Gluten FreeGluten free roux is so easy to make! I’ll show you 3 ways to make a gluten free and/or grain-free roux, using paleo and keto-friendly ingredients. Plus a quick Corn-Free, Gluten-Free Slurry. You can use these roux recipes to make a classic white sauce (gluten free, and dairy free), to make low carb sauces, thicken soups, gravies, and more!
Disclosure: I collaborated on this HOW TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE ROUX sponsored post with my good friends at Bob’s Red Mill. Thanks for supporting the businesses that help to keep the Cotter kitchen grinding out recipes for you!
SAUCES and THICKENERS (paleo, gluten free, keto thickeners)
It’s about to get saucy up in here! And we can thank the power of gluten free ROUX for that. Yep, we’re going old school today! Actually, it’s old school cooking meets new age diet, referring to the world of low carb, keto, dairy free, gluten free, you name it. Whatever floats your boat, we have a sauce and a thickening agent to help solidify your recipes. Haha, get it?
In all seriousness, we’ll be sharing more HOW TO RECIPE series this year for those eager to learn gluten free cooking hacks! And this post is the one that will kick off 2019! A HOW TO differentiate between each type of roux, how to use them, and when to use them. The bonus? We’ve adapted several different roux recipes (thanks to Bob’s Redmill products) for the keto diet, the grain free diet, the dairy free diet, and more! You’re welcome.
Now bust out your pen and paper, you’ll want to take notes.
Let’s begin with the obvious.
What is a roux?
A roux is a thickening agent, made using equal parts flour and fat. The flour is toasted and whisked into the fat, adding a specific nutty flavor to whatever it is thickening.
Roux is the center (heart) of countless classic dishes like gumbo, casseroles, soups and chowders, stews, and gravies.
The tiniest bit of roux produces a rich, thick, flavorful sauce.
As a roux cooks, it becomes darker in color and richer in taste. There are four types of roux; white, blonde, brown, and dark (sometimes called black roux).
ALL ROUX RECIPES in RECIPE BOX below.
THICKENING SOUP and SAUCE NOTE (before you begin)- If you’re using a roux to thicken a soup, it’s best to add at the beginning as it can take some time for the soup/stew to thicken.
For sauces, SLOWLY whisk your cold or room temperature liquid (like milk for cream sauce) into the hot roux, then slowly whisk together.
How do you make a gluten free roux?
To make a gluten free roux for paleo, low carb, and keto sauces, gravies, soups, and stews, you need to use a grain free substitute for all-purpose flour. This is where some fantastic gluten free, grain free paleo, and keto-friendly products from Bob’s Red Mill come into the picture!
- Xanthan gum – Xanthan Gum is a plant-based thickening and stabilizing agent. It works as an emulsifier, encouraging liquids that normally don’t like one another to mix together. It also acts as a thickener, increasing the viscosity of liquids and batters. Plus, it’s low carb and gluten free friendly because A LITTLE goes a LONG WAY!
- cassava flour – Cassava flour is a grain free flour created from the cassava root plant. It’s a great 1:1 substitute for regular flour, although sometimes it takes a little tweaking. Don’t worry, I gotcha covered!
- Gluten free 1:1 flour – Bob’s GF 1:1 flour is made with a blend of high quality ingredients like sweet rice and brown rice flour, potato starch, sorghum flour, tapioca flour and xanthan gum. It works perfectly in recipes that call for baking powder or baking soda as well!
- Arrowroot/tapioca Starches – Arrowroot is an easily digested starch extracted from the roots of the arrowroot plant. It is grain free and gluten free and can be used as a substitute for cornstarch.
Now let me show you how to use these products to thicken your keto sauces and whatnot :
How to make a dark gluten free roux (Paleo, Grain Free)
This paleo thickener is great for etouffee, gumbo, and other hearty, deep-flavored dishes. We’re using cassava flour here to keep the roux paleo friendly and grain free. Cassava is made from the whole root of the cassava plant. Consider it a “cousin” flour to that of tapioca starch. It has a mild flavor and fine texture that is perfect for gluten free cooking!
TIP– Cassava toasts up quick quickly in the pan, so you don’t even need to wait long for this roux to turn dark.
Here’s whatcha need.
- 1 cup Avocado Oil or 1 cup of butter
- 1 cup Bob’s Redmill Cassava Flour
- Heat the oil or butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk the cassava flour into the fat and cook over medium-high heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes.
- GLUTEN FREE COOKING TIP -> Dark roux with regular flour usually takes up to 45 minutes, but cassava flour creates that nutty dark flavor extra fast since it’s grain free!
How to make a light brown gluten free roux
I may be bias, but the light brown (peanut color) roux is my favorite. It’s almost like almond butter color and flavor! Great for making a gluten free and refined sugar free sauces for zoodles, and to thicken soups as well as casseroles without eggs. I ADORE Bob’s Redmill 1:1 gluten free flour, which is what we are using here. It literally is my GO TO Gluten Free flour for all baking and cooking purposes.
Here’s whatcha need for this roux:
- 3/4 cup butter
- 1 cup gluten free flour
- Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk the flour into the fat and cook over medium heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes.
To make a creamy white sauce using this light brown roux, slowly whisk in 2.5 cups of room temperature almond milk. After the milk is incorporated, stir in salt, pepper, and minced garlic. You can also use this roux to make a gluten free alfredo sauce recipe with parmesan mixed and melted in! Need a vegan and/or dairy free cream sauce option? Simply replace the butter with avocado oil (or another high heat oil) then mix in nutritional yeast (Bob’s Redmill) in place of the parmesan. It tastes super cheesy, yet is much lighter.
How to make a keto-friendly roux or thickener for keto sauces, soups, and gravies
To make a keto roux, you will use xanthan gum. Because xanthan gum can absorb a large amount of moisture, the formula to make a roux with xanthan gum is a bit different. You won’t use equal parts fat and xanthan gum.
The biggest trick to using Xanthan gum versus a starch or flour is to use just a little bit! You need far less Xanthan gum than you would flour. Trust me, I’ve learned from experience. EEK! But the good thing is, you will be able to make this starch/gum last forever!
The rule of thumb for using xanthan gum is 1/8 teaspoon per 1 cup of flour. How to add it? Sprinkle and Blend: Slowly sprinkle xanthan gum over circular motion , allowing it to be sucked down into blade of blender, whisk, etc for at least 30 seconds to thoroughly combine.
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1/2 Tablespoon xanthan gum
How to Make Gluten Free Roux for Sauces + Soups (Paleo and Keto options): if you want to make a butter-based roux, use 2 teaspoons xanthan gum and 1/2 to 3/4 cup of butter.
- Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.
- Add ONE teaspoon of xanthan gum, whisk, and then add the other teaspoon of xanthan gum, and whisk.
- Cook over medium heat, darkening to the desired color. It browns quickly, so always remember to whisk! The roux will continue to thicken as it cools, so don’t worry if your roux seems a little thin at first.
And lastly… when you’re in a hurry, use a SLURRY!
What? What is a slurry?
A slurry is not a roux, but it serves a similar purpose. No cooking needed.
Think of a slurry as almost the opposite of a roux, but also the same. Haha, stay with me here. You see, a roux is cooked, uses fat, and is added at the beginning of cooking. A slurry is a mixture of water and flour/starch. It is uncooked, needs no fat, and is added at the final minutes of cooking. It’s the Quick fix of thickeners, but doesn’t add in flavor, like a roux does. Does that all make sense?
I always have arrowroot or tapioca starch on hand for that purpose. When I’m making a soup and it just need a touch more thickness. Both are paleo friendly and grain free.
What you need:
- Arrowroot or tapioca starch 1 to 2 tbsp equal water
I use a slurry to thicken my cauliflower soup and healing bisque.
Alright my friends, here’s the complete list of recipes! Hold onto them like no other.
