Gluten-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, low-carb sauces, or to thicken soups, gravies, and more!
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 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).
Note – Thickening Soup and Sauce: (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 you need to use a grain-free or gluten-free substitute for all-purpose flour.
- 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.
Light Brown Roux (Gluten-Free)
Light brown roux is my favorite with an almost almond butter color and flavor! Great for making a gluten-free sauce for zoodles, and to thicken soups as well as eggless casseroles. Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour, which is what we are using here, is my go-to gluten-free flour for all baking and cooking purposes.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter
- 1 cup gluten-free flour
Instructions
- 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: slowly whisk in 2.5 cups of room temperature almond milk to the prepared roux. After the milk is incorporated, stir in salt, pepper, and minced garlic. Mix in parmesan cheese for a creamy alfredo sauce.
Dark Roux (Gluten-Free & 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.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Avocado Oil or 1 cup of butter
- 1 cup Bob’s Redmill Cassava Flour
Instructions
- 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.
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!
Keto-Friendly Roux
To make a keto roux (for sauces, soups, and gravies) 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.
Ingredients
- 1½ to 2 teaspoons xanthan gum
- ½ c (1 stick) to ¾ cup of butter
Instructions
- 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.
Oil-Based Keto Roux
- ½ cup oil
- 1 teaspoon to 2 teaspoon xanthan gum
In a Hurry? Use a Slurry!
A slurry is not a roux, but it serves a similar purpose. No cooking needed.
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.
I always have arrowroot or tapioca starch on hand for when I’m making a soup and it just needs a touch more thickness. Both are gluten-free and grain-free.
Ingredients
- Arrowroot or tapioca starch 1 to 2 tablespoon equal water
More of Our Favorite
Recipes That Use Roux or Slurry
How to Make Gluten-Free Roux for Keto Sauces + Soups
- Total Time: 17 minutes
- Yield: 8+ 1x
Description
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 clarified butter
- 1 cup Bob’s Redmill Cassava Flour
Light Brown Gluten Free Roux
- ¾ cup clarified butter
- 1 cup Bob’s Redmill 1:1 gluten free flour
- See notes on how to make white sauce
Low Carb Roux and thickener for keto sauces
- ½ cup oil
- 1 to 2 teaspoons xanthan gum
Or for BUTTER– based roux
- Use 1 ½ to 2 Tablespoons xanthan gum and ½ cup (1 stick) to ¾ cup butter
Grain Free (corn free) slurry – to thicken at the end of cooking (No cook thickening agent)
- 1– 2 Tablespoons arrowroot or tapioca starch and equal parts water
Instructions
THICKENING SOUP and SAUCE TIPS (before beginning recipe)-
- For soups – If 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 soups – Slowly whisk the cold or room temperature liquid (milk for the cream sauce) into the hot roux to combine.
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!
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.
Low Carb Roux and thickener for keto sauces (updated 8/20)
- Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum while whisking, and then add the other ½ teaspoon of xanthan gum, and whisk for 30 seconds. If it doesn’t start to thicken, add ½ teaspoon more xanthan gum. *Sprinkling while blending is key with 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, even if the roux seems a little thin at first.
Grain Free (corn free) slurry – to thicken at end of cooking. (No cook thickening agent)
- Whisk together 1- 2 Tablespoons arrowroot or tapioca starch and equal parts water
- Add to hot soups, chowder, etc.
Notes
Creamy White Sauce – To make a creamy white sauce using light brown roux, slowly whisk in 2 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk. After the milk is incorporated, stir in salt, pepper, and minced garlic, to taste. This roux can also be used to make a gluten free alfredo sauce recipe with parmesan mixed and melted in! For a vegan and/or dairy free cream sauce option replace the butter with avocado oil (or another high heat oil) then mix in nutritional yeast in place of the parmesan.
- Prep Time: 2
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: sauces/soups
- Method: stove
- Cuisine: american
Have you made a keto roux with bamboo fiber? I found the xantham to be too viscous.
I have not! I know others have tried agar agar.
I’ve got a kiddo with a ton of allergies so I’m hoping this makes for a new dish we can add to the mix. Making the Cassava rue hopefully soon to make gumbo. Once it’s the color I want, can I just start adding in the veggies and garlic and treat like regular gumbo at that point?
Yes, Mac… After the roux is created, just proceed as you normally would for any other recipe! Let us know how it turns out!
Hi Lindsay!
I’m a low-carber for health reasons. I want to make a soup that calls for 2 tbsp butter and 1/4 cup flour. I don’t want to use the flour (obviously). Should I scale your measurements to 2 tbsp butter / 1/2 tsp xanathan gum and proceed with the recipe or make your roux recipe of 1/2 c. butter / 2 tsp xanathan gum and then add that to my soup recipe? Bsically, should I treat your roux as a separate recipe and then add it to my soup recipe or scale the measurements of your roux recipe? Does this make sense or am I confusing matters lol???
Michelle, I think it’ll be easiest for you to make a full batch of the roux and then add it in. This way, you’ll be able to add it little bits at a time, until the consistency of the soup is where you want it. Let us know how it goes!!
I’ve used numerous gluten free flours for my roux and I have found that any of the flour blends with too much tapioca still make a fine gravy but thin out upon reheating. My favorite is still Bob’s all purpose with the garbanzo bean flour in the mixture. It does impart a slight flavor of it’s own but reheats without thinning. What do you suggest?
Hi Barbara! I’ve use that flour for roux too! Or the all purpose GF flour without xanthan gum. Have you tried that one?
What I’d really like to learn is the best gluten free flour combo to use for a gravy that will reheat without thinning down. I do understand that cornstarch and tapioca starch will go thin when reheated and when I’ve tried only rice flour it’s a little grainy. Thanks for your suggestions.
