great softening agent for your baked goods, making it a wonderful addition to gluten-free baking. When baking with nut flours, adding one tablespoon of arrowroot starch to your recipes will make it so that your cakes, cookies, and muffins are softer and less dense.

What Is Arrowroot Powder?

Arrowroot powder is an easily digestible starch derived from the stock of the arrowroot plant, Maranta arundinacea. The starch is separated from the fibrous component of the root in a process that involves cutting the root into small pieces and mashing it into a pulp-like matter. The pulp is then forced through a screen to obtain only the fine starch, at which point it is dried and ground into a powder.