Print
How to Make Gluten Free Roux for Keto Sauces + Soups
- Prep Time: 2
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 17 minutes
- Yield: 8+ 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
How to make gluten free roux and thickening agents for sauces and soups. Paleo and keto options
Ingredients
Grain Free/Paleo Dark Roux
- 1 cup Avocado Oil or 1 cup of clarified butter
- 1 cup Bob’s Redmill Cassava Flour
Light brown Gluten free Roux
- 3/4 cup clarified butter
- 1 cup Bob’s Redmill 1:1 gluten free flour
- See notes on how to make white sauce (almond milk and garlic will be needed)
Low Carb Roux and thickener for keto sauces
Rule of thumb for using xanthan gum is 1/8 teaspoon per 1 cup of flour.
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1/2 Tablespoon xanthan gum
Or for BUTTER- based roux
- Use 2 teaspoons xanthan gum and 1/2 to 3/4 cup of butter.
Grain Free (corn free) slurry – to thicken at end of cooking. No cook thickening agent
- 1– 2 tbsp Arrowroot or tapioca starch and equal water
Instructions
THICKENING SOUP and SAUCE TIPS (before you begin)-
- For soups – If you’re using a roux to thicken a soup, it’s best to add at the beginning as it can take some time for the soup/stew to thicken.
- For sauces, SLOWLY whisk your cold or room temperature liquid (like milk for cream sauce) into the hot roux, then slowly whisk together.
Grain Free/Paleo Dark Roux
- Heat the oil or butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk the cassava flour into the fat and cook over medium-high heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes.
- NOTE – Dark roux made with regular flour usually takes up to 45 minutes, but cassava flour creates that nutty dark flavor extra fast since it’s grain free! TIP– You don’t need to wait long for this roux to turn dark. Just 10-15 minutes, max!
Light brown Gluten free Roux
- Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk the flour into the fat and cook over medium heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes.
To make a creamy white sauce (dairy free option) using this light brown roux, see notes.
Low Carb Roux and thickener for keto sauces
Rule of thumb for using xanthan gum is 1/8 teaspoon per 1 cup of flour. Cooks Illustrated also have a few good tips for using xanthan!
- Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.
- Sprinkle ONE teaspoon of xanthan gum while whisking, and then add the other teaspoon of xanthan gum, and whisk for 30 seconds. *Sprinkle while blending is key for mixing xanthan gum*
- Cook over medium heat, darkening to the desired color. It browns quickly, so always remember to whisk! The roux will continue to thicken as it cools, so don’t worry if your roux seems a little thin at first. Also, if you constantly whisk and lightly sprinkle in the xanthan gum it dissolves perfectly. Remember, when finished and cooled, the roux gets much thicker. So less is best.
Grain Free (corn free) slurry – to thicken at end of cooking. No cook thickening agent
- Whisk/Mix 1- 2 tbsp Arrowroot or tapioca starch and equal water
- Add to then of cooking (soups, chowder, etc) .
Notes
- To make a creamy white sauce using this light brown roux, slowly whisk in 2.5 cups of almond milk. After the milk is incorporated, stir in salt, pepper, and minced garlic. You can also use this roux to make gluten free alfredo sauce recipe with parmesan mixed and melted in! Need a vegan and/or dairy free cream sauce option? Replace the butter with avocado oil (or another high heat oil) then mixing in nutritional yeast (Bob’s Redmill) in place of the parmesan. It tastes super cheesy, yet is much lighter.
- Category: sauces/soups
- Method: stove
- Cuisine: american
Keywords: thickeners, roux, keto sauces, soups, gluten free roux,
So tell me, have you ever made a Roux before? Or a slurry? Once you start, you won’t stop. And now you have ALL the resources to get that Julia Child’s moment going!
Cheers!
Keep up with the compassionate, fun-loving Bob’s Red Mill on social media. They are full of gluten free inspiration! Facebook, Twitter Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest
LC
Hi, I’m Lindsay! Gluten Free Nutrition Specialist, food photographer and author of 
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You are a gluten free hero my dear.
you are always my hero. 🙂
SO intrigued by the xanthan gum roux!!
It does wonders!
Just finished trying the xantham gum roux for a cheese sauce and – like my arrowroot flour roux – this delivered a mucous-like consistency. (Not appetizing!) I’m not wasting any more time or ingredients experimenting with low carb rouxs.