Just shot you an email from our team@cottercrunch. But just you case you didn’t get it, here’s what we suggest.
Use a brand of gluten free all-purpose flour that does NOT have xanthan gum in it. The all purpose baking flour from Bob’s Red Mill is what we use in our kitchens.
When you make the roux for the gravy, omit 1 tablespoon of the all purpose flour and use coconut flour instead. Because coconut flour absorbs so much liquid, our best guess is that if anything, the gravy will become TOO thick, and that you may need to add broth or water to thin it out.
Please keep us posted on your results. Good luck!
Thank you!
This is simple and delicious! Just made this for lunch. Definitely plan on making it again!
Very easy & incredibly delicious. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
You’re welcome! So glad to hear this! Thanks for coming back to leave your feedback Richard!
So delicious!!! I will try it. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Thanks, Dustin! Keep me posted.
Well that was super easy! I have been nervous to try both of those flours (I have my comfort zones!), but this makes it very easy – thank you! {I LOVE LOVE the new look on your site by the way! It is beautiful!}
I had been keto and had become used to making non-wheat foods. gravy for chicken or turkey had always been a challenge.i am more relaxed now about carb intake but still try to avoid wheat flour- II have none in my house. I had some plantain flour and added it to my chicken stock and produced a gravy that no one would know was any different from traditional roasted meat/fowl gravy! Try it.
I made the Low carb rule with butter and xanthan gum. I followed the directions exactly.
A few minutes after I stopped whisking and the rule came to a nice dark color it started to separate. Any suggestions.
Thanks so much!!
How much xanthan did you end up using? Xanthan gum darkens faster than flour, so be sure to stir constantly! I like to have my other ingredients ready to add right away since it can thicken fast. It can be tricky. I’ll see if I can demo it for you!
I tried making a gumbo with gluten free flour, and it separated when I added it to the stock. What can I do?
That’s odd! What type of fat and brand of flour did you use? Did it have binders added?
Olive oil.
What brand of gluten free flour? Also, here’s a tip from a New Orleans chef.
To help prevent the roux from breaking or separating in your finished dish, make sure the roux and the liquid (water or stock) are at similar temperatures. Don’t add cold roux to hot liquid or vice versa.
Oh thank you
Oh thank you. If my flour does not have a binder, what can I do
Thanks for your very informative article! I’m trying to improve my GF chops, and this fills a lot of holes. Just wondering though, can’t you use the light brown roux with milk to make a bechamel if you’re not avoiding dairy?
I don’t see why not! Let me know if you try that non dairy option Richard. 🙂
This is awesome and so helpful when trying to avoid flour.
Glad to know this is helpful!
Great information, thank you
I am confused though. Your Xanthan bum Recipes show the following :
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.
There are no flours called for.
Am I missing something?
Sorry for the confusion. I just updated the post. The rule of thumb for using xanthan gum is 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon per 1 cup of flour. But we’re not using flour here. We’re replacing the flour with xanthan gum. And it should be 1 to 2 tsp. 1/2 tbsp xanthan has been using before but depends on how thick you want the roux. I’d start off with 1-2 tsp. Hope that helps!
Love it love it! Just made a shrimp stir fry and needed a sauce/ gravy To put together with rice. I am in heaven right about now! Came out better than I expected. Thank heaven. There is a God!
Yaayyy! So glad to hear that, Dandre!
By the way, which roux did you use?
So so ideal to me Lindsay. It works to me!
Great! Thanks, Lisa!
Good evening, Making the slurry tonight for tomorrow nights dinner. Advice about the reheat….
Which flour did you use?
Amazing recipe! Thank you for sharing! YUMYUMYUMYUM
Glad you enjoyed it! You’re welcome!
My daugther very love it.Thanks you!
I want use coconut flour slurry. What do you think about my idea?
I’m not sure, I haven’t tried it. But I’ve heard other have had success! Did you google it?
My daugther very love it.Thanks you!
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
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 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.
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!
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!
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.
Thanks to you both Amy and Lindsay. I’ll admit, my earlier attempts to thicken with Xanthan gum were an unmitigated (and frankly gross) disaster. Amy I used your approach with butter and about a half teaspoon of xanthan – then I slowly added my (thin) soup. It thickened up nicely. I believe the clouds parted and I heard celestial trumpets! This has been a real issue for me with a keto lifestyle, so it’s much appreciated. My next ambition is a similarly, “un-gross” version of keto simple syrup.
Oh I am so glad it worked! Thanks to our awesome readers (amy) for the tips.
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 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!
Legit speechless, that light brown gluten-free roux recipe looks unreal! Definitely, I will make it on the weekend for my family. Thanks, Lindsay
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!
Oh thank you Bella! I appreciate your feedback.
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!
I’m so glad!! Anytime:) food luck with your journey!
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 🙂
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.
I’m curious too? Would potato starch work? Sorry if I’m off-topic (keto world) but chicken a la king or pot pie are delightful examples of cooking with wheat I’m sorry to leave behind.
I haven’t tried it with potato starch. I’m not sure it would work, but feel free to give it a while. Have you tried my cream of mushroom soup (keto and vegan) and a roux substitute for those dishes? I think that would work great!
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
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!
You are too kind friend, thank you!! I agree, it’s a staple for sure;)
This is such a good idea! I know so many people who will benefit from this!
Great post Lindsay! Appreciate all the info! Can’t wait to dazzle my gluten free friends!
I can’t wait to try making this!
keep me posted Matt!
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!
Definitely a great “need to know for cooking basics” recipe!
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:)
You are a gluten free hero my dear.
you are always my hero. 🙂