I will either just boil thick cream or compromise my diet nd use regular flour, which delivers easy, consistent and unmatchable results.
Oh no! so sorry to hear this. Was it too much xantham? My thickened over time, once cooled, then I used it in a gumbo. Have you tried cassava flour?
That’s too bad! I’ve had great luck with all of these so far-I used the xantham gum roux to make gluten free Mac and cheese. It turned out great! I’ve also used cassava flour a lot for roux and it’s worked really well too. I would say don’t give up on gluten free roux! They can be tricky but once you get them down, the possibilities are endless:)
Definitely a great “need to know for cooking basics” recipe!
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What a great one-stop-shop for all your roux needs! I used to really struggle with making roux of any kind – I always felt like it came out gritty. Over time I definitely got better at it and am excited for these healthier versions!
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I can’t wait to try making this!
keep me posted Matt!
Great post Lindsay! Appreciate all the info! Can’t wait to dazzle my gluten free friends!
This is such a good idea! I know so many people who will benefit from this!
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Ahh it would be so hard to not be able to eat normal flour… thank goodness the Celiacs out there have you to rely on. Roux is so integral to so many recipes!
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You are too kind friend, thank you!! I agree, it’s a staple for sure;)
Now this is how I will make vegan gumbo–avocado oil and cassava flour! What a great idea–wish I was clever enough to think of that! I bet these roux recipes are super versatile. Bob’s Red Mill is the BEST for every baked goods flours!
I agree, I am a major Bob’s fan!! ? can’t wait to hear about how it turns out, keep me posted!:)
Oh totally keep me posted on the vegan gumbo!! Yum
Which method would you recommend when you want something creamy like for chicken pot pie? I tried arrow root and tapioca flour but they give it more of a jellied/slimy texture.
My daughter and I are on a low carb diets and I really wanted to make a keto roux for gravy but I do not understand your recipe.
I’m sorry to hear that Doreen! I’m happy to help out-can I clarify anything or walk you through it?
Feel free to respond here or shoot us an email at [email protected] and we’ll get you taken care of 🙂
I thought my gumbo days were behind me, now that I’m eating GF vegan. What a wonderful find! There’s a wealth of cooking knowledge behind these recipes. Thanks for sharing them!
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I’m so glad!! Anytime:) food luck with your journey!
These light brown gluten free roux is so Instagrammable and adorable! As you know I made it a short while ago and it was lovely! Thx, Lindsay for sharing!
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Oh thank you Bella! I appreciate your feedback.
Legit speechless, that light brown gluten-free roux recipe looks unreal! Definitely, I will make it on the weekend for my family. Thanks, Lindsay
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I just made the Xanthan Gum roux. It looks like it does not want to mix. It certainly, at this point, does not smell like roux. I’m a Cajun lady, so roux is important to me. Any suggestion?
Hi Janice! Sorry to hear about the not mixing. What type of pan did you use? Did you let it cool? I had to continually whisk so it would be smooth and thick once cooled. It should smell nutty. How much xanthan gum did you use? Thanks!
We just tried the dark brown roux with cassava and canola oil. It seemed like magic until we added in the onions to the hot roux (like I’d do with glutinous roux), and the cassava balled up and won’t dissolve again. Thoughts? Anyone else experience this?
Oops just emailed you and realized that you did use canola oil. I’m thinking for this cassava recipe you might try butter. What brand of cassava flour did you use? What is the canola oil new or maybe it had gone dead? Will definitely help remedy this.
Our canola oil is new, and the flour is pure cassava (not mixed with plantain, and not tapioca starch, which I hear can be confused with cassava flour), though its some imported brand we get at our international grocery and not Bob’s Red Mill. I’ll try again with butter or a fat next time. Do you cool the roux before you add in the veggies, though? It seemed like a sugar in the cassava crystallized or something weird when it got hot and then we added the watery onions (it made lots of steam and then the cassava seemed to almost gel).
I’m excited to get this to work! Our gumbo hasn’t been the same since my celiac diagnosis, as I can never get a rice flour mix very dark at all.
I think I understand how to make the keto roux using Xanthum gum but then how do I add it to the soup? Will it dissolve and mix in to the other hot liquid ingredients to cause the thickening? I feel like making the roux is one thing….getting to successfully blend with the result I am looking for is another! Any advice you have would be appreciated.
Hi Amy! If you’re using a roux to thicken a soup, it’s best to add at the beginning as it can take some time for the soup/stew to thicken. Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions. 🙂
Also, if u constantly whisk and lightly sprinkle in the xanthan gum it dissolves perfectly and when finished and cooled, the roux gets much thicker. So less is best
A follow up to my comment above: the Keto Roux worked perfectly! I melted 3 tablespoons butter and whisked in 1 teaspoon of xanthum gum. It made a nice slurry that easily drained into my stock pot of soup. I added it around the midway point. It has been advised to do it early on but based on the steps of making this particular soup, I just didn’t feel comfortable doing it then. It thickened up beautifully! I am so glad I came across this idea as I struggled using Xanthum gum in the past. I was always adding it without dissolving it first. Duh! That doesn’t usually work with flour either! I’ve also heard that once xanthum gum is introduced to a recipe, the temperature should continue to cook at a moderate, not high heat. Not sure if that’s true, but I was careful to do that and my soup turned out great. Thank you for the ideas!
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So glad to hear that it worked perfectly for you, Amy! It’s so exciting to learn new things so thanks for following up and sharing about your experience!
Mixing Xanthan gum ( or glucomannon/Konyak gum) with a liquid oil makes it easier to incorporate into a watery soup for thickening because the oil can coat the individual granules of the gum and prevent them from clumping together so violently when they absorb water. They will absorb the water more slowly and more controlled and create fewer dry unmanageable lumps. But because of that it will take a while for all of it to absorb, expand and thicken, so it will thicken over time till maximum. I’ve had friends think it wasn’t working when it didn’t thicken “quickly enough” and add more. Big mistake. A little goes a long way. Too much will make the soup/dish gummy and slimy tasting. It’s better to go with too little than too much. You can add, but you can’t take away.
Thank you! Those are great tips and i definitely agree about letting it sit.
Hello Lindsay! Thank you so much for sharing the secrets to making gluten free rouxs, gravies and sauces. I’m new to the keto diet and love making homemade soups, but didn’t know how to make them eco-friendly. I especially love making gumbo, it’s dear to my heart! I will definitely apply your guidance. Thank you again!
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I wanted to use a keto-friendly roux (with xanthum gum) for a Swedish meatball recipe that called for 2 cups of beef broth and 1 cup of heavy cream thickened with 3 Tbs flour and 1/4 cup butter. I couldn’t figure out your formula of 1/8 tsp to 1 cup of flour for this recipe. I followed your 2 tsp xanthum gum to 1/2-3/4 cup butter. However, I never figured out if this amount of roux could be used with the 3 cups of liquid in my recipe. Please advise how much roux to how much liquid. I’ve never made a roux before; I’ve always just added flour to my liquid until I got it to the right consistency. Thank you. Pat Nichols-Johnson
Lindey, this is a follow-up to my comments above: the 2 tsp xanthum gum: 1/2-3/4 cup butter was too thick for the 3 cups of liquid my recipe called for, so I had to add another cup of broth. Should that “roux” have been added to my liquid like a “slurry”, a little at a time until desired thickness? As I mentioned, I’m new to all this. Can you email your response to me as I don’t regularly look at this site and don’t want to miss your advice. Again, thank you.
What aout a coconut flour slurry? Done that? It works great
I’ve never had success with coconut flour! I’d love your tips!
I just started Keto in Jan and I have to say I am really missing cooking…like with a recipe kind of cooking. I am searching for a Keto sub to thicken a sauce in the same way you would add a bit of flour to thicken. Would xanthan gum be what I would use? I didn’t want to make a separate roux…I want to follow the recipe and sub something for the flour at the point in time that I thicken the sauce.
Thanks in advance for the help!
What recipe are you making? That all might depend on that. Ya know? Or you could try the coconut